CADBURY CUPCAKE.

springtime is in the air.
which means new life in the gardens… longer days… one season closer to summer… and CADBURY CREAM EGGS!
so, in our extreme cadbury season excitement we decided to create a cupcake of pure bliss, inspired by none other than our favorite… the cadbury cream egg.
a cupcake that… well… is quite literally heavenly. (no pun intended on the easter season…)

so. in celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus…we present to you —
a free cupcake friday recipe!!!!!!!

CADBURY CUPCAKE RECIPE:
(printer friendly version)

:: cake ::

18.25	box	german chocolate cake mix(make sure it has pudding in the mix)
¼	cup	butter (melted)
⅓	cup	sour cream
2	large	eggs (room temperature)
1	teaspoon	vanilla
½	cup	whiskey (we LOVE Jack Daniels®)

1	Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Spray with non-stick butter spray and sprinkle the bottom of the liners with powdered sugar.
2	Make the Cadbury Filling (see recipe below) and set aside.
3	Put all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium until incorporated. Increase to medium high and beat for 2 minutes.
4	Divide batter evenly into the prepared cups, filling each about three-quarters full.
5	Bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the pan half way through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Move to wire racks for cooling.
6	As cakes are cooling, carefully remove a portion from the center of the cupcake (you only need to remove a small pinch sized piece).
7	Before the cakes are fully cooled inject some Cadbury Filling into the holes you made in the center using a large star tip.
8	Top each cake with Buttercream Dipped Frosting (see recipe below).
9	Serve and store at room temperature.

:: cadbury filling ::

½	cup	unsalted butter (soft)
½	cup	light corn syrup
3	cups	baker’s sugar (or super fine granulated white sugar)
1	teaspoon	vanilla
2	tablespoons	heavy cream

1	Beat softened butter with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy.
2	Mix in corn syrup and sugar until incorporated.
3	Fold in vanilla and cream.
4	The texture will be grainy but as it sits it will become easier to work with.

:: buttercream dipped frosting :: 

3	ounces	cream cheese (room temperature)
½	cup	butter (room temperature)
1	teaspoon	vanilla
1	pound	powdered sugar

2	cups	milk chocolate chips
1 ½	tablespoons	coconut oil

1	Beat butter and cream cheese in mixer on medium-high until smooth.
2	Add vanilla and slowly mix in powdered sugar until smooth.
3	Pipe frosting onto cupcakes with a round tip and place cakes in freezer for 5 minutes.
4	Place the chocolate chips and oil in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 1 minute increments, stirring after each minute, until completely melted.
5	Pour the melted chocolate into a wide mouthed mug.
6	Dip each cupcake’s frosted top into chocolate and return to the freezer for 5 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened.

HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT.

we make a lot of cupcakes.
i mean…. a LOT.
and there is never a time we don’t grab the vanilla extract for our glorious treats.
and so, in an effort to save a little money on our cupcake habit we decided to make our own vanilla extract…. and the results definitely delivered!

we went off a recipe from Joy The Baker, but essentially this is how we made our own vanilla:

• four vanilla beans – split lengthwise except for a bit at the top of the bean (so it stays as one piece).
• stuff the vanilla beans into a mason jar.
• pour 1 cup of rum (the higher alcohol content the better) & ½ cup of jack daniels  over the top of the vanilla beans.
• tightly close the jar, write the date on the lid, give it a swirl, and put in in a dark place.
• keep the vanilla in it’s dark place for at least two months (we waited 3), swirling weekly.

now, i know what you’re thinking…. “thanks for the homemade vanilla help, but it’s not friday- why are you posting?”
well, we thank you for your inquiry and the answer is:
we needed to share with you how we make our vanilla BEFORE friday because it’s something we’re going to use this friday for cupcakes as we break into the world of:

GLUTEN FREE BAKING! 

so come back friday to see what we’ve created, and tell your friends!

ORANGE VANILLA BEAN.

we will not lie… this is one of the more time consuming cupcakes we’ve made – but is it worth EVERY second of the time you spend on it. EVERY second.
fresh oranges, fresh vanilla bean, and swiss meringue buttercream combine to create a light, fluffy, heavenly treat. it’s all topped with a candied orange – which in our opinion is more for looks than for taste… you have to chew those things forever!
sticky, sweet candied orange aside – these airy cupcakes are delicious. not only can you taste the freshness, these will make your house smell AMAZING.

to try this cupcake, check out our ETSY site!

happy birthday jesus.

our love for cupcakes began a year ago this month. our church has an annual christmas meal and last year in an effort to be more economical we ditched the “happy birthday jesus” cake and decided to try out cupcakes. they were a huge hit. and so with our original white and original chocolate, “cupcake friday” came to life.
this year’s meal is on sunday. so instead of a new flavor today, we’ve spent the day baking over 200 white and chocolate cakes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT.

the leaves are gone, the wind is freezing, and the ground has already been covered with snow once here in west texas… and so in celebration of winter’s arrival we have created the BEST christmas cupcake. ever.
so good, in fact, that we finished the first batch and headed back to the store for more ingredients to make another batch.
why? because two dozen of these was just not enough!
there are no adequate words in the english language to do justice to these delicious treats. a white chocolate cake with a hint of peppermint schnapps topped with a vanilla peppermint swirled buttercream frosting.
it is christmas. in your mouth.

if you would like to taste christmas, visit our ETSY site!