Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding Cupcakes - Recipe

For the custard:
2 eggs
1/2 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

1. Cream the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl by beating with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until smooth. Add the cream, stir with a whisk until well combined. Put aside.

For the cupcakes:
12 thin slices brioche bread (crusts removed)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease each well of a king size muffin tin with butter. Butter both sides of the brioche bread and cut each slice into 12 small triangles. Push 3 triangles into each well, covering the bottom. Add a layer of chocolate chips. Pour a layer of custard over the chocolate chips. Repeat this process until each well is full (about 4 layers). Place the muffin pan into a roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about half way up the outsides of the wells. Bake until golden and firm, about 25 minutes. If the cupcakes begin to colour too much, cover the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and tip the cupcakes out of the wells and serve warm. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.

Makes approximately 12 king size cupcakes


I love this picture; imagine how cute these cupcake would be if you tipped them into a tea cup to serve to your guests!

Blueberry Bread Pudding Cupcakes - Recipe

For the custard:
2 eggs
1/2 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

1. Cream the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl by beating with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until smooth. Add the cream, stir with a whisk until well combined. Put aside.

For the cupcakes:
12 thin slices brioche bread (crusts removed)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease each well of a king size muffin tin with butter. Butter both sides of the brioche bread and cut each slice into 12 small triangles. Push 3 triangles into each well, covering the bottom. Add a layer of blueberries. Pour a layer of custard over the blueberries. Repeat this process until each well is full (about 4 layers). Place the muffin pan into a roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about half way up the outsides of the wells. Bake until golden and firm, about 25 minutes. If the cupcakes begin to colour too much, cover the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and tip the cupcakes out of the wells and serve warm. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.

Makes approximately 12 king size cupcakes

Brioche Bread Pudding Cupcakes - Recipe

For the custard:
2 eggs
1/2 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream

1. Cream the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a small bowl by beating with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until smooth. Add the cream, stir with a whisk until well combined. Put aside.

For the cupcakes:
12 thin slices brioche bread (crusts removed)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 cup fresh raspberries

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease each well of a king size muffin tin with butter. You can purchase a king size muffin tin from Wilton for about $10.
 It looks like this:

See how the wells are taller/deeper than a standard muffin tin?





Butter both sides of the brioche bread and cut each slice into 12 small triangles. Push 3 triangles into each well, covering the bottom. Add a layer of raspberries. Pour a layer of custard over the raspberries. Repeat this process until each well is full (about 4 layers). Place the muffin pan into a roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it reaches about half way up the outsides of the wells. Bake until golden and firm, about 25 minutes. If the cupcakes begin to colour too much, cover the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from oven and tip the cupcakes out of the wells and serve warm. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days.

Makes approximately 12 king size cupcakes

Macadamia Nut Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients (except for the chopped nuts) in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Stir in macadamia nuts using a large spoon or spatula until evenly dispersed. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the frosting:
1/2 butter, softened
1 cup macadamia nuts
2-3 tbsp. milk
2 cups confectioners/icing sugar
additional chopped or whole macadamia nuts (if desired)

2.  Pour 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts into a food processor or magic bullet and pulse until smooth and creamy (a little like peanut butter). Spoon the mixture into a medium bowl. Repeat this process with the other half of the macadamia nuts. Add the butter to the processed macadamia nuts and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 cup of icing sugar at a time and beat on medium speed until combined. Repeat this step until all of the icing sugar is incorporated. If the icing is getting too thick, add in 2-3 tablespoons of milk with the second cup of icing sugar to achieve the desired texture. Frost each cupcake using a knife or beveled spatula. Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with chopped nuts or with a whole macadamia nut, if desired.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Cherry Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tbsp. chopped candied cherries

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients (except for cherries) in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Fold in chopped cherries with a large spoon or spatula until evenly dispersed. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the icing:
2 1/2 cups confectioners/icing sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. chopped fresh cherries
18 fresh cherries with stems (if desired)

2.  In a small bowl sift in icing sugar. Slowly pour in lemon juice while stirring until the mixture is firm but spreadable. Stir in chopped cherries. Spread or pipe over each cupcake. Top with a cherry, if desired.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

PS Don't you just love this picture?! The pretty little muffin cup, the pink frosting, the cherry on top...it just makes me feel happy inside!

Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
crushed cinnamon hearts (if desired)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. (Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with crushed cinnamon hearts, if desired) Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

Serve with chocolate or vanilla ice cream. The cupcake can be served whole, or crumbled with the ice cream on top.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes.

Enjoy this classic cupid's combination.
Happy Valentine's Day! xoxo

Pop Culture

Hello my baking buddies!
If you're a fan of Bakerella like I am, you know exactly what cake pops are...if not, the short back story is Bakerella went to a party a few years back, tried cake balls, fell in love...tried making them herself...tried putting them on a stick, and thus the cake pop craze was born. (This is the very very short version).

What is a cake pop, you ask?
Essentially it is a baked cake that is crumbled, frosting is mixed in, the mixture is rolled into balls, the balls are put on a stick and then dipped in melted chocolate or white chocolate candy. Now, I know, when I was first looking at pops I thought, yeah sure they're cute, but so is a cupcake... so I thought I'd try and make some of my own, see what all the fuss was about. Ok, totally simple steps, nothing confusing about making pops...HOWEVER, one batch takes 6-7 hours (if you bake the cake yourself)!!! So they were all done, the candy had set, I popped them in the fridge (they keep muuuuch longer in the fridge) and was able to leave them alone for all of 5 minutes before I was itching to taste one. I'm looking down at the pop in my hand, thinking, this better be good, I've spent all day making it...and was I ever rewarded. OMG, so tasty, and might I say, delicious. I will not be keeping these in the house on a regular basis, or I will gain 10 pounds, haha. It's hard to describe, because it's really not the same as just eating a piece of cake, its a whole other experience...and there really is something about it being on a stick that makes it so much fun to snack on. To put it simply, I AM IN LOVE!!!

Of course, if you want to try some cake pops for yourself, I can whip you up a batch, it would be my pleasure. But if you're ever rained in, or snowed in, and you feel like making a day of it...here are the steps to making your own cake pops.

1. Bake a cake. For my first try I just used a vanilla cake mix, to keep things simple. Either follow the directions on the box, or try one of my "Cupcake of the Day" recipes. Try to avoid recipes with big chunks of fruit or unmelted chocolate chips in the mix (or just remove them from the recipe).

2. Crumble your cooled cake. You can do this one of two ways. you can either cut the cake in half and rub the two halves together over a large bowl OR you can break off chunks of the cake over a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer to create a small crumble.

3. Mix in frosting. I know that I tout the wonders of whipped frosting, but in this case, its best left for cupcakes. Any standard buttercream (even one pre-made from a tub) will work well. For a standard cake mix, you will need 2 cups of frosting. (If you use one of my recipes that makes 12 cupcakes, only use 1 cup of frosting in your mixture). You can either mix the frosting into the crumbled cake with a spatula or beat again with your electric mixer on low speed.

4. WASH YOUR HANDS! Even though you probably washed your hands before you started, wash them again. Take a tablespoon and scoop out some of the cake/frosting mixture. Press the mixture into the spoon and level off the top. Scoop out the mixture from the spoon and into the palm of your hands. Roll between the palms of your hands until you have an evenly shaped ball. (This part was so much fun for me, it reminded me of making meatballs with my mom as a kid)! Put the ball on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. At this point, your cake balls should look like this...

5. Place your baking sheet (it should have about 48 cake balls on it, for a full batch) in the fridge for 15 minutes. The cake balls just require a short time in the fridge to firm up a little, this will make them much easier to handle for the next step.

6. Melt a few candy melts, or chocolate wafers in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. I used Wilton Color Burst Pastel Candy Melts. Dip the end of of your lollipop stick into the candy melt and then poke the stick about half way into the cake ball. Then put it back onto the baking sheet. Repeat until all cake balls are on a stick. It should look something like this...

7. Now that your cake balls have been turned into cake pops they need to go back into the fridge for 2 hours. This will allow the candy on the stick to harden and help the ball stay on the stick. After 2 hours have passed, removed the cake pops from the fridge 12 at a time. If you take them all out at once they will become soft before you can dip them and you will have problems.

8. Melt the entire bag of candy melts in a small-medium bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well in between. I used my brand new Wilton Chocolate Pro. It has two settings, warm and melt. It melted the whole bag of candy in about 15 minutes, and kept it at the perfect temperature and consistency for dipping, LOVE IT! The Chocolate Pro retails for about $33. If you love dipping things in chocolate, I definitely recommend this product, it's great for pops, chocolate dipped strawberries, or fondue desserts. Here it is, melting my pretty pastel melts. I think it's quite nice looking. I wouldn't be ashamed to put this out on my table to serve dessert...let people dip their own.

9. Once the candy or chocolate is melted it's time to dip your pops. Dip on a angle and spin in place to cover the entire area of the ball. Avoid stirring the pop in the candy or chocolate.

10. Tap off the excess candy. You can either tap the stick with a knife or spatula. I found it easy to gently tap the entire pop on the side of the pot. The excess will drip off back into the pot for use on the next pop.  Check out the AMAZING action shot, hahaha.

How many steps are we at now...it feels like it's been about a hundred! Ah right...
11. Put the pops upright in a stand to let the candy or chocolate coating set. You can buy these from Wilton...unfortunately they haven't quite made it to my local store yet, so I had to fashion my own out of a styrofoam block. Remember not to touch the pops while they're hardening, and try not to let them touch each other either. (Is anyone else feeling like this whole post has some naughty undertones *wink, wink*) Sorry, I can't help it. Immediately after dipping, you can put some simple decorations on your pops if you like. I used some shimmering sugars. I sprinkled some all over the pop, and dipped some on the top. You can also roll your pops in sprinkles, jimmies, non-pareils or chopped nuts.

12. Here's the point where you can make one of two choices... stuff your face (!!!) OR display them. I decided to put a few in a cup with some streamers left over from new years (These are the ones I'll keep for me and my family to share).

You can also wrap them in cellophane bags and tie them up with a pretty bow. This is a really nice way to display decorated pops.

If you want to leave your pops plain, but still wrap them up to gift them, you can cover the pop in foil candy wrappers. These are 4"X4" squares of foil that come in a variety of colours and patterns, they will add a pretty pop of colour and protect the outer shell of your cake pops for packaging and transportation.

And there it is. After a whole day of baking, melting and dipping, you're finally done! Time to enjoy your delicious little treat. These are great for kids...just the perfect size for their little mouthes and little tummies. They're also great for those friends that are always asking for the tiniest slice of cake...they can't complain about these bite sized treats! If you have the time to try these yourself, I applaud you. If not, well, you can always give me a call. As for me, I'm beyond excited to try out lots of flavor combinations between cake and icing and all of the beautiful colours of candy melts.

Stay tuned for cake pops, coming soon to heartofthebatter.com!

Until next time,
Happy baking, caking and tasting!
Love and Sprinkles xoxo

>>Any questions about making your own cake pops? products that I used and where to find them? or different types of pops you can make? Want to place an order? Leave me a comment below.<<