Lime Cupcakes

It has been a while. I have been baking but not posting much on my blog. Made these cupcakes for Father's Day a couple of weekends ago.



They were amazing!!! Made my regular buttercream frosting and added some lemon zest. Mmmmmm!!



I think my dad enjoyed them because he kept the leftovers!! :)

I took the recipe from the book Butter-Baked-Goods.

Here's the recipe:

Lime Cupcakes (makes 18 cupcakes)

2 cups pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk (used low fat)
1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (about two limes) (used more!)
Zest of 4 limes (reserve the zest of 1 for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Lime Syrup
1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Sift together both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium to high speed until light and fluffly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times.

4. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times.

5. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, lime juice, two-thirds of the lime zest and vanilla to combine.

6. turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients in two parts (begin and end with the dry). Scrape down the sides of teh bowl several times to make sure everything is fully combined.

7. Use an ice cream scoop to fill each paper liner about three-quarters full with batter.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

9. Meanwhile, prepare the lime syrup: in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the lime juice and sugar to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

10. Remove the cupcakes from the oven. use a wooden skewer to poke several holes in the top of each warm cupcake, then use the pastry brush to gently coat the top with syrup. Transfder to wire racks and cool completely.

11. Frost with your favorite frosting :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Hope you get to spend the day with your loved ones!! Made these last Sunday to bring to the office and to the gym. Used some red fondant that I rolled and used small cookie cutters for the heart shapes.
Used again Martha's mini-chocolate-cupcakes recipe.
Mmmmmmmm - love me some cupcakes!!

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

Made these cute and yummy chocolate cupcakes for a birthday!


Made them mini and colourful.


I used marthastewart's recipe!


I think they were a hit!!

Christmas

I haven't posted on my blog for too long!! The last few weeks have been crazy busy and I had no time or energy to take photos :(



But I am back :) and with cupcakes too!! :)


I was in charge of dessert on Christmas eve - made Martha's white cupcakes and chocolate cupcakes - mmmmm!!!


and I tried my hand with working with fondant... still have a lot to learn!!


For my first try, I think they are not too bad... they do look like Christmas trees, no?!! ;)


Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends!

Beach Cupcakes

Every 14th of July, my parents have us over for La Bastille Day (French National Day) for a big party.

I am always in charge of bringing the sweets, and this year, I decided to try my hand at making some beach cupcakes!

They weren't perfect but they were fun to make... and to eat!

Started with homemade chocolate cupcakes, buttercream icing that I died blue and rolled the cupcake in graham crumbs (for the beach). Used some jelly fruit roll for the beach towel.

Had trouble with icing the bikini on the teddy bears - didn't buy the right icing tube (too large) - will get a smaller one next time!



Got tired of icing bikinis so decided some teddy bears would be nudist! LOL!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

For Father's Day, made my amazing dad some cupcakes!
I love peanut butter - so decided to forget the chocolate (for once!) and bake something different!
These turned out so good!! I did use butter instead of shortening for the icing - I am a butter kinda girl!!

Je t'aime papa!! (Love you dad!!) xoxo
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
from Mixing Bowl magazine
24 cupcakes

1 cup sugar (used a little less)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup milk (used low fat)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (used Canola)
1 teaspon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean seeds/paste (didn't have, so didn't use)
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Strawberry, grape or your favorite jelly (used strawberry)
Peanut Butter frosting

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper bake cups; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat to a nice fluffly consistency. Slowly add milk, oil, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Shen all combined, add eggs, one at a time.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing well.

Fill prepared muffin cups. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Don't overbake! Cool completely on a wire rack.

When cooled, fill a pastry bag or injector with your jelly of choice. Insert the bag or injector about 1/2 inch into each cupcake, and fill the cupcake with as much jelly as you would like. Top your cupcakes with the Peanut Butter frosting and drizzle more jelly on top of the frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups shortening (I used butter), 1/2 cup peanut butter (or moe tot aste) and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until combined. Slowly beat in 3 cups powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is fluffly and creamy.

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

Today is Valentine's Day.

What better way to celebrate with some Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes?!!

The only problem is that I made them last Sunday and they were all gone in a manner of minutes when I brought them at the office on Monday.

Too bad, because it would have been a really great way to celebrate Valentine's Day tonight with Ben!

Guess I will have to bake some again soon! By the way - they are DELICIOUS!!!

Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes
from 52kitchenadventures

“Better than Sex” Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes

Adapted from Cupcake Project and Chockylit

Makes 15-16 cupcakes

• 1/2 C butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 C sugar (used a little less)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 C flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 C milk (used low fat)
• 1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter until softened and smooth. Add sugar and beat for a few minutes, until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each until well combined.
In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. In a separate small bowl, combine milk and vanilla.
Add about 1/3 of dry ingredients to butter and sugar and mix until combined. Add about 1/2 of wet ingredients to mixture and mix until combined. Continue alternating dry and wet, mixing in between (finish with the remaining dry ingredients).
Fill cupcake tins about 1/2 full (don’t overfill – you only need 1/2) and bake for around 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. They will come out flat.

Nutella Buttercream (did half the recipe)

• 1/2 C butter, room temperature
• 1 C Nutella
• 1 C powdered sugar, sifted
• 1-2 T milk

Beat butter until smooth. Add Nutella and beat together until thoroughly combined. Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of milk. Add additional milk or powdered sugar as needed to reach desired consistency.

Halloween Chocolate Cupcakes

It's almost been a week since I started my labyrinthitis. It is getting better and better - I will be going back to work on Tuesday! As for the gym, I think I will wait another week, to give myself the chance to be less dizzy in the morning!

I have missed baking - and these are perfect for Halloween!!


Didn't have much time to decorate - so decided to use little stencils I had bought. Easy - just dust with some powdered sugar and voilà!!


I brought these at my in-laws and they loved them!


Of course I kept of couple for us so we could try them!! LOL


Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups sugar (I used 1 1/2 cups)

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk (used low-fat)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (used canola oil)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1. Place rack in center of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with 12 paper liners; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine cocoa, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter, milk, egg, and vanilla. Using a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed, beat for two minutes. Add boiling water and beat to combine (batter will be thin). Divide batter evenly between cupcake liners.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Who doesn't like Oreos? Who doesn't like Oreos in their cupcakes??!


These were one of the cupcakes I brought for Thanksgiving dinner at T&Ks.


I decorated them with Oreo crumbs and some of them I added a cute little oreo!


Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
from Crazy about Cupcakes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar (used 1 1/3 cups)
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup chocolate sandwich cookies (about 10), lightly crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, milk, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until integrated. Stir in the sugar. With an electric mixer on low speed, beat for 30 sec­onds. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites. Beat for 2 more minutes. Stir in the crushed cookies.
5. Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 min­utes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.

As I found the instructions to this recipe kind of confusing, I googled the recipe and found howtoeatacupcake which posted a better way to make these!

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Slowly add egg whites to butter mixture, mixing well between each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until only a few streaks of flour remain. Stir in the crushed cookies until batter is evenly blended.
5. Fill the cupcake liners 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for about 15 min­utes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes. Finish cooling on a wire rack.