Under The Sea Cupcakes

Now that all the little ones are back to school, I thought it would be appropriate to share this fun kid-friendly treat. Aren’t they adorable? I made them a few months ago for my girlfriend’s baby shower, which had an “Under the Sea” theme, and they were really a hit.

I tinted my standard buttercream frosting in hues of light blue and green, and piped on with a Wilton 2D tip to create sea-colored waves on the cupcake. Then I topped them with Swedish Fish, and a few stalks of green and yellow colored sour straws for seaweed.

I ended up finding the sour straws at my local Dollar Tree, as they have the best selection of just about everything when it comes to candy. I was able to find a multi-pack that had hues of greens, yellow, and dark blue that worked out perfectly.

Use whatever flavor of cupcake you like, I stuck with the classics – chocolate and vanilla. These turned out so great, and were so well received that I’m already looking forward to making them again. Would be a great treat to send in with your little one to celebrate their birthday with their classmates.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

Who doesn’t love Funfetti cupcakes? They’ve long been one of my favorites, and my boneheaded self bought the boxed version for far too long – unable to unlock the mystery of the Funfettiness. Turns out it’s just sprinkles. Or Jimmies. Or whatever you call them in your neck of the woods.

So I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, mixed in a handful of multi-colored sprinkles, and baked. Voila! I had homemade Funfetti cupcakes. I’ve made them as the base for several batches of birthday cupcakes now – and everyone always loves them.

They are colorful and delicious, and it’s always a comfort to know exactly what’s going into them -versus the boxed stuff, with an ingredient list a mile long and ingredients you can’t even pronounce. Make these for your next celebration (or just because!), you’re guaranteed to have smiles all around.

Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Boston Cream Cupcakes

I love Boston Cream in any incarnation – whether it’s doughnuts, or the traditional cake, or these perfect little cupcakes…I love ’em all! Last month when I made the homemade paczki, I had some leftover pastry cream. So, I thought what better to do with them than make these cupcakes?

I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, filled them with a bit of the pastry cream, then topped with a decadent chocolate ganache. I loved the way the chocolate dripped down the side of the cupcakes. As you can imagine, they were nothing short of spectacular! The guys declared them one of the best cupcakes I’ve made, which really speaks volumes I think.

Leftovers went into work with Jon the next day, and all his coworkers at NASA loved them too. There’s not much that crew won’t gobble up! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe as a traditional Boston Cream cake too, using two 9-inch cake pans instead of baking cupcakes.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! We’re still on “baby watch” – 2 weeks left to go! Jon’s mom is in town for the weekend , so we’re looking forward to spending some time with her and Grandpa Matt since we haven’t seen them since Thanksgiving. Kicking it all off by taking the boys to the local baseball game tonight. It’ll be their first time, and they’re super excited. Go Shorebirds!

Source: pastry cream adapted from All Recipes

Raspberry Cupcakes

I love making cupcakes. Coincidentally, I also love eating them. The flavor combinations are endless, and there is always a new recipe or spin that I want to try. The lemon cupcakes with blackberry buttercream have long been one of my favorites, so I thought a twist on those would be fun. A raspberry twist!

Went a little lighter on the lemon flavor in this version by just adding a bit of zest, and I also added some chopped raspberries into my usual vanilla cupcake batter. I loved seeing berries dotted throughout the cake once they were baked. It added a surprise burst of berry color and flavor, and added even more moisture to an already deliciously moist cake.

For the frosting I just add a bit of raspberry puree to my traditional vanilla buttercream – it gives it a gorgeous pink hue and natural raspberry flavor. A garnish of a single fresh raspberry really sets them off just perfectly.

They really are beautiful, and taste even better than they look – if you can believe it. A wonderful way to celebrate this warm spring weather that is finally gracing us with it’s presence. Have a great weekend, everyone!