White Wedding Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
*if you can find vanilla sugar, substitute half of the icing sugar for vanilla sugar*
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool for an additional 25 minutes on a wire rack.

For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 cups confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2. In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in icing sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with splashes of whipping cream. Beat in the vanilla extract until all ingredients are well combined and fluffy. Pipe the top of each cupcake with a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip. You can usually find fancy cupcake wrappers, such as the ones shown above in crafting or cake decorating stores. I will admit, they're rather pricey, but for a special occasion like a wedding, why not splurge on something so beautiful!

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

PS If you want your batter, and especially your frosting to stay bright white, rather than slightly yellowed  be sure to use clear vanilla extract. Trust me, its not hard to find, and its worth it for bright white look.

Coconut Egg Nest Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 box angel food cake mix
1 1/4 cups cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat cake mix and water for 2 minutes on low-medium speed. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 30 minutes.

For the frosting:
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime peel
12 oz. cool whip
1 cup baked flaked coconut
72 blue chocolate eggs

2. In a medium bowl, beat, or whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, lime peel and cool whip. Frost each cupcake around the edges in a large O shape, leaving a well in the center. Cover the frosting with the baked coconut to get the nest effect. Fill the centre with candy eggs. To create the hungry birds in this photo, place 3 medium sized blue chocolate eggs in the center of the cupcake. Using edible food coloring markers, dot on two eyes. With a yellow or orange tube of pre-colored decorator icing, pipe two pull up dots for a beak on each bird.

Makes approximately 24 cupcakes

Chocolate Orange Egg Nest Cupcakes - Recipe

For the Cupcakes:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioners/icing sugar

2 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp. baking powder

4 eggs

1 tsp. orange extract

1 1/2 tbsp. grated orange zest

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

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

For the frosting/nest:

10 oz. chocolate, flaked

2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. orange extract

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped

54 candy covered mini chocolate eggs

2. Put the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat. Stir gently until combined. Remove from the heat and stir in orange extract until the mixture is smooth.  Swirl onto the cooled cupcakes. Top with shards of the chocolate and place 3 mini eggs in the center to form the nest. 

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Chow Mein Noodle Egg Nest 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

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine all the cupcake ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. 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 the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool on a wire rack for an additional 25 minutes. 

For the frosting/nest:

10 oz. chocolate, flaked

2 tbsp. heavy cream

3/4 cup chocolate covered chow mein noodles

about 80 assorted jelly beans

plastic bird (if desired)

2. Put the chocolate and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir gently until combined. Remove from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Swirl chocolate mixture onto the cooled cupcakes. Arrange chunks of chocolate covered chow mein noodles into a round nest shape, leaving a small well in the center. Place 4-5 jelly beans in the center of the 'nest'. Add a plastic bird to a few of the nests, if desired, for effect. 

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

To make the 'nest' part of this cupcake dip ordinary chow mein noodles into melted chocolate. You can use Wilton candy melts, or a tub of dipping chocolate that goes right in the microwave. Dip the chow mein noodles in the chocolate and let them set in small chunks on a parchment or waxed paper.

Cranberry Cinnamon Passover Muffins - Recipe

1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup matzoh meal
2 tbsp. potato starch
1 3/4 cups fresh cranberries
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl, sift together the matzoh meal, potato starch and cinnamon. Add the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk until almost combined. Add in the cranberries and gently stir 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 pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack for an additional 25 minutes.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

>>>While matzoh is not gluten free, you can purchase gluten free matzoh (like a flat bread), pop it in a food processor and make it into your own gluten free matzoh meal!<<<

Lemon Ginger Passover Muffins - Recipe

1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1/2 cup matzoh meal
2 tbsp. potato starch
3 tbsp. chopped candied ginger1 tbsp. lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, oil and eggs with an electric mixer on low-medium speed for 2-3 minutes. In a small bowl, sift together the matzoh meal, potato starch and lemon zest. Add the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk until almost combined. Add in the candied ginger and gently stir 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 pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack for an additional 25 minutes.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

>>>While matzoh is not gluten free, you can purchase gluten free matzoh (like a flat bread), pop it in a food processor and make it into your own gluten free matzoh meal!<<<

Hoppy Easter

Hello my happy hunters!
Egg hunters, that is. Easter is right around the corner, and I'm sure you're looking for some fun treats to share with the family, or make with the family this Easter. Whether you like to bake cupcakes, cookies, cakes, cake balls, or candies... I've got lots of treats for you.

I'll start off today with my favorite...cupcakes! Around spring time each year Wilton brings out some sweet easter basket cupcake wrappers. Last year I made up a variety of Easter basket cupcakes.

I took the cute little easter baskets and wrapped them around 4 different types of cupcakes. I piped some frosting grass onto each cupcake and topped them with Cadbury mini eggs *yummm*, and home made chocolate lollipops in the shapes of bunnies, flowers, and chicks. This year, Wilton has brought out basket wrappers that are just too cute to pass up (at least they were for me).

Way too adorable for words, right! These are so pretty as is, you don't have to do anything with them. But, imagine how pretty they'd be with a flower on top of the icing, or even a little butterfly. These are so sweet for spring, Easter, Mother's Day, or springtime birthdays. I'll admit though, these wrappers can be a little finicky to put together, not really a task for kids. If you want to get your kids (or nieces and nephews,  or cousins) involved in the baking and decorating, try this kit of muffin cups and toppers.

This kit makes creating cute and fun cupcakes super simple. Just frost your cupcakes, add a few shimmering sugar sprinkles and top with a bunny or hatching chick, and voila!
If you purchased the mini treat stand, and would like to display some mini cupcakes that are also very pretty and super simple, try these egg's nest toppers.

They are the perfect size for completing a mini cupcake. The nest is made of royal icing, and the eggs are jelly beans. Or if you'd like to make some egg's nests of your own, stop by next week for tips and tricks on how to make your own delicious nests and fill them with jelly beans, chocolate eggs, or creme filled eggs.

But maybe cupcakes are too simple for you. Or everyone in the family is 'too grown up' for cupcakes (as if there could be such an age, haha)! Maybe you're like me, and you want to go big or go home. Then why not try this perfect Tiptoe Through Tulips cake.

This cake is made using a 3D bunny baking pan. It is very easy to pipe the fur on, covering the cake with a star tip icing. The flowers surrounding the bunny are made from chocolate, and the ears are made of formed gumpaste. Now, I will admit, a 3D cake with all the chocolate flowers around it and the dried gumpaste ears will take you about 4 hours (that's including baking and cooling time). But it's well worth it to see the smiles on your friend's and family's faces when you bring out this stunning dessert.  If you're interested in making this fab cake, go to http://www.wilton.com/idea/Tiptoe-Through-Tulips for all the step-by-step directions.

But maybe you're more of a cookie baker. In which case, try this great 3D cookie pan.

It has 12 different cavities, so you can bake all sorts of Easter shapes at once. You simply press your cookie dough into the pan and bake, and your cookies pop out already formed. So easy and so pretty. You could also try making these cut and press Easter Egg cookies.

For these cookies you will need a firm roll out dough. Cool your dough for a short time in the fridge, roll it out to 1/4-1/2" thick, pop in the press you wish to use, cut your cookie and press down on the plunger to make an imprint. You can fill in the lines with colored gels, frosting tubes, shimmering sugars or food color markers once the cookies have baked and cooled. This is a great project for slightly older children who have a little more patience and fine motor skills. Instead of decorating hard boiled eggs, this year why not try decorating some easter egg cookies.

Now, here is a pan that can do a few things. This mini egg pan can bake mini cupcakes, cookies, or even form cake balls.

You can bake your treats right in the pan, or use it as a former. Press in your cake ball mixture, set in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, pop out, and set with melted candy coating.

Alright, maybe you're not really a baker at all, but you'd still like to share a nice treat with your friends or family. You can try packing up some larger treats like cookies or cupcakes in these bunny boxes.

These are nice boxes to put take home gifts in. Take some gifts to your friends, or use them as take out containers. For something a little smaller, you can use these fun candy bags.

You can fill these bags up with chocolates, jelly beans, candy corns, or any small candies you like. Tie up the tops and these bags are perfect for take home, or at each persons place setting. They really come to life when they're full and have a more 3D effect.

I hope I've brought some fun Easter treat ideas to everyone, from cake decorators, to family bakers, to people who don't bake at all, but still enjoy getting into the theme of the holiday. If you have any questions about any of these products, where to purchase them, how to make them, tips and tricks, recipes or new ideas, please comment below and I'd be happy to help!

Hop on by next week for some delicious Passover and Easter cupcakes!!!

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