Red Velvet Cupcakes

If I had to think of a perfect Valentine dessert, anything red velvet comes to mind. It's everywhere nowadays. From cake to oreos to brownies, there's just no getting away.

I happen to like red velvet cake, it's not my absolute favorite, but I do enjoy it. I actually have a co-worker who loves anything red velvet. I wanted to surprise her with these cupcakes on Monday. In fact I treated all of the pre-k staff. That's probably one of my favorite things about working outside the home again. I actually have co-workers to feed! Not that my daycare families minded before I'm sure!

These cupcakes are some of my very best I'd have to say. From when I had more time for filling cake orders, these were always a hit. Simple, yet elegant. And they are actually very easy to make. One bowl and I even mixed this batch by hand using a whisk. It doesn't get much easier than that.


Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 oz. bottle red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
2-1/2 cups cake flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt

For the cream cheese frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter,  softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 lb. bag powdered sugar
milk, for thinning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin pans with liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients together. Gradually add in dry ingredients and mix well. Using a large cookie scoop, divide batter between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake in oven for 18 minutes, cupcakes should spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in middle should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pans.

To make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract. Gradually add in powdered sugar, continuing to mix on low. Add a little bit of milk, 1 tsp at a time to thin until you've reached desired consistency.  At this point I like to whip frosting on a medium speed until light and fluffy.

To assemble cupcakes: Fill pastry bag with a large star tip such as Wilton 1M and the frosting. Frost each cupcake with a simple rosette or however you wish. Add a few sprinkles if desired. Makes 24 cupcakes

Nutella Fluffernutter Cupcakes

I can't believe I'm going to admit this to you, I just tried nutella for the first time last week. I promise I haven't been living under a rock. But I think I like it! I don't know about eating it by the spoonfuls or anything but I'm looking forward to incorporating it into more of my desserts.

Today is World Nutella Day if you weren't aware. I created these cupcakes with today in mind and just for you. I don't normally share any of my own cake recipes since I do have a home-based business but sometimes things are just too good not to share. So now you really need to make these for yourself and taste this deliciousness.

A fluffernutter sandwich is one with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff, I've never tried one myself but I hear they're pretty good. I've always wanted to create a cupcake based on the sandwich; armed with a jar of nutella last week, I thought why not?

I started with a rich peanut butter cupcake base, mixed up my fluffy marshmallow buttercream and folded some nutella into a small portion; this became my filling. I then filled the cupcakes with the nutella marshmallow buttercream, topped them with the regular marshmallow buttercream, then melted some nutella and drizzled it on top, to finish these beauties off, I topped them with chopped peanuts. Are you convinced yet?!

Take a moment of our your day and enjoy a little nutella, smoother it on some toast, a cookie or better yet make these cupcakes.....and share of course. You'll have plenty, and you just might become their new favorite person.

Nutella Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
1-3/4 c flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1-1/3 c sugar
2/3 c creamy peanut butter
3 eggs
1/2 c sour cream
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 c buttermilk

Frosting:
2 sticks butter, room temp
1-7 oz jar marshmallow fluff
1 tsp vanilla
2 lb. bag powdered sugar
milk for thinning
Nutella
Chopped peanuts

Directions:
In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in peanut butter, add in eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated. Next add in sour cream, vanilla and buttermilk. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add in to creamed mixture. Using a large cookie/ice cream scoop drop batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 18-20 mins or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool before frosting.

For buttercream: In a stand mixer cream together butter and marshmallow fluff. Add in vanilla. Gradually add in powdered sugar. Frosting will become thick, start with a couple teaspoons of milk to thin and add more as necessary.

Remove 1 cup of frosting and put into a small bowl. Add in a few tablespoons of nutella and stir together. Once cupcakes are cooled, take a small paring knife and cut out a small circle from the middle. Discard that portion of the cupcake (or eat it if you choose!) and using a pastry bag, fill the middle with the nutella filling. *If you don't have any pastry bags, simply take a baggie, open up over a cup and fill with your frosting. Then snip the bottom and use that as your bag. Works wonderfully!

Frost cupcakes with marshmallow buttercream using a knife, spatula or with a pastry bag using a large round tip. I used Wilton 2A. In a small bowl melt a little bit of nutella in the microwave, drizzle over top of cupcakes. I use that baggie method I mentioned above for drizzling, works great every time and makes it look professional. Garnish with chopped peanuts.

Makes 20-22 cupcakes. Feel free to cut recipe in half if you don't need that many.

Lemon Blossom Cupcakes and January Book Review

At the beginning of the year I set a goal to read at least 1 book each month. I chose The Cupcake Diaries by the sisters of Georgetown Cupcake for my January book. I received this for Christmas and was really excited to get started reading. It took me a little while to find some time to sit down, I read a little bit on one day but then one day the kids were napping really well and I was able to finish the whole thing in just over an hour! It was a really quick read and kept me interested. I loved reading about their childhood memories from growing up and the stories behind their cupcakes.

The book is broken down into seasons and they share some stories from that particular time frame along with recipes that are fitting. I also liked the end of the book where they went through each episode from their show and even had some stories about what went on behind the scenes. Overall, I really enjoyed their story and I'm excited to try out some more of their recipes.

I had a hard time choosing which cupcake I wanted to share with you, but in the end my love for all things lemon won! I admit I don't know if I'm completely sold on the cake but they're pretty darn good! The cupcakes were moist, I'm thinking if I worked with the recipe a little more I could get them a little more light and fluffy. I did make a few adaptations to the buttercream, I mainly cut back on the cream cheese since I'm not much of a cream cheese frosting lover. I shared these with my sister-in-law and she agreed they were good as well. It's a good basic lemon cupcake and makes me even more ready for springtime!

Lemon Blossom Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1;/4 cups milk, room temp (recipe calls for whole, I only had 1% on hand so that's what I used)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest from 2 lemons

Lemon-Cream Cheese frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest from 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons milk, to thin if needed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350, line standard cupcake pan with liners. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl, set aside. In a large bowl or a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides after each addition. Add vanilla to the milk in a large liquid measuring cup. Add one third of dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, followed by one third of the milk and mix thoroughly. Repeat. Stop to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Mix just until incorporated. Add in zest and lemon juice and mix at low speed.

Scoop batter into cupcake pan using a standard-size ice cream scoop until the cups are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:
Combine the butter and cream cheese in a mixer and cream together. Add in vanilla and mix well. Slowly add in confectioner's sugar, mix until well incorporated. Add in zest and milk and whip on high speed until light and airy. Frost cupcakes, I used a Wilton 2A tip for mine. Garnish with a lemon wedge, zest or sprinkles. Enjoy!

Makes about 24 cupcakes