A 12 DAYS OF CUPCAKES PROJECT # 5 EGG NOG CUPCAKES

Tis the season to be jolly and lots of holly and all that other stuff....LOL!  As we continue on our 12 days of cupcakes track I decided why not make a cupcake from the drink of the season....Egg Nog!  To be honest I don't like the stuff at all but a lot of people do so I decided to whip up a tasty treat!  I must say that I still don't like egg nog but the cupcakes were delicious!!!!   I hope you will give them a try even if you don't like egg nog they are totally different from the stuff in a glass =) and super easy to make!

EGG NOG CUPCAKES

1 box yellow cake mix (yes I used a box mix, my gift to you)
3 eggs
1 cup egg nog (I used Southern Comfort, non-alcoholic)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon rum extract

Mix together cake mix, eggs, vanilla, egg nog, rum extract and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.  Fill paper liners 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 16 minutes, or until cake is lightly golden.

Allow cupcakes to cool completely before icing.



Eggnog & Rum Buttercream

1/2 cup butter, softened
Rum extract
Egg Nog
4 cups powdered sugar
Nutmeg for added festiveness

Okay so I did not measure any of this.  Place softened butter in a bowl with the 4 cups of powdered sugar and blend until creamy while adding in egg nog until you reach your desired consistency. Then add about a 3 tsps of rum extract.  Honestly I just kept adding egg nog and rum extract until the icing could be piped easily and tasted super yummy!  After piping I sprinkled a little nutmeg on top for extra flair.

Enjoy and as always EAT DESSERT FIRST! 



A 12 DAYS OF CUPCAKES PROJECT #4

*Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting*

CONTRIBUTED BY DENISE VASAK

This delicious cupcake is just like eating a frosted gingerbread cookie.  Now that we are into December and the holiday spirit I decided to go bold with a Gingerbread Cupcake. The only issue was what goes with gingerbread as a frosting? After much discussion with my BFF Charisse, we narrowed it down to Cinnamon buttercream and Brown Sugar buttercream. As soon as I heard "brown sugar" and "frosting" I was sold. YUM! This might be my favorite frosting EVER!!! The recipe is posted below. I doubled it and got 24 cupcakes. For the buttercream one recipe was enough.  For a fun decoration, bake teeny tiny gingerbread people and have them stick up out of the cupcakes. You could also do a small dusting of powdered sugar before piping the icing on them.

Gingerbread Cupcakes (adapted from bakedbyrachel.com who adapted it from Land o'lakes)

1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C butter, softened
1/2 C water
1/3 C molasses
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare a cupcake pan with liners. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together.  Add egg. Add baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Mix well.  Then add molasses. Add flour and water alternating beginning and ending with flour.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Brown Sugar Buttercream

1/2 cup of butter
1/3 cup of brown sugar (I used dark)
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups SIFTED confectioner's sugar
1 tblspn heavy whipping cream

Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Add 1 tsp of vanilla a mix.  Gradually add confectioner's sugar, mixing well after each addition. Once done, add heavy whipping cream. Add additional whipping cream until you get the consistency you want.  

Enjoy and remember to EAT DESSERT FIRST!

A 12 Days of Cupcakes Project #3

I know you have been waiting for cupcake #3!!  The first dessert I ever made from scratch without the assistance of my mom were Snickerdoodles =)  I was so proud of myself and they tasted great too or that is the memory that I would like to have...LOL!  My cousin and I were chatting the other night about the upcoming annual cookie swap that we attend during the holidays and she kept mentioning Snickerdoodles...of course the wheels started churning and I went in search of a Snickerdoodle cupcake or even a muffin recipe...to my surprise Martha Stewart and Bakerella became my inspiration with a Snickerdoodle Cupcake that embodies both a cupcake and the cookie =)  a DUO DESSERT!

SNICKERDOODLE CUPCAKES
Yields about 15 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line regular and miniature cupcake trays with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium for about 2 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time and mix until combined.

Add vanilla and mix until combined.

Add flour mixture to creamed butter and sugar in three additions. Alternate with milk in two additions.

Fill baking cups about 3/4 full.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Remove cupcakes from trays and let cool.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place about 3 inches apart.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer, cream butter, shortening, and sugar on medium for about 2 minutes.

Add egg and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.

In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.

Use a small 1 1/4 inch ice-cream scoop to form balls. Release in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll until covered. When coated, you can shape them in a nice round ball and place on the baking sheet. (reserve any leftover cinnamon sugar to top the cupcakes)

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cookies begin to crack. Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

I whipped up my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe to decorate these babies.  They were very yummy and a big hit with  the teachers at my kids school!  I will be making these again in the near future!

Enjoy and remember to EAT DESSERT FIRST!

recipe adapted from http://www.bakerella.com/snickerdoodle-duo/

A 12 DAYS OF CUPCAKES PROJECT #2

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes (Contributed by Denise Vasak)

To kick off the 12 days of cupcakes I decided to take a favorite and spice it up a bit.

For this cupcake, find your favorite Chocolate Cake recipe - mine is the one on the side of the Hershey's cocoa powder - and prepare according to directions.  Once the cake is all mixed, add 1-2 teaspoons of peppermint extract. If you have peppermint oil instead, start by adding 1/2 teaspoon and wafting the smell of the batter up towards your nose.  You essentially want to catch both the chocolate and peppermint smells evenly.  Bake as directed, cool and use a basic buttercream recipe to frost.  I lightly tinted the icing green, added some sugar crystals and topped the whole thing off with an Andes candy.  If you taste your cupcake and the peppermint flavor isn't strong enough, try adding some peppermint oil or extract to your buttercream and then pipe on cupcakes.

Enjoy and remember to EAT DESSERT FIRST!!