Root beer Float cupcakes!

These are fantastic! I made cupcakes for my hubs corporate meeting and I had to find some fun and new recipes.  These was a huge hit! For our family I just used vanilla bean ice cream for the 'icing'.  When I took the cakes to his meeting I frosted them with root beer buttercream and put a little straw in the icing for a decoration! Fun fun fun!!

~Recipe~
**I doubled this recipe when I made it because I needed 2 dozen, doubling it makes exactly 2 dozen**

1 cup root beer soda
1 Tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 c sugar
1/3 c canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp root beer extract
1 1/3 c flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 and line your cupcake pans with liners.

Combine the root beer and vinegar and let this stand for 3-4 minutes.  Add the sugar and oil and whisk well, until a little frothy.  Add the extracts and then the flour, soda, powder and salt....slowly. Please do not over mix. I use an ice cream scoop when I fill cupcake pans or muffin tins. Fill the liners 3/4 full.  Bake 18 minutes or so. Allow to cool and then frost or use ice cream.  My family preferred the ice cream to the root beer flavored icing. YUM! Enjoy~

Cosmopolitan Cupcakes

It was my friends 30th birthday this weekend.  I wanted to make her something out of the ordinary. I came across this recipe on the Betty Crocker website a few months ago and was waiting for the right time to make them.  They look great! I hope she liked them!

~Recipe~
1 box white cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup Cosmopolitan Drink mix(without alcohol)

Frosting
1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
3 TBSP cosmo drink mix(without alcohol)
red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the cake mix, oil and 1 cup drink mix, add eggs and mix for 30 seconds on low.  On medium continue to mix for another minute or 2. Fill cupcake tins with liners and fill each 2/3 full with the batter.  Bake for 17-19 minutes.  Cool and frost. Super easy!!
Enjoy~

Vanilla Latte Cupcakes with Espresso Icing

I love coffee.  I love vanilla.  This is a little piece of heaven in the shape of a cupcake!
I adapted the recipe from Pink Parsley to the likes of my family.  I can't wait until Brooklyn gets home to try these!

~Recipe~
3/4 cup unsalted, room temp butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temp
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp espresso powder
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp coffee liqueur or milk if non alcoholic
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans. Mix the butter at medium speed for about 30 seconds and add sugar.  Beat for about 3 minutes until fluffy and light.  Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat well after each addition.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and espresso powder.  Stir together the coffee, buttermilk and liqueur.  Starting and ending with the flour add the dry and wet ingredients to the mixer mixing on low, until just incorporated.
 Fill each cupcake about 2/3 full.  These bake over so be careful not to add too much.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  Cool before frosting.

Frosting~
 1 cup butter, room temp
2 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp boiling water mixed with 1 Tbsp espresso powder
6 cups powder sugar
milk to consistency

Beat butter, add vanilla.  Add espresso and powder sugar then add milk to your liking.  Frost and Eat! Enjoy!~

Red Velvet Cupcakes

To quote Tony....These are the very best cupcakes ever! So I guess these are keepers!

~Recipe~

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.
  Frost the cupcakes with a butter knife or pipe it on with a big star tip.