Mardi Gras Cupcakes

To finish off our Mardi Gras party, I found these cupcakes on Erica's Sweet Tooth.  I just had to share them!  They would be perfect for dessert.  Kids will love the colors...and the taste!  This beautiful photo is from her as well.  Beautiful work, Erica!

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup buttermilk (instead of water indicated on box)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
Food coloring


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Use an electric mixer to beat together all of the ingredients for about 2 minutes on medium to high speed.  Divide the batter equally into thirds and use purple (or mix red and blue to make purple) , green and yellow food coloring to achieve the color you like.  Use a spoon for each color and one spoon to use as your "divider" as your pour the different colors.   Start with one color and pour about 1 spoonful of batter up against one side, using the divider spoon to prevent the batter from spreading too much.  Fill in with the other colors, using the same technique. Don't worry about making these perfect, it actually looks cool when the colors invade each others' thirds and look a little messy.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanila
1 tsp cinnamon

 Beat butter with electric mixer until fluffy.  Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time until completely mixed.   Add the milk 1 tbsp at a time to achieved desired thickness.  Mix in vanilla and cinnamon until well combined.  Frost cooled cupcakes, and sprinkle with yellow, green, and purple sugars.

I am sharing this with these great blogs!

Mix it up Monday

Tea Party Tuesday
Tuesday At The Table
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Tuesday Tasty Tidbits

Wow Us Wednesdays

Thriving On Thursdays
Taste This Thursday

Full Plate Thursday
Sweets For A Saturday

Seasonal Sundays

Rock and Share

Seasonal Inspiration

Your Cozy Home

This Weeks Cravings

Merry Munchies
Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party
Foodie Friday
A Themed Baker's Sunday 
Mix it up Monday

Lemon Cupcakes with Graham Cracker Crust and Blackberry Butter-cream Frosting

My sweet hubby loves blackberries, and I love lemon desserts...these cupcakes are a match made in heaven, just like us! :)

Graham cracker crust recipe:

1 1/2 cups graham crackers

1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Pulse graham crackers in food processor into fine crumbs. Add butter and sugar and pulse until combined.  Place about 2 tsp. of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of cupcake paper lined cupcake tins. Use your fingers or a pastry tamper to press mixture firmly together.  Bake for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Lemon cupcakes:

3 cups cake flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup half & half

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

4 large egg whites

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside.  Place butter and sugar in bowl of stand mixer. Cream together for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating to fully combine before adding the next one. Add in the flour mixture and milk in five alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just to incorporate before adding the next addition.

Fill cupcake papers about 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cupcakes should be just starting to turn golden on top and a tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Remove from oven and let cool on wire racks.

Blackberry buttercream recipe:

1/2 stick salted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup half & half

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar, plus more as needed to reach desired consistency

1/4 cup blackberry puree, plus more to taste

1/2 cup blackberry puree for filling

(About 18 oz. fresh blackberries, for puree, filling and decoration)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add half & half, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar. Puree blackberries in a food processor and strain out the seeds. Pour 1/4 cup puree into buttercream and mix, you can add more puree to taste. If the puree thins the frosting too much, add more confectioner’s sugar.  To assemble the cupcakes: Cut a small core out of the center of each cupcake. Fill with a spoonful of fresh blackberry puree. (you can also use blackberry jam). Fill a piping bag with the butter-cream and pipe a swirl on top of each cupcake.
Adapted from Caroline's Sweet Cooking with her photo.


Mix it up Monday
Tea Time Tuesday
Table Top Tuesday
Tea Party Tuesday
Sweets For A Saturday

Strawberry Gems

In the early eighties, we lived in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  A coupe of friends of mine had a lovely restaurant, and served delicious food.  They made these awesome little muffins, which went perfectly with their great salads.

Ingredients:
1 C self-rising flour
3/4 C sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C milk
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 C sliced strawberries
Topping:
1/4 C sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients, except strawberries until thoroughly incorporated.  Fold in berries.  Fill paper lined muffin tins 2/3 full.  Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over top of muffins.  Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.
Note: Blueberries may be substituted for strawberries.
I am sharing this with Tea Party Tuesday

Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 small box instant lemon pudding mix
4 eggs
3/4 C oil
4 C powdered sugar
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 TBS oil, additional
3 TBS water

Instructions:
Combine first four ingredients, and blend well with electric hand mixer. Spray miniature muffin tins with cooking spray. Fill cups halfway up with batter. Bake at 350* for about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, make glaze by mixing the last five ingredients until smooth. When muffins are done, let cool about 10 minutes, then loosen carefully with a knife. Dip muffins in glaze while they are still warm. Place on a rack with waxed paper underneath to catch dripping glaze. Let set about an hour. If there are any left, store in a covered container. These muffins keep well.
My daughter-in-law Rhonda brought these to my husband's 70th birthday party, and they disappeared very quickly. They are sooooo good. Enjoy!

I am sharing this with Tea Party Tuesday.