My first cupcake order was a success!
I started baking at 8:00 a.m. and ended at exactly 1:00, then delivered them at 2:00. It went very smoothly I must say :)
There were things I would do the same next time and things i'd do differently. Let's start with the bad news... My cotton candy cupcakes weren't as wonderful as I thought they'd be.
They were a lot denser than I thought a cotton candy cupcake should be and they had a weird flavor to them... not sweet enough i'd say. Next time I make them I am going to use a lighter fluffier recipe. Then, instead of putting actual cotton candy in the frosting i'll buy some cotton candy flavoring online to give it the same flavor. The actual stuff makes the frosting shrink and have a hardened consistency. Having actual cotton candy in the batter was a definite plus though! It was very cute to see the little colorful bunches of it throughout the whole cupcake. Needless to say I won't be posting the recipe on here because I do not think anyone should try it. Next time I will post the best cotton candy recipe ever! :) .... I just have to find it.
The good news is...my maple french toast w/ bacon cupcakes were so yummy! I had done my research and tried a maple bacon cupcake at the nearest cupcake shop...cupcake research is sooo tough ;) and it was pretty good but I took mental notes while eating it on what I liked and disliked about it. One of the main things I decided to do differently was I didn't sprinkle too much bacon on top..too much bacon w/ the frosting was just awkward in my mouth...I don't even know how else to explain it haha. So, I just put one bacon piece as a garnish on top. Of course throughout the cupcake there were little bits of bacon and it was perfect!
The candy bar cupcakes I have made numerous times before and both the Reese's and the Snickers were sooo scrumptious as always! Candy bar cupcakes are SURE to take care of any sweet tooth. A new addition to the Snickers cupcakes was that I added a caramel drizzle over top :) Next time I'm going to add a peanut butter drizzle over the Reese's <3
When I delivered the cupcakes everything went well. No tipped over cupcakes or disappointed customer. She even paid me twice what I asked for!!!
MAPLE FRENCH TOAST WITH BACON
RECIPE COURTESY KARA SCOW FOR FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE
SERVES: 12 CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 CUP CAKE FLOUR
1 3.9 OZ BOX INSTANT VANILLA PUDDING MIX (MINE WAS 3.4 OZ)
1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
1 TABLESPOON POTATO STARCH (FOUND IT AT FRED MEYER)
1 TEASPOON CINNAMON
1 TEASPOON FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG (MINE WASN'T FRESH)
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1 STICK UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1/4 CUP PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/4 CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
1 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA EXTRACT
4 LARGE EGG WHITES, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1/4 CUP MAPLE SYRUP
1/2 CUP HALF-AND-HALF, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
1/2 CUP CHOPPED COOKED BACON (5 STRIPS)
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 8-OZ PACKAGE CREAM CHEESE, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE (I ACCIDENTALLY PUT A WHOLE STICK AND IT STILL WAS GREAT!)
2 CUPS SIFTED CONFECTIONERS SUGAR (I NEVER SIFT)
1/4 CUP MAPLE SYRUP
2 TEASPOONS GROUND CINNAMON
BACON FOR GARNISH
DIRECTIONS
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 325 DEGREES. PLACE PAPER LINERS IN A 12-CUP MUFFIN TIN. PREPARE THE CUPCAKES:COMBINE THE FLOURS, PUDDING MIX, BAKING POWDER, POTATO STARCH, CINNAMON, NUTMEG, AND SALT IN A BOWL WITH A WHISK.
IN A SEPARATE BOWL, CREAM THE BUTTER AND SUGARS WITH A MIXER ON LOW SPEED UNTIL COMBINED, 6-8 MIN. GRADUALLY MIX IN THE VANILLA AND EGG WHITES. SCRAPE DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BOWL; CONTINUE MIXING UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. ADD THE FLOUR MIXTURE IN 3 BATCHES, ALTERNATING WITH THE MAPLE SYRUP AND HALF-AND-HALF, MIXING AFTER EACH ADDITION AND ENDING WITH FLOUR. MIX UNTIL THE INGREDIENTS ARE JUST COMBINED; DO NOT OVER-MIX. FOLD IN THE BACON. THE BATTER WILL BE THICK.
POUR THE BATTER INTO THE PREPARED MUFFIN TIN, FILLING EACH CUP ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY. BAKE UNTIL A TOOTHPICK INSERTED IN THE CENTER COMES OUT CLEAN, ABOUT 40 MIN. COOL COMPLETELY.
MEANWHILE, PREPARE THE GLAZE: BEAT THE CREAM CHEESE AND BUTTER WITH A MIXER ON MEDIUM SPEED UNTIL CREAMY. ADD THE CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR, MAPLE SYRUP AND CINNAMON; BEAT UNTIL COMBINED. SPREAD ON THE COOLED CUPCAKES; TOP WITH CHOPPED BACON, IF DESIRED.
*ALTHOUGH THEY WERE DELICIOUS I WOULD ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE HALF AND HALF TO THE RECIPE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE LIGHTER... MAYBE A 1/4 CUP. OR ADD 1 CUP WARM WATER. (I'M GOING TO EXPERIMENT & LET YOU KNOW WHAT I FIND OUT WORKS BEST) THEN, ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO CHECK THE CUPCAKES A FEW TIMES DURING THE BAKING PROCESS TO MAKE SURE YOU AREN'T BURNING THEM! I THINK I TOOK MINE OUT A FEW MIN. EARLIER THAN 40 MIN.
DEVILS FOOD CUPCAKES
RECIPE COURTESY MARTHA STEWART
(WITH MY CANDY BAR ADDITION)
SERVES: 32 CUPCAKES
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 CUP UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER (I USED GHIRADELLI AND IT WAS AMAZING)
3/4 CUP HOT WATER
3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER
1 1/4 TEASPOONS COARSE SALT (I USED REGULAR)
1 1/2 CUPS (3 STICKS) UNSALTED BUTTER
2 1/4 CUPS SUGAR
4 LARGE EGGS, ROOM TEMPERATURE
1 TABLESPOON PLUS 1 TEASPOON PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
1 CUP SOUR CREAM, ROOM TEMPERATURE
*USE YOUR FAVORITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING! MARTHA SUGGESTS USING HER CHOCOLATE GANACHE.... BUT I JUST MADE A CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM WITH MY GHIRADELLI COCOA POWDER :)
DIRECTIONS:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. LINE STANDARD MUFFIN TINS WITH PAPER LINERS. WHISK TOGETHER COCOA AND HOT WATER UNTIL SMOOTH. IN ANOTHER BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER FLOUR, BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT.
MELT BUTTER WITH SUGAR IN A SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM-LOW HEAT, STIRRING TO COMBINE. REMOVE FROM HEAT AND POUR INTO A MIXING BOWL. WITH AN ELECTRIC MIXER ON MEDIUM-LOW SPEED, BEAT UNTIL MIXTURE IS COOLED, 4-5 MIN. ADD EGGS, ONE AT A TIME BEATING UNTIL EACH IS INCORPORATED, SCRAPING DOWN SIDES OF BOWL AS NEEDED. ADD VANILLA, THEN COCOA MIXTURE, AND BEAT UNTIL COMBINED. REDUCE SPEED TO LOW. ADD FLOUR MIXTURE IN TWO BATCHES, ALTERNATING WITH THE SOUR CREAM, AND BEATING UNTIL JUST COMBINED AFTER EACH.
DIVIDE BATTER EVENLY AMONG LINED CUPS, FILLING EACH THREE-QUARTERS FULL. BAKE, ROTATING TINS HALFWAY THROUGH, UNTIL A CAKE TESTER INSERTED IN CENTERS COMES OUT CLEAN, ABOUT 20 MIN. TRANSFER TINS TO WIRE RACKS TO COOL 15 MIN; TURN OUT CUPCAKES ONTO RACKS AND LET COOL COMPLETELY.
* BEFORE BAKING ADD A MINI CANDY BAR INTO THE CENTER OF CUPCAKE. AFTER FROSTING CUT UP A MINI CANDY BAR INTO 4 PIECES THEN PLACE ON TOP :)
