Cherry Coke Cupcakes with Cherry Vanilla Frosting

My sisters birthday was today and since she is a Coke lover, I decided to make her Cherry Coke Cupcakes with Cherry Vanilla Frosting and they were delicious! I used a cake mix and enhanced it with the Cherry Coke, so you don't taste a lot of it, but it gives it subtle flavor. These are super sweet cupcakes and worth making! 

For the Cupcakes-

1 Box of Chocolate Cake Mix

1 Cup Cherry Coke

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice

3 Large Eggs 

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a mixer, combine the cake mix, Cherry Coke, cherry juice, oil and eggs. Beat at low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour into your liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or as listed on your cake mix. Cool completely. 

When the cupcakes are cool, you will dip into the ganache. 

For the Ganache: 3/4 cup butter8 ounces semi sweet baking chocolate1 1/2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

Melt the butter and chocolate over medium heat on your stove. Remove from heat and add the light corn syrup. Allow to cool slightly. Dip each cupcake into the ganache and place in the fridge to set. 

 After the ganache sets, you will frost the cupcakes. 

I did find that my chocolate ganache was melting a little as I was frosting, so it's best to just take a couple cupcakes out of the fridge at a time to frost. 

For the Frosting:

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

A pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract

2 pounds confectioners sugar, sifted

1 1/2 Tablespoons Cherry Juice 

4-6 Tablespoons heavy cream

In a large bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Slowly add in the confectioners sugar and continue to cream until well blended. Add the salt, vanilla, cherry juice and 3 Tablespoons of heavy cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1-3 Tablespoons of heavy cream until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.  

Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a cherry on top! 

"30 Sucks" Cake Pops and Cupcakes

My sister turned 30 in September! She is the cake queen and is always making wonderful cakes for everyone so I knew that when I made her cake it needed to be amazing. I saw an idea while blog hopping one day that had 30 suckers in a container and said 30 sucks.

I thought it was a really cute idea and decided that I wanted the suckers to be cake pops! I looked online for a similar idea, but could not find anything! I asked my friend April to help me make them because she makes amazing cakes too and has worked with fondant. So we came up with the idea to make cake pops, dipped in chocolate, then wrapped in fondant to look like suckers. And I think we achieved the look I wanted! I also made cupcakes to go along with the sucker pops. They are regular boxed cupcakes, with homemade frosting topped with crushed suckers!

I thought that making and working with fondant would be really hard and scary but it was so easy. The recipe for the fondant listed below is so easy to make and actually tastes good. And it's just like working with dough so don't be scared to try it!

Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from My Baking Addiction

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract (this helps maintain the bright white color)

1 1/2 pounds (24 oz.) confectioners sugar, sifted

4-6 tablespoon heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in confections sugar and continue beating until well blended. Add in vanilla and 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1-3 tablespoons of heavy cream until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy.

Fondant Recipe from April Takes the Cake Blog

1 package (16 oz.) white mini marshmallows

2-5 Tablespoons water

2 pounds powdered sugar (8 cups)

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

To make the fondant, place marshmallows and 2 T. of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 30 seconds on high, stir until mixed well. Continue microwaving 30 seconds more, stir again. Continue until melted, about 2 minutes. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on top of the melted marshmallow mixture. Fold powdered sugar into marshmallow mixture. Flavoring can be added at this point if desired. Place solid vegetable shortening in easily accessed bowl so you can reach into it with fingers as you are working. Grease hands and counter generously with shortening. Turn marshmallow mixture onto counter. Start kneading like you would dough. Continue kneading, adding powdered sugar and re-greasing hands and counter so the fondant doesn't stick. If the marshmallow fondant is tearing easily, it is too dry. Add some water (about 1/2 teaspoon at at time) kneading until fondant form a firm, smooth elastic ball that will stretch without tearing, about 8 minutes.

It's best to allow the fondant to sit, double wrapped, overnight. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating with a thin layer of shortening. Wrap in plastic wrap and then place in resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. The fondant will keep well in refrigerator for several weeks.

When not working with fondant, make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in a bag to prevent it from drying out. When ready to use, knead fondant until smooth. Roll out fondant 1/8 inch think.

To color fondant you will need to tint the entire batch. Add a little icing color to the melted marshmallow mixture before adding powdered sugar. For smaller amounts of tinted fondant, add icing color to portions of fondant as needed.

Makes about 2 lbs. of fondant

Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Chocolate cupcake, layer of chocolate ganache, butter cream frosting and a chocolate dipped strawberry! Oh my goodness! What an amazing cupcake! I made these cupcakes for a coworkers baby shower and they did not disappoint! They were a little time consuming but worth it!

How To Make:

1 .Make a box of chocolate cupcakes and let cool (I actually made the cupcakes 1 day in advance).

2. Wash strawberries and dry them on a towel. Melt chocolate (about 1 cup) in the microwave and dip the strawberries. Place in the fridge to set.

3. Make the chocolate ganache by melting 3/4 cup butter and 8 oz. of good semi sweet chocolate chopped over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 1 1/2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup. Allow to cool slightly. Dip each cupcake in the ganache. Place in fridge to set.

4. Make the butter cream frosting.

16 oz. powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter softened, 3 Tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Beat sugar, butter, milk and vanilla at low speed until well blended If frosting becomes too thick beat in additional milk by teaspoons until the frosting is of spreading consistency. Add food coloring if desired.

5. When the strawberries and ganache are set, pipe or spread the butter cream frosting on cupcake and gently place the strawberry on top and gently push the strawberry into the frosting so it sticks a little bit.

6. Place back in fridge until the strawberry is set in the frosting and serve!

Orange Cupcakes

I came across these fabulous looking cupcakes while blog hopping. They look so light and perfect for Spring. I hosted a Girls Night Out at my house and served these for dessert, they were a big hit!

Photo and recipe courtesy of Realmomkitchen.com

Fresh Orange Cupcakes

1 package of yellow cake mix
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, sugar, and orange zest. Whisk to combine. Add orange juice, canola oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Blend with the mixer on low speed for one minute, then speed it up to medium and beat for 2 more minutes.
2. Fill cupcake papers about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350F until golden in color and a toothpick test comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes.
3. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Orange Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very soft
6-8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then the juice and the zest. Beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, until icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency (I added 6 cups total). Use and store at room temperature. (Don’t refrigerate and it will last in a covered container for about three days.)

Caramel, Caramel, Caramel

This months Daring Bakers challenge was one of my favorites! I love sweets, cake and caramel so this cake was right up my alley! Shuna Fish Lydon's Caramel Cake was the chosen recipe and Dolores, Alex and Jenny were the hosts.

I have to say that I was nervous about making the caramel syrup,but it was very easy and so good! I used a tip that I had read about putting foil over the pan and then pouring the water in. This prevented me from getting splattered with hot caramel and worked very well. I had also read that many people thought the cake was too sweet, so I cut back on the sugar and only put in 3/4 cup of sugar and they were perfect!

I was on a local television show this month for a cooking contest and knew that I wanted to make cupcakes to bribe them and they loved them! These cupcakes were easy to make and the brown butter icing was to die for! They joked about having me back on to make the icing! I will be using that recipe on many more cupcakes! However, I did think that the cupcakes were not as light and airy as most cupcakes are, but they were still delicious!

I am at work right now and don't have my camera and my laptop is with my hubby in Africa right now. So tomorrow I will bring my camera to work and post my photos!

I Caved

I saw these cupcakes on Bakerellas Blog and I wasn't going to make them for Mother's Day, but I did. I could not think of anything to give to my grandma and great aunt, so I made these cupcakes and homemade chocolate dipped strawberries and packaged them really cute. They loved them. And I took the leftovers to work and they were amazed that I could make them. They were a little time consuming (chocolate takes a little bit to set) but well worth it!

Lemon Cupcakes

I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of lemon flavored things, but I'm working on it. I threw a birthday party for my best friend and wanted something light for dessert. I found this recipe on Kraft and the picture of the cupcakes sucked me in and I had to make them. The frosting was a little thin so I let it sit in the fridge for an hour and it firmed up a bit. They were light and the lemon flavor was subtle, not overdone which I liked. These will be made all throughout summer!

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (4-serving) Jell-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 cup water
4 egg whites
2 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, egg whites and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin cups.
Bake 21 to 24 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely. Meanwhile, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter and juice with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Frost cupcakes.