Tag Archives: cupcakes

Cupcakes to Die For

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Finally one of the best times of the year is here – Halloween! Who’s excited for it?! (Raises both hands high.) Every year we decorate the house with skeletons, lights, fog machines. That’s all good, but what about the food? When you think of Halloween you probably don’t think of food first (candy doesn’t count), but it’s one of the only times of the year you can get super creepy and creative with it. Take advantage!

I originally found this creepy cupcake post years ago from Martha Stewart. Looks like Martha’s dark side came out to play!

Below is our “easy” version of the cupcakes, but if you’re feeling daring, her full post is here.

Cupcakes

  • 1 box of devils food cake

Caramel Glass

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup water

Frosting (Usually I’d say just use the canned stuff, but this is too good to pass up.)

  • 1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cherry preserves, strained, for garnish

Line the cupcake tin and bake according to box instructions. While they’re baking you can begin on the glass, you’ll need to let it to sit for a while. Pour the sugar and water in to a small sauce pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. When the mixture starts turning brown, remove from heat and pour on to a small cookie sheet. Let cool completely. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract until fully blended.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, apply the frosting. Break up the glass, and place a shard or two in the middle. Drizzle the preserves where the glass meets the frosting. Prepare evil laugh.

Broken Glass Cupcake

 

Happy Eating, XO.

I <3 You, Cupcakes

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It’s no secret by now – I love food, and I especially love baking. So it’s only right this Valentine’s Day I bake some yummy cupcakes! Some people go for chocolate covered strawberries, I go for chocolate on chocolate cupcakes. #NoShame. I bought a chocolate mold a few years ago just for the hell of it (shout out to Michael’s!), and as it turns out it makes perfect little hearts for cupcake toppers!

Chocolate Heart Toppers

  • 1 cup melted white chocolate
  • 2-3 drops of red food coloring (add more or less depending on the color you want)

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 packet chocolate pudding powder (I replaced this with unsweetened cocoa powder bc, let’s be real, you’ll never use unsweetened cocoa for anything after this recipe.)
  • 1⁄8 tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp butter, softened
  • 1 1⁄2 cup white sugar
  • 2 egg
  • 3⁄4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk

Icing

  • Pillsbury’s frosting in a can = no mess and just as good

Start on the chocolate hearts about an hour before hand so they have time to harden. Melt the white chocolate slowly in a sauce pan. Once it’s liquidy, add in the food coloring. (If it starts to score/harden after it’s already melted add a tiny bit of water to it and it will smooth right out again.) Pour in to the mold and stick in the freezer.

For the cupcakes, do the usual prep work: preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. Then sift together all of the flour, baking powder & soda, chocolate pudding powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Follow up with the eggs and vanilla. Then slowly add in the flour mixture and milk until completely combined. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Valentine's Day cupcake

Happy Eating (and Valentines Day!), XO

Pink Champs, Darling.

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Today’s the day people – it’s officially our birthday! And what better way to celebrate than with champagne? Pink champagne cupcakes that is! If you happen to know us a little, Sonia and I aren’t really the “pink and girly” types, but when you put it with champs and sweets, sign us up! And no need to wait for your girlfriends’ next birthday, these baby cakes are a sure fire hit for any celebration. To get you in the mood, here’s a little montage from the “champs” queen herself, Heather Dubrow from the Real Housewives.

Cupcakes

  • 1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix (yeah, yeah, we take the easy route sometimes. Don’t judge us.)
  • 1 1/4 cups champagne
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 egg whites
  • 4 drops red food coloring

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup champagne
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 4 drops red food coloring (I chose to leave this out of mine because I decorated it with silver spray.)

Preheat the oven to 350 and load up your cupcake tray with paper baking cups. Mix together all of the cupcake ingredients until well blended. Fill each cup about 2/3 full with the batter. Bake according to the instructions on the box (typically about 20 minutes, or until you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean). Let the cupcakes completely cool before icing them (trust me, the frosting will melt right off if you don’t.  I hate waiting, I have no patience, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson in waiting for my baked goods to cool down.)

While the cupcakes are baking, you can get started on the frosting. Do the same thing you did with the cupcakes – mix together all of the frosting ingredients. It should be light and fluffy when you’re done. If you want to add some sparkle like I did (every girl deserves some bling on her birthday…) you can buy edible spray and glitter and go to town!

pink champs cupcakes

Happy Eating, XO.