Apple Cupcakes with Candy Corn Swirl Buttercream



Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Yield:  15

Apple Cinnamon Cupcake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup apple butter
1 cup (about 1 medium-sized apple) of your favorite variety of apple, peeled and finely chopped

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs and yogurt until blended.
5. Alternately fold in flour mixture and apple butter, beginning and ending with flour.
6. Fold in the chopped apples.
7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or heavy whipping cream

Steps:

1. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in vanilla and milk or cream.

I colored the the frosting yellow and orange and left some white.Then piped together to make the swirl.

Learn how here:http://www.ambrosiabaking.com/2011/10/how-to-make-candy-corn-cupcakes.html

50th Anniversary Cake

Jean and Dale Harris wed October 21, 1961. To celebrate their 50th anniversary we went to

Branson, MO. I made this cake to celebrate. The top and bottom layer are the white cake from the

cake mix dr. The icing is from a Wilton recipe. The middle layer is a styroform round block that I attached

pictures to. Happy Anniversary to a wonderful couple!

Bride's Cake

shortening and flour for pans
1 pkg. plain white cake mix
1 cup whole milk
8 T (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large eggs
2 t pure vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 350*. Generously grease and then flour two 9 inch round cake pans. Set aside.

Place cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide batter between the 2 pans and smooth it out with the rubber spatula. Place in oven. Bake until they are light brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 27-29 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool for 10 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edge of the cakes and invert each onto a rack so that the cakes are right side up. Allow to cool completely, 30 minutes more.

Wilton Snow White Buttercream Icing

      2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons water, divided

1/4 cup Meringue Powder

12 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, (about 3 lbs.) divided

1 1/4 cups solid vegetable shortening

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon no-color almond extract

3/4 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon no-color butter flavor 

Makes:

About 7 cups of icing.

I doubled this to make a 12 inch base and a 6 inch topper.

Stiff Consistency:

In large bowl, combine 2/3 cup water and meringue powder; whip with electric mixer at high speed until peaks form. Add 4 cups sugar, one cup at a time, beating at low speed after each addition. Add remaining 8 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons water, shortening and corn syrup in 3 additions, blending well after each. Add salt and flavorings; beat at low speed until smooth. 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.

Step 2

For thin (spreading) consistency icing, add up to 4 more tablespoons each water and corn syrup.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Sunday, October 23

Recipe from: http://cookingclassy.blogspot.com/2011/10/pumpkin-cupcakes-with-chocolate-ganache.html

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Yields 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 3/4 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

1/3 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 recipe Thick Chocolate Ganache, recipe follows

1 recipe Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350degrees. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, combine vegetable oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and stir until combine. Stir in pumpkin puree and buttermilk and stir until well combine. Slowly add dry ingredients. Stir until no longer lumpy about 1 - 2 minutes. Pour about 1/4 cup mixture into buttered muffin cups or paper lined muffin cups and bake 20 - 23 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let muffins cool 5 minutes in muffin tin. Remove to a wire rack and let cool 30 minutes.

Thick Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Place chocolate chips in a medium mixing bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring whipping cream just to a boil. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth. Spoon 1 tsp ganache over each cooled cupcake and spread near edges, allow to cool. Meanwhile make spiced cream cheese frosting.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and whip until smooth and fluffy. Pipe cream cheese frosting over cooled chocolate ganache covered cupcakes and sprinkle cupcakes with chopped pecans.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

Cupcake
1 box Chocolate Fudge cake mix
1 small box Chocolate Fudge pudding
1 c. oil
1/2 c. warm water
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fill cupcake liners half full and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Using a sharp knife, core cupcake at an angle, making a cone shape. Fill cupcakes with buttercream frosting, layering colors as in photo. Pipe colored frosting onto cupcakes as in photo and top with candy corn.

Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 lb bag powdered sugar
Milk (add until desired consistency. Needs to be fairly stiff to pipe and prevent mixing of colors. See photo;)

Kelsey's Popcornless Caramel Corn

8 oz bag butter flavored puffed corn
 2 sticks butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup (Karo brand)
1 tsp. baking soda
Optional- peanuts or cashews
Place corn puffs in a large bowl. In a 2 quart pan, mix butter, corn syrup and sugar
and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add baking soda.
Mixture will be foamy. Pour caramel over puffed corn and stir until most pieces are
coated. (Add nuts, if you desire) Bake in 250 degree oven x 45 min, stirring mixture
every 10-15 min. Pour onto waxed paper and allow to cool. Note: puffed corn is found
in the chip aisle. It's NOT POPCORN. It's puffed, and has no hulls.

Cake Balls

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared frosting
• 1 pkg almond bark or candy melts (color vanilla almond bark with oil based candy coloring)

Directions

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using a 9x13 pan. Cool cake for 15 min or so, then crumble while warm into a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 of the can of frosting until well blended.
2. Form walnut sized balls with the cake mixture ( I chill mine in the fridge for an hour or so for easier rolling) and place them on waxed paper on a cookie sheet and freeze them for 2-3 hours before coating them. 
   
3. Dip the frozen cake balls in melted candy coating and using a toothpick or a fork, allow excess coating to drip back into bowl. I only take six or seven out of the freezer at a time. They dip easier that way.  Place on waxed paper to set. Do NOT store them in the fridge. It makes them sweat. I like to melt additional colored coating and drizzle over cake balls.


4. Melt almond bark/ candy melts in the microwave, according to directions on package.

Suggested Cake/Frosting Combinations:

Chocolate Cake/Chocolate Frosting/ dipped in Chocolate or Pink or Orange

Red Velvet Cake/Cream Cheese Frosting/ dipped in White or Chocolate

Lemon Cake/ Lemon Frosting (MY personal fave!) dipped in Yellow, or White with Yellow drizzle

Carrot Cake/ Cream Cheese Frosting/ dipped in Orange, or White with Orange drizzle

Strawberry Cake/ Strawberry Frosting/ dipped in Pink/ drizzled with Chocolate, or White

Orange Cake/ Vanilla Frosting/ dipped in Chocolate/ drizzled with Orange

Stuffed French Toast Cupcakes

                       Stuffed French Toast Cupcakes
1 box vanilla cake mix
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 c. vegetable oil
1/2c. warm water
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. sour cream
Combine ingredients in bowl and mix on medium speed for 1 1/2 min.Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 min, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Core cupcakes using apple corer or a sharp knife. Save cores to plug holes. Fill cupcake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, plug hole with cake core, then spread a thin layer of frosting on cupcake, stopping about 1/2 inch from edge. Pipe cupcake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting , then dust immediately with powdered sugar using sifter, while frosting is still wet. Reapply powdered sugar as needed if sugar melts into frosting.            
                              Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp Maple extract
4 c. powdered sugar
Mix ingredients with electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth and creamy. Fill baggie or piping bag with frosting, cut off the tip and fill cupcakes. Plug holes with cupcake cores. Spread a thin layer of frosting on cupcakes, stopping about 1/2 inch from edge. Pipe cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting.       
                          Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
6-8 Tbsp milk
2 tsp cinnamon
2 lb bag powdered sugar

Mix ingredients together on med to med high speed until smooth and creamy.Frosting should be thick enough to pipe onto cupcakes. Add more powdered sugar if needed. I use a 1M tip to pipe cupcakes. Dust immediately with powdered sugar using sifter, while frosting is still wet. Reapply powdered sugar if needed, right before serving.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

      White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
1 box white cake mix
1 sm. pkg white chocolate instant pudding
11/4 c. water
1/3 c. oil
4 egg whites
1 c. sour cream
2 c. white chocolate chips, melted, and cooled
Combine cake mix and dry pudding together. Add remaining ingredients, except for white chocolate and  mix on medium speed for 2 min. Mix in white chocolate. Fill FOIL cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake @ 350 degrees for 15-18 min, until slightly golden and toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, then pipe with Raspberry Cream Cheese frosting. Top with fresh raspberry. Note: Batter is dense. Use ONLY Foil liners .Batter is really dense.
           Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. raspberry extract (add more to taste)
1/3 c. frozen raspberries, pureed
2 lb. bag powdered sugar
Cream butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and half of raspberry puree, half of powdered suigar, then mix well in med speed. Add remaining powdered sugar, then gradually add remaining raspberry puree slowly, unitil desired consistency. It should be stiff enough to pipe and hold it's shape. Add more sugar of too thin

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

           Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
1 box vanilla cake mx ( water, oil and eggs as directed on box)
1 box cookies and cream pudding mix
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. crushed Oreos
Mix cake as directed on box, adding pudding and sour cream. Stir in crushed Oreos.
Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 min, or until toothpick
comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Cookie pieces will burn. Cool completely
before frosting.
          Cookies and Cream Cream Cheese Frosting
2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 lb bag powdered sugar
1 cup crushed Oreos
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and half the powdered
sugar and mix on med to med high speed until creamy. Add remaining powdered
sugar, then half the crushed Oreos and mix well. Add remaining Oreos and mix well.
Add additional powdered sugar of frosting is too thin to hold it's shape when piped.

Use a large round or start tip for piping, as cookie pieces may get stuck in tip.