Tag Archives: cupcakes

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Ruthanne

These rich cupcakes, topped with vanilla buttercream frosting, have a gooey cinnamon roll filling that will leave you wanting cupcakes for breakfast every morning!  These are an absolutely perfect treat for a breakfast party or a brunch!

(makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed yellow cake mix (with oil, water and eggs to make according to package)
  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 2 T. ground cinnamon
  • 6 T.  packed brown sugar
  • 3 1/2 c. powdered sugar (divided)
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temp
  • 2 sticks of salted butter, room temp
  • 2 T. clear vanilla flavoring

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make your filling first so it can cool while your cupcakes bake.
  • Place whipping cream, cinnamon and brown sugar in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Set aside to cool (you can place this into the refrigerator if you want to speed the cooling process along.)
  • Make 24 cupcakes according to the directions on whatever box mix you choose  to use. (I like Duncan Hines)
  • Use a small paring knife to cut a small cone out of the top of each cupcake.

  • Finish the filling by adding 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the (cooled!) cinnamon/brown sugar/cream mixture.
  • Beat on medium speed until well combined and creamy.
  • Place filling in a zip-top bag, clip a corner and pipe filling into each of the cone-shaped holes on the top of each cupcake.  You should have some filling left at the end- set this aside to drizzle on the top after frosting.
  • Make your buttercream frosting by placing all 4 sticks of  (softened) butter, 3 cups of powdered sugar and the vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beating on high until very light and fluffy.
  • Clip a corner of a zip top bag, place a decorating tip in the corner, fill the bag with frosting, zip it shut and pipe frosting over cupcakes, covering up the filling (check out this video if you need help piping frosting).
  • Drizzle the remaining filling over the top of each cupcake and sprinkle each with just a little cinnamon.

These cupcakes are best served shortly after they are made (like cinnamon rolls are!)  If you need to make them in advance, keep them refrigerated (because of the cream filling).  Be sure to let the cupcakes come to room temperature before you serve them or your buttercream will be hard.

My thoughts:  You know when restaurants indicate on a menu that a dish is one of their signature dishes and *hint hint* you should try it?  This is one of those recipes for this blog.  These are one of my very favorite creations thus far.  Now, I have to qualify that with this: I LOVE cinnamon rolls- especially big gooey ones, and I love frostings and fillings.  These cupcakes have gotten rave reviews with everyone I know.  The only negative comments I’ve heard have been from people who say there’s too much frosting/filling.  If you are the sort that scrapes frosting off things anyway, my recommendation is to cut the frosting recipe in half.  As for me…bring on the gooey sweet happiness!!!  I really REALLY hope you get a chance to try these –if you do, let me know what you think!  Enjoy!  -r

9-24-12 I’m adding to this post because my friend Megan just told me about a really cool time-saver—a cupcake corer!!! (honestly, what will they think of next….!)  I just ordered it and I’ll let you know what I think.  If you want to check it out yourself click here: Cupcake Corer.  So fun…!

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Grasshopper Mint Cupcakes

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Ruthanne

I just love anything that combines mint and chocolate.  I was thinking about those yummy chocolate covered “grasshopper” mint cookies the other day and decided right then and there that I’d try a cupcake recipe in those flavors.

One of my favorite trends in the world these days is the invention of the cupcake store.  We have several here in my hometown- one of which was actually invited to compete on the TV show “Cupcake Wars”.  I love to see the different ideas these little bakeries have for cupcake treats.

About a month ago my friend Megan came to visit.  She’s 1/2 of the team at Happily Ever After Cakes out in Pennsylvania and we met 2 years ago in Russia. Since we share a love for all things sweet AND she was flying into Chicago, we decided to try Sprinkles Cupcakes.  It was amazing- really the best cupcakes I’ve had from a bakery.  The cupcakes were simple– but the frostings….oh my.  I’m obsessed with making the salted caramel frosting they have.  It was the best frosting ever.  Here’s some pictures from our trip– so much yumminess in one little store.

The flavors we tried were: Red velvet, Salted caramel, Mocha and Coconut.  We loved them all- but especially the Salted caramel….!

On to our recipe this week— yummy mint grasshopper cupcakes!  (Makes 24)

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed chocolate cake mix (with water, oil and eggs to make according to box)
  • Approximately 36 Andes Mints
  • 1 stick of salted butter (room temp)
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter (room temp)
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 2 t. mint extract
  • green food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Make cake mix as directed on box.  Evenly divide it into 24 cupcake papers in muffin tins.
  • Place one Andes mint candy into the center of each unbaked cupcake.

  • Bake at 350 degrees as directed on box.
  • Cool completely.
  • Combine butters, powdered sugar, mint and food coloring in a large mixing bowl and beat on high until very light and fluffy.
  • Place frosting into a zip top bag fitted with a large star decorating tip in one corner.
  • Pipe frosting on each cooled cupcake.
  • Top each cupcake with 1/2 of an Andes Mint Candy.

My thoughts:  These turned out so yummy– just a note that some of the Andes mints sank all the way to the bottom of the cupcake– they still tasted really good in the cupcake– but they weren’t all as fun as the one in my picture (below).  Another note– this frosting recipe makes just enough to frost 24 cupcakes– if you like lots of frosting, double the recipe.  Enjoy!!!!  -r

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Bubble Gum Cupcakes

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Ruthanne


A perfect dessert for kids! Fun blue cupcakes topped with creamy pink bubble gum frosting and a gum ball!

Remember bubble gum ice cream? When I was a kid, one of our summer treats was to go to Cornwell’s Turkey Farm near Marshall, MI. It wasn’t too far from home and you got turkey sandwiches (the chunky “thanksgiving left-over” kind of sandwich) for lunch and then an ice cream cone from their old-fashioned ice cream parlor. They had bubble gum ice cream back in those days. I rarely got it, but my younger brother always did. He’d spit all the pieces of gum into a pile on a napkin (soooooo gross..) and then chew all of them after the ice cream was gone.  Who thought to put gum in ice cream?  To my knowledge it is impossible to eat them together….?

Anyway, when I saw the flavors of Duncan Hines new Frosting Creations, “bubble gum” caught my eye.  What kid (and maybe adult!) wouldn’t want to try a bubble gum cupcake?

I want to try a bubble gum cupcake….!

Pair that thought with an incredibly busy week and you have SUPER EASY and QUICK bubble gum cupcakes that will make your kids cheer at their next party!!!
Here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

  • One boxed white cake mix (with oil, eggs and water to make according to package)
  • Blue food coloring- I use Wiltons icing colors for bright color that doesn’t change the consistency of things.
  • One packet of Frosting Creations Bubble Gum Flavor
  • 1 stick of salted butter
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 18-24 gumballs

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make cake mix according to package, add food coloring and fill 18-24 cupcake liners (in a cupcake tin) with batter. (most cake mixes say they make 24 cupcakes….I like big cupcakes so I usually aim for 18!)
  • Bake according to package and cool completely.
  • Beat together (softened!) butters with vanilla and powdered sugar.  Beat on high until light and fluffy frosting develops.
  • Add bubble gum flavor packet to frosting and beat until well combined.
  • Cut a corner off a large zip-top bag and press a large Star shaped decorating tip into the hole.  
  • Spoon frosting into bag and seal top.
  • Carefully pipe frosting evenly over cupcakes (this recipe frosts 18 cupcakes perfectly as pictured— you will need to use a little less to cover 24).
  • Top each cupcake with a fun and colorful gumball

My thoughts:  I loved serving these…. it made me smile to watch adults lick all of the frosting off the cupcake 1st.  When one of my friends exclaimed, “It tastes just like bubble gum ice cream!” I knew I’d hit the mark.  Note: I used the Duncan Hines flavor packet in my own buttercream frosting because I wanted light fluffy frosting that would pipe a pretty swirl on top.  The packets are made to be used with a special can of frosting made by Duncan Hines.  If you want REALLY easy just use that.  Either way, these are so much fun!!!!  Enjoy!


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Black Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Ruthanne


These chocolate cupcakes have a creamy black raspberry filling and are topped with the BEST buttercream frosting I’ve ever tried.  Ever.

When my recipes get pinned on Pinterest and I want to be entertained, I go and read the comments on them.  My favorite are the ones about how incredibly unhealthy my recipes are.  One person figured out how many carbs there were in my Salted Caramel Cookie Cups and was APPALLED.  (If you aren’t counting carbs I really think you’ll like them though!)  We are not dedicated to healthy dining here….not even pretending.

My other favorite comments are from the people who are horrified that I use cake mixes instead of baking things from scratch.  I love cake mixes- LOVE them (EASY baked- right?!?).  We recently had a local bakery that went on Cupcake Wars and (of course!) we had to try some of their cupcakes.  They made a chocolate blackberry cupcake that was beautiful- but dry….all I could think was– this would have been SO much better if it had been a cake mix–and then I had an idea……

A few weeks ago I made a gender reveal cupcake using Betty Crockers new “Fun da-middle” cupcake mix and I wondered if a dab of black raspberry jam in the middle would work (and not leak out).  I decided to experiment and I loved the results.

Frosting…..I also had a recent comment here from someone who “loathes” American buttercream frosting. I’ve never “loathed” ANY frosting, but I wondered about a good buttercream recipe for these cupcakes.  I called my friend Megan over at Happily Ever After Cakes since she sells cupcakes for special events and she gave me her favorite recipe.  She got it from a friend in England and had to convert the measurements.  It is the BEST frosting I have ever had- incredibly smooth and creamy.

Ready to make these?  Here we go:

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

    • Make cupcakes according to package.
    • Distribute white cream filling according to package
    • Place 1/3c. black raspberry jam in a zip top bag.  Clip a corner and pipe about 1 t. over cream filling in each cup.
    • Finish distributing batter over the top, according to package.
    • Bake according to package.
    • Cool completely.
    • Place both sticks of (room temp!!!) butter in a mixing bowl with the powdered sugar, and flavoring.
    • Beat on high until creamy, smooth and thick.
    • Add coloring until desired frosting shade is reached.
    • Clip the corner of a zip top bag and insert a piping tip (or use a piping bag if you want).  Fill bag with frosting and pipe over cupcakes (Megan recommended this video on You Tube for piping techniques).
    • Place a washed and DRY Blackberry on the top of each cupcake and sprinkle with edible glitter. (The glitter didn’t show up well in my pictures but it adds SO much to the finished product– I loved it!)
    • Store in a cool dry place- mine were just as good three days after I made them as they were on day one!   ENJOY!!!

My thoughts:  Every once in awhile I hit a recipe that I like more than any of the others.  This is one of those recipes.  It is easy (but looks complicated) and MOST importantly, it is soooo yummy.  I’m not kidding you about the frosting.  It is AMAZING.  Many thanks to Megan and Happily Ever After Cakes for sharing the recipe with me!!!!   Enjoy!  r-

Ok– I’m adding a note to this post because I just tried the yellow/white filling Fun-da-Middle mix with Raspberry jam, and the yellow/chocolate filling mix too.  I made them for a birthday party and just couldn’t resist adding a couple of pictures here for you– this is my new go-to cupcake recipe, I just love them!

Red Raspberry Cream Cupcake

Happy Birthday Megan!!!!!

(I love this Wilton’s cupcake display — it holds 23 cupcakes, which is perfect for 2 dozen– it leaves one cupcake without a place so you don’t feel guilty eating it up (which is exactly what I just did!)

A note on the new advertising:  I was invited to try WordPress’ new ad program- WordAds this week.  I signed up with reservations as I am more committed to getting recipes into your hands without annoying pop-ups and distracting ads (honestly, I leave sites that have too much of this).  I am trying it for a few months though (baking ingredients are expensive!).  If you are distracted by it or find anything about it offensive (we don’t get to choose the ads)- please let me know.  I’m hoping this works out well for all of us- but if it doesn’t I will opt out.  Thanks!! -r

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Gender Reveal Cupcakes!

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Ruthanne

Is it a boy?  Is it a girl?  You’ll have to take a bite of this cupcake to find out!   Such a fun way to reveal the gender of a coming baby!!!

About a month ago I was on a mission to create some gender-reveal party desserts for my cousin Ericka.  I posted a gender reveal fudge cookie that she actually used and everyone loved.  She’s a teacher and her students loved the idea that the cookies held a “secret”.  I promised to post more recipes for gender reveal parties and this one is SO INCREDIBLY EASY!!!  It uses a cake mix and some food coloring and thats IT.  I was browsing the baking aisle a few weeks ago and came across a new product by Betty Crocker called “FUN da-Middles“.  It is a cupcake mix that comes with a creamy filling.  They come in both yellow and chocolate.  I simply HAD to try this (because who doesn’t love filling inside of anything??!!).  They work beautifully- easy to make and they bake up into the most beautiful cupcakes.  But I wondered if you could change the filling color without causing a recipe fail.

This was the result: so much fun!  Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Make cupcakes according to box- but instead of cutting a corner off the bag of cream filling and piping over cupcakes, pipe it into a bowl and color it 1st.
  • Color cream filling with Wiltons Icing color- it won’t change the consistency of the filling because it is a gel and you only need a TINY bit to create a bright color.
  • Place colored cream into a small ziptop bag.  Zip it shut, clip a corner of the bag off and pipe filling on to cupcake batter as directed on box.
  • Bake according to box and cool completely.
  • Mix 1/2 of a container of Cool Whip with a can of white frosting.
  • Clip the corner of a large ziptop bag and slide a cake decorator tip into the open corner.  Fill the bag with frosting, zip it closed and pipe generous amount on top of cupcakes.
  • Decorate as desired. (I used Wiltons candy melts in a Dessert Accents Candy Mold to top these gender reveal cupcakes).


Not having a baby?  Not throwing a gender reveal party?  These cupcakes can be customized for really any occasion or holiday.  Next weekend is St. Patricks day– so how about these?

…and in the middle:

My thoughts:  So fun to serve….so easy to make….why THANK YOU Betty Crocker!!!  Enjoy!

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Cupcakes for Casper :o)

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Ruthanne

 

 

Two years ago- almost to the day- I brought home a puppy destined to be my best friend- his name is Casper.

This past thanksgiving weekend I was sent a picture via facebook by my friend Mimi.  Mimi is spending a year studying in England and I’ve NO idea where she found this picture- but it made me laugh and I KNEW that someday  I would make this dessert:

(I did try to find the original source of this picture and I just couldn’t– so my apologies if it is yours.  I always try to credit a source but just couldn’t find it!)

My biggest concern with these cupcakes was of course the tremendous amount of icing on them—YUCK!  I decided that mini cupcakes turned upside-down on top would bump up the center and reduce the amount of icing needed.  My second concern was the icing itself.  A heavy buttercream would work- but a little of that goes a long way.

After making my last dessert- Chocolate Mousse Cake, I realized that the filling “mousse” layer was the PERFECT consistency for these cupcakes.  A light whipped frosting that is still thick enough to keep its shape.  Once I’d decided on the frosting I created my own:

THAT one looks good!

Yum! I need a bite of that!

 

Here’s how I made them:

INGREDIENTS:

  • One box of white cake mix (I use Duncan Hines) with water, oil and eggs to make according to package.
  • One box (4 packets) of Dream Whip Whip (find it by the pudding boxes- or order multiple boxes online for a better deal)
  • 1 1/2c. cold milk
  • 1 c. powdered sugar
  • mini M&Ms or black/brown icing coloring.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make cake according to package and make as cupcakes.  Only make about 16-18 cupcakes though and use the rest of the batter in a lightly greased mini-muffin tin to make 16-18 mini cupcakes (with no liners).
  • While cupcakes are baking make frosting.
  • Combine Dream Whip, milk and powdered sugar in a large bowl and beat on high until it is very stiff (whipped frosting consistency).  Refrigerate until use.
  • Cool cupcakes completely and then level the tops with a serrated knife

  • Divide about 2/3 of the frosting off into a zip-top bag that has a corner clipped off and a decorator tip inserted in the opening.  Refrigerate.
  • If you aren’t using mini-M&Ms for eyes and nose, pull about 3T of frosting out and color it black or brown with icing color.  Place this in a zip-top bag as well with a tip inserted.  Refrigerate.
  • Use the rest of the frosting to frost the top of each large cupcake.  Tip the mini cupcake upside-down on top and frost that as well.

  • Using the bag of icing with the decorator tip, pipe icing on making little points coming up from the cupcake.  make a larger dollop of icing for the nose and two off the top and folding over a bit for ears.

  • Take the bag of black icing (or your mini M&Ms) and make eyes and a nose.

(My technique started off rough and gradually improved.  Here’s my two 1st ones:

Sheep?

Chewbacca?


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Keep refrigerated until serving

My thoughts:  You could certainly use a couple of cans of frosting for this if you want.  The light whipped frosting is SO tasty though.  These cupcakes are easy but time-consuming.  I’m no cake-decorator, so I loved that these are so free-form….just have fun!  

Here’s some more photos of Casper and my friend Danielle enjoying the finished result (they BOTH have frosting on their noses!)  Only little tastes for puppies though– these are cupcakes designed for people and feeding them to your pets could make them sick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ENJOY!

 

Have you seen Casper in my other recipes?

Check him out in Coconut Lemon bars with Mimi  and Fresh Blackberry Tart.

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Creepy Spider Cupcakes!

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Ruthanne

Make your kids smile with these friendly spiders on a frosting web.  The cupcakes are layered orange and purple- so much FUN!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

  • Make cake mix according to package.
  • Divide batter into two bowls and add food coloring to make two fun fall colors.  (if you want to make this recipe A LOT easier just make your batter one color.)
  • Layer each color twice in 24 cupcake liners in tins (or just pour it in if you’ve only got one color).
  • Bake according to package and cool.
  • While cupcakes are baking and cooling, spoon frosting into bowl and color.
  • Melt small amount of white candy melts, spoon into ziplock, clip corner and pipe small “eyes” on malted milk balls.  Add a small candy or nonpareil if you want.  Allow these to harden.


  • Frost cupcakes.
  • Melt about a cup of dark chocolate candy melts and spoon them into a ziplock.  Clip the corner and pipe a spiral on the top of each cupcake.  Use a knife or toothpick to pull from the center out through the spiral, making a web design.  If you need some visual aids click here.
  • Set one malted milk ball on the center of each cupcake.
  • Get ready for your guests to smile at these cute little spiders!

My thoughts:  I’m not going to lie…these are adorable, but they are some extra effort.  If you are planing a fun Halloween party and you have time to mess around with piping chocolate eyes you will love this recipe– but if you need something quick I’d hold off on this.  I would do this again in a second- it was fun and relaxing to decorate these and I love how cute they are– can’t wait to serve them!!!  Hope you have fun!!!! r-

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Harry Potter Butter Beer Cupcakes!

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Ruthanne

I found these cupcakes on a wonderful blog called Amybites  (go and visit—- her recipes are awesome and I envy her photography skills!) –and I just HAD to make them.

For those of you who aren’t Harry Potter fans, butter beer is a much-loved beverage in the world of Hogwart’s school.  I had a chance to try butter beer at Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter last fall and it was even better than I thought it might be!  It’s a cream soda topped with a wonderful butterscotch whipped topping.  My only advice based on our family’s experience is to NOT drink butter beer before you ride the crazy rides…if you get what I mean…

These cupcakes truly capture the flavors found in butter beer- the frosting in particular was AMAZING!  These take a little time, but they are well worth the effort!  Here we go!

INGREDIENTS:

For the cupcakes:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk (I used heavy cream and it worked fine)
  • 1/2 cup cream soda

For the butterscotch ganache:

  • 1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
  • 1 cup heavy cream

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 16-oz. package powdered sugar
  • a splash of milk or cream (as needed)

DIRECTIONS:

Cupcakes(makes 18):

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners.
  • Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy.
  • Add your sugars and beat until well-combined.
  • Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  • Beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.
  • Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients until all are well incorporated.
  • Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch.
  • Cool completely on wire racks.

Butterscotch ganache:

  • In a double boiler, combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth.
  • Cool to room temperature.
  • Remove 1/3 of a cup of ganache and set aside for use in frosting.
  • Fill a squeeze bottle with remaining ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.

Frosting:

  • Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy.
  • Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined.
  • Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency.
  • Add milk or cream by the tablespoon as needed for consistency.
  • Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.

My thoughts:  First, butter flavoring DOES exist- find it in your grocery with all other flavorings and extracts. (it smells like popcorn!) 🙂  Second, by squeeze bottle I mean a plastic bottle with a long tip that can easily poke down into each cupcake- I used a red bottle designed to hold ketchup that I found in the kitchen utensil aisle of Wal-Mart.  Third, the frosting and filling are a MUST in this recipe.  The cupcakes were really good- but time-consuming.  If you want a QUICK butter beer fix I’d use a yellow cake mix and just make the ganache filling and the frosting.  I hope you enjoy these– and for great step-by-step pictures go and visit Amy’s blog!!!

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