Camouflage Cupcakes

Today is my little brother's 30th birthday. We are now the same age, since I have no idea how he keeps getting older when I stopped aging at 30. We celebrated with a wonderful party thrown by his girlfriend. I immediately knew that I needed to make a camo cupcake for this occasion. He loves to hunt and spend his time in the outdoors. I scoured Google to find the perfect cupcake and frosting method. It is crazy how many different camo cupcake options are out there! Thanks to Pinterest, I decided to use the tutorial on Crafty Mama. This post is not a recipe, but more of a how-to. You can use the cake and frosting you'd prefer. These are simple to make. All you need is a bit of time.

To make the cupcakes, you will need: 

*your favorite white cake batter

*your favorite chocolate cake batter

*green food coloring

1. Preheat the oven according to your cake recipe. (Most likely around 350) Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners.

2. You are going to make 4 bowls of different colored batter. In one bowl, mix some of the white cake batter with green food coloring and a drop of chocolate batter until you reach your desired camo green. In another bowl, mix some white and chocolate batter to make a light brown. You will then use the remaining white batter, and chocolate batter, as is. 

3. Using a spoon, drop the various colored batters into cupcake tins. You want to spread out and layer the colors so that they bake with a camo look. (You could swirl the batter for a more tie-dyed finish). Layer the batters until the tins are 3/4 of the way full.

4. Bake according to your cake recipe. Once fully baked, allow the cupcakes to sit for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the frosting, you will need:
*white frosting recipe (I made a buttercream but a cream cheese frosting could work too)
*cocoa powder
*green food coloring

1. Split the icing into 3 separate bowls. One bowl will remain white. In another bowl, combine the green food coloring. In the final bowl, add cocoa powder to make the brown color.

2. Using a flat spatula, try your best to section the 3 colors into a pastry/frosting bag. There are many other online versions of using different bags, piping different levels, etc. I found this one-bag-trick to be quick and efficient. Pipe the frosting onto your cupcakes. Enjoy!

Margarita Cupcakes

I have a confession. I do not like margaritas. Never have, and I am pretty sure I never will. That said, I've saved multiple recipes for margarita cupcakes waiting for a chance to make them because they always look cute and are raved about. The perfect occasion to make these came when my friend's 30th birthday celebration fell on cinco de mayo this year. I used a shortcut cupcake recipe with cake mix, and I think it came out perfect. I found this on Homemade by Holman. The egg whites kept this nice and fluffy. I used the Skinny Girl margarita mix in these instead of a separate margarita mix and tequila. The only reason I did this is because I had it on hand. And as I already said, I don't care for margaritas, so what else was I going to do with that bottle? If any one would like the rest of it, come on over!

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*1 box white cake mix
*8 ounces Skinny Girl Margarita
*1/2 ounce orange juice
*3 large egg whites
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
*zest of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins.

2. In a large measuring cup, mix together margarita and orange juice.

3. Pour cake mix into a mixing bowl. Add egg whites, oil, lime zest and margarita/OJ. Briefly beat on low speed until dry ingredients are incorporated and then beat on medium high speed for about 2 minutes.

4. Fill batter into muffin wells until about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool about 5 minutes in the pan and then cool completely on wire racks. Once completely cooled, frost with the recipe below.

For the frosting, you will need:
*
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*
2-3 tablespoons lime juice
*
4 cups powdered sugar

*1 tsp lime zest

*3-4 drops green food coloring



1. Beat cream cheese and butter on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the lime juice and zest. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. If needed, add more lime juice and/or powdered sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Add food coloring a drop at a time and beat on medium high speed until desired color is reached.

3. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes. I topped these with green sprinkles I had on hand. You could also add paper straws and limes like I did on these mojito cupcakes. Refrigerate cupcakes in an airtight container if not serving immediately and bring to room temperature a couple hours prior to serving.

Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes to Celebrate 2 years!

It's Cooking with LT's 2nd birthday. Or, as I often hear in the blog world, it's my blogiversary! Although I still don't have down posting regularly, I am impressed with how much I've learned about cooking and baking. Dave and I were joking about how much our weeknight dinners have changed. We used to consider boiling pasta and heating spaghetti sauce to be cooking dinner and sometimes skip to takeout to avoid the hassle. It is the rotation of new dinners with old favorites that keep cooking at home interesting for us. I think the best part of having a food blog is how many other blogs and bloggers I have discovered through it. My neglected cookbooks are still trying to get involved in the kitchen, but it is often the recipes I find through other blogs that I am eager to try.

So in honor of this 2nd birthday/blogiversary, I bring you chocolate bacon cupcakes. This recipe is from The Novice Chef. I attended the Boston Bacon and Beerfest for a friend's birthday back in April, and it was after this event that I searched for a chocolate and bacon recipe that I could replicate. I loved Jessica's take on this sweet and savory combination by using a maple frosting. The perfect opportunity to share these cupcakes came when I invaded a friends cookout with 10 house guests! I think his exact words to me were "If you combine bacon, beer, and chocolate, you could bring 100 people!" I decided to serve the beer on the side of these cupcakes, but I think next time I will revisit the Guiness chocolate cupcake base and consider adding bacon to that. It might just create a guy's ultimate trifecta.

Thanks for reading/following me through this journey. Raise your cupcake to another year of recipes here at Cooking with LT!
For the cupcakes, you will need:
*3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

*3/4 cup hot water
*
3 cups all-purpose flour

*1 teaspoon baking soda

*1 teaspoon baking powder
*
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
*
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
*
2 1/4 cups sugar

*4 large eggs at room temperature

*1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, separated
*
1 cup sour cream at room temperature

*3/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped

1. If you have not already done so, cook the bacon. Let it cool before you chop it into bits.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tins.

3. Stir together the cocoa and hot water until smooth.

4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

5. In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the sugar, stirring to combine. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled ( this should take about 5 minutes) Add eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low.

6. Add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream. After each addition, beat the mixture until just combined. Gently fold in bacon.

7. Divide the batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 10 minutes and rotate the pans. Continue baking for about 10 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in cupcake centers comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Continue cooling completely on baking racks before frosting.

For the maple frosting, you will need:
*2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar

*1/3 cup pure maple syrup, plus more for drizzling
*
1 teaspoon salt

1. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and maple syrup and mix until well combined.

2.Add the sugar, one cup at a time, mixing to combine each addition. Once all the sugar is combined, taste. Add more maple syrup if you'd like. If your frosting is not thick enough, add some more powdered sugar.

3. Frost cupcakes and top with extra bacon.

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes

We're back from our incredible Mediterranean vacation! I have many dinners and treats to blog from the weeks before we left, so I am hoping to get back into the routine of sharing recipes more frequently. I also took a few food photos while we were away that I will post soon.

I made these cupcakes for a friend's birthday at the end of June. I had to take them on the train into Boston with me to celebrate, and I received many comments! There were many references to cupcake wars (one by the conductor) and many passengers gave me a side eye. Waiting on a street corner for my husband to pick me up outside the station, a couple of passersby asked if I was selling cupcakes. The whole afternoon was a humorous experience. Luckily, my Snapware cupcake carrier is amazing and the cupcakes arrived at our destination safely.

These cupcakes came out moist and tropical. They are a perfect summer treat for a celebration or backyard barbeque. I found this recipe on Koko Cooks who adapted these cupcakes from an Ina Garten recipe.

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

*2 cups sugar

*5 eggs

*2 teaspoon vanilla extract

*1 tablespoon key lime zest
*
1 1/2 tablespoon key lime juice

*3 cups flour

*1 teaspoon baking powder

*½ teaspoon baking soda
*
½ teaspoon kosher salt
*
1 cup light coconut milk
*
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut



1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two muffin pans with paper liners.



2. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Switch the mixer to low speed, and add the eggs, one at a time, fully combining before each addition.
Next, add the vanilla, key lime zest, and key lime juice and mix well.



3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients and the coconut milk to the batter in 3 segments, beginning and ending with the dry mix. Mix until just combined. Stir in the shredded coconut.

4. Scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling to the top. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake's center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.


5. Frost cooled cupcakes with the recipe below.

For the frosting, you will need:
*8oz cream cheese
*1/2 sticks unsalted butter
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla
*1/2 teaspoon almond extract (I might omit this next time)
*confectioner's sugar, about 3 cups or as needed
*2 teaspoons key lime zest
*shredded coconut, optional topping

1. Cream together the cream cheese, butter, and extracts. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar until you get the consistency you are looking for and mix until smooth. 

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the coconut.

Mojito Cupcakes

Another successful birthday cupcake. I made these for my friend Matty's 30th celebration. This summery cupcake combines the flavors of lime, rum, and mint just like the drink version it represents. They would be a hit at any cookout or summer party. I find no shame is using boxed cake mixes as the base to jazzed up cupcakes! This shortcut also helps when you are pressed for time. If you are opposed to boxed mixes, you could use your favorite white cupcake recipe and incorporate the additional ingredients. I discovered this adaptation of a Betty Crocker cake recipe on The Rookie Chef.

For the cake, you will need:
* 1 box white cake mix
* 1 cup seltzer, unflavored
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
*1 teaspoon rum extract
*1/2 teaspoon mint extract
*1/4 cup water
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves (I forgot to buy these, so I used mint extract)
* 1/2 lime, zested
* 3 egg whites

For the glaze, you will need:
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* Rum or 2 teaspoons rum extract (I went heavy here and used 1 tablespoon of Myer's Dark Rum)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and place liners in 2 cupcake pans.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cake ingredients on low speed 30 seconds followed by 2 minutes at medium speed minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
3. Place batter into cupcake liners and bake 25 minutes (or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean) Cool 15 minutes before applying the glaze.
4. While the cupcakes are cooking, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Over high heat, add the rum and remaining ingredients. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the mixture has thickened.
5. Poke the top of the cupcakes a few times with a fork. Pour glaze slowly over cupcakes. Allow glazed cupcakes to cool completely, about one hour.
6. Top with frosting and garnish. I used the frosting recipe below, and I added a small lime wedge along with a paper straw.

I frosted these cupcakes with a recipe from Mrs. Regueiro's Plate.

For the frosting, you will need:
*8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
*
3 cups powdered sugar
*2 teaspoons dark rum
*1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
*zest of one lime
*1 tablespoon lime juice

1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese together for about two minutes. Add the sugar one cup at a time, and mix to combine after every addition. Mix in the lime zest, lime juice, and rum until incorporated.
2. Frost your cupcakes!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chambord Ganache Frosting

I was pretty consistent with keeping the cupcake trend going for my friend's birthdays. This month I've slacked a bit due to more demands at school, but I promise that I'll get back at it soon! When I spotted this cupcake recipe on My Baking Addiction, I filed it away for my friend Meghan's birthday. This were rich and delicious, and I think I've discovered a go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. I loved the ganache topping on these and the subtle hint of raspberry that the Chambord provided balanced the heavy chocolate texture. Everyone seemed to enjoy these as evidenced by our ability to pawn off any leftovers!

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*1 3/4 cups flour

*2 cups sugar

*3/4 cups cocoa powder

*2 teaspoons baking soda
*
1 teaspoon baking powder
*
1 teaspoon kosher salt
*
1 cup buttermilk, shaken

*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*
2 large eggs, at room temperature

*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

*1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (I used a dark espresso blend)

For the frosting, you will need:
*18 ounces semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped pieces or chips
*
1 ½ cups heavy cream

*4 tablespoons Chambord

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line two standard muffin tins with cupcake wrappers.



2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

3. With the mixer on low speed, slowly incorporate the mix of dry ingredients. Add the coffee and stir to combine. 



4. Place the in the muffin tins until each is about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

5. Place chocolate in a large heat safe mixing bowl.


6. Heat heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to boil. STAY at the stove to ensure that the cream does not boil over.

7. Immediately pour the hot cream over chocolate; let sit for five minutes.

8. Begin stirring or whisking the cream starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out. Continue until the cream and chocolate are combined. Allow your ganache to cool for 15 minutes before you add the Chambord.

9. Allow ganache to cool completely and set up before frosting the cupcakes. This should take about two hours at room temperature, or you could place the bowl into the refrigerator for about an hour. If you use the fridge, be sure to stir the ganache every 10-15 minutes so that it does not get too firm.

10. Top the cupcakes with the ganache through a tipped piping bag.

Champagne Cupcakes

Happy New Year!

Can you believe another year has passed and that it's 2011? We had fun ringing in the new year with some of our best friends. The night started off with a potluck style dinner, and I made these cupcakes as the dessert. These had a nice light taste and texture to them, and you could really taste the champagne but it didn't overpower the cupcake. These cupcakes would be wonderful for any celebration. This is another successful cupcake recipe found on Homemade by Holman.

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
*3 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp salt
*2/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*1 3/4 cups sugar
*3/4 cup champagne, sweeter tasting such as asti or spumante
*1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*6 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners. (I made 21 cupcakes)

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of champagne combined with vanilla.

4. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until they hold stiff peaks. Fold in about 1/3 of the egg whites to lighten the batter then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

5. Transfer batter to cupcake liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Cool about five minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely, frost with buttercream champagne frosting listed below.

For the frosting, you will need:
*1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*3-4 cups powdered sugar
*3 tablespoons champagne

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy.

2. Add vanilla extract and about three cups of powdered sugar. Mix on low speed to combine.

3. Add in champagne and mix on low to incorporate. Increase speed to medium and beat about one minute to whip frosting. If frosting appears to be thin, add additional powdered sugar as necessary to reach desired consistency. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

Happy Halloween!

I made these bite-sized treats for a Halloween party we went to, and they were perfect for the toddlers and adults to enjoy. I saved this recipe that The Novice Chef posted last year. These are simple to make, but they look like a bit more effort was required. If you still have candy corn around then I recommend you use it to top these desserts. I forgot to take a picture of the inside, but the colors are layered like a candy corn-yellow bottom, orange cake top, and the white frosting tip.

You will need:

*1 box white cake mix

*Ingredients required on box to make cake mix (I needed vegetable oil, 3 egg whites, and water)

*Red and yellow food coloring
*
1 can white frosting
*
Candy corn for decoration

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your mini cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. Prepare cake batter as directed on the box and separate batter into two different bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl of batter until you reach desired orange and yellow colors.
3. Pour yellow batter first into your mini cupcake liner. Slowly add orange batter on top.
4. Bake as directed on the cake mix box.
Once the mini cupcakes has cooled completely, add a swirl of white frosting and a cute little candy corn for decoration.

Pumpkin Ale Cupcakes

Fall is fabulous. It is a time to indulge in all things pumpkin. The great pumpkin shortage of last year required me to stock up on pumpkin puree. No one, however, prepared me for this year's candy corn shortage around here! This weekend I will be hunting some down to try more delicious fall recipes.
I digress because pumpkin puree wasn't even needed for this particular recipe. Luckily, Shipyard Pumpkin Ale is easy to track down. These cupcakes were made for my friend's 30th birthday party, and I did not have any leftovers. The taste is more like a spice cake, and I really liked them paired with the cinnamon frosting. This recipe was posted on Tiny Tyrant's Kitchen last year.

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*2 1/2 cups flour
*1/4 cup cornstarch
*4 teaspoons baking powder
*2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*1 cup pumpkin ale
*3 eggs
*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*2 sticks salted butter, softened (Add about 1/2 tsp salt if you use unsalted butter)
*2 cups light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Set up cupcake pan with 24 liners.

2. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla to butter/sugar mixture and beat until well incorporated. Alternately add flour, then beer to butter mixture, beating on low.

4. Pour batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

For the cinnamon icing, you will need:
*1 stick salted butter, room temperature
*1/2 block (4 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature (I always use low-fat)
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*3 cups powdered sugar

Please note: I always double icing recipes because I like to frost with the 1M Wilton star tip, and it always requires more frosting. The above ingredients are not doubled, but I recommend it if you are frosting with the 1M or a similar tip.

1. Cream together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla.
2. Add cinnamon then powdered sugar one cup at a time; beat well.
3. Top cupcakes with icing and a light dusting of cinnamon.
4. Store iced cupcakes in refrigerator. Allow them to come to room temperature for serving.

Cosmo Cupcakes

This recipe screamed bachelorette party to me when I spotted on Loves to Eat back in the spring. I saved this recipe for the perfect opportunity, and I recently made these treats for my friend Danielle's bachelorette party. I found cupcake wrappers matched our theme and her wedding colors perfectly. These cupcakes came out very sweet and definitely tasted similar to a Cosmo. I am not the biggest fan of pink, but I was really happy with the look of these. Give them a try for your next girl's event.

Recipe orginally from A Cup Full of Cake
For the cupcakes, you will need:
*1/2 cup butter room temp
*2 cups sugar
*2 eggs, room temp
*1/2 tsp salt
*2-1/2 tsp baking powder
*3 cups all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup buttermilk
*1 1/4 cup Cosmopolitan ( recipe below)
*zest of 1 lime
*Optional red paste or gel food coloring- if you would like a reddish tint to the cake (I used pink dye)

1. Allow all ingredients to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line muffin pans with cupcake papers.

2. With a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat until well combined. Add the lime zest and buttermilk.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside

4. Make the cosmopolitan (recipe below) and measure out 1 1⁄2 cups in a separate bowl.

5. Add in 1 cup each of the dry and wet mixtures alternately, beating on low until the whole mixture is well combined.

6. Fill cups with batter two-thirds full. Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes spring back in the middle when touched lightly. Cool for 10 minutes in pan.

7. Next, make the glaze (I think I may skip this step next time)
Heat the 1 1/2 cup cosmopolitan over medium heat until thickened and slightly reduced. Poke cupcakes with a fork and brush with cranberry/vodka glaze when cupcakes are still slightly warm.

8. Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Frost with the frosting listed below.

Cosmopolitan Buttercream Recipe
For the frosting, you will need:
*3 sticks (1 1/2 cup) butter room temp
*4 cups confectioner’s sugar
*pinch salt
*1 tsp lime zest
*3-4 tbsp of the Cosmopolitan (or more until you reach desired consistency)
*coloring if desired- I used more pink dye

1. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

2. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time beating well with each addition. Add the salt and mix in the zest.

3. Add the Cosmopolitan one tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Garnish with lime zest, lime wedges, sugar crystals, or anything else you'd like to use. Enjoy!


Cosmopolitan Cocktail Recipe
You will need:

*1 1/2 ouncesvodka (I used absolut cranberry)
*1/2 ounce triple sec
*1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
*1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
*1 twist lime and zest

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with lots of ice.
2. Shake vigorously for several seconds and strain into a cocktail glass.

Banana Cupcakes

We are finally settling into our new home! I am truly hoping this means I can give this negelected blog a little more attention. With the wallpaper removal, painting, and packing, we have had a lot of dinners out, and I am eager to return to the kitchen. My broken foot is finally healing which should help with some extra standing at the end of the day. School is out too, so I should have no excuses!

These cupcakes were made for my friend's son Will's first birthday party. He was having a Curious George monkey party, so I thought these were an appropriate selection. This recipe comes from Bakerella, and if you have not checked out her site, you need to. She makes everything look amazing.

For the cupcakes, you will need:
*1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
*3/4 cup sugar
*2 eggs, room temperature
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 large ripe banana
*1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake tray with 12 baking cups.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl with a wire whisk.
3. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer for about four minutes.
4. Add banana and mix until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add half the flour in three additions alternating with milk in two additions. Scrape down the sides with each addition.
5. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until done.
6. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting you will need:
*1/2 cup butter, room temperature
*8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 box (1lb) of confectioner's sugar
*you could add an icing color if you'd like

1. Cream butter and cream cheese in mixer until thoroughly combined
2. Add vanilla. Then the sugar in small batches until combined and creamy.
(If using color, add to the mixture and combine)

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

WOW. We never buy oreos because both Dave and I can't resist them. They are one of those things that I never crave, but if they are around then I must eat them. These treats served as a double batch. We used them to celebrate our friend Haven's and Seth's birthdays. I plan on making these again because they were simple and delicious. I just need to make sure I have somewhere to bring them.

This recipe comes from Martha's Stewart Cupcakes, and if you don't own this book-you should. I think it is my favorite recipe collection so far.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes
(Makes 30 cupcakes)
*42 Oreos-30 whole and 12 coarsely chopped
*2 pounds of cream cheese, room temperature
*1 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
*1 cup sour cream
*Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate, in tins, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

I made 24 regular size cupcakes and then some minis. Both came out great.

Bananas Foster Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my friend Matty's birthday. I set out to follow Joelen's exact recipe, but I had trouble finding some ingredients and made a few of my own additions. Below is the recipe the way I made them. These came out tasty, and the birthday boy enjoyed them!

You will need:
*1 box butter cake mix
*1 cup mashed ripe bananas (3 bananas)
*3/4 cup buttermilk-in place of water the mix calls for
*3 large eggs
*1 ounce of rum

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2) Follow the box instructions, putting all the ingredients in a large bowl and using the buttermilk in place of the water. Beat until moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and beat until thick, 2 minutes longer.

3) Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the baking pans, place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. I frosted them with the recipe below.

Joelen's Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
*1/4 cup unsalted butter
*4 oz. cream cheese, softened
*2-3 tablespoons caramel sauce
*4-6 cups confectioners or powdered sugar (I only needed about 4)
*1-2 tablespoons half & half

1) In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until fluffy; add the caramel sauce and beat until fully incorporated.

2) Slowly add confectioners or powdered sugar into the bowl 1/2 cup at a time, and beat after each addition. Continue adding the sugar until you have a thick frosting of your preferred consistency. Stir in the half and half until incorporated.

3) If the frosting becomes too thick, add a tablespoon or more of half & half to thin out.

To frost them, I dipped each cupcake into the mixture. I had a lot of frosting leftover, so if I was to make this again, I would probably half the frosting recipe. I froze some banana slices and used them to top the cupcakes. I also drizzled some additional caramel sauce over the frosting.

Green Tea Cupcakes

I am on a new quest; I am going to attempt to make all of my close friends cupcakes for their birthdays so that I can practice baking. If I bake something and it sticks around here, we will pick on it for a week. The only problem with this plan is how many of my friends and family have March, April, or May birthdays! These cupcakes kicked off the trend back in March, and they were made for my friend Meghan. Meghan loves green tea, so I thought these would be perfect. This recipe is from Designs By Gollum, and I was linked to them via Foodgawker. Foodgawker is one of my favorite sites. I highly suggest that you check it out, but make sure you do not look at it when you are hungry! Anyway, I was bit disappointed with this recipe. They just didn't taste strong enough for me. If I was to make them again, I think I would add stronger tea to the mix. On a positive note, the great thing about this recipe was how simple it was.

You will need:
*1 box butter cake mix
*2/3 cup green tea, cooled
*3 eggs
*1 stick unsalted butter, softened
*1 cup chopped pecans
and for the icing:
*confectioners' sugar
*green tea

1)Preheat the oven; Mix batter according to the directions on the box, but substitute the tea for water. Fold in raisins and pecans.
2) Line cupcake tin. Pour batter into cupcake liners, and bake 18-20 minutes.
3) Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
4) For the icing, mix green tea with confectioners’ sugar. You may dunk the cupcakes or spoon the glaze over them to cover. (The original recipe recommends food coloring here. I skipped this step, but you could add that and more sugar to make a more noticeable icing.)

Guinness and Baileys Cupcakes

Dave likes Guinness, and I love Baileys. I knew immediately that we would both enjoy these cupcakes. I first saw these on Smitten Kitchen and I followed the recipe from Annie's Eats. I have had this recipe saved for a few months, knowing that Dave's 30th birthday would be a wonderful occasion/reason to make them. We had our closest friends celebrate with us at the Bleacher Bar that looks into Fenway Park. It was great to spend some time in January near our favorite part of the city! The rink was still up from the Winter Classic, and we were glad to be able to see it up close. These cupcakes were a huge hit! I am getting requests to make them for quite a few upcoming birthdays. They do have an alcohol taste to them, and the Baileys is not cooked so they do contain some alcohol in them. I look forward to making these again, and I am thinking about using a chocolate stout in the cake base next time. I doubled this recipe to get 48 cupcakes. Due to how we iced the cupcakes, we did not have enough frosting for all of them. I would have to make even more of that next time. Many thanks to Kim and Dawn for their help with these.

You will need...

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
11⁄2 tsp. baking soda
3⁄4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey's ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used Bakers pieces)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey's Irish cream

For the Bailey's buttercream frosting:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4-8 tbsp. Bailey's Irish cream

Cupcakes
1) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

2) In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated.

3) Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to 3⁄4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ganache Filling
1) Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler (I make one using a sauce pan and a metal mixing bowl) Add the butter and Bailey's and stir until combined.

2) Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. (I used the fridge to speed this up and did as Annie suggested-stir every 10 minutes.) Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake. Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

Baileys Frosting
1) Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey's until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes.

Here's a picture of the cupcakes out at the party.
Not the best lighting and photo, but you get the idea.