What was supposed to be an Easter post turned into an early April post. :)

So I've been pretty upfront about being a master procrastinator. I successfully procrastinated, and baked cupcakes last week  two weeks ago, like I always do. But, I completely forgot to post them.... Whoops...

To be honest, my professional procrastination has caught up to me, and school has taken precedence. :/

BUT! I will bake cupcakes this weekend, if it means using a textbook as a place to rest my batter-covered spatula.

Anyway....

My family had a get together for Easter, and I got put in charge of baking cupcakes.
I wanted to do something fresh, fun, and not 'Easter-y.'


My (awesome) roommate got me this Wilton cupcake book to further expand my knowledge, so I decided it was only fitting to choose my recipe from there. :)

As per usual, I couldn't just follow the recipe. I made my own little tweaks to make what I thought would be a great cupcake.

Fruit Tart Cupcakes 

Oven Temp: 350°
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 18-20 minutes
Total Time: ~ 1.5 Hours

Cupcake Ingredients:

• 1 Box Betty Crocker French Vanilla Cake Mix
• Eggs, Water & Oil to prepare mix
• Cupcake Liners
• Cupcake Pan

Pastry Cream Ingredients:

• 6 T granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 c. milk
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 2 T. unsalted butter.
• Pastry Bag

Topping Ingredients:

• Strawberries, sliced
• Blueberries
• Kiwi, sliced & peeled
• Whip Cream
• Pastry bag

Additional Items Needed:

Cupcake Corer: 

This was an impulse buy at Walmart. I don't think it was more than a couple bucks.

It is perfect for a filled cupcake like this. Otherwise, you can just cut a hole with a knife.

Anyway... on to the baking...

Cupcakes:

Prepare the cake mix according to the box. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, and let cool completely.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, you can cut your holes out for your filling.

Pastry Cream:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, flour, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks and milk until combined. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a spoon until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter.

Pour mixture into a bowl, and press plastic wrap down onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent it from forming a skin.

Place in fridge until chilled, or ready to use.

Toppings: 

Slice strawberries & kiwis. Keep refrigerated until used.

Assembly:

Using a pastry bag, fill the 'holes' in your cupcakes, plus a little extra. Spread the 'extra' around on the top of the cupcake, making sure it is even.

Place a kiwi slice on each cupcake. Then, with a pastry bag, put a little bit of whip cream on top of the kiwi. Then arrange the strawberries and blueberries as you like.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

There you have it!

Again, I apologize for the very late post, and will be back at the baking this weekend!

Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

First off, I apologize for not posting last week. I was in no condition to be making cupcakes... or even soup..

Anyway, this week is Spring Break for my friends and I. While my friends have taken off to warm places like California & Arizona for a week, I have 'chosen' to remain in the brisk 20° weather of Northern Minnesota. I'll admit, I'm a little jealous of all the people who get to sip cocktails while laying out in the sun. Not only do I need a drink after midterms, my skin is borderline transparent. :)

So, this brings us to this week's cupcake. I figured if my friends can be in the tropics, I can bake the tropics and watch some summer-esque romantic comedy. Hence pineapple cupcakes frosted with cream cheese, coconut deliciousness.

Here's the finished product!

Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

Here's what you need.

Prep time: ~20 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes / pan
Total time: ~ 1 hour
Oven temp: 350°


Cupcakes

• 1 box Betty Crocker White Cake Mix
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 C. Oil
• 1 C. Water
• 2- 8oz cans of Dole Crushed Pineapple in 100% pineapple juice. (None of that heavy syrup business)
• 4 T. flour
• Cupcake liners
• ~2 T. Pineapple Juice (from the crushed pineapple)
• Strainer/Colander (what's the difference anyway?)

Frosting

• 1 Can Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting
• 1/3 C. Shredded Coconut
• 1 T. Pineapple Juice (from the crushed pineapple)
• Pastry Bag (if desired)

Alright. Combine the oil, water & eggs, then add the cake mix and stir unti moistened. In a seperate bowl, strain the 2 cans of crushed pineapple. Keep the juice, and put the drained pineapple in another bowl. Add the flour to the drained pineapple, to make up for the liquids we are adding to the cake. Combine this until it makes a thick paste-like mixture. Add the mixture to the batter and blend well. Then add the pineapple juice, and blend well.

Scoop the batter into cupcake liners, filling 2/3 full. 

Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. (Mine took exactly 15 minutes) Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, scoop the frosting into a bowl. Add the pineapple juice, and blend well. Then add the coconut and blend well. Use pastry bag or knife to frost the cupcakes! 

Apple Spice Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

 As I was searching for inspiration for today's cupcake (and looking for a reason to avoid homework) I remembered I had bought a bag of Gala apples about a week ago. I realized there would be no way I would eat all of those apples before they went bad. Hence the birth of this week's cupcake.


Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Total Time: ~ 1 hour
Oven Temp: 350°

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 box of Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix
• 2 1/2 C. Shredded Gala Apples (About 4 medium sized apples)
• 1/12 tsp. Sugar
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 Tbs. Flour
• 1 C. Water
• 1/2 C. Oil
• 3 Eggs
• Cupcake liners

I know, it seems like a lot of ingredients, but bear with me.

Ok. First off, quarter the apples and take out the core. (like you were going to eat them)

Then shred them. (I used a cheese grater.) 

*Warning* This part is probably going to be a little messy, and leave your hands sticky and juicy. If you cant handle that, this might not be the recipe for you. :)

Anyway. After you have shredded all your apples, measure out 2 1/2 cups into a bowl. 

(Since apples have liquid, we have to compensate for it by adding some dry ingredients.) So, add the flour, cinnamon and sugar. Stir it well, and set it aside.

Cupcakes - Pre Frosting

Take your eggs, oil and water and combine them in a separate bowl that is big enough for a cake mix and shredded apples. (choose wisely, I learned the hard way.) Then add the cake mix and stir for 30 seconds. Add in the shredded apple mixture and mix for 2 minutes, making sure that everything is well blended.

Scoop  the batter into the cupcake liners in your pan, and fill them 2/3 full. Put them in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My cupcakes took 16 minutes, but depending on your elevation, oven, etc. things might be different for you.

Let them cool completely before frosting them.

Frosting Ingredients

• 1 Can of Cream Cheese Frosting (Not the whipped kind)
• 1 jar of Caramel Ice Cream Topping
• Coarse Sea Salt
• Pastry Bag (If desired)

Take the Cream Cheese frosting and put it on the cupcakes as-is. Then drizzle the caramel topping on top, in a zig zag pattern. (to make it look pretty) Sprinkle some sea salt on top of that, and there you have it!

Thanks for reading guys! 

By the way, if you have any suggestions or requests for flavors, don't hesitate to let me know! I'm always looking for new ideas!