Red Velvet Birthday Cupcakes

I had a cakery orders this week, including three dozen red velvet cup cakes. The cake recipe was from the Flour cookbook and was a winner sporting a hefty slug of buttermilk. The butter cream is my new go to recipe for all my cakes. It is a keeper as well.

 

I am just smitten that I have filled each order using home made fondant. Believe it or not the stuff is rather tasty compared to the gross store bought variety. I feel good about the product that goes out the door.

I always use organic cane sugar and organic eggs for the cake and they are ALWAYS from scratch.

 Have a great weekend and if you ever need cake you know where to find me, the caker.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes + Giveaway!

My Dad called me this morning. He wanted to talk about the weather.

I love it.

I pulled up a stool in the antique shop in where I was ogling cookie cutters and told him all about the sun and warm Spring days we have in the desert.

He was walking the beach, collecting treasures and explaining to me that his greenhouse is bursting at the seams with petunias and marigolds and it was going to rain in approximately 38.7 hours. We listen to these weather forecasts, he has an amazing way of predicting the elements. Seriously. He wanted to know about our sweet old black dog.



Life is chocked full of little blessings, like a phone call at 10:30 in the morning from my dad.

A friend from Bellingham called me yesterday on her way home from work just to say she missed me.


This little blessing brought tears to my eyes. She would probably lick the frosting off at least three of these cupcakes.  I miss her more than she will ever know.

I found an old love letter from J. tucked away in a book. I was worthless for a good 30 minutes after reading his tender hand written words.




Sometimes all it takes are some kind words, a simple hello to a stranger on the street, smiling as you make your way through town, a phone call to a friend just to hear their soothing voice or just to hear about the weather 350 miles away.

To seal the deal, to show them your real sweet side, bake a dozen cupcakes. Works like a charm.


Chocolate Cover Cherry Cupcakes.

Your relationship will go to new heights. Dense, hand held, cherry speckled cakes topped with a balanced chocolate butter cream. Chocolate covered cherries - cupcake style.

**TREAT TIME**


Totally inspired or high on sugar from Olvatine (which I eat with a spoon) and cherries from a jar, I made a fancy new card to go with the cupcakes. It is card #7 over here.


cheer·i·o (Exclamation). Used as an expression of good wishes on parting; goodbye. Used as a toast


 Here is the deal. Keep in touch. I will help. Leave a comment telling us one person you want to reconnect with, you don't even need to name people if you don't desire. I will randomly pick a commenter Sunday night and send them three of my personalized greeting cards to help you keep in touch. 

Thank you for your sweet comments!

Congrats Heather of Girlchef - I will send you a handful of fancy little cards to help keep in touch!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes 

Adapted from King Arthur's Flour

Makes 12 standard size cupcakes

I decided to use a POM Wonderful's 100% Pomegranate Juice Concentrate to enhance the fruity flavor of the cherry speckled cake. The deep dark pomegranate concentrate imparts a pink hue through out the batter, making it a natural food coloring. The flavor works a bit of magic with the cherry and both pair well with chocolate.

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3 tablespoons POM Wonderful's 100% Pomegranate Juice Concentrate
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup milk, room temperature

• 5 1/4 ounces sugar, divided
• 1 1/4 ounces dried sweetened tart cherries
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 1 3/4 ounces vegetable oil
• 1/2 ounce King Arthur Cake Enhancer, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/4 ounces cherry juice concentrate
• 2 large eggs
• 7 1/2 ounces King Arthur Unbleached Cake Flour Blend
• 5 3/8 ounces milk, room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or line with papers.

Beat the butter and sugar in a stand or held held mixer until the batter lightens in color and texture, about 90 seconds.

Add the oil, and beat until the mixture is light, around 60 seconds.

Beat in the cherries, salt, baking powder, baking soda, almond extract, and pomegranate juice concentrate until combined.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.

Gently beat in the flour, alternating it with the milk.

Divide the batter among the cups. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until cupcakes are very light brown and test done with a cake tester.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and after 5 minutes, transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

The Best Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting Straight from the mouth of Joy the Baker Check out the secret ingredient... This recipe will make double the amount of frosting you need for the above recipe. Double the cupcake recipe or save the rest of the frosting in the fridge for another adventure. makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes or one 8-inch layer cake 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/3 cup Ovaltine Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth. In a 1-cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  You may not need the full amount of Ovaltine and cream.  Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.  ** POM Wonderful's 100% Pomegranate Juice Concentrate was provided courtesy of POM Wonderful**

Drunk Chocolate Cupcakes

See folks, I have myself a lucky charm.

A red bearded, beer drinking, rowdy little powerhouse of an Irish man who has a mind that works faster than the speed of light and enough wit to make the average person a little squemish.

Add caption

My red beard cracks jokes as he rolls out of bed in the morning, loves our dog with complete abandon, has been at my side during some dark times and takes amazing care of me.

I love him with all my heart. He makes me smile.

And blush a bright shade of red in public....

So it makes perfect sence to talk about an Irish holiday, my husband and drunk chocolate cupcakes right? Yeah that is what I thought.

 How about drunk chocolate cupcakes...

 Now I have your attention... booze, chocolate, butter, sugar..... ga ga.....

A while back I made the 25 pound chocolate cake. 25 pounds = 1 cake. It was good, there were lots of calories, chocolate and porter beer in the batter. This cake could win a wrestling match and then feed the entire audience.

I decided beer in good in cake.

Life lesson.

These are bite size Black and Tans. I tried to make a Black and Tan beer in order to impress you while showing off my superb bartending skills. I decided to drink the evidence that revealed I am not a bartender and don't have mad layered drink making skills. If you are wondering what a Black and Tan beer should look like:

VIA

There you have it, I have better baking skills than beer layering technique so this is what my black and tan looks like, which is way cooler....

Drunken Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted from Dinner With Julie
Makes 2 dozen cupcakes (using 12 tin muffin tin)

Cupcakes:

1/2 cup brown butter
1 cup Guinness or other dark stout
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350 and line cupcake tins.

In a large mixing bowl whisk the sugar and cocoa.

In a small saucepan, brown the butter; remove from heat, pour into a bowl containing sugar and cocoa, add the Guinness. Whisk until combined.

Whisk in the sour cream, eggs and vanilla.

Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt just until blended.

Divide the batter between paper-lined cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are springy to the touch.

Cool completely on a wire rack.


 Guinness frosting:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4-1/3 cup Guinness, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla


Combine the butter, cream cheese, Guinness and the vanilla in a medium sized bowl, beat them together until they are light and fluffy.

Add the sugar gradually, beating until smooth.

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes 

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I could not have been more blessed with great in-laws. I am just saying - this picture explains it all...

Mama B was here for a long weekend and her other half - Bill - held down the farm back in Texas - and had a birthday!

I have been so welcomed and loved by this family that it brings me to tears just thinking about it. They are so generous, kind, Southern, and a hoot with a witty sense of humor that has been magnified in J.

Things have worked out for me. I am blessed.

Bill and the family has a tradition of big October bashes - family - friends - co workers - food - fires..... to celebrate everything in general and of course the said birthday. I have made it out a couple of times and been shown true hospitality.

This year has been busy, we relocated, J is working a big new project and the timing didn't work out. The fall is the perfect time to be in Texas because it is on the cusp of a gnarly winter and just mellowing out from a scorching summer.

Instead of a barn burner - Texas style, I made cup cakes - mini style.

Here is a birthday cup cake to a great father - in - law! Cheers!

As for the cup cakes.... yeah I admit - they do the trick, it is the whole peanut butter/chocolate combo that puts them over the top.

They really are just perfect - I recommend mini cupcakes, because they are trendy and if you are like me, I always think that having more than one is way more satisfying. When they are mini - you can have four and it is totally okay.

 

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES
Recipe adapted from Dejour

makes 24

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups cane sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 cups cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, water, vanilla extract and vinegar.
4. Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to overmix.  The mixture will be quite wet.
5. Pour the batter until the cups are two thirds full and place in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cup comes out clean.
6. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.

For the frosting:

enough for 24 cupcakes

• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth.  Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and well blended.  Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate for about an hour. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.