Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes

Are you ready for one boozy dessert? Kahlua is probably one of my favorite liqueurs. I love a good White Russian, yummy! So when my mom told me that her work wanted to hire me to make cupcakes for their bosses' birthday and that he was a big Kahlua fan, I knew I had to make these immediately! They are so yummy and moist and that coffee Kahlua flavor definitely stands out. I loved it, it actually really reminded me of a White Russian.



And I was informed that my mom's boss absolutely loved them! I'm so glad that they were such a hit. Apparently a lot of people thought it was awesome that they could have "alcohol" at work. I'm glad I could make their day!

Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For brushing the cupcakes:
Kahlua liqueur

For the frosting:
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
7-8 tbsp. Kahlua liqueur
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl combine the cocoa powder, espresso powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk well to blend. Add the eggs, warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix on medium-high speed until smooth, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake until the tops spring back when pressed lightly, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Poke a few holes in the top of each cupcake with the tines of a fork and brush with Kahlua while still warm. Allow to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated. Add in the Kahlua and beat on medium speed until well blended. Add in the heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until light and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Source: Recipe from Annie's Eats

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Okay, one more Halloween dessert, I promise! I couldn't resist this one! And just because I made these Halloween-themed definitely does not mean you have to wait until next year to make them! These pumpkin spiced cupcakes would also be perfect for Thanksgiving as well!



The cake is so moist and the spices compliment the pumpkin so incredibly well. I can't get enough of these! Good thing I made them for my mom to take to work so they weren't around the house for long. Lord knows I would have consumed way more than I should have then. I found the recipe from the fabulous Annie at Annie's Eats (my usual go-to for amazing recipes) and Annie made these with a cream cheese frosting. However, I was out of time and ingredients (no cream cheese, curses on me for forgetting to write down my grocery lists!) so I decided to make these with my usual vanilla buttercream instead. Still delicious but I can't wait to try these with the cream cheese frosting next time!


And I just had to throw in a quick pic of the pumpkins my boyfriend and I carved this year. I did a breast cancer ribbon and he did the Joker. Hope everyone had a happy halloween!

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixture on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired. Makes 2 dozen cupcakes.

Source: Recipe from Annie's Eats, originally from Williams Sonoma

Vampire Cupcakes

Its almost time for Halloween! I know a lot of people just don't care for Halloween but I absolutely love it! I love dressing up like somebody else for a day and eating tons of candy and really, its also an excellent excuse to party :)



I actually made these cupcakes for one of my best friend's birthday because she is a diehard Twilight fan so I figured she would love little vampire-bitten cupcakes but I really think these would be perfect for Halloween too. Not to mention, they were incredibly yummy! The inside is filled with a cherry pie filling and then you just use a toothpick dipped in the leftover cherry filling to poke holes in the frosted cupcakes to resemble bite marks and make a little more dribble down to resemble blood. I hope you enjoy!

Vampire Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cake:
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk

For the filling:
1 can cherry pie filling

For the frosting:
7 oz. pure white chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 14 cups of muffin tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with a fork. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and butter and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg whites one at a time, scraping down the bowl between additions. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined, being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

To prepare the filling, puree the can of cherry pie filling using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, cut a cone out of the center of each using a small paring knife. Cut off the point side of each cone, leaving a thin disc of cake to replace over the filling. Spoon just enough of the cherry filling into the hole to fill it, and cover by replacing the disc of cake on top. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

To prepare the frosting, in a double boiler, melt the white chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy. Let stand until just warm to the touch. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until smooth and blended. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes immediately. Using a bamboo skewer dipped in the left over cherry filling, poke two holes into the top of each cupcake to resemble bite marks. Trace a line of cherry filling from each hole to the edge of the cupcake to resemble dripping blood. Repeat with remaining cupcakes.

If stored in the refrigerator, allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Source: Recipe and method from Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Baking Bites

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes

Or, as some of my co-workers like to call these, Death by Chocolate. And really, there is no better way to describe these! I made these for bosses' day this past weekend for my truly wonderful boss. She is an amazing person and is always there for us, even when things get a little rough at work. So I wanted to surprise her with this unbelievably decadent treat! She is a chocoholic so I knew as soon as I saw these, I had to make them for her! It was an easy decision and everyone at work raved about them.



They're an amazingly rich and moist devil's food cake bottom, filled with a chocolate ganache and then topped with the craziest chocolate frosting I have ever made. Oh man, this frosting is to die for! The addition of the sour cream really kicks it up a notch too.

I highly recommend making these for a chocolate lover in your life. They will be a dream come true for them! And they'll love you forever :)


Holy cupcakes, Batman! (Yeah, this recipe makes a lot of cupcakes, I got about 3 dozen out of it so if you don't need that many, I would definitely recommend cutting the recipe in half!)

Triple Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
¾ cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1¼ tsp. coarse salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature

For the frosting:
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 tbsp. unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream


Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand about 1 minute. With a whisk, gently stir the chocolate and cream together in small circles. When the ganache has become smooth, whisk in the butter 1 piece at a time until incorporated. Transfer the bowl to the freezer or refrigerator to chill and thicken the ganache a bit. Whisk every 5-10 minutes to help it cool evenly. Once the mixture is slightly thickened and no longer runny, you are ready to fill the cupcakes.

To assemble the cupcakes, cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a small paring knife. Cut off the pointed end of the cone and discard so you are left with a cap of cake to cover the filling. Drop a spoonful of ganache into the center of each cupcake and recover the hole with the cap.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Set aside to cool until just barely warm. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Beat in the melted and cooled chocolate and then the sour cream. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Frost cupcakes immediately.

Source: Recipe from Annie's Eats

Green Velvet Cupcakes for St. Patty's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I love St. Patty's Day, I don't know if its all the green or the excuse to party on a Thursday, but I just can't get enough of this holiday! So in honor of St. Patty's, I decided to make these green velvet cupcakes! I thought these would be extremely fitting for such a green day and would have been even cuter with some shamrock sprinkles on top. Too bad I went to Michael's the night before St. Patrick's Day and, of course, they were all sold out already. Oh well, that will teach me to wait until the last second I guess.



I paired these with a creamy and delicious cream cheese frosting because I feel like red velvet cakes (or green velvet, in this case) should always have a cream cheese frosting. Nothing else just goes with it as perfectly! I hope you enjoy and everybody have a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day!



Green Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 oz green food coloring

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Lightly stir your eggs in a medium bowl with a whisk. Add in remaining wet ingredients, except food coloring, and whisk until blended, then set aside.

Place all dry ingredients in your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix together well. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour in wet ingredients. While still on low speed, add in your food coloring and then increase the speed to medium-high for about a minute or two until all ingredients are combined and batter reaches desired shade of green.

Pour the batter into prepared cups, 2/3 way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool 5 minutes in pan and then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

Source: Recipe adapted from Love From The Oven, originally posted by Bakerella

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese
10 tbsp. unsalted butter
4 tsp. clear vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:
Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Source: Frosting recipe adapted from Annie's Eats, originally by Confections of a Foodie Bride

Golf Course Cupcakes for Dad!

I'm normally in charge of making the birthday desserts in my family and every year I love thinking of a new and creative way to present my loved ones with a fun baked good! My dad's birthday was back in February and as his birthday present, I decided to make these golf course themed cupcakes!



My dad is an avid golfer so I knew he would love these! I loved how it made a whole course (18 holes) plus six sand traps. So adorable! I used my usual vanilla cupcake recipe that never fails but I cheated and used Pillsbury icing from a can. I was running short on time and I wasn't sure how great the sanding sugar would stick anyways with my usual vanilla buttercream. These were such a huge hit with my family and I think would be great for anybody who loves golfing!

Golf Course Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 dozen vanilla cupcakes (or cupcake flavor of your choice)
1 can store-bought vanilla frosting
1 to 2 cups green sanding sugar
18 round white candies, such as candy-coated mint balls
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (3 to 4 sheets finely ground in a food processor)
18 toothpicks and strips of ribbon (for putting greens)

Directions:
Using an offset spatula, spread each cupcake with a smooth layer of frosting. Pour green sanding sugar into a small bowl. Dip tops of frosted cupcakes in the sugar, then sprinkle more on top to coat completely.

To create putting greens, make flags (you will need 18): Cut out lengths (3 to 4 inches) from white grosgrain ribbon. Fold each length around one end of a wooden skewer, and adhere folded sides together with hot glue or double-sided tape. Cut ribbon into a triangle shape, and plant the skewer into a cupcake. Place a small white candy "ball" near the flag.

To create sand traps, spoon about 1 teaspoon graham-cracker crumbs in the center of each of 6 cupcakes. With your thumb, make an indentation in the middle of each pile of crumbs, shifting it to one side to form a steeper side or to form an irregularly shaped trap. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set.

Source: Method adapted from Martha Stewart

Vanilla and Chocolate Cupcakes

I get asked a lot from family and friends to make cupcakes for various parties and occasions. Sometimes I can convince my family members to try a different and exciting flavor of cupcakes but usually they just want chocolate or vanilla with different colored frosting or fun sprinkles, just something to liven it up a little. But I'm okay with that because everybody always loves my go-to recipe choices for basic chocolate and vanilla cupcakes!



These vanilla cupcakes are from Martha Stewart's website. The recipe actually comes for Billy Reece of Billy's Bakery in New York. They're Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes and man, are they delicious! So moist and light with such an amazing vanilla flavor. These are my absolute favorite and I love to pair them with my good old standby, Easy Vanilla Buttercream icing from Annie's Eats. I use this frosting recipe all the time and it has yet to let me down!

Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, frost as desired.

Source: Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Easy Vanilla Buttercream
Ingredients:
20 tbsp. (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream

Directions:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Source: Recipe from Annie's Eats



The chocolate cupcake recipe I use and always get rave reviews over is, of course, none other than Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake. How can you go wrong with Hershey's? Its always moist and always has a super rich, deep chocolate flavor. It has yet to fail me and I don't think I'm ever going to be able to part from this recipe when it comes to making chocolate cake. My chocolate buttercream, however, is from Wilton's. I love the light chocolate flavor in comparison to the richness of the chocolate cake. However this icing can always easily be adapted to make it have a darker chocolate flavor. It all depends on what flavor suits you!

Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely and then frost as desired.

Source: Recipe adapted from Hersheys, Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Buttercream Icing
Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
3-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:
In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

Source: Recipe from Wilton's

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I might be slightly obsessed with baking cupcakes but I just love how creative you can get and how easy they are to pack up and travel with! Besides, with all the hundreds of different cupcake flavors out there, I don't think I'll ever run out of options when it comes to experimenting with different kinds.



I don't think I really have to convince anybody at just how amazing the chocolate/peanut butter combo is but oh man, these cupcakes just take it to the next level! A moist, rich, chocolate cake with a fun peanut butter filling in the middle and to top it all off, topped with the smoothest and creamiest peanut butter frosting I have ever tried. I'm pretty sure I'm always going to use this frosting for all of my future peanut butter frosting needs. I could not get over how silky it was! I hope you try these and enjoy, these are high on my list of favorite cupcake flavors!




Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Ingredients:
For the filling:
1 cup confectioners sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
½ cup creamy peanut butter
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

To make the filling, combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.

To make the cake batter, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and well blended. Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Sources: Recipe from Annie's Eats

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

My very first recipe post! It took me awhile to get organized and decide on what recipe I wanted to post first but I finally decided and knew that I had to go with a cupcake. Cupcakes are my all-time favorite dessert to make and to eat. I just love the idea of a little portable cake and they're so easy to take to different parties and events.



This recipe I got off of one of my favorite food blogs, Annie's Eats. If you haven't already, please make sure you check out her blog! Trust me, you'll be hopelessly addicted. I hope these cupcakes remind you of a cool summer night as much as it did for me. The only change I made to the original recipe was to use a vanilla buttercream instead of the strawberry icing that Annie created. I ran out of time when making these for my younger sister's graduation party but next time I'll have to try it with the original frosting posted. Enjoy!




Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. lemon zest
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped

For the lemonade syrup:
1 cup lemonade concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

For the frosting:
1 package (16 oz) confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk, plus up to 2 more tablespoons as needed
Pink food coloring, if desired

For garnish:
Candy lemon slices, cut in half

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest. Stir together with a fork and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Add in the milk and mix until smooth. Add in the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed until just blended. Fold in the fresh strawberries with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the paper liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, whisk together the lemonade concentrate and confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl to make the lemonade syrup. Poke several holes in the top of each cupcake with a toothpick and pour the syrup over the cupcakes, allowing it to soak in.

To make the frosting, in a large bowl, with a mixer at medium-low speed, beat sugar, butter, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons milk until blended. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until light and fluffy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in more milk if needed. Tint with pink food coloring if desired.

Frost cupcakes as desired and top with candy lemon slices.

Source: Cupcake recipe from Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Williams Sonoma. Frosting courtesy Good Housekeeping