geardrops [blog]

Blackberry Jam Cupcakes w/ Lemon Buttercream Frosting

Heat oven to 350F.

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cups seedless blackberry jam

1. Dry Team: In small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
2. Wet Team: Whip butter till light and fluffy.
3. Wet Team: Gradually beat in sugar, keeping it light and fluffy.
4. Wet Team: Beat in eggs and vanilla.
5. Go Team Venture: Mix in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in jam. (For funsies you can add the berries of this fruit in.)
6. Spoon into prepared muffin tins.
7. Bake about 20 minutes.
8. Let cool before frosting.

This recipe came out a bit carrot-cake-esque. I suspect it was the use of nutmeg and cinnamon. Next time I make this recipe, I will cut back on the cinnamon and cut the nutmeg entirely, see how that helps the flavor. Overall, the cake itself is very lightly flavored, so I recommend going easy on the lemon in your frosting.

Also, I made these as regular old muffins the next day, glazing the tops with a sugary lemon-juice mixture. Those went over really well.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• 2 sticks butter
• powdered sugar
• 1 lemon

1. Juice lemon into a cup. Be sure to remove all pulp and seeds.
2. Whip the butter.
3. Add sugar and lemon juice alternatingly until you have a good taste and texture.

Note that I made these using strawberry jell-o, though the original intent was strawberry-kiwi. Alas, Lucky’s, you have failed me for the last time.

Strawberry-Kiwi Cupcakes with Watermelon Frosting

Heat oven to 350 F.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 package 3oz strawberry-kiwi Jell-o
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 egg whites
• 1 whole egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Mix the flour, Jell-o, and baking powder together.
2. Cream sugar and butter together.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Beat eggs, one at a time, alternating with the flour mixture.
5. Stir in milk slowly until batter is smooth.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Watermelon Frosting

• 1 package watermelon Jell-o
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2+ cups powdered sugar
• 1 8oz package of cream cheese

1. See those ingredients? Mix them. Add the watermelon Jell-o to taste.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

Heat oven to 350 F.

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice (or milk)
• 1 egg

1. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.
2. Mix in the butter and pineapple juice.
3. Beat in the egg.

The Fruit Topping

• 1 20oz can pineapple chunks
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• Maraschino cherries

1. Melt the butter.
2. Mix the brown sugar in with the butter.
3. Pour a little butter-sugar mixture in the bottom of each (greased) cup in a muffin pan, just enough to cover.
4. In each cup, drop half a Maraschino cherry and a few chunks of pineapple.

1. Pour the batter into each cup, filling about halfway to three-quarters.
2. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until done.
3. Let cool and flip.

These were a huge hit at a party of mine. Totally forgot to post the recipe.

Earl Grey Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. loose-leaf Earl Grey
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 egg
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl.
3. Whip the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar slowly throughout and keep whipping.
4. Fold in each egg one at a time.
5. Beat in half of the dry mixture with the butter/sugar/egg.
6. Add milk and remaining dry mixture. Stir until just combined.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3+ cups confectioner’s sugar (to taste)
• juice from one lemon (preferably Meyer if you have them)

1. Whip butter until fluffy.
2. Slowly add sugar and keep whipping the butter. Do this until it tastes/feels right.
3. Add in your lemon juice.
4. Feel free to add more sugar if you need.

When I made these I decorated them with little lavender flowers on top and some coarse crystal sugar. Very pretty, light, and spring/summery.

Yesterday I mentioned not having red food coloring due to my red velvet cupcakes, and I realized, well crap, I’ve not posted my red velvet cupcake recipe. I should fix that. I pinched the base of it from Paula Deen but obviously I modified it because her cooking will kill you.

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2/3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 350F.
2. In one bowl, mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder.
3. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients: oil, buttermilk, eggs, vinegar, vanilla, and once those are mixed, add the food coloring.
4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning pan once halfway through.
6. Let cool, frost, and eat.

Once again, frosting is obviously cream cheese. My recipe for this is a block of cream cheese, and you pour in confectioner’s sugar until you like what you see and taste.

I pinched this recipe from Martha Stewart, which is really from Sprinkles, but then I changed it, half from accidents, half from really liking strawberries.

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed (I doubled this)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, room temperature (I accidentally used 2 and it still came out great)
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

These are my steps, I’ve modified the recipe a bit. I already noted above the doubling of strawberries. Can’t have too many! (And the second egg was an accident, but it didn’t mess up the end results.)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Puree half your strawberries, then slice the other half.
3. In one bowl, mix your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar, salt.
4. In another bowl, mix your wet ingredients: eggs, milk, vanilla.
5. Whip that butter. Nice and light and fluffy.
6. Drop a bit of the wet and a bit of the dry into the butter. Mix. Repeat until all ingredients are blended. Then add the strawberries and mix well.
7. And you know what? Add some red food coloring to make them pink. Seriously, these cakes come out weird in color without it. If I had red food coloring I would have done this (alas, I was out, red velvet is a demanding beast).
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
9. Let cool, frost, eat.

Oh, and for the cream cheese frosting, I just drop a block of it in a bowl and start sprinkling sugar in and whipping it with a spatula until it looks/tastes/feels like I like. No vanilla, no need for it if you ask me.

But really, the best modification I think was slicing up those strawberries. The batter tasted like straight sugar, no strawberry at all, and once they settled and cooled they got much better (in fact, they tasted better a few hours after baking them as opposed to freshly baked). Every bite you hit with a strawberry in it was the best.