Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes

How adorable are these? And, being a cheesecake – they’re as delicious as they are adorable. They are a relatively quick and easy dessert to put together, and are super impressive. Everyone loves things served in cute individual portions!

I’ve been making these little guys for a couple years now. While the raspberry swirl is my favorite, I’ve also successfully made them with blueberry and strawberry as well. A perfect sweet treat to wrap up these summer days. Can you guys believe summer is almost over? It seems the older I get, the quicker time flies. Slow down with some cheesecake, ya’ll. Have a  great weekend!

Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes

My oldest boy turns 5 today. I really am not sure where the time is flying off to! It seems like just yesterday I was a mom-to-be. Having emotional breakdowns because I didn’t know what a crib bumper was on the registry checklist, and trembling at the thought of still baking from a boxed cake mix. Ahh, where 5 years can take you!

This has been my go-to cake for birthday parties for quite some time. It really is the perfect vanilla cake. It comes together quickly, creates a gorgeous thick batter, and bakes up beautifully. With not that much more effort than a box of Betty Crocker – I promise! I think the buttermilk is key. I’ve found it adds so much moistness to baked goods. Always on my grocery list these days!

If you’ve never baked a cake from scratch, or are simply on the lookout for the perfect vanilla cake recipe – give this recipe a try. You won’t be disappointed. I like to top them with a simple vanilla buttercream – but they’re a great base for anything, really.

Happy 5th Birthday, Andrew! Every moment (heh, well – most of them anyways) of these 5 years have been such a blessing. We love you so much!

100 Days Project

Coconut Cupcakes

I hope ya’ll aren’t tired of cupcakes yet, cause I’ve been on a roll. Plus, I figured with the week our country has had – we could probably all use a cupcake – right? I’ve been a fan of Ina’s coconut cupcakes for quite some time – but I always feel ridiculous using 3 sticks of butter in the batter for the cupcakes. Not to mention it makes like 46 cupcakes, when she says it’s supposed to make 18. 

So I scaled it down a bit, and made a few changes. I took a page from my favorite coconut cake recipe and added a bit of cream of coconut to the cake batter. It adds moisture, sweetness, and big coconut flavor – which are all big pluses in my book, as far as cupcakes are concerned! I also added a bit of coconut extract for an even more pronounced coconut flavor. Topped with a coconut cream cheese frosting, and a dusting of toasted coconut – it’s Heaven in a cupcake liner.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

My friend Shelly is getting married in June, and she’s chosen a beach themed wedding. She wanted something fun, fruity, and beachy – and thought a strawberry daiquiri cupcake sounded like a good contender for her cupcake lineup. I went to work in the kitchen, and this are what I ended up with. The ones we make for her big day will be much more subdued – with more natural looking decorations. But, I couldn’t help gussying them up with a cute cocktail umbrella. Can you blame me?

So, it’s a strawberry daiquiri cupcake – which is a vanilla cupcake that I spiked with some homemade strawberry daiquiri mix, and a glug of rum. They turned out moist and delicious. I then topped them with a rum buttercream – which was the absolutely perfect addition. Frostings are so much fun, there’s always a fun new flavor to create and experiment with! I used rum extract, as well as a little of the “hard stuff” to flavor the frosting, and I think it was a nice balance.

Just looking at them makes me want the beach! Another month or so, and we’ll be taking a batch of these cupcakes to the sandbar (via boat!) to share with our friends. Come on summer!