The Cupcake Challenge Continues - Maple Bacon Pancake Cupcakes

Hello all,

Now to be perfectly honest, I was never really into the whole "maple bacon" idea when it burst on the scene a year or so ago in the form of cupcakes, doughnuts, muffins and pretty much whatever other for it could take. But, with a slew of hungry male co-workers at the computer lab, I knew it was only a matter of time before the question popped up:

Can you make maple bacon cupcakes?

More specifically they asked for maple bacon brownies, but let's just say I wasn't ready for that deep of a plunge. I have yet to even try chocolate covered bacon, though it's supposedly out of this world.

So I hopped on over to another one of my favorite food blogs: Brown Eyed Baker. She pretty much has a recipe for anything, and I always love her recipe roundups (especially around the holidays). Of course, she had the recipe I needed: Pancake Cupcakes with Maple Bacon Buttercream.

Though they aren't bad, I have to say I was expecting more from these, more bacon and more maple to be more precise. Believe it or not I ended up just adding in tablespoon after tablespoon of maple syrup, all to no avail as the buttercream strictly refused to taste like maple. I also ended up crumbling in nearly twice as much bacon as instructed, but honestly who here is thinking "that's way too much bacon" ?

She did write up in her post that she was thinking of retrying the recipe with bacon in the actual cupcake, and I have to say I agree. The cupcake tasted great; it just didn't pack the flavor punch I was expecting.

I have to admit, however, after the Banana Split Cupcakes (I can tell you I lost most of my self control and ate entirely too many of those) it was probably pretty difficult to impress me. Hmm, perhaps if we stuffed the cupcakes with a maple bacon filling! Now there's an idea.

I've linked the recipe above but here it is one more time in case you missed it. I definitely recommend adding in as much bacon as you feel is necessary, even if it means way more than stated.

I usually like to keep things as surprises, but I have to admit I have had a huge craving for Nutella lately and I just found a wonderful recipe for it that I can't wait to try out this weekend.

Check back on Monday for the full details on how it turned out!

Happy Baking!

Banana Split Cupcakes

 Hello all,

So did any of you guess what this post would be about from my hint last week?

Well if you guessed Banana Split you get an A+ in my book. 'Banana Split' you may wonder 'how on earth do you turn an ice cream sundae into a cupcake?' My friends, it was hard for me to believe too, at first, but it's been done in the most perfect way by ConfessionsofaCookbookQueen and I am so delighted to share it with you here.

Step 1 - Take a French Vanilla Cake Mix and turn it into a delicious, soft, moist Banana Cake. Then proceed to cut a decent sized hole in the center of the cupcake and fill it with, would you believe it, Marshmallow Fluff.

As if this wasn't enough to make you drool, Step 3 is whipping up some decadent homemade Strawberry Buttercream and piping a unhealthy sized amount on top to hide the fluff and all it's marshmallowy goodness from unsuspecting taste-testers.

Now here's where I deviated. She suggested using Chocolate Sauce (like Hershey's chocolate syrup for example) but for me, I planned on having these around for more than a few days and needed a chocolate topping that was a little more sustainable and a little less "it's going to drip all over the kitchen table all week". So I opted to melt chocolate chips and drizzle it on top of the Buttercream instead. Add a dash of sprinkles and a cherry and voila!

Banana Split Cupcakes. I can't even express in words how amazing this cupcake is. It could very well be my most favorite miniature-sized dessert ever in existence. Though I do have an unhealthy obsession with cake pops...see now if we could turn this into a cake pop THEN we'd be getting somewhere.

And honestly, it's not that overwhelming to create yourself. It's a little more time consuming than other cupcakes, but just in that there are many steps to go through. The fact that she doctors a cake mix will save you tons of time (and less mess!).

Plus, if you're like me and need a distraction every now and then, just do these cupcakes in steps throughout your afternoon. I baked the cupcakes, then let them cool while I read half of one novel for class; then I'd frost them and read the other half of the novel, etc.

See? Procrastination can be turned into progress with the help of cupcakes!

Happy Procrastinating Baking!

Banana Split Cupcakes Via ConfessionsofaCookbookQueen

1 box French Vanilla Cake Mix
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 jar (7oz) marshmallow fluff

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2-12 cup muffin pans with liners.
2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, water, bananas, and melted butter. Beat with a hand mixer on low for one minute, then on medium/high for another 2 minutes.
3. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full (I always use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for a guide) and bake at 350 for 12-16 minutes or until cupcakes spring back lightly when touched. Let cool completely before frosting.

4. Once cool, cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake and fill with marshmallow fluff. (I suggest placing the fluff in a large plastic bag, snipping off an end and piping into said holes).

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

1 cup sliced strawberries, pureed
1 cup butter (or shortening)
5-6 cups powdered sugar

1. Beat butter and sliced strawberries together until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Assembling the Cupcakes:

1. Pipe Strawberry Buttercream onto the cupcakes, covering the marshmallow fluff center completely.
2. Use chocolate syrup OR melted chocolate chips to pipe the "hot fudge" onto the cupcake. Quickly add rainbow sprinkles and cherry on top.

Easter Nest Cupcakes

Hello all,


Did I ever mention I love Easter? I believe much of my enormous sweet tooth is owing to the awesome Easter Baskets the "bunny" left for my brother and me each year. Unfortunately the bunny no longer stops at my place, so I've had to make due with buying extraordinary amounts of Peeps and scarfing down these carrot cake cupcakes.

Easter = Bunny = Bunnies love carrots = Jess loves carrot cake = carrot cake cupcakes for Easter.

Plus I was so inspired by ParisPastry's Easter Nest Cupcakes that I just had to try it out for myself. I picked up these at Wal Mart the other day:

and got straight to work. Not bad if I do say so myself. :D

A breath of relief as I dig into one and it's absolutely heavenly; no need to relive the disappointment of the Chai Cupcake. 

And in case carrot cake isn't your favorite, here are a few links for some adorable Easter Sweet Treats I've stumbled upon that could be show-stoppers in case you're in charge of dessert this Sunday:

1. Easter Bunny Cake Pops by Bakerella
2. Chick Cupcakes by BirdonaCake
3. PeepCakes by 52 Kitchen Adventures
4. Basket Cupcakes by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
5. Egg Hunt Cupcakes by InKatrinasKitchen
6. Easter Nest Sugar Cookies by PenniesonaPlatter
7. Coconut Macaroon Nest Cookies by PreparedPantry
8. Easter Bunny Macarons by raspberricupcakes
9. Ultimate Easter Crispy Treats by DoughPuncher
10. Easter Bunny Push Pops by Hungry Happenings

I hope one of these links comes in handy for you in preparation of the holiday - or if you just need another excuse to bake like I do.

Pssst - I have a secret to tell you! The next cupcakes coming up are going to be a smash hit!

Would you like a hint? Bananas + Strawberries + Chocolate = ?

Happy Baking!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes Via Yours Truly

1 cup flour
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line one 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a bowl sift together flour, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl beat sugar and oil until well combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.
3. Stir carrots into wet ingredient mixture, then gently fold in dry ingredient mixture.
4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 way full (I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup) and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean
5. Frost with vanilla or cream cheese frosting and enjoy!

Cupcake Challenge Day 2: Vanilla Chai

Hello friends,

So remember when I mentioned that this month would be a cupcake "challenge"? I originally employed that word because it was exciting and fun, but apparently I was quite accurate with the literal meaning of "challenge"....

Cupcakes are supposed to be stress-free, at least in my opinion they are.

Yet, as I type that I realize I spent 9 hours one day last April making over 1000 cupcakes with the baking club, and in reality that was one of the most stressful experiences ever. I must have missed the memo: cupcakes are now "challenging". Be warned.

I learned this yesterday as I attempted to bake up Vanilla Chai Cupcakes. I followed this recipe to a T but sadly, in the words of my favorite European judge Florian on Cupcake Wars: "this cupcake, it did not work for me."

The recipe said to only fill the liners with 2 tablespoons of batter. So first batch naturally came out like so:

Why did I think it was going to rise more? Who knows. So the next batch I filled it with 1/4 cup, my default when filling cupcake liners. Did they rise more? Yes, of course. Were they any better?

Sadly, no. Unfortunately it just tasted like a lot of ginger, and the consistency was chewy, sticky, and overall disappointing. It's worth trying again (I am a big fan of Bakingdom - anybody who shows me how to make homemade butterbeer definitely deserves another shot in my kitchen). But I have the sinking feeling that these will not be fought over at my workplace as in precious times...

Well, I didnt want to show you these, perfectionist that I am, but this IS about the experience, and not all of them can be as stellar as I'd like them to be. Challenge doesn't always mean success.

 

I know I usually include the recipe here, but I linked it above and instead I thought I'd share with you all a few links that I find really helpful when baking up cupcakes:

1. Missing an ingredient? Check out Diana's Desserts "Ingredient Substitutions" page for a whole slew of ideas on how to substitute ingredients for items you may already have in your pantry. After stumbling upon this site I never bought store-bought buttermilk again.

2. Basic Cupcake Tips from SomewhatSimple. She has a great list of tips for cupcake baking in general, including how to fill you piping bag, how long to bake cupcakes for, and what kind of liners to use with which kinds of cake.

3.  Basic Royal Icing Recipe from Sweetopia. This is an adorable illustration of how to make Royal Icing. Informative, quirky, and cute, it's a great printout to keep in your recipe book (or to repin onto one of your Pinterest Boards!)

That's all for now. I have (hopefully) something cute in the works for Easter later this week, so check back later for more cupcake concoctions and sweet tips.

Happy Baking!

Month of Cupcakes Kickoff

Hello all,

Do you ever get hung up on making a decision?

I do. I hate making decisions. Yes, I know, terrible to admit but I positively loathe having to choose; not because I dislike being in charge (trust me, not a problem) but in reality because I love variety and never know what I want. What to have for dinner, what flavor of coffee I want, whether I want to study procrastinate on Pinterest or FoodGawker...the list goes on and on.

For example, I had decided (or so I thought) that I would do an April Cupcake Challenge here on the blog. Simple enough decision, now the only problem lay in where to obtain the recipes from. Do I go Julie and Julia on all of you and get a cupcake book? Or can I just pick my most favorite, most mouthwatering cupcake posts from some of the best baking blogs out there? OR do I just not do cupcakes at all because I can't decide between my first choice and second choice?

Now you see -  there's too much room to over-think it. Well it's your blog silly, my mind says to itself Just do you.

'But what does that even mean??' I ask my mind back. Then I realize I'm talking to myself inside my mind and it's very close to becoming talking to myself outside of my mind. Not an attractive feature while walking to class, let me tell you.

Well, just like avoiding decisions I am going to avoid that question too, for now. Right now, I am seriously in the mood for some cupcakes, and I think a whole month of them sounds just delightful.

Don't you?

I'm so glad you agree! So take this as a challenge, or just a month brimming with delicious baby cakes, but cupcakes will be the name of the game for the month of April here on Sugar Mountain.

Phew. Decision reached.

And to kick things off: Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes! This recipe has been on my "To Bake" list for ages, and now that I've made (and eaten) an unhealthy amount of them, I can say that it was worth the wait, and that I most likely will not wait long until I make them again. They are that good.

 

During this month I'll also share links I've found with tips on cupcake baking, decorating, storing, etc.

If you want to join in on my month of cupcakes, just comment here on the post, sharing a link to your blog and letting me know if you'd like me to share your photos here on mine. That means all your posts in April must  be cupcake related, and I only ask that if you do want to get involved, to please link back to this post so that more bloggers can get involved and share their own crazy cupcake obsession.

Happy Baking!

Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes Via How Sweet It Is 

1cup + 2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbsp instant coffee
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line one 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, coffee, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl whisk together egg and sugar until you reach a smooth consistency with no lumps. Beat in vanilla, coconut milk, and melted butter.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and batter is smooth. Stir in sour cream. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to fill cupcake liners with batter. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Coconut Cream Frosting:

1cup softened butter
3 2/3 cups powdered sugar (more may be needed)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1-2  tbsp coconut milk
1/2 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

1. Beat butter until light and fluffy, then begin to beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Beat in vanilla extract and teaspoonfuls of coconut milk until desired consistency is reached. Stir in sweetened shredded coconut and beat until smooth.

1/2 cup toasted coconut (*toast for 10 minutes at 350 degrees until golden - stirring often)

Mocha Coconut Drizzle:

2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1-2 tsp coconut milk

1. Sift together sugar, cocoa powder and instant coffee in small bowl. Add coconut milk and stir. Continue to stir until thick glaze comes together, adding splashes of coconut milk if necessary.