CAPPUCCINO FAIRY CAKES

Happy Friday!!

CAPPUCCINO FAIRY CAKES

6 teaspoons espresso powder, divided use
1 tablespoon boiling water
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1 cup butter, softened, divided use
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 to 3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 375F.
Line a miniature muffin pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 teaspoons of the espresso powder with the boiling water, stirring until granules dissolve. Add the flour, half of the butter, the sugar and eggs and mix well with a wire whisk.
Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling each cup 2/3 full. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
FOR THE FROSTING:
Using an electric mixer, beat remaining 1/2 cup butter and espresso powder until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sugar, alternating with milk and vanilla, beating until mixture reaches desired consistency.
Top each cooled cake with a dollop of frosting.
Enjoy!

Reicpe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, September 2011
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎

MAPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING and COOKIES AND CREAM CUPCAKES and VINEGAR CAKE

This month heralds the end of the "Wilkin birthday season" - we celebrate everyone in our family between October and March, including my husbands business. My daughter was the only one who wanted a birthday party this year, so it was all very low-key and wonderfully simple. She was also the only one who didn't want me to make her cake, so the following were all for the boys in the family.

MAPLE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon maple flavoring

Heat oven to 325F.
Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) round cake pans.
To prepare cake, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add maple syrup and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Add maple flavoring. Divide batter evenly between pans.
Bake cakes 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool in pans on wire racks 20 minutes. Invert onto racks, let cool completely.
To prepare frosting, beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
Add powered sugar and maple flavoring. Beat just until smooth.
Frost the cake and decorate as desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Relish Magazine, February 2011
relish.com/

COOKIES AND CREAM CUPCAKES

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 chocolate and creme sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), broken up
FROSTING
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F.
Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
On low speed, alternately beat flour mixture and sour cream into butter, beginning and ending with flour. Add milk and vanilla, fold in cookie pieces. Divide batter among prepared cups.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until tops spring back when lightly pressed. Remove cupcakes to a rack, let cool.
FROSTING
In a bowl, beat sugar, butter, sour cream and vanilla until good spreading consistency.
Once cupcakes have cooled, spread with frosting, and top with cookie pieces if desired.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Family Circle, May 2008
www.familycircle.com/recipes/

VINEGAR CAKE

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cocoa, plus more for dusting the cake
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Heat oven to 350F.
Mix dry ingredients together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix well. Pour into an 8 or 9 inch square pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool and dust with cocoa.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Relish, January 2013
relish.com › Baking

VANILLA BUTTERCAKE WITH BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

My daughters riding instructor is undergoing treatment for cancer - an incredibly strong and brave lady - she has barely missed a day.
I had taken food out to the lessons a few times, and when I most recently asked her what she was craving, she mentioned vanilla cake with vanilla butter cream frosting - so I searched through my recipes and baked up a batch of cupcakes. Although I found the cake to be a little on the dry side, the frosting was perfectly luscious - thick and rich and creamy.

VANILLA BUTTERCAKE

6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup self rising flour
3 tablespoons milk

Heat oven to 350F.
Line a 12 hole muffin pan with paper baking cups.
Beat butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in small bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are just combined. Increase speed to medium, beat until mixture is changed to a paler color.
Divide mixture among baking cups, smooth surface.
Bake cakes for about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn cakes onto a wire rack to cool.
Make butter cream frosting, spread frosting over cakes.

BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter in a small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, beat in vanilla and powdered sugar and milk.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cupcakes, Pamela Clark, 2007

TRICK OR TREAT BROWNIE CUPCAKES

Halloween is always such an exciting time of year- and these cupcakes add to the fun! They would be perfect for before or after the festivities, with their colored frosting and candy bar decoration.

TRICK OR TREAT BROWNIE CUPCAKES

1 box fudge brownie mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs
1 cup white baking chips
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons milk
6 to 8 drops red food coloring
6 to 8 drops yellow food coloring
24 miniature candy bars

Heat oven to 350F.
Spray 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix brownie mix, oil, water and eggs. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until centers are set and toothpick inserted near edge of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. Run metal spatula around edge of each brownie, lift out to remove from muffin cup.
In microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate chips 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 seconds until melted. Cool slightly.
In medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, milk and food colors on medium speed until fluffy. Stir in melted chocolate. Spoon frosting over cooled cupcakes, top each with a candy bar.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker Halloween Treats, 2009
www.bettycrocker.com/menus-holidays-parties/all.../halloween