Bat Mitzvah Cupcakes for Ashley

Here's a photo of some of the cupcakes from Ashley's Bat Mitzvah...

The details for the Frappuccino Cupcakes HERE, Olympic Cupcakes HERE, Vanilla Cupcakes HERE.

It was a great event totally geared to the honoree.  She chose the cupcakes because she loves frappucinos from Starbucks, she enjoys watching the Winter Olympics which were in progress,  and her theme was "Chillin' with Ashley."  All very cute!!

Great job, Ashley!

Frappuccino Cupcakes

These cupcakes were devine!!!

I tried several cupcake recipes and finally developed my own.

They were topped with stabilized fresh vanilla bean whipping cream and a salted caramel sauce.

Here's my recipe for the cupcakes:

(will add soon!)

Olympic Cupcakes

Cute Olympic Cupcakes that were so yummy!

A moist chocolate cake base with a cream cheese frosting.

The Olympic rings were made from chocolate clay.

For more cupcakes from the Bat Mitzvah

Click HERE & HERE.

Go USA!

Snowflake Cupcakes

Yummy cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream...

Here is a link to a very similar recipe from Sweetapolita.

Check out all of the cupcakes from the Bat Mitzvah HERE and HERE.

Over the Top Carrot Cake Cupcakes

We LOVE Carrot Cake in this house, especially this Carrot Cake recipe.

My mom actually made this for my husband's birthday several years ago, drove 4 hours to deliver it and drove the 4 hours back home!!!  (Note, she never did that for me!)

I took her recipe and used it for these cupcakes.  The filling is the key...WOW!

Hope you enjoy it!

Over the Top Carrot Cake Cupcakes

makes about 30 cupcakes

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cup canola oil

4 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup chopped pecans

3 cups grated carrots

Grease and flour muffin pans or line with cupcake liners.  Beat together sugar and canola oil.  Add beaten eggs and vanilla paste; beat well.  Sift together all dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients mixing just until well blended.  Carefully fold in the pecans and carrots.  Fill cupcakes liners 1/2 to 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until done.  Cool and refrigerate for several hours.

Filling:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Combine sugar and flour in small saucepan.  Add cream, butter and salt.  Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, until it simmers (this may take up to 30 minutes.)  Remove and cool.  Add nuts and vanilla.  Can refrigerate until ready to use.

3 recipes of

Food Processor Cream Cheese Frosting

(click above to be linked to the recipe)

Lightly toasted chopped pecans.

To assemble:

Use a teaspoon or small scoop and remove about a teaspoon of the refrigerated cupcake.

Use the filling to fill the cupcake.

Frost with Food Processor Cream Cheese Frosting.

Roll edges of frosted cupcake in the lightly toasted chopped pecans.

These cupcakes are very messy and soft if not refrigerated.

It is best to begin making these at least a day before you need them.

They keep well in the refrigerator for many days.

You can also use this recipe to make an 8-inch 3 layer cake by increasing baking time by 10 minutes or so.

ENJOY!

Smiles!

Cupcakes w/Coffee Liqueur Ganache & Mocha Cream Filling

A couple of weeks ago I made a cake based on the famous Southern Living Recipe Chocolate Cake IV.  Apparently, the best part of the cake was the chocolate cream filling. (The original recipe calls for mocha cream, but I altered it to account for the clients' tastes.)

Well, the occasion (end of season soccer party) presented itself that I needed to make some cupcakes.  For the kiddos I made Red Velevet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting but wanted to do something special for the parents.  Time was short so I doctored up a chocolate cake mix for the cupcakes.  Sticking with the original recipe, I made the mocha cream filling and the coffee liqueur ganache.  Using a small scoop, I removed some cake to make room for the filling, then filled them and iced them with the ganache.

Yummy!  Light in texture...rich in flavor!

Have a great week!!!!

Smiles!

May be linking up to some of the fun parties found in the side bar =>

Golf Ball Cake Pops and Cupcakes

This week has been crazy with end of school activities and baking orders.

No blog time!!!

Well here is another little bit of the fun golf party we had next week.

You knew I'd have them!

Husband requested lemon cake pops for his golf ball pops!

They're displayed on some foam covered with more of the green moss... 

Other items on the dessert table were carrot cake, assorted cheesecake bites and chocolate cupcakes....all of the birthday boy's favorites!!

Chocolate cupcakes topped with french buttercream "grass" and a golf ring topper...pretty cute!

Smiles!!!

More Golf Party Inspirations:

Golf Party Invites

Golf Party Wreath

Come Join this month's Pretty Packages Party!

June 5th thru June 11th! 

Linking to:

Sunday Showcase

Weekend Wrap-up Party

Sunday Scoop

Saturday Spotlight

Whatcha Got Weekend

Not Baaad

Kathy's Black Bottom Muffins (Cupcakes)

*  Looking for the 5th Pretty Packages Party? Click here!

First, you have to know I've been BEGGING for this recipe since May '10.

If you know me, I don't ask for many recipes...I have an enormous

 (and still growing) cookbook collection and can usually find what I want. 

 (I have a gift for picking great recipes...not so much for cooking, but for picking great recipes.) 

 Anyway, I had these DELICIOUS muffins at a Mother's Day event at

my children's precious preschool. 

 One of the director's (Kathy) made these...and she made a lot of them. 

 I was amazed at how delicious AND fresh they tasted...

did she get up at the crack of dawn to make the hundreds of muffins I saw? 

NOOOOOO...that's the beauty of these little delights. 

They HAVE to be frozen! 

You make them the day or even week or two ahead of time.

  Then, on the day of your event, you just remove them from the freezer and let them thaw before serving. 

Trust me, if you try these (and you WANT to try these,)

you will be over the moon with the results. 

Thanks, Kathy, for sharing this home run of a recipe!

Black Bottom Muffins (Cupcakes)

mix #1
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (not low fat)
1 beaten egg
1/3 c. sugar
1/8 t. salt
12 oz. chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli milk choc)

mix #2
1 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt

mix #3
1 c. water
1/3 c. corn oil
1 T. cider vinegar
1 t. vanilla

Beat 1st 4 ingredients well and stir in chips. Set aside.
Mix next 5 ingredients in separate bowl, then add last 4 items.
Beat chocolate mixture well.
Use mini cupcake pan and fill with liners.
Fill 1/2 full with chocolate mixture,
then 1 t. cream cheese mixture.
Bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes.
Cool and freeze overnight in container or bag.
Thaw 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Smiles!

Linking to:

Sunday Showcase
"Not Baad" Sundays
Making Monday marvelous
Mad Skills Monday
Sundae Scoop
Market Yourself Monday
Get Your Craft On
Delectable Tuesday
Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday
Month Long Cupcake Party



Red Velvet & Vanilla Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

My sweet little boy's 5th birthday occurs two days after Christmas.   Subsequently, his preschool teachers (he goes to two) wanted to celebrate his birthday before the holidays.  No problem...I don't have anything else going on anyway! (smiles!!)

(Photo from my iPhone...not too bad!)

Anyway, I asked my little guy what kind of cupcakes he would like for his birthday at school.  He said, "Red velvet, vanilla & chocolate."  Well, I finally got him to narrow it down to Red Velvet and Vanilla.  I used the zebra cake method and alternated putting in red velvet cake batter and vanilla cake batter.  They turned out beautifully...very Christmas-like (or in our case, very festive and birthday-like!)  He thought they were great!

Click here for the Cream Cheese Frosting in a Food Processor Method

Smiles!!

Coconut Mini Cupcakes

Here's another yummy treat from the Winter Wonderland Party.

Coconut Cupcakes topped with Swiss Meringue Buttercream gilded with more coconut.

Will add recipe for cupcakes soon!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe can be found here!

Smiles!!

Chocolate Party Cupcakes

Chocolate Party Cupcakes

Chocolate Velvet Cake with Classic Chocolate Buttercream Icing

The Perfect Party Treat!!!

Click here to see the whole party!

Smiles!!!

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

The Pretty Packages Party

 is going on now thru November 6th.

Click here to check it out!

So, on Tuesday I shared with you Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes that I saw at Whimsical Creations...they just looked so yummy.  Today, I decided to give them a try with a little twist.

Instead of vanilla cake I chose Dark Chocolate Cake.  I just had to see how they tasted.

My taste testers all agreed...YUMMY!

I frosted them with Food Processor Cream Cheese Frosting...super easy and super good. 

Look at that cookie dough goodness...mmmmmm!

The key is to make the cookie dough without the eggs and freeze them in balls for several hours.

Fill the cupcakes evenly with cake batter then add the frozen cookie dough balls.

The cupcake bakes but the cookie dough remains soft and gooey.

Can't you just taste it?!?! 

Check out Melanie's site to get all of the details on how to make these crazy good treats!

My quick and easy version:

Make a recipe of Nestle's Tollhouse Cookies

 (omitting the eggs and adding a couple of extra tablespoons of butter.)

Form cookie dough into large tablespoon sized balls.

Put in freezer for several hours or overnight.

When ready to make the cupcakes:

Prepare cake mix according to directions on package.  (I used Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix.)

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with cake batter.

Top with frozen cookie dough ball.  (The batter covers the frozen ball during baking.)

Bake according to package.  (Mine took 19 minutes.)

Let cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then let them cool on rack.

Frost with frosting of your choice.  (I used Cream Cheese Frosting.)

Enjoy!

Smiles!

Linking to:

Weekend Wrap Up Party

Sundae Scoop

Frugal Friday

Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints on the Fridge

Fabulous Friday Finds

Sunday Showcase

Not Baaad

Market Yourself Monday

Motivate Me Monday

Making Monday Marvelous

Motivated Monday

Making the World Cuter Monday

Take a Look Tuesday

Earth Day Cupcakes

Found these cute Earth Day cupcakes on bystephanielynn.com. Aren't they great? And super easy! We added a sparkly cloud of cream cheese icing on top. Hope the kids at the boys' school like them!

Halloween Spider Cupcakes

Probably got the ideas for these from Family Fun Magazine, too. Really, if you need some cute ideas for kids parties you should definitely have a subscription to this magazine. Its inexpensive and full of great ideas!

Turkey Cupcakes

These are the turkey cupcakes from the Family Fun website http://familyfun.go.com/sitesearch/results/q=turkey%2520cupcakes/...pretty easy to make and the kids really like them!