Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes!

"Summer, summer, summer, summertime... Time to sit back and unwind".... Oh you know, just listening to Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince while everyone else goes on vacation.... But not me! Nope.... Just me and my tall glass of strawberry lemonade.... So here is my little tribute to summer.

Summertime.

Strawberry-Lemonade Cupcakes!

 Ingredients:

1 cup                              Unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups                             Sugar
4                                     Eggs, room temp
1 tsp.                              Pure vanilla extract
3 tbls.                             Lemon juice + zest
3 cups                            All-purpose flour
1/4 cup                           Powdered lemonade
2 tsp.                               Baking powder
1/2 tsp.                           Sea salt, fine
1 cup                              Milk

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, lemonade, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with milk until fully incorporated (make sure to scrape down sides of bowl a couple times). Pour into cupcake liners and bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). 

Strawberry Buttercream:

1 cup                          Unsalted butter, room temp
4 cups                         Powdered sugar
1/4 cup                       Strawberries, pureed
1 tbls.                         Lemon juice
                                  Lemonheads (optional)


In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream butter until lightened. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in strawberry puree and lemon juice.
  
  

Cherry-Almond Tea Cakes!

I made these not-too-sweet little "tea cakes" or cupcakes for my Mamas birthday. I was inspired by her favorite ice cream flavor (and only request for the day), black cherry vanilla. So I used my basic vanilla cupcake recipe, added vanilla bean, almond extract, and fresh black cherries! I also dusted the cakes with powdered sugar for a touch of sweetness. SHE LOVED THEM! Happy Birthday Mama!

Cherry-Almond Tea Cakes!

 Ingredients:

1 cup                             Unsalted butter, room temp
1 and 1/2  cups              Sugar
3 cups                            All-purpose flour
3 tsp.                             Baking powder
1 tsp.                             Sea salt (fine)
4                                    Eggs, room temp
1 cup                             Milk
1                                    Vanilla bean, de-seeded
2 tsp.                              Almond extract
1 and 1/2 cups               Black cherries, chopped
24                                  Black cherries, whole, reserved with stems
                                      Powdered sugar, optional



Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla bean seeds and almond extract. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with milk until fully incorporated (scraping down sides as you go). Fold in chopped cherries. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full of batter and push a whole cherry in the center of each, stems up. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). Let cakes cool and dust with powdered sugar.

Vegan Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pretzel Cupcakes!

So I know that I did vegan chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes last week... But I decided to do a little re-vamping. These cupcakes taste devilish but are actually slightly healthy!... Well as healthy as a cupcake can get ;)...

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Pretzel Cupcakes! (Vegan)

 Ingredients:

1 cup                        Whole wheat flour
1 cup                         All-purpose flour
2 tsp.                         Baking powder
1 tsp.                         Baking soda
1/2 tsp.                      Salt
3/4 cup                      Peanut butter (creamy)
1 cup                         Coconut milk or almond milk
1/2 cup                      Canola/vegetable oil
1/2 cup                      Raw sugar
2 tbls.                        White vinegar
                                  Crushed pretzels (vegan)


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners and sprinkle crushed pretzels in the bottom of each. In a small bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, AP flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, beat together peanut butter, coconut milk, oil, sugar, and vinegar. Slowly add dry mixture to peanut butter mixture until fully incorporated. With an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into cupcake liners. Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). 

Vegan Chocolate Buttercream

1 cup                     Vegan butter
4 cups                    Powdered sugar
1/2 cup                  Vegan chocolate chips, melted
3 tbls.                     Coconut milk or almond milk
                               Vegan chocolate covered pretzels (optional)


With a hand mixer, cream butter. Add powdered sugar slowly until fully incorporated. Beat in melted chocolate. Beat in coconut milk until desired consistency. 

Vegan Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes!

While in class... I noticed a girl reach into her backpack and grab a pack of Butterfinger BB's (Which I did not know still existed! Or maybe she has had them stashed for years?)... Anyway, I joked with her asking if I could have one (even though I cannot)... and she said NO!?.... In all seriousness.... And that is the end of my story.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cupcakes! (Vegan)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 and 1/2 cup                    Cake flour OR Gluten free All-purpose baking flour
3/4 cup                              Sugar
1/4 cup                              Cocoa powder (preferably dark)
1 tsp.                                 Baking soda
1/2 tsp.                              Sea salt, fine
5 tbls.                                Vegetable oil
1 tbls.                                White vinegar
1 tsp.                                 Pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cup                    Water


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat in oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until fully incorporated and most of the flour pockets are gone (mixture will be super watery but magic happens in the oven). Pour evenly into liners and bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). 

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

8 tbls. (1 stick)                                   Vegan butter
1/2 cup                                               Creamy natural peanut butter  
2 cups                                                 Powdered sugar
1-2 tbls.                                              Non-dairy milk (optional)


In a medium sized bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until lightened. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated. Slowly add powdered sugar until fully incorporated and smooth. Add non-dairy milk as needed. 

Death By Chocolate Cupcakes!

Visiting my brother in Utah and got a special request from Chantelle (my sister-in-law) to make something crazy chocolatey.... So inevitably I made theses babies!

Death By Chocolate Cupcakes!

 Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup                       All-purpose flour
3/4 cup                                 Unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 cup                       Sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp.                       Baking powder
3/4 tsp.                                 Salt
2                                           Eggs (large)
3/4 cup                                 Buttermilk
3 tbls.                                   Vegetable oil
3/4 cup                                 Water (warm)


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcakes liners. In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, mix together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and water and beat until fully incorporated. Pour into cupcake liners (only half way because they rise super big!). Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean).

Chocolate Ganache:

12 oz.                                  Dark chocolate (cut into small pieces)
1 cup                                   Heavy cream


Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small sauce pan, bring heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir immediately until chocolate is fully melted. Fill cupcakes with cooled ganache.

Chocolate Buttercream:

1 cup                                    Unsalted butter, room temp
4 cups                                   Powdered sugar
1/2 cup                                 Dark chocolate, melted


In a stand mixer with fitted paddle, cream butter until lightened. Slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Slowly add melted dark chocolate, then beat until fully incorporated.
 

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes! (St. Patricks day edition parttwo)

It's Girl Scout cookie season!!! Those little girl scouts are pretty hard to pass by whether they are at the grocery store entrance or when they come a'knockin on the door! So its inevitable that you probably have a few extra boxes stashed away... So here is an awesome recipe to use them up! (Bonus: It only takes one bowl to make!)

Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes!

 

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup                       All-purpose flour
3/4 cup                                 Unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 and 1/2 cup                       Sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp.                       Baking powder
3/4 tsp.                                 Salt
2                                           Eggs (large)
3/4 cup                                 Buttermilk
3 tbls.                                   Vegetable oil
3/4 cup                                 Water (warm)
                                             Thin-mint girl scout cookies


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners and place a single girl scout cookie in each. In an electric mixer bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, and warm water. Beat on medium speed until smooth and fully incorporated (scraping down sides of bowl as necessary). Pour evenly into cupcake liners and bake until done (toothpick comes out clean). 


When cupcakes are cool... scoop out a hole in the center of each cupcake (Tip: use a star point frosting tip).

Chocolate Ganache:

12 oz.                   Dark chocolate (cut into small pieces)
1 cup                    Heavy cream


Place chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Meanwhile, in a saucepan bring heavy cream to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chocolate. Stir until mixture is smooth and all the chocolate is melted. Pour into cupcakes and let cool.

Mint Buttercream:

1 cup                   Unsalted butter
4 cups                  Powdered sugar
                            Peppermint oil
                            Green food coloring (optional)



Cream butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Add peppermint oil to taste until fully incorporated. Add green food coloring if using. Pipe onto top of cupcakes.





 

St.Germain-champagne Cupcakes!!! (Gluten-Free)

Now that it is beginning to look a lot like summer... Memories of a little champagne cocktail that I used to drink that first summer I was of legal age comes to mind... At one of my favorite restaurants in Olympia... created by my good friend and first favorite bartender, Leroy Thomas..... This is my cupcake interpretation of the "Hearts On Fire"....

Gluten-Free St. Germain-champagne Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cup                    Gluten-free all-purpose flour (Your favorite brand)
3/4 tsp.                              Baking soda
1 pinch                              Sea salt, fine
5 tbls.                                Unsalted butter
1 cup                                 Sugar
2                                       Eggs, room temp
1                                       Egg yolk, room temp
2/3 cup                             St. Germain (elderflower liqueur)
1 tsp.                                Pure vanilla extract


Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Beat in vanilla extract. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with St.Germain until fully incorporated. Pour into cupcake liners (almost all the way because gluten free cupcakes don't rise very well). Bake until done (toothpick comes out clean).

Champagne Buttercream

2 sticks                              Unsalted butter
4 oz.                                  Cream cheese
1/2 cup                              Dry champagne
3-4 cups                            Powdered sugar



In a stand mixer, cream butter until lightened. Beat in cream cheese until fully incorporated. Slowly add powdered sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated. Slowly add champagne until fully incorporated.