Happy Spring! Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Saddened by the cupcake not looking that pretty…but they tasted wonderful!

I’ve been dreaming about that Swiss meringue buttercream since I made the Andes Mint Cupcakes!  The texture was so silky and light, like a cloud.  I knew I had to do another cupcake with it, so I did.

In my CSA produce delivery box I received both strawberries and lemons this week.  So, that became the theme for today.  I usually use all of my CSA delivery to inspire my dinners, and I rarely use it in baking.  But this just made sense.  I mean, spring is starting, today was Easter Sunday, and a strawberry and lemon cupcake will be absolutely perfect.

Also, my parents recently purchased a stand mixer.  Having never even played with one before, and as I was making cupcakes at their house today, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out a Swiss meringue buttercream the “easy” way.

So pretty and shiny!

Andes Mint Cupcake

These cupcakes have been in my brain for quite some time now, and I thought they would be a perfect opportunity to try out a new frosting that I’ve been wanting to try: Swiss meringue buttercream!  I’ve heard horror stories about how you can break the emulsion and that to make this frosting correctly, you need a stand mixer.  I do not have a stand mixer, and I was sure I could do it without one.  I mean, the Swiss didn’t wait around for the invention of the stand mixer – or even electricity – to develop the frosting, I bet.  In the end, the frosting was successful, and is now one of my new favorites :)

I, once again, used a past recipe for the cupcake batter.  If you’d like to see step-by-step pictures of the batter-making process, see the original post (linked below):

Almond Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream and Blackberries

There’s not much of a back story to these cupcakes.  Blackberries were on sale at my local market, and I wanted to use them to top a cupcake.  I utilized an almond cupcake recipe I’ve used before, and tried out a new way to do buttercream (inspired by my foray into vegan baking) that uses shortening as well as butter.  I’m really pleased with it and I think I’ll be using that combo for all of my buttercreams from now on!  I did a simple 1-1 ratio, and it turned out well.  I will say that with just using cocoa powder, the frosting tasted very much like milk chocolate.  Next time, I’ll try using some melted bitter-sweet chocolate to give it more depth of flavor.  All in all, a very good cupcake!

49er Faithful – Black Forest Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It has finally happened – the San Francisco 49ers have prevailed and will be playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday!  My father has claimed that his children have always brought the 49ers luck.  A month after my brother was born, our boys won their first national championship.  Just 15 days after I was born, they won their second.  They have been undefeated since then in their five Super Bowl games.  I am just hoping with all hope that this Sunday they can make it six!

To celebrate, I have developed a deep, rich, and tangy cupcake to show my love for my team.  I am borrowing my all-time favorite chocolate cupcake recipe (developed for a Super Bowl party three years ago), filling it with tangy and boozey cherries, with a topping of red and gold pride in the form of a rich cream cheese frosting.  Start the cherry filling a few days ahead so the cherries can reach full re-hydration and flavor.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Pecan Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Thanksgiving!  I thought I’d treat our loyal readers to a taste of the season.  I hope that you and yours enjoy your holidays and have many happy returns.  We are grateful for your dedication to our cupcake experiments, and I wish to you a happy culinary adventure :)

Gingered Rootbeer Cupcakes

Hello again!  I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve posted, though it’s only been a few weeks.  This recipe has been brewing in my head for a while.  A friend suggested root beer cupcakes, and I wanted to step them up a notch.  I kept thinking of sarsaparilla, which I used to get in Old Town Sacramento growing up.   It has a spicier taste with a hint of ginger.  With that thought, I decided to use a gingered cupcake and top it with root beer frosting.  Thankfully, I had a bottle of Root Beer Float Dessert Topping that I bought this summer from Cooking Up Ideas, one of my favorite stores in Fort Bragg, CA.  I am using the dessert topping as the root beer flavoring in my frosting, but if you don’t have it, check below for alternative ideas!

 

Halloween Soiree: Manhattan Cupcakes

My brother and sister-in-law held a Halloween party this weekend.  They are ones to appreciate a good cocktail, so I thought I’d bring them yet ANOTHER cocktail-themed cupcake.  I have finally learned from my previous (and numerous) disappointments with alcoholic cupcakes, and created a wonderfully successful rendition of a Manhattan!  The trick?  I will never use alcohol in the batter (other than beer) ever again.  It has always yielded a dense cake with little of the original alcohol’s flavor.  You must put your alcohol in the FROSTING.  The treat?  A fluffy cake with the full-flavor of the alcohol and the bouquet of it as you take a bite :)