Summer Flower Cupcakes

 

Summer Lovin'

Hello my loves! Today I am so excited to share a super fun recipe with you!

This weekend I was asked to cater a special “going away” luncheon. I decided to make summer flower cupcakes. They were so easy and the guests loved them! The set up and decorations were really fun too.

Let’s get started!

Summer Flower Cupcakes

Ingredients for the Cake

• 6 cups white flour sifted

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 2 cups milk

• 2 tbs of Vanilla Extract

• 12 egg whites

Directions for the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.

4. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

5. With mixer at slow speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk.

6. Beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

7. Gently fold egg whites into batter.

8. Pour into cupcake liners.

9. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Bright Colored Marshmallows make these flowers POP!

Ingredients for the frosting and the decoration:

• One bag of mini, colored marshmallows

• 1 stick of unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 stick of salted butter (softened)
• 4 cups of powdered sugar (sifted)
• 3 tbs of half and half
• 1 tbs of vanilla

Directions

1. In your stand mixer, cream the butter on medium high until it turns white and fluffy (about 5 minutes)
2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time- mixing on medium speed
3. Add the half and half and the  vanilla – mix well for 2 minutes or until well combined
4. If you want thicker buttercream – add more powdered sugar.

1. Once your frosting is finished, set aside
2. Cut the mini marshmallows is half, creating little petals
3. After your cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them. For best results, I used a piping bag to pie the frosting in a swirl on the cupcake. This gave the cupcakes a more polished look once the petals were placed on top.
4. Starting at the outside edge of the cupcake, place the petals all around. Do this for 3 layers. Finish by putting a different color marshmallow in the center. I used yellow.

***Important note: These cupcakes should not be left uncovered or refrigerated, it makes the marshmallow petals dry put and look shriveled up.

Perfect Little Flower Pots

For the display, I used some pots from the gardening section of my local grocery store, covered them with some ribbon, and placed Styrofoam inside of them. I covered the Styrofoam with some green “grass” and placed the cupcakes on skewers and stuck them into the pot. It turned out really cute and people were amazed at how creative the cupcakes were. The best part was, these cupcakes were one of the easiest things I have done in a while.

 

These cute cupcakes are a must for your next event! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe.

 

Stay sweet!

xoxo, Jill

 

Classic White Cake

Image from weheartit.com

Ah, Wednesday. Halfway through the week – Wednesday feels good, doesn’t it?! I’d like to thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes! You sure know how to make a girl feel loved 🙂

I have to admit though, with everything going on for my birthday, I neglected to notice that it was my dear friend’s one year wedding anniversary. Such a great milestone to celebrate! And you know that no one loves a celebration as much as I do, it’s the perfect excuse for eating tons of cake (or cupcakes in my preference!)

So today, I dedicate this post to my close friend Nikki. You are inspiring, determined, and oh-so creative. Thanks for being my friend and happy ONE YEAR Anniversary! So happy for you and your hubby!

Let’s celebrate with a recipe for traditional white cake and some great cupcake decorating ideas!!

Beautiful Cake and Cupcake Display! By "Cakes and Culinary Creations"

Classic White Cupcakes (adapted recipe from Wilton)

Ingredients

• 6 cups white flour sifted

• 2 tablespoons baking powder

• 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 2 cups milk

• 2 tbs of Vanilla Extract

• 12 egg whites

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Fill cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

2. Sift together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Set aside.

4. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Set aside.

5. With mixer at slow speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with milk.

6. Beat well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.

7. Gently fold egg whites into batter.

8. Pour into cupcake liners.

9. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

I would use any of the following frostings – depending on what mood you’re in!

Strawberry Buttercream

Classic Buttercream

Marshmallow Whip

Pinapple Cool Whip Frosting

Classic White Cupcakes with white pearls! LOVE it!

Mini White Cake Cupcakes. So Cute!

That’s all for today. Have a fabulous Wednesday, and as always, Stay Sweet!

xoxo, Jill

A Few Of My Favorites!

Happy June 9^th! I turn 24 today and can’t help but be thankful for the  wonderfully blessed past year I have had. What better way to celebrate than to share this occasion with my amazing blog readers, facebook fans, twitter followers, and cupcake enthusiasts!

So, what helped make this past year so special? Well it’s simple….. YOU did! In the past year my blog and cupcake shop has grown exponentially. I could not have done it without the support of friends and family like you guys. While I have never personally met some of you, the encouragement you have given me along the way has been immeasurable . There are days when my “blogger” friends cheer me up more than the actual people around me. You guys inspire me and motivate me. And for that I say “Thank you!” Never stop being creative, the world needs more people like you 🙂

Enjoy this collection of great recipes that I have found through my blog friends over the past year. Each is a sweet treat that I know will be a hit if you decide to make it.

My favorite recipes from a few of my favorite blogs:

Peach Crumb Bars by Brown Eyed Baker

Lime Zest Cookies by Sweet and Crumby

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins by Sweet Peas Kitchen

Cheesecake Picnic Jars by My Bakign Addiction

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies by Recipe Girl

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies by Sweet and Crumby

Have a super sweet day my friends. xoxo

-Jill

Orange Vanilla Cream Cupcakes – Easy!

Orange Cupcakes - Photo by MyBakingAddiction

Happy Monday!

Today I have a special recipe for all of you busy moms who still want to bake delicious cupcakes but don’t have the time to make them 100% from scratch. This recipe is easy, delicious, and still has that homemade taste!

Orange Vanilla Cream Cupcakes

What you’ll need:

• 1 box of Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
• 3 Egg Whites
• 1/3 Cup of Veg Oil
• 1 cup of water
• ¼ cup of orange soda
• ¼ cup of Orange Jello Mix (dry)
• 1 box of   Instant Vanilla Pudding

Directions:

1. Ignore the directions on the box 🙂
2. Combine Cake mix with Egg Whites, Veg Oil, Water and Orange Soda
3. Mix Well
4. Add ¼ cup of Dry orange jello powder
5. Mix well for 2 minutes
6. In a separate bowl, make your instant pudding mix (just follow the directions on the box – all you will need is Milk)
7. Fill your cupcake liners a little over halfway with batter
8. Place 1 TBS of Vanilla Pudding in each cupcake liner (The pudding will bake into the center of the cupcake and create a delicious filling!! Just don’t use more than 1 TBS)
9. Bake at 350 for 18 -20 minutes.
10. Let cool before you frost

I like to finish these off with my traditional buttercream and some white chocolate chips. Yum!

Now who says those aren’t homemade?? Every mom needs a quick cupcake and these are perfect because they are so delicious and kids and adults alike will gobble them up!! Enjoy.

Xoxo, Jill

*This recipe is a Stay Calm Cupcake Original. If you would like to feature this recipe on your blog or website, please contact me at staycalmcupcake@yahoo.com.*

Left-Over Cupcake Batter

Freeze! Don't throw it away!

I can’t tell you how many times I have made a full bowl of batter just to make 6 little cupcakes! I finally decided that I would try freezing my left-over batter in a glass pyrex container. I didn’t know if it would work or not, but it was better than wasting all the left-overs. The next time I needed to make cupcakes, I took the batter out, let it thaw ahead of time, and made my cupcakes as usual. I anxiously tasted the cupcakes after they had cooled, and to my wonderful surprise, they were fabulous, and still so fresh!! An added perk? When baked,  the thawed batter formed the most beautiful cupcake peaks!

I have saved myself so much time and money with this simple trick. So here are a few pointers for saving your batter:

1. I have tried saving in both plastic and glass Tupperware. I wasn’t happy with the way the plastic Tupperware preserved my batter. I now use soley glass Tupperware with a very secure lid.
2. Frozen batter only lasts for 7-10 days in the freezer. Any longer and it doesn’t rise or taste good at all. The sooner you can use it, the better.
3. Make sure all of the air is released from the Tupperware. The more air you have, the more ice crystals will form. No one like frostbitten cupcake batter!
4. Don’t use the microwave to thaw your batter. Give your batter a few hours to thaw before you are going to bake.
5. Make sure you label your batter with the flavor and the date – that way you don’t forget what it is, or when you first made it.

I hope this trick saves you as much time and money as it has saved me! Have a sweet day!

Xoxo, Jill

Red Hot Cupcakes

Spice Up Valentine's Day!

I love the idea of a Red Hot cupcake! It is the perfect recipe for spicing things up a bit on Valentine ’s Day.

Unfortunately, when I looked around for a good recipe, I couldn’t seem to find one that wasn’t a) super complicated or b) filled with tons of actual spices. I’m not against using real spices, but I really wanted my cupcake to taste like the little red hot candies vs spicy chili powder and cinnamon.

I combined a few recipes and came up with my own way to flavor it just the way I wanted to!

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup of butter (divided)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups of Red Hots
• Additional ½ cup of sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line your cupcake pan with paper liners
3. In a medium sauce pan on low heat add your Red Hots, 1/2 cup of sugar,1/2 cup of butter, 3 tbs of water
4. Let the Red Hots melt. Stirring continually so it doesn’t burn
5. Let simmer until most of the Red Hots have melted and mixed in with the sugar and butter.
6. In a medium bowl, cream together 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
7. Pour in your red hot liquid – mix well
8. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the milk until batter is smooth.
9. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

10. Bake 20 to 25 minutes

For the frosting, I think a Marshmallow Whip is the perfect addition. Decorate with Red Hots and enjoy!

Mini Party Cupcakes

Miniature Party Bites!

I love these miniature little cupcakes for several reasons:

1) They are so darn easy  to make!!

2) They look beautiful and require little to no decorating skills

3) They add the perfect amount of “pazzaz” to any birthday party!

So let’s get started! For these cupcake you will need a miniature cupcake pan and miniature cupcake liners.

I chose to make a vanilla butter cake as my base – you can use whatever yummy recipe you feel comfortable with.

Vanilla Butter Cake:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally with a  spatula.
4. Pour batter into cupcake liners (I usually fill them close to the top of the liner that way they puff up nicely) and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
5. Let cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.

 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: 

• 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tbs of heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp of lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp of orange juice
• Rainbow colored sanding sugar

1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended.
2. Continue mixer on medium for another two minutes. 
3. Add vanilla and whipping cream, beating on medium for another minute.
4. Now here’s my secret…I add a little bit of lemon and orange juice to this frosting. This gives it a hint of fruity flavor that makes the mini cupcake even more fun! Kids love it too! Omit this step if you want a pure vanilla buttercream
5. Frosting should be light and fluffy.

Fill a piping bag with your frosting. Cut the tip off so there is a small hole. Pipe the frosting onto each cupcake – leaving only a dollop of frosting on each – do not worry about spreading out or piping in a design.

Pour your multi-colored sanding sugar onto a plate.

Dip each frosted cupcake into the sprinkles – smashing the frosting down around the top of the cupcake.

And there you have it – gorgeous, colorful, and delicious cupcakes that were super easy to make!! You’re cupcakes are going to be a hit at any party you bring them too. I just know it!

Stay sweet xoxo

Stay Calm Cupcake!

** Follow me on Twitter @ StayCalmCupcake – I only need 27 more followers and I will give away 2 free cupcake kits!! **

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Coconut Pecan Goodness!

Since I’m on this coconut kick, I decided to make German Chocolate cupcakes. And no German Chocolate cupcake is complete unless it has the traditional coconut pecan frosting. It’s the perfect mix of sweet and nutty that compliments the bitter chocolate cupcake so well.

This was my first time making this frosting, so I went to the trusted Martha Stewart cupcake book for her take on the frosting.

Here’s the recipe, with a few of my own little tweaks and notes:

Coconut Pecan Frosting

Makes enough for one 9-inch 3-layer cake (or 36 cupcakes!)

Ingredients

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar  (I used dark brown for a richer flavor and really liked the result!)
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and brought to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 2/3 cups (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut (Make sure you chop up the coconut. Sometimes the strings in the bag are way too long and makes for messy eating)
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (I did not toast mine, bc I think it gives a very strong pecan flavor that over powers the frosting – but it’s a matter of preference)

Directions

1. Combine egg yolks, evaporated milk, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Add butter, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes. (Should be the consistency of pudding)
2.  Pour through a fine sieve into a bowl.
3. Stir in vanilla, salt, coconut, and pecans. Let cool completely. Frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before using.

Enjoy this frosting on top of any chocolate dessert! Stay Sweet xoxo

Coconut Cream Cupckes

A perfect little getaway!

Coconut is the type of food that people either LOVE or HATE! I fall on the LOVE side of the argument. I love everything about coconut, from the texture, to the flavor, to the smell. I can’t get enough of it. If you are like me, then this cupcake is the perfect way to indulge in your coconut obsession. A moist coconut cupcake filled with milky coconut cream, and topped with vanilla buttercream and toasted coconut flakes. Divine!

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

Makes 2 dozen

• 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 8 large egg whites
• 1 1/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.

With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; set aside.

In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. With mixer running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Gently fold a third of the egg-white mixture into the butter-flour mixture until combined. Gently fold in remaining egg-white mixture; stir in shredded coconut.

Divide batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake 20-23 until the cupcakes are golden brown.

Coconut Cream Filling

5 tablespoons of heavy cream

1 can of cream of coconut – Blend well so the large coconut bits are dissolved

½ cup of sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup of cool whip

½ cup of cream cheese

1. In a blender, mix the cream of coconut to get rid of large coconut chunks
2. In a mixer, beat together the cream cheese, cool whip, and cream of coconut
3. Add to the mixer 5 tbs of heavy cream – beat until you get it to the desired consistency. You want it thick, but not too stiff.
4. Add is the coconut flake and beat until well mixed.
5. Put your filling in a piping bag and fill each cupcake with this yummy coconut cream

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

3 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tbs of heavy whipping cream

1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended.
2. Continue mixer on medium for another two minutes.
3. Add vanilla and whipping cream, beating on medium for another minute.
4. Frosting should be light and fluffy.

For toasted Coconut Flakes, simply heat your oven to 350, spread the sweetened coconut flakes out evenly on a cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes. Keep a close eye on them though, they burn quickly! Use the toasted flakes to top your delicious cupcakes.

Share with some friends and enjoy!

Stay Sweet, xoxo

Jill

Strawberry Buttercream

Pretty in Pink!

It should come as no surprise to that I love anything and everything girly! Including the color PINK! I especially love pink around the holidays – aren’t hot pink Christmas trees adorable?? These days it’s “trendy” to decorate with colors other than the traditional red, green, and silver. So today I want to give you a recipe for festive strawberry buttercream cupcakes. These will be a huge hit at any holiday party and are really fun to decorate!

Strawberry Buttercream

 

Pink Holiday Cupcakes - Yum!

• 2 sticks of softened sweet-cream butter (unsalted)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar (no need to sift)
• 2 tsp of Vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons of Strawberry extract
• 2 tablespoons of whipping cream
• Pink food coloring

Directions

1. In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together powdered sugar and butter on medium high speed. Once combined, whisk for about 3 minutes until light and fluffly
2. Add the vanilla and strawberry flavoring – mix well
3. Add the whipping cream and food coloring and whisk for another 3 minutes

Golden Butter Cupcakes

Complete with Snowflake Sprinkles!

• 2 1/2 cup(s) (plus 2 Tbsp.) flour
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 cup(s) milk
• 2 teaspoon(s) (pure) vanilla extract
• 1 cup(s) (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cup(s) sugar
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth, scraping the bowl occasionally with a  spatula.
4. Pour batter into cupcake liners and bake for about 20-22 minutes.
5. Let cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.

Hope you enjoy the recipe! Til next time, stay sweet!

xoxo, Jill

P.S. Don’t forget you can get 10% off any cupcake purchase if you use the code SCCS10. Visit my shop for some yummy holiday treats. www.etsy.com/shop/staycalmcupcake