sweet and simple strawberry cupcakes

Marian Keyes’ baking book Saved by Cake has been an inspiration these past few months.  Between the beautiful photos and hilarious commentary, it’s difficult to decide what exactly I’ll make next (I’ve made Barmbrack more than once!).  One thing I remember puzzling over the first time I read through the book was an instruction to add canned berries.  Perhaps I have lived a lovely, FRESH berry-filled life to this point, but I had never encountered canned berries, aside from inside a boxed blueberry muffin mix.  So I read ‘canned strawberries,’ wondered for a half moment, and then passed on to the next scrumptious photo. 

I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but when I was in Ireland, in a convenience store, no less, I found a whole array of canned berries, mango, and so on.  I snagged a can of strawberries and brought it home with me (not sure it was worth its weight in my suitcase, but… what can you do?).  So.  I used a can of strawberries in this recipe.  But rest assured, you can make it without, and I myself used half canned, half frozen, and it turned out lovely all the same.

Sweet and Simple Strawberry Cupcakes (from Marian Keyes’ recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups strawberries (thawed, if frozen)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cupcake pan with paper or silicone liners.  Wash and hull (if fresh!) the strawberries and mash until they’re pulpy.

Beat the oil, sugar and eggs together for a few minutes until the mixture starts to look caramelly.  Add the pulped strawberries, sift in the flour and baking soda, and fold through.

Pour the batter into the liners and bake for about 20 minutes (23, in my case).  Cool on a wire rack and decorate pinkly.  Makes 12 cupcakes.

This is the kind of recipe that you can pass off as muffins for breakfast in a pinch (without icing & sprinkles, of course), but it really does have more of a cupcake consistency and flavor.  The cakes are light and sweet, and look even more fabulous topped with whatever you have on hand (umm, plain icing… from a can?).

Recommended for: a simple, delightful dessert with a pop of strawberry flavor, and the perfect treat to surprise your girlfriends or coworkers with for a special occasion.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking!

churro cupcakes with cream cheese icing and caramel sauce

Having friends who love food AND who love making food has revolutionized my life. At least once a month I share a recipe or have one sent my way. Then we go out, create little masterpieces and enjoy the fruits of our labors together. It sounds really corny, but I love it!

Greta (check out her Pinterest account for more inspiration) showed me a churro cupcake recipe that made my mouth water just looking at the photos. And she happened to send it in time for my roommate’s birthday. SOLD! This one was an absolute winner – all 18 cupcakes were gone in the first hours of the birthday party. Cha-ching!

Churro Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing and Caramel Sauce (recipe from The Novice Chef)

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon


1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


1/2 (1 stick) cup unsalted butter, at room temperature


1 cup sugar


2 eggs


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


1/4 cup vegetable oil


1/2 cup milk

Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature


4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature


2 cups confectioners’ sugar


1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined then stir in the vanilla and oil. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the butter mixture and gently stir in until barely combined. Add half of the milk, mixing until just combined. Repeat these steps with the remaining flour mixture and milk, ending with the flour. Do not over-mix.

Fill each cupcake tin with 2 tablespoons of batter, or until the cupcake tin is filled half way (do NOT be generous). Bake the cupcakes for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with one or two crumbs clinging to it. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.



For the frosting: Cream the butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl. Add the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well between each addition. Stir in the cinnamon until thoroughly combined. Then stir in the vanilla. Beat the mixture well, until light and fluffy.

Pipe onto cupcakes, sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar and top with a drizzle of Dulce De Leche if desired.

NOW, here is where it gets interesting. I went to the store to get dulce de leche. I’ve bought it before, and actually fell in love with it when I lived in Chile (it tastes AMAZING over plain yogurt and cut-up fruit!). But my local grocery store was charging $5 per can for the stuff, and I COULDN’T DO IT. Side note: sometimes I am thrifty-to-the-point-of-cheap.

So instead, I made caramel sauce for the first time. It took two tries, and I might have ruined a pot in the process. Or part of a pot. In any case, if you want to try it, the recipe is right here, and it was pretty easy (as long as you don't let the sugar burn). It was also incredibly satisfying to tell everyone that I made the cupcakes, icing AND caramel sauce from scratch. Go on and dust your shoulders off, ladies!

Recommended for: a fancy-schmancy treat on a budget, any Latin-themed party, or that time you really want all the credit (and a delicious dessert to boot). Goes especially well with Mexican hot chocolate and coffee!

lemon bar cupcakes will win you friends

It is true. I know, because it worked for me. Sort of. I suppose in the interest of full disclosure I should admit that all the taste testers were already my friends. But Lemon Bar Cupcakes totally CEMENTED our pre-existing friendships. And that is kind of true. Or something.

I got this recipe from Party Cupcake Ideas, via a twitter link from the fabulous author Lisa Mantchev. In fact, the lady in question is hosting a Cupcakeathon today in honor of the Perchance to Dream book publication date. Check the event out at her blog. And honestly? Go make some cupcakes! Because they’re perfect for any celebration AND for the everyday, too. Plus, extra friends. You can’t go wrong there (I don’t think, anyway).

Lemon Bar Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

1 box of your favorite lemon cake mix


1 small package lemon instant pudding

1 cup sour cream


3/4 cup water


3/4 cup oil


4 eggs


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
 In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix together for several minutes.
 Batter will be fairly thick in consistency.

Bake for 20 minutes. When you remove the cupcakes to cool, you might notice that they are indented in the middle. This can be smoothed out when you add your lemon bar frosting.

Lemon Bar Frosting

This is where I fudged. If you look at the recipe from Party Cupcake Ideas, you make the frosting from scratch. I…didn’t. Here’s what I did do:

INGREDIENTS

1 large can prepared whipped white frosting

fresh-squeezed juice of two lemons

zest of one lemon

extra powdered sugar (a cup or two?)

DIRECTIONS

Mix ingredients together until you’ve got something that is icing-like consistency. Scoop into a quart- or gallon-sized Ziploc bag. Seal bag. Cut a small corner of bag off. Ice the cupcakes with swirls of lemon bar frosting! Maybe it’s not gourmet, but it works. Oh! And those little yellow balls? Are chewy Lemonheads. LOVE!

glittery undersea cupcakes and a winner

To celebrate the release of the second book in her Théâtre Illuminata series, author Lisa Mantchev is instigating (I mean, hosting) a cupcakeathon. I will be posting my review of Perchance to Dream and results of any baking on Tuesday, which is publication day. BUT. In the meantime I have the results for my giveaway of a paperback copy of Eyes Like Stars, an ARC of Perchance to Dream, and some fairy-glittery-cupcakey goodness.

The extra-lovely paper goods (read: set of 6 beautiful cards) were crafted by my sister, Ginny. She has more photos on her blog. I just gave her some parameters about what I wanted (blue/green/lovely/fairy/glittery/undersea), and she came up with these gorgeous specimens. I think they fit Perchance to Dream to a T.

And now what you’ve all been waiting for: the winner! Help me congratulate...

Bianca of Wicked Good Books

Who answered the question “What is your favorite play or dramatic work?” with:

“Since I'm always always going to plays and musicals it’s really hard for me to choose an all-time favorite, so I'll pick my favorite that I've seen THIS year.

John Lennon & Me was an amazing show I saw at a high school back in February. Dealt with a girl living with cystic fibrosis. Made me cry.”

Many thanks to all who entered! Your comments about plays and operas and films were inspiring and wonderful. In other words? You rock. Keep it up.