Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Who doesn't like cupcakes in rainbow ice cream cones?! I know that I do :)

This was super easy to make. I cheated a little bit and used a chocolate cake mix. 

These are the pretty ice cream cones that I used.

Fist off I made the cake mix, once that was all done and mixed very well I got out my handy dandy cookie maker. Yes I know what you are thinking, 'why is she using a cookie maker if she is making cupcakes?' Well I will tell you cookie makers are smaller than an ice cream scoop. When you are making the ice cream cone cupcakes you DON'T WANT TO OVER FILL THEM!!! 

This is the cookie maker that I used, super simple right?

I would say that this cookie maker is about 1 tablespoon give or take a teaspoon. I put two (2) scoops of the cake batter into the cones.

That was the perfect amount! It didn't overflow, it formed the perfect little dome on top.

I got 18 cupcake cones and 12 cupcakes. In the end I got 30 cupcakes.

I let the cupcakes cool for about 20 minutes (they cool fast) then I iced them with cream cheese frosting and topped it all off with rainbow sprinkles! 

P.S. When icing the cupcake cones try to make the icing look like ice cream. It just makes the cones look even better

Uh oh! Where did the other half go??!!

These cupcakes would be great for any kind of party!

Bunny Cupcakes

I got a new cupcake book for Christmas last year and I have been itching to try it out. So I thumbed through the book looking for a fun Easter recipe. And I found the perfect one, bunny cupcakes! In honor of Easter, I decided to make cupcakes for our local firefighters just to say thank you for all that they have done. 

So the process begins. This is the cupcake book that I used.

To purchase this book go to Barnes & Noble.

This project was super easy! Why? because you use a cake mix. I used Betty Crocker's yellow cake mix. I did a couple of things different though. I used 4 eggs instead of 3 and a cup of buttermilk rather than using water (I found this recipe in the back of the book).

This is the mix I used

First I made 24 cupcakes.

Next I let the cupcakes cool. I have made a lot of cupcakes and in turn I have learned a few tips. To cool the cupcakes faster I put them back into the cupcake pan and stick them in the freezer for about 5 minutes. 

While the cupcakes were cooling I gathered my ingredients for the toppings. 

My ingredients: Malt eggs, chocolate teddy grams, chocolate marshmallows, flat marshmallows, and chocolate and vanilla frostings. 

Next I put about a handfull of teddy grams in a plastic bag and crushed them up.

Before

After

The crushed up teddy grams will be the top of the bunny cupcakes

I then took the vanilla icing and tinted it green. This will be the top of the grass cupcakes.

 After all the cupcakes have been iced. 

Close up of the 'grass' cupcakes

(sorry it is kind of blurry)

Close up of the bunny cupcakes

Once the cupcakes were iced I cut the flat marshmallows into the shapes of bunny feet. 

I cut the chocolate marshmallows in half and used them as the bunnies tails.

I attached the tails and the feet with chocolate icing.

To make the bunnies more realistic I added foot pads on the marshmallow feet. 

I used chocolate icing to do this. 

To add the finishing touches to the grass I used the end of the metal spatula to make the icing stand up, making the icing look like grass, and then put the chocolate malt eggs on the top. 

This is the finished product.

The picture really doesn't do it justice. But they do look nice, well I think that they do. 

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

This week instead of doing thin mint cookies, I had the task of making a birthday cake for my grandma's friends. I went through cake recipes that I had stashed away and I also looked on the internet. I came across Martha Stewart's website. I was amazed. Not only did she have an ample amount of recipes she had pages after pages of crafts and fun things to make and do. So I went and looked through her cake recipes and came across The Ultimate Chocolate Cake recipe. It looked so yummy and so chocolaty I just couldn't resist making it.

So I have to say that this cake is not for a baking beginner! It takes a lot of time to prepare, to make and to assemble. In total it took me roughly about 6 hours from start to finish. And this wasn't my first dosey doe with a cake.
All in all the cake came out perfect.

The first thing that I did was butter the two 8 inch pans and then lined them with parchment paper. This took me at least 20 minutes on each pan. You would not believe how hard it is to line the sides with the special paper. Your hands are covered in butter from the first part and your trying to hold onto the pan but it's slipping and then your trying to put the paper in.
Believe me I get it, I completely sympathize with you.

This is the buttered pan

This is the pan (finally) lined with parchment paper

The next step was to butter the parchment paper and then dust the insides with cocoa powder. The recipe calls for cocoa powder that I have never heard of. Valrhon coco powder. I used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, to me chocolate is chocolate

This is what the parchment lined pans look like dusted with cocoa powder

Close up

Next came the hardest part. Mixing 3 sticks of butter by hand with a rubber spatula until light a fluffy. The recipe says it will take about 2 minutes, well it took me at least 10 to get it to the light and fluffy stage; keeping in mind that I am a girl with not a lot of arm muscle
(don't make fun of me. haha)
I will give you before and after pictures.

Before light and fluffy stage

After light and fluffy has been achieved. 

The way you can tell is the butter changed color. It went from a dark yellow to a pale yellow. 

Next I added the sugar, vanilla and the eggs. This took me about another good 20 minutes. Why? you ask, well because you have to slowly add in the sugar and you can only mix in one egg at a time. So you can estimate each egg will take about 2 minutes to mix in so when you have 4 eggs that's almost 10 minutes. And that's why it took so long.
Like a said this cake is not for a beginner.

Yes I know it doesn't look that good now but it will, I assure you.

The dry ingredients came next. I mixed them together and then sifted them into a medium sized bowl. You will need this mixture in a little bit.

Now for the chocolate part of the cake.
I took 3/4 cup strong boiling coffee and added 1 cup milk and 1 cup cocoa powder, and whisked it together. This mixture you need to let cool completely before adding it to the butter and sugar.

This is when the cake really started to smell good.

Next I combined the butter and sugar mixture with the chocolate coffee liquid, and whisked it until it was fully incorporated with each other.

Next add the flour a little at a time. Being sure to mix it in well.
(This is showing the flour going into the liquid above. It should not be left like this!)

Next divide the batter between the two pans and voila you are almost done with the cake.

The batter in the pans

I baked the cake for about 45 minutes in 20 minute intervals, each time rotating them.

Once the cake was finished (when a toothpick comes out clean from the middle) I took them out and put them on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
I inverted the cakes onto another wire rack and they came out of the pan like a charm.

Once they were completely cooled (I waited about 3 hours) I leveled the tops, then filled and frosted it.

This is the finished product.

I put a pretty design on the top and bottom, just to cover my edges.
Top view

Side view

Enjoy making this wonderful cake. It really is worth all of the mess and all of the hard work. It tastes delicious.

Here is the link to the recipe for the cake:
Ultimate Chocolate Cake      <--- Click the link

Here is the link the the recipe for the frosting:
Chocolate Frosting               <--- Click the link