Bird's Nest Cupcakes . . . with speckled egg cookie toppers

I'm not sure why, but the idea for these little bird's nest cupcakes popped into my head one day.  I thought...wow, THAT is a really original idea.  And then, I saw these on my friend Callye's blog.  Speckled egg cookies AND anthro-inspired bunnies that are just incredible.

Oh well, so maybe speckled egg cookies aren't so original, but I really like seeing different people's methods for making things.  {Especially when it involves sugar.}

To make the cookie toppers, I just used a mini egg cutter and poked a toothpick in the dough before baking.  I always freeze my cookies for about 5-10 minutes before putting them in the oven, so that made maneuvering them with the toothpicks easy.

Once the cookies were cooled, I iced them with royal icing and let them dry overnight.

The next day, I mixed equal parts (or close to equal parts) AmeriColor Chocolate Brown food coloring with water.  (Similar to the method used to make "wood-grain.")
 

Then, with a child's paintbrush, I flicked the mixture onto the cookies.  
It was really, really fun!!!

If you have those speckled granite countertops, you are in luck.  You are about to add a few more speckles.

WARNING:  Do not wear white when doing this.  Do not let your kids see you flicking food coloring all over the kitchen with a paint brush.  If your kids DO see you, try to act like you're not having fun. ;)

Oh, and this is what you finger will look like afterward.  You know, gloves would not have been a bad thing.


OK...the cupcakes.  I'm gonna fess up.  I used a box.  A doctored up box, but still a box.  Hey....I made the cookies.

AND...(fessing up again)...I used canned icing.  Honestly, I LIKE canned icing.  I'm sorry, but it's true.


{Looking out the window nervously for the Food Police.}

The method for doctoring up a cake mix for cupcakes come directly from the book Hello Cupcake.

Use a box mix (I like Betty Crocker French Vanilla), replace the water with 1 cup buttermilk.  Use the same amount of oil and increase the eggs to 4.  Then, mix and bake like normal.

On top of the CANNED FROSTING, I used toasted coconut to make the nests.  Toasting coconut is easy.

Spread it on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes, taking it out to stir frequently.

Frost the cupcake and sprinkle with coconut.
 
Add your cookies.



The love of canned frosting...am I alone?  Bueller? Bueller?
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. . . . . yeah, you heard me.

Kiddo's birthday was last week and he LOOOOOOOOOOVES cookie dough.
{So does his mother...it's hereditary.}

I knew exactly what to make him for his birthday cake, Cheryl's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes.


Let me break these bad boys down for you....

First, there is a chocolate chip cookie cupcake. Then, they are filled with chocolate chip cookie dough filling.  And finally, they are topped with a brown sugar cookie dough frosting.

{Yeah, you don't WANT to know the WW points on these puppies.}

For the cupcakes and the filling, I'm going to link you to Cheryl's printable recipe.  The only change I made on those was to add just a *pinch* of salt to the filling.  You could totally skip that if you wanted.

I changed up the frosting just a bit, so here is that recipe...

Brown Sugar Cookie Dough Frosting

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 lb. box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
3 TBSP milk
2 and &1/2 tsp vanilla
mini chocolate chips

Cream the butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment until fluffy.  Add in the powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated, then increase the speed and beat until smooth and combined.  Add the salt, milk and vanilla; blend until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes. (I used a Bakery Crafts 9CS tip.)  Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.



Now, it's time for the candles.

And I have NO IDEA how this happened, but the reflection of the flames made ♥'s in the picture.  Is that cool, or what?!?!?


{Here's what 12 looks like around here.....sweaty hair, flared nostrils, fruit punch mustache and all. ♥}Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/cupcakes
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Hoping you had a Holly Jolly Christmas!

 
Christmas!  It came and went!  But, I'm still celebrating because there are still CUPCAKES!!!

These are coconut cupcakes and they are delicious!  The cake, the frosting, everything!  They're from Ina, you know, the Barefoot Contessa.  Don't you wish you lived right next door to Ina?  I'd like to live right in between Ina and the Pioneer Woman with maybe Martha the next block over....I don't clean enough for Martha to live next door.

I trust Ina....and this recipe is no exception.  I've made them several times and make the recipe exactly as she writes it.  No tweaking, no modifying....it's perfect.


Here is the recipe for the coconut cupcakes and the frosting in their original perfect state from Ina. (I did use large eggs instead of XL, but that was all I had on hand.)



{Just to give you an idea of how good it is.....the frosting starts like this:

....with 3 sticks of butter and a pound of cream cheese. Yep, it's good.}



For the holly, I planned to make fondant, but December 25th kept getting closer and closer.  I saw marzipan on the grocery store shelf and decided to give it a try.

You guys....it was EASY!!!  Marzipan is basically ground almonds and sugar.  Inside the box, it comes wrapped in a tube.


I divided it and used my AmeriColor Gel Paste food coloring in Super Red and Leaf Green to color it.  (I put my hands in baggies while kneading in the color because I didn't have any gloves....and we were going to a Christmas party and I didn't want to scare anyone with red & green hands.)


To shape the holly berries, I just pinched off pieces of the colored marzipan and rolled it into balls.  For the leaves, I rolled out the marzipan and used a tiny maple leaf cutter. Then with a paring knife, made the leaves a little more pointy.  I used the knife to make veins in the leaves as well.


Once formed, the marzipan can be left out at room temperature.


I do hope you had a HOLLY jolly Christmas. We did...and this picture about sums it up...


{Have a favorite from your holiday baking? Or a favorite from someone else? Feel free to leave a link in the comments.}
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Icing

Gluten-free chocolate cupcakes.


Gluten-free cupcakes are hot. Or should I say, HAWT. Tack on vegan status, too, and you've got a trend worthy of the most BoHo WeHo GoGo. So I'm reprising this chocolate cupcake recipe to tempt you into baking this weekend. These little beauties remind me of Devil's Food Cake. Dark, moist and chocolatey. So go grab your inner Domestic Goddess by the hand and stir up some trouble.

But before we get to (what happens to be my favorite) chocolate cupcake recipe from the archives, I want to share something. Maybe it's the waxing moon, that cyclic siren pulling us toward wholeness, to embracing our shadow, urging us to let go, shed the outworn for the sake of authenticity. Or maybe it's the fresh start of a new school year, possessing me with cravings for newly sharpened pencils and thick stacks of paper, clean as a cloud. Fall always wakes me up. It conjures images of new beginnings.

And yes, there will be baby pictures.




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Kiddo in the Kitchen : Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

Desserts for Dudes

I don't know about you, but when kiddo and I go to the farmer's market, our minds turn to big, farm-fresh salads cupcakes.  I'm pretty sure he chose this recipe so that zucchini I bought wouldn't show up on his dinner plate.

{Don't worry...I'll torture him with the tomatoes.}



The cupcake and frosting recipes come from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. We halved the recipe (I really don't need 24 cupcakes sitting around the house). 

Zucchini Spice Cupcakes
{modified from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes}

1 and 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 egg, room temp.
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 and 1/2 c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350.


Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.

Whisk together the flour through cloves.  In another bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla and zest.  Whisk in the brown sugar until smooth.



Stir in the zucchini.  Add the flour mixture just until combined; stir in the walnuts.

Divide the batter evenly between the cups.  Bake, rotating halfway through, about 20-24 minutes.  Cupcakes will spring back when lightly toughed in the center and a toothpick should come out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.  Remove cupcake to a cooling rack and let cool completely.




{Aren't they pretty? I'm thinking we could stop here and call them muffins. But, we won't.}




Cream Cheese Frosting


1 stick unsalted butter, room temp.
6 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Reduce speed to low, and1/2 c. sugar and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and combined.  Add the remaining sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition until smooth.

Now it's time to frost the cupcakes...


Kiddo said he wanted to try piping instead of spreading the icing.

 
He did a really great job...and I couldn't get enough of watching him. 






These cupcakes are wonderful...moist and full of flavor.  And, you can never go wrong with cream cheese frosting!  We think you'll like them!


 The verdict?




Here...we saved one for you....




{OH! I almost forgot....there are a couple new videos over at University of Cookie.  Be sure to check how the method TidyMom uses to roll her cookie dough.  Genius!}Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/cupcakes
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German Chocolate Cupcakes (and a giveaway!)

Desserts for Dudes month continues....
with a giveaway!

{See those toppers? Cupcake toppers of YOUR CHOICE are part of the prize package. That's right, package!}



It seems as far as cakes go, German Chocolate is a man's best friend.  I don't know if it's the coconut, the pecans or that caramel-y frosting, but these definitely will win your guy's heart!

First, let me tell you about Laurel...maker of the cupcake toppers and more, like these:


See, a few months back a relatively unknown blogger came through our area on a book tour.  A few, or maybe a thousand, of us took pity on her and went to the book signing.  Dork that I am, I made her cookies and envisioned us becoming besties: making cinnamon rolls, herding cattle, that sort of thing. 

OK....so that didn't happen, but during the wait (and wait and wait) to get my book signed, I really *did* meet some other fabulous women.  Joann, Kimberly and Laurel (just to name a few)....Laurel, of Go Against the Grain on etsy.  Laurel does really cute custom graphics and, it just so happens, cupcake wrappers and toppers.

Laurel is giving TWO Bake at 350 readers their choice of cupcake toppers/flags (go check 'em out!)  Woo-hoo! 

And to go along with those, I'm giving each winner their choice of a few goodies from Bake It Pretty (pics from Bake It Pretty):



{sugar pearls, rainbow non-pareils, or chocolate jimmies}



{baking cups in dots, animal print, or plaid}

Won't your cupcakes look so cute?!?


On to the cupcakes......this recipe is from Ina.  Every one of her recipes that I've tried has been delicious.  This one included.  Oh, and the batter....I will make this again JUST TO EAT THE BATTER.  We're lucky there *were* any cupcakes.

German Chocolate Cupcakes
{adapted from Ina Garten in House Beautiful}

1 & 3/4 c. flour
1 c. natural cocoa powder
1 & 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 c. sour cream, room temperature
2 TBSP freshly brewed coffee, cooled


Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pans with 15 liners.



Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.



{heart-shaped measuring cups are a *must* for brown sugar!}
With the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugars on med-high speed for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Lower the speed to medium and add in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as needed.  Beat in the vanilla.



In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and coffee.  On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour mixture, beginning with the buttermilk and ending with the flour.  Mix only until blended.  Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure the batter from the bottom is incorporated and blended.

Divide the batter into the cupcake tins.  (Remember to test it....you may get only 14 of those cupcakes after all.)  Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely before frosting.







{Look at those beautiful cupcakes!!!}


German Chocolate Frosting

1 & 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 & 1/4 c. sugar
5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. blanched, sliced almonds, toasted
1 c. chopped pecans

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the milk, sugar, egg yolks, extracts and salt with a wooden spoon.  Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, stir and simmer 5 minutes until thickened. Mixture should coat the back of the spoon.

Strain the mixture using a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl.  Stir in the coconut, pecans and almonds.  Allow to cool at least one hour before using.  Frost cupcakes with an off set spatula or butter knife.







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To enter the giveaway, tell me....


Are cupcakes are all about the cake or the cake is just a vehicle for the frosting?

For an extra entry, tweet the following and leave a separate comment:
"German Chocolate Cupcakes and a sweet giveaway from @bakeat350tweets! http://ow.ly/1Wvlh "

TWO winners will be randomly selected Sunday, June 13th at 8pm CST.  Good luck!Source URL: http://soniceview.blogspot.com/search/label/cupcakes
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