Paper straws? Check!

I posted about Bakerella years ago... and am still loving her ideas! Just got these straws- too cute. I have seen them used for a few projects but really loved how she used them in these Strawberry Milkshake Cupcakes!

I picked up some silicone baking cups in the shape of hearts... and am excited to make these with the following recipes. (Usually I make Bakerella's Sprite Cake Mix with cupcakes but wanted to give this Cupcake recipe a try I found on Heather Bailey's website! YUM!)

Easy Gourmet Cupcakes

1 box cake mix (Strawberry in this case)
1 small box pudding mix
4 eggs
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. water
1/2 C. oil

Choose a cake mix and a pudding mix with compatible flavors. Mix this stuff all together and bake as instructed -- till toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, then add frosting. Easy peasy.

Spread the frosting. Spread the word. Spread the love.

Chocolate Ganache
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 Tbsp butter

• In a small saucepan, heat cream and butter until just before the boiling stage.
• Pour over the chocolate morsels.
• Let stand about 20 seconds and stir until smooth.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1b. 10X powdered sugar
1-3 teaspoons milk, half and half or cream

• Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla until smooth.
• Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.
• If you want your frosting a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until you get the right texture.
• Then, just use icing colorsto tint the frosting the color of your choice.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes

I love this recipe... Yum! I got the cute scalloped cupcake liners in Salt Lake at Orson Gygi's- an AMAZING store. You can shop online at www.gygi.com.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.
In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.
In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:
The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake

I only bake them 20 minutes...

Everyone loves pink frosting and sprinkles!
Here's the trick for making the chocolate butterflies...
1. Get your chocolate melts- use one color to line the outside and another to fill in the middle.
2. After they hardened in the fridge, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry with a towel.
3. Gently cut the butterfly in half.
4. Pour out of mold and use mini marshmellows and the outside edge of a plate to prop up the wings. Squirt chocolate down the middle to be the butterfly body and hold the wings in place. Put in fridge until set!
(I also got this mold at Orson Gygi's so you could order it online through them or at Bake it Pretty!)

CUPCAKES!

I love it when you can keep things simple when cooking, but make the recipe taste FABULOUS by just a few little tricks. This white cupcake recipe is just that- you use a basic White cake mix but then just add sprite and a jello pudding mix. Here's the recipe!

Simple Sprite Cake

1 white cake mix

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 box instant vanilla pudding (3 oz. size)

8 oz. can of Sprite (the mini one)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease and flour 2 9 inch cake pans OR put papers in 24 muffin pans.

3. Mix ingredients on low until combined and then increase speed to medium and mix for about two minutes.

4. Pour batter into pans and bake for about 30 minutes in 9 inch pans or 20-22 minutes for cupcakes. Insert a toothpick and they are done when it comes out clean.

Butter Lane's Chocolate Cupcakes
Butter Lane Cupcake Shop came to the Martha Stewart Show and showed how to make one of their most popular cupcakes- chocolate! They won Martha's taste test and they are THAT good. Seriously. They are a little work, but with ALL the right ingredients- cake flour, unsalted butter- the recipe is really not too hard and is divine. Fluffy and perfectly chocolatey. I promise you will love them!
Makes 40 cupcakes.
2 3/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
4 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 40 standard muffin cups with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chocolate and beat on medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with 1 cup water and beginning and ending with flour; beat until just combined, 1 to 3 minutes.
5. Fill prepared muffin cups three-quarters full with batter. DO NOT OVERFILL. Transfer to oven and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate muffin pans and continue baking until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 10 minutes more. (They still almost look wet when they are done- see below pic!) Let cool completely before frosting. As you can see in the chocolatey bowl above, I use a ice cream scooper to fill my cupcake liners! No mess, just the right amount, and so easy. For the mini cupcakes- which I LOVE because they are so fun to decorate- I use a TBS measure. Scoop the batter out the TBS with another spoon or spatula.

Buttercream Frosting
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 2lb. bag powdered sugar
3+ teaspoons milk, half and half or cream
Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla with until smooth.
Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.
If you want it a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at a time and beat on high until you get the right texture. BEAT WELL! I beat my frosting on high for 5-10 minutes until it is well whipped! If you want Chocolate Frosting add 3 TBS chocolate, to taste.

To frost mini cupcakes like seen above, you can either use a large round tip on a frosting bag, or use a sandwhich baggie with a good sized corner cut off (see below!). Immediately after frosting, sprinkle with sprinkles and then place M&M on top (with M&M facing down). The girls LOVED helping make these. Let your kids get involved! It's actually minimal mess when you give them a baggie filled with frosting that is zipped shut with just a good size corner cut out.

To make the sucker cupcakes, tie ribbons to suckers... pour sprinkles in a bowl... then frost cupcake with just a knife... dip cupcake top in sprinkles... then push sucker into cupcake! You can do these for birthdays as well by doing just a round sucker and making a leaf shape out of fondant or green candy or using a mint leaf.My very favorite frosting tip is the 1M Star by Wilton. I used it to frost the cupcake on the bottom right. It is only a few dollars for the large coupler and the tip and is well worth the money! You will have to get the 16 inch bags for it, instead of the smaller 12 inch frosting bag. because it is a HUGE tip. It makes your cupcakes look so professional though- look below- so cute. ;-) The chocolate heart is made using the candy molds talked about in the chocolate blog post. DO NOT place cupcakes in the fridge. This takes out their moisture and dries them out. They can be placed in the freezer, without frosting, tightly wrapped in seran wrap for up to 1 month. I'm not sure how well they freeze with frosting?