March Cupcakes

Shamrock Shake

Vanilla-Mint Cupcake

Stabilized Whipped Cream

Maraschino Cherry & Decorative Paper Straw

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake Cupcake

Cream Cheese Frosting

Decorated Nilla Wafer

Dark Chocolate Stout

Guinness Chocolate Cupcake

"The Best Frosting I've Ever Had"

Chocolate-drizzled Pretzel Pieces

February Cupcakes

Angel Food with Strawberries

Homemade angel food cake is definitely worth the effort. Unfortunately, I just don't think it works terribly well in cupcake form. As the cupcakes cool, they contract, making them very small. They're so light and airy that you can eat one in 2-3 bites...and barely even notice you had a cupcake. Usually there are about 20 cupcakes left (out of 72) after the first day. This month? There were only two. I think in the future I will use a pound cake or vanilla cake when I want to do a fruit filling.

I used this recipe from Cooking Classy for the angel food cupcakes. They tasted great, although I was out of almond extract and I definitely missed that flavor.

This recipe from Food.com made a tasty strawberry filling that wasn't too sweet and was a good consistency for filling.

I used the cream cheese whipped cream recipe that was posted with the angel food cupcakes, and I thought it was a great pairing. I may use cream cheese whipped cream instead of the gelatin stabilized version in the future. It held its shape very nicely in the fridge and had a little more complex flavor than plain whipped cream.

To top the cupcakes, I cut a V shape out of the top of the strawberries, then sliced them in half to look like hearts. To keep the strawberries from drying out, I dipped the cut sides in the leftover strawberry filling.

Red Velvet

The obsession with red velvet cupcakes is something I have to admit I don't really understand. I mean, they're tasty enough, but I would personally choose almost any other flavor over red velvet. But Brad passed on a request, and I like to make the office manager happy! I also kind of hate food coloring, so I used half the amount called for and they're still plenty red!

I used this recipe from Gimme Some Oven for the cupcakes. Please ignore the ugly edges in the picture as that was entirely my fault! My test batch baked up beautifully. Unfortunately, I forgot the baking soda in my first batch and then I didn't have enough red food coloring for a second batch, and then I nearly forgot to add the baking soda/vinegar step in my second batch, so I mixed it in by hand but apparently not well enough and then the cupcakes spread instead of rising nicely. They still tasted great but I was a little embarrassed to deliver ugly cupcakes. I will definitely give myself more time to finish everything next time!  

My sister-in-law introduced me to this frosting from Tasty Kitchen (via The Pioneer Woman), and it is outstanding. It's sort of a strange recipe (flour? granulated sugar?!), but wow it tastes good. I've always thought cream cheese and red velvet were an odd combination, but this frosting is perfect.

I decided to keep these simple and add a single large heart sprinkle. I got these at World Market. They have some great sprinkles right now and the container they come in has a cute cupcake-shaped lid. 

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

I was having a terrible time deciding on a third flavor, but Brad's eyes really lit up when I said "cinnamon roll," so of course I had to make them. These looked delicious, smelled wonderful, and left little puddles of butter in the bottom of my cupcake pans. I was super sad that this recipe didn't make any extras! I will have to make them again sometime when I can share with friends...

I used this recipe from The Cake Blog in its entirety, which almost never happens. I put the cinnamon swirl mixture in a squeeze bottle, which was silly, because a bunch of it got left behind. Don't be like me. 

I thought the cupcakes could have used maybe half the amount of streusel - it was really mounded on there and they leaked quite a bit of butter into the pan. Tasty, but messy.

January Cupcakes

This month I made cupcakes inspired by our Christmas trip to the Florida Keys.

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is basically the best thing about going to the Keys.

We ate 3 of them during the week we were down there! 

key lime cupcake 

I used this recipe from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody for the lime cupcakes. Mine sank quite a bit in the middle, unfortunately. It was fine this time, as I was planning to add a pool of key lime pie filling! However, it seems to be a common problem when I bake citrus flavored cupcakes. My semi-scientific theory is that the acid in the citrus accelerates the rising effect of the baking soda or powder. Due to our altitude (almost 4500 feet), the cupcakes rise faster than the batter can bake and support itself. I will have to tweak these in the future - it's probably just as simple as decreasing the leavener or adding a bit more flour.

key lime pie filling

I used the pie filling recipe found on the bottle of key lime juice (Nellie & Joe's*), but cooked it over medium-low heat in a small sauce pan until thickened instead of baking. The filling was chilled in the fridge overnight and then scooped into the cupcake's centers.

stabilized whipped cream

I use the Wilton recipe for stabilized whipped cream. This is great way to do whipped cream for cupcakes. It holds up well at room temperature, and continues to look good for 3-4 days under refrigeration.

I use this grass-fed beef gelatin* to stabilize the whipped cream. It smells a little strange when heated, but the whipped cream tastes just as delicious as ever! 

molded white chocolate sea shells

For these, I used the "Bright White" Candy Melts* and a seashell candy mold I found at Michael's.

Cortadito

These cupcakes were inspired by the Cuban coffee drink I fell in love with in Florida. It's two shots over cane sugar with a little bit of steamed milk. It's intensely strong, very sweet, and has this delicious sugar-coffee sludge at the bottom of the cup. Totally addictive.

coffee cupcake

I used this recipe for coffee cupcakes. I wish I had left myself time to test a few recipes, because they baked up flat with large holes. It was okay this time, since I was planning to add yet more coffee in the form of a syrup soak, but I will need to tweak this recipe in the future.

Cuban espresso syrup soak

The syrup soak was just a double shot of Cuban espresso (I brought home some Cafe Mayorga beans from Florida) with about 3 T of baker's sugar stirred into it. Poured a bit over each cupcake to intensify the coffee flavor and add more moisture.

espresso/vanilla buttercream

My usual buttercream recipe: 1 1/2 c butter, 6 c powdered sugar (1 1/2 lb), 1 tablespoon vanilla extract - beat together. Add a few tablespoons of heavy cream and beat until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. If frosting is too dense, add more cream.

I saved out half of the vanilla frosting. For the rest of the frosting, I added about 2 tablespoons of instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tablespoons of hot water.

I put each frosting into a 12 in bag and stuck both bags into a 16 in bag. In hindsight, it would have been easier to use cling wrap like I usually do. The 12 inch bags did not fit well together in the 16 inch bag! I used a large round tip for the frosting and finished the cupcakes with a sprinkle of Sugar in the Raw turbinado sugar*.

Piña Colada

I couldn't decide what to make for my third cupcake, and my hubs suggested this one. On the whole, I like them, but I wish they had more pineapple flavor in the cake -- as they are, you don't get any pineapple flavor in the first bite! Some crushed pineapple in the batter would have been a good addition. 

coconut cupcake

I used this recipe from Five Heart Home for the coconut cupcake. I didn't add in the shredded coconut because I didn't want the chewy texture for this one. They looked great and were really moist with a nice texture. Unfortunately, not a lot of coconut flavor (because I left out the shredded coconut, I'm sure) so I would add some coconut extract next time.

pineapple curd

I used this recipe from Alaska from Scratch for the pineapple curd. It was great! Not too sweet, great pineapple flavor, and a good consistency for filling. 

I used my juicer (Fagor slow juicer*) to juice a fresh pineapple for this recipe. About 1/3 of a large pineapple yielded the 1 cup of juice needed for the recipe.

coconut buttercream

I used this recipe from Baked by an Introvert for the frosting. I ended up having to make another half-batch to cover all my cupcakes. I added about 1/2 tsp rum flavoring and 1 tsp coconut flavoring to give it that piña colada flavor. 

The sprinkled bits on top are toasted coconut chips*. I got mine at Costco a few months ago, but they seem to be a seasonal item. They add a nice sweet crunch to cookies and granola, too.

*this post contains Amazon affiliate links for special ingredients and products mentioned. These are all products I use and recommend, but many of them can be found at your local grocery store as well!

December Cupcakes

This month's cupcakes were inspired by traditional Christmas flavors and colors!

Gingerbread

gingerbread cupcake

I used this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction for the cupcakes. They baked up beautifully but were pretty dark and spicy. They were good, but they definitely needed the cream cheese frosting to mellow them out.

cream cheese frosting

For cream cheese frosting, I use an 8 oz block of cream cheese, 2 sticks of butter, and a 1 lb bag (4 cups) of powdered sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla and beat until fluffy. You can add some cream if it's too thick. For these cupcakes, I piped on a base of cream cheese frosting with a large French star tip, sprinkled some turbinado sugar for color, and then used a large round tip to pipe a snowman. The snowman's nose is a chocolate sprinkle and his hat is a chocolate chip.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

chocolate cake

This recipe from Annie's Eats is my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. It makes exactly 24 cupcakes and they're perfect every time. To make these taste more "hot-chocolatey" I used milk instead of the hot water and used my least "dark" cocoa powder. I also pushed a couple of mini marshmallows into the top of each cupcake before baking.

peppermint buttercream

I used my usual buttercream recipe (3 sticks butter, 6 cups powdered sugar, 4-5 T cream, 1 T vanilla) and added 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. I put a line of red gel food coloring down the inside of the piping bag before loading the frosting. 

The cupcakes were garnished with mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips, and mini candy canes. 

White Chocolate Cranberry

vanilla cupcake

This recipe from American Heritage Cooking is my current favorite for vanilla cupcakes

They're moist and have plenty of vanilla flavor without being too sweet. They have nicely domed tops, too.

cranberry filling 

I didn't actually use a recipe for this one. I just put a bag of cranberries in a pan with some sugar, water, and the juice of one orange. I cooked them until they burst and then chilled the filling overnight. I cut a core out of the cupcakes (I prefer a small serrated paring knife* over a fancy cupcake corer) and put in about 2 teaspoons of the filling.

white chocolate buttercream

I used this recipe from The Recipe Rebel for the white chocolate buttercream. For some reason, mine didn't set up. Maybe my white chocolate was still too warm when I beat it into the frosting? However, the soft consistency did give the frosting a nice snowdrift effect, so it turned out just fine. These cupcakes were garnished with sparkling cranberries and Wilton sugar pearl sprinkles*.

sparkling cranberries

I used this recipe from The Wicked Noodle to make my sparkling sugared cranberries. They might sound strange, but these things are seriously addictive. They do require several hours (overnight if you can) of drying time, so plan ahead!

*I added Amazon affiliate links for some special ingredients and products mentioned in this post - they are items I actually use and recommend.

November Cupcakes

This month's cupcakes were inspired by the best thing about Thanksgiving --- PIE!

For all of the cupcakes, I cut leaves out of pie crust for garnishing. I use the pie crust recipe found here: 
http://chezpim.com/bake/how-to-make-the-perfect-pie-dough
It is the best ever. Once you get used to the technique, it's super easy to make. It rolls out like playdough, never gets tough and overworked, and is deliciously flaky and buttery. 


Apple Pie

Spiced cake 

For the cupcakes, I used this recipe:
http://lifemadesweeter.com/2014/09/apple-pie-cupcakes-salted-caramel-buttercream-frosting/
They were delicious! Not too sweet, nicely domed, with a moist crumb and a nice warmth from the spices.

Apple pie filling

For my filling, I used honeycrisp apples and the recipe found at the link above. The apples made the filling even tastier!

Salted caramel frosting

I used the recipe at the link above for the frosting as well. I used a delicious homemade salted caramel sauce found here: 
http://www.thekitchn.com/homemade-salted-163317


Pumpkin Pie

 Pumpkin cake

The cupcake recipe was found here: 
http://www.ninahendrick.com/pumpkin-spice-cupcakes/
It's a great classic pumpkin cake recipe. I wanted them to be pretty soft and dense to mimic pumpkin pie and they were perfect. 

Whipped cream frosting

I use the stabilized whipped cream recipe found here: 
http://www.food.com/recipe/wilton-stabilized-whipped-cream-79506
I whipped it to medium peaks (a little softer than I usually do for cupcakes) and applied a dollop with a large round tip. 

These cupcakes got a dusting of fresh-grated Ceylon cinnamon and nutmeg to finish them off.


Pecan Pie

Butter pecan cake

For the cupcakes, I used the butter pecan cake recipe found here:
http://acuppycakelife.blogspot.com/2010/07/butter-pecan-cupcakes.html
Most of the pecan pie cupcake recipes I found used a vanilla base, but I'm so glad I went with the butter pecan cake! It was the perfect rich, buttery, nutty base for the sweet filling.

I saved the extra butter-toasted pecans to sprinkle on top of the cupcakes after they were filled.

Pecan pie filling

For the pie filling, I used this recipe:
http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2012/10/pecan-pie-cupcakes.html
My filling didn't set up very well in spite of a night in the fridge. It worked fine as a syrupy glaze, though. I let it run over the top of the cupcake so the extra buttery pecans would stick. It made for a slightly messy eating experience, but ... worth it.

Whipped cream frosting

I used the stabilized whipped cream found above for these as well. I whipped it to firm peaks and applied with a large French star tip. Somehow I didn't get a picture of these with the pie crust garnish, but they got one too. 

October Cupcakes

For October's cupcakes, I made a classic fall flavor and some Halloween inspired decorations. 


Pumpkin Spice Latte 

Pumpkin spice cupcake
I don't remember which pumpkin cupcake recipe I used in October! Boost the spices a bit, though, to get the pumpkin spice latte flavor.

Espresso soak
I brewed a few shots of espresso and brushed it onto the cupcakes a few times as they cooled.

Stabilized whipped cream frosting
I used the Wilton recipe for stabilized whipped cream. It pipes nicely, keeps well, and is great for a cupcake that's not too sweet.

Fresh-grated Ceylon cinnamon





Nutella 
Costco had Fererro Rocher truffles on sale. That's about all the inspiration I needed. Nutella buttercream is so good, it should probably be illegal. I usually throw away excess frosting in the interests of self-preservation, but I just couldn't!

Chocolate cupcake
The chocolate cupcake recipe from Annie's Eats is my go-to. They're moist, fluffy, and have plenty of chocolate flavor. And it bakes exactly 24 cupcakes so I don't end up eating all the leftovers!

Nutella buttercream
I used this recipe from My Baking Addiction for the Nutella buttercream. Because I was planning to put a truffle on top, I didn't put a ton of frosting and I ended up with enough left over to frost another dozen cupcakes.

Fererro Rocher truffle

Chocolate spider legs
For these, I just melted semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small ziploc bag, piped them onto wax paper in a check mark shape, and stuck them in the fridge for a few minutes. And yes, I made sure every spider had 8 legs. 





Braaaaaains
There are a few Walking Dead fans at the office, and the show left off at a major cliffhanger shortly before I made the cupcakes, so I thought it would be fun to do a zombie themed cake.

Vanilla Cupcake 
I used this yellow cupcake recipe from Annie's Eats, but with 4 whole eggs instead of 2 whole and 4 yolks. They turned out fine but I think the substitution changed the texture a bit. I would recommend making this one as written and using a different recipe when you don't want the yellow cake. 

Raspberry jam swirl
I used some homemade raspberry jam to make a swirl in the cupcake batter. This made for a creepy effect peeking out from underneath the frosting. 

Vanilla buttercream
I thought about using raspberry jam (I like to color frosting naturally when possible) in the frosting as well, but I didn't want any weird texture from the fruit or seeds. I resorted to a few drops of red and yellow food coloring to get a nice pink brain color. Next time I would just strain the jam or cook down some raspberries and strain off the juice. They were good, but the raspberry flavor didn't come through very well. 

September Cupcakes

The first new toy I bought myself with my cupcake earnings was a kitchen torch. So obviously I had to use it on two of this month's cupcakes. 

Salted Caramel Apple Cider 

Apple Cider Cupcake
I used this recipe from B. Sugar Mama for the cupcakes, but I used a local hard cider from Lockhorn Cider instead of the Angry Orchard. These cupcakes had an awesome texture and were very moist! 

Cream cheese frosting
Some recipes use more cream cheese than butter or vice versa. I like to use equal amounts (2 sticks of butter to 1 8 oz box of cream cheese) for a nicely balanced flavor and a slightly lighter texture. I add about 4 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tsp of vanilla, and a few tablespoons of cream. Make sure you beat it for a few more minutes after you think you should stop. I piped the frosting with a petal tip to try and make a rose. They turned out a little ugly, but salted caramel covers a lot of sins.

Salted caramel drizzle 
This salted caramel recipe from The Kitchn is easy and turns out great every time. 

Lemon Meringue

Lemon Cupcake
I don't remember which lemon cupcake recipe I used for these! I still haven't found "the one," though, so you're not missing much. These had a better texture, but were not lemony enough.

Lemon Curd Filling
The Barefoot Contessa's recipe for lemon curd is hard to beat. Blitzing the lemon zest with the sugar extracts the flavor out of it very well, and it's much easier to make than other recipes I've tried. It also freezes nicely, in case you're like me and make a double batch...

Meringue frosting
I used this meringue recipe from King Arthur Flour for the frosting. It toasted nicely with the kitchen torch but it did shrink a little overnight in the fridge.



S'more

I used the S'more cupcake recipe from Life Love and Sugar for these. 

Graham Cracker Crust

Chocolate Cupcake
These cupcakes are very chocolatey, but a little too gooey for eating while standing around in an office setting.

Marshmallow Frosting
This frosting was a relatively convincing marshmallow substitute. I think it needed a little vanilla to be more accurate. It was good, though, and it held better than the very similar meringue frosting for some reason. 

Chocolate/Graham Bark
Once I finished the cupcakes, I thought they looked a little too similar to the Lemon Meringues, so I melted some chocolate, spread it on a silicone baking mat, and sprinkled the leftover graham cracker crumbs on top.