Champagne Cupcakes

Happy {belated} New Year!

I’ve been quite a busy bee the past few months and have, admittedly, been slacking on my blog posts. Well, New Year = New Goals, right?! I’m going to try and post 2 recipes every week!

Before I fill you in on an awesome Champagne Cupcake recipe, let me tell you what I’ve been up to lately 🙂

I keep trucking away on growing my cupcake business – and things are going pretty good if I do say so myself. We are still working on renovating the cupcake truck and plan to have it up and running in February. I can’t even tell you how excited I am about it! Picture to come soon, I promise! I also had my first cupcake event at a local wine bar and it was a sweet, sweet success. I baked like a crazy women 600 mini cupcakes to give away as samples. People who came to the event were so friendly and so excited about my cupcakes. It felt really good to know that what I’ve been working toward for so long is starting to come together.

Also, my Etsy shop is still booming – keep an eye out for new Valentine treats and some really good discount codes!

Ok, enough about me.  Are you ready to whip up a batch of deliciously boozy cupcakes? Great! Let’s get started.

Champagne Cupcakes

What you’ll need for the Cake Batter:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups flour – I like to sift it first
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• ¼  teaspoon salt
• ½  cup unsalted butter. Make sure it is at room temperature (microwave for 15 sec)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼  cup milk
• ½ Cup of Champagne (any brand will work)
• 1/8  teaspoon cream of tartar

What you’ll need for the Frosting:

• ½  cup butter or margarine, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼  cup champagne
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cupcake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl.
4. Using an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add 3/4 cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in the vanilla extract.
7. Mix in the Champagne
8. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
9. Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
10. Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
11. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until combined. Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate.
12. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes

Frosting Directions:

1. In your 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 champagne and the vanilla – mix for 2 minutes or until well combined
4. If you want thicker buttercream – add more powdered sugar.

These cupcakes are delicious and add the perfect amount of elegance to any party. I like to decorate them with little pink and white pearls.

Until next time, stay sweet!

Xoxo, Jill

Butterfinger Cupcakes

 

Happy Wednesday! How’s everyone holding up? With only 18 days until Christmas, I’m sure you’re all as busy as I am.

Believe it or not, I still don’t have my tree up or any decorations in my house! I do have the bulk of my gifts bought though– that counts for something, right? I also have been baking up a storm, but I’m sure that doesn’t surprise any of you 🙂

Today, I actually wanted to take a break from the traditional holiday treats  and feature a cupcake that is one of my absolute favorites! It’s a Butterfinger cupcake, and I guarantee it will fit in just fine at any holiday event or get-together. Enjoy the recipe!! Xoxo

Here’s What you’ll need:

Cupcakes:

• 1 stick Butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Flour
• 1 tbs Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 cup of finely crushed Butterfinger (I use a food processor )
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 tbs Vanilla

Frosting:

• 2 sticks of butter, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups of powder sugar
• 1/3 cup of cream cheese
• 1 tbs of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of crushed Butterfinger (approx 4 candy bars)

Cupcake Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In your mixer (or with a handheld mixer) beat the butter until it is soft, then add sugar and continue to beat for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until they are well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients(Cocoa Powder, Flour, Salt, Baking Powder)  and whisk them until they are well combined
5. Add the mixture of dry ingredients to the butter and sugar. Mix well until combined
6. Mix in crushed Butterfinger
7. Add the liquids (milk & vanilla), scrape down bowl and beat to combine.
8. Fill cupcake liners and bake for 20-22 minutes.

While your cupcakes are baking, let’s work on the frosting!

Frosting Directions:

1. In your mixer beat the butter and cream cheese on med-high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between each cup
3. Mix in the vanilla, mix for 1 minute
4. Add in the crushed Butterfinger and mix for another minute.

** If your frosting is too thick, add a small amount of milk or creamer. If your frosting is too thin, add some extra powdered sugar **

 

Later this week I will be sharing a recipe for Snow-Cap Cupcakes! Have a great week everyone. Stay Sweet!!

Cupcake Ornaments!

With Christmas right around the corner, I have been feeling some serious pressure to get started on my holiday shopping list. This year I decided I was going to do as much local and small business shopping that I could. I, of course, went straight to Etsy to find some unique handmade items for friends and family. I came across Jessica’s shop – “The One Stop Button Shop” and thought her ideas for customizable ornaments, buttons, purse mirrors and more were absolutely adorable! I sent Jessica a picture of my logo and voila…my logo was made into an ornament!! I received my customized Stay Calm Cupcake ornament within a few days. I absolutely love it and can’t wait to put it on my tree!!

What do you think? Pretty adorable, right?

It even came in a pink gift bag!

Jessica started The One Stop Button Shop in August of 2011 selling Christmas ornaments, pinback buttons, magnets, and mirrors. Her shop is relatively new, but it is constantly growing! At the moment, she offers her products in one size – 3 inches in diameter. She plans to add a variety of sizes and products after the New Year. Along with The One Stop Button Shop, Jessica and her husband also own a fine art print shop called Faville Photo.

So if you’re looking for a really fun and affordable Christmas present for parents, grandparents, or friends, check out her shop! I think using a Christmas photo on these button ornaments would be such a cute gift – and a nice new twist to the tradition Christmas card.

Also, check out the One Stop Button Shop Facebook page and tell her Stay Calm Cupcake sent you!

Remember to support local and handmade this holiday season! Check back tomorrow for a yummy Mocha-Mint cupcake recipe.

 

Stay Sweet! xoxo

 

October Photos

Hi All!

Today is November 1^st and I absolutely cannot believe that October has come and gone already!! I hope all of you had a ridiculously sweet Halloween last night, I know I did!

Today I am going to do a different post than I normally do. I have a lot of blog friends that do a weekly posting called “My week in photos”. I always love looking at their picture posts, so instead of sharing a recipe today, I’d like to share some photos with you. Don’t worry though, I’ll be back later this week with some great Thanksgiving Cupcake ideas.

Here are some photos from the past month ~~ Enjoy! xoxo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

McCormick Giveaway Winner!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Are you ready to find out who the winner of my McCormick Halloween Box Giveaway is?? Drum Roll please……

Congrats Tara from Chip Chip Hooray! You are the winner of a McCormick gift box. You’re prize includes:

• McCormick Assorted Food Coloring
• McCormick Black Food Coloring
• McCormick Vanilla Extract
• Wilton Cupcake Liners
• Bright Orange Oven Mit
• Silicone Cookie Sheet
• A Mini Spatula
• A list of Halloween cupcake ideas
• And some yummy Candy Corn!

 

This kit has EVERYTHING you need to make some fantastic Halloween cupcakes!

Please email me at staycalmcupcake@yahoo.com with your name, email address, and mailing address. Your box of goodies will arrive in plenty of time to make some festive Halloween treats!

Thanks Again McCormick, you are too SWEET!

If you didn’t win, don’t be sad. I have an awesome coupon code for you guys today. How about 20% off any item in my shop? Use code Halloween20 at checkout to activate your discount.

Annnnd…..

How about some majorly adorable FREE printable cupcake topper?!

Download and Print Here

Stay Sweet my friends. xoxo

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

Happy Friday! It feels so good to know that in a few hours, my weekend will be here! I recently made red velvet cupcakes for a friends birthday and rembered just how much I love this recipe. Its such a great recipe that I am recycling this post from when I originally posted in over a year ago. Enjoy!

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Red Velvet cake and I used to have a bittersweet relationship…I could never get the recipe “just right”. That was until I found a recipe that I actually like, and am capable of creating. I adapted this recipe from Bobbly Flay’s show “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”. Enjoy the recipe, and enjoy all the praises you’ll get when you pass these little guys out.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

adapted from “Throwdown with Bobby Flay”

Makes 16 Large cupcakes – 24 regular size cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 4 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 ½  granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3  large eggs
• 2 tsp of red food coloring
• 1/8 cup of water
• 2 tsp of vanilla
• 1 ¼ tsp of vinegar (white or apple cider)

Directions

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside. (**Sifting is very important here – I usually skip sifting, but I don’t skip it in this recipe because without sifting, your cupcakes won’t be fluffy and moist.)

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar, and buttermilk until combined. Add eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and mix on low, scraping down sides occasionally, and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix, or the batter will come out tough.

Line your cupcake pan with paper liners, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool

 Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 packages of 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tbs of vanilla extract
• 1 tbs heavy whipping cream
• 2 Sticks of unsalted Butter

Cream together cream cheese and butter – Mix on high speed up soft and well combined

Add the powder sugar one cup at a time – mixing thoroughly after each cup

Add in the vanilla and mix well

Beat on medium high speed until desired consistency is achieved.

ENJOY!!

Free Cupcakes!

Happy Saturday! A big welcome to some of my new readers that are following the Blog Crawl! Thanks for joining us in this fun event! Today, my shop is being featured on several blogs and to celebrate, I am giving away FREE cupcakes! Read below for details on how to win a “Cupcake Love” Cupcake kit from my Etsy shop. Have a wonderful day ~ Stay Sweet!

Hi! For those of you who are new to my blog, my name is Jill. I am the cupcake obsessed mastermind behind “Stay Calm, Cupcake Shop”. Thanks so much for joining in on this fun “Shop til you Drop” blog Crawl. Let me tell you a little bit about myself then I’ll share a fun giveaway with you!

 About Me:

I am passionate about creating inventive, delicious, and entirely homemade cupcakes for all of my customers. I opened my shop in 2010 with the hopes of sharing my baking talent with others and making a few extra bucks along the way. To my delight, my Etsy shop has turned into a much greater business venture than I ever anticipated. Thanks to the support of my wonderful fans and customers, I recently made it to my 105^th sale! I feel so blessed to be able to do what I love and share my passion with other sweet treat enthusiasts!

My dream is to one day soon open up a store front and have my own cupcake truck. In my world, a sweet little cupcake can fix almost any situation. Just add a little frosting and a gloomy day is turned sunny again. Stay Calm Cupcake Shop was born out of the simply philosophy that all of us need to slow down a little bit and enjoy the sweeter things life has to offer. I truly love what I do and am looking forward to where the sweet smell of sugar takes me!

Time for Free Stuff!!

I will be giving one lucky winner a “Cupcake Love” Cupcake Kit. This yummy kit includes 6 cupcakes of your flavor choice, a piping bag full of frosting, and a cute little pack of sprinkles. Simply pipe the frosting onto your cupcakes, finish with sprinkles, and enjoy! Perfect for any cupcake lover out there!

How to Enter:

Become a Fan of Stay Calm Cupcake on Facebook 

Follow Me on Twitter @StayCalmCupcake

Comment on my blog  and tell me you are following on Facebook and Twitter 

Thanks for entering and good luck!!

Stay Sweet ~ xoxo

Jill

Stay Calm Cupcake Shop!

 

Key Lime Frosting and a Giveaway Winner!

Happy March 1^st lovelies!! You know what that means…I can finally start talking about St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve got some really yummy, festive, and fun recipes to share with you guys and I just can’t wait!

First things first though – let’s announce the winner of my Delightful Designs Giveaway!

Drum Roll Please…….

The Winner is SuckersbySteph! Congrats – I will email you today the details of your prize!

Now, on to a very green frosting recipe! I love this Key Lime Frosting and it’s perfect color to celebrate the luck of the Irish!!

What you will need:

• 1/2  cup  butter, softened
• (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, divided
• 1/3  cup  milk
• 1 key lime

Directions:

• Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
• Add milk, beating until blended. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar, beating until blended. Stir in 2 tbs grated lime rind and 3 tbs of lime juice.

Perfect for frosting Vanilla, Coconut, Strawberry, or Lemon Cupcakes!

Enjoy xoxo

Jill

Sweet Gifts

Valentine's Day is 11 days away!

After looking around the blog world, I realized that I better hurry up and jump on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon! Everyone has great posts about Valentine treats, gifts, date ideas, and reservation tips! I haven’t really had much time to think about Valentine ’s Day, but no more excuses – today is a VDay post!

Need some sweet ideas for that special someone? I am here to help!

Sweets for your friends.

 

 

So Sweet!

 

Cupcake Love, Cupcake kits are perfect gifts to give to your girlfriend of any age. My customizable kits are fun to decorate and even more fun to eat. Each kit comes with 6 unfrosted cupcakes, a piping bag full of homemade frosting, and a container of custom sprinkles. Just cut the tip off the piping bag, frost your cupcake, top with sprinkles, and enjoy!

Better yet, get a bottle of wine, turn on a chick-flick, and have a girls night decorating cupcakes with your closest gal pals.

A Gift for Cupcake Lovers!

 

 

Delivered straight to you door!

 

Try the gift that keeps giving (for 3 or 6 months atleast)!

StayCalmCupcake Club is the perfect gift for the cupcake lover in your life. Get a cupcake kit delivered right to your doorstep once a month for 3 or 6 months! Join the club and get exclusive coupon codes for the whole year – up to 50% off coupon codes, buy one get one deals, and so much more. This is a much cheaper way than buying cupcake kits individually. Each membership is 100% customizable, from date of delivery, to months you want them delivered, to flavor, and recipients! Stop by and take a look!

Looking for a sweet treat your man will love?

 

 

Cupcake Jars - Easy and Delish!

 

 

Cupcake Jars do the trick every time. 2 moist cupcakes topped with fluffy frosting, neatly baked into a mason jar. Ladies, we all know men don’t want the hassle of decorating their own cupcakes, so give them what they really want…a cupcake treat that they can eat mess free sitting in front of the tv! Each order comes with 3 jars and is decorated with fabric and ribbon. Does your guy have a favorite football team, hobby, or TV show? Let me know and I will decorate each cupcake jar according to his favorite things! Cupcake jars can be eaten right out of the jar, or can be warmed in the microwave and added to a bowl of ice-cream. What man could say no to that?

What about treats for the Single Ladies out there!

 

 

Single Girls Need Sweets Too!

 

I have some girlfriends who really dread the day of love! So for you Miss Independent, I have the Single Girls Survival Kit! A pack of cupcakes just for you, no need to share! This kit comes with 6 Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes filled with chocolate mousse, your choice of frosting, and a container of sprinkles! You will also receive 4 chocolate dipped Oreos…because no girl can have enough chocolate 🙂

Have Kids? Want an easy treat for them to take to school?

Cupcake's Individually Wrapped - Perfect for class parties!

My individually wrapped cupcakes are perfect for school parties, or Valentine treat exchanges. Not to mention you’ll look like a super mom who “baked all those cupcakes”. Each cupcake (order as many as you like!) is individually wrapped in a pink heart cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon. For each cupcake valentine you order you will receive a miniature bag of icing, and a small bag of sprinkles. Kids will love decorating their own cupcakes! It’s a fun way to trade Valentines. All orders can be customized with name tags if you would like.

Don’t forget to use code SCCS10 FOR 10% off your purchase. And if you spend more than $10 you get 4 free mini cupcakes added to your order.

~*~Check back tomorrow for a Spicy Hot Cupcake Recipe!~*~

Stay Sweet, xoxo

Jill

Sweet New Sponsors!

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. It was so nice having yesterday off!

Today I would like to introduce you to some fabulous new sponsors! Each of my new blog sponsors has a creative, affordable, and entirely unique Etsy shop. I just know you’ll love their products as much as I do.

First we have “Cupcake Fashion: Tasty Style”. An Etsy boutique specializing in a large variety of unique and adorable cupcake liners! These liners range in price from $2.40 – $4.50 and are perfect for almost any cupcake occasion you can think of. My personal favorite is the pink leopard print liners!   Check out the great selection and order some liners for your Valentines cupcakes!

 

Heart Sprinkles by Baking Supplies Galore

 

Next is “Baking Supplies Galore”. This fun shop is perfect for all cupcake lovers! From Pink Pig shaped sprinkles to Dinosaur Candy Sprinkles  this shop has everything a cupcake needs! Even better, “Baking Supplies Galore” is offering  Stay Calm Cupcake readers 15% OFF any purchase! Just use code staycalm15 to get your special pricing! Hurry while the offer lasts!

Koala Bear Lollipop from Suckers by Steph

Last but not least, we have “Suckers by Steph”. This shop offers a wonderful selection of homemade lollipops perfect a quick pick-me-up or a special valentine’s treats. Her chocolate lollipops come in all shapes and sizes. From personalized pops, to “I love you koala bears”, this shop has a treat for everyone! I have to say that I love the lip shaped lollipops the most!

A big “Thank-You” and a warm welcome to all 3 of my new sponsors. I know my readers will love your products as much as I do.

Don’t for get to stop by Stay Calm Cupcake Shop for all of your Valentine’s treats and snacks! Use code SWEET2011 for 13% off your ENTIRE purchase!

Stay Sweet

Xoxo,

Jill