Perfectly Purple - Lavender Sugar Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup lavender sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

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 (use purple baking cups to make these cupcakes extra special). Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for about 30 minutes.

For the frosting:
3 cups confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2-3 drops each of blue and red food coloring (to make purple)
additional lavender sugar for sprinkling

2. In a medium bowl, cream the icing sugar, and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the food coloring, and mix well. Frost each cupcake with a spatula or piping bag. Sprinkle the top of each cupcake with a teaspoon of lavender sugar. Add additional purple sprinkles, if desired.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

***Sugar scented with the delicate fragrance of lavender is ideal for sprinkling on cakes and desserts. Simply mix either dried or fresh lavender flowers with sugar and place in a lidded container. Store in a warm place for 1-2 weeks, shaking the container occasionally to distribute the lavender among the sugar. Sift the sugar to remove the lavender heads and store the scented sugar in a airtight container. For 1 cup of sugar, use either 2 tbps of dried lavender or 4 tbsps of fresh.***

Think Pink - Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup lemon or raspberry yogurt
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. lemon oil or lemon extract
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, butter and egg until smooth. Add the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract/oil to the wet mixture and beat with a whisk or electric mixer until smooth. Add the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and beat again until smooth. Line each well of a muffin tin with baking cups. Spoon a tablespoon of batter into each well. Drop a teaspoon of raspberry jam into each well. Then add another tablespoon of batter on top. Repeat this step until each well is about 2/3 full. Dip a toothpick into each muffin well and swirl it around a little to marbleize the jam and batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove pans from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool on a wire rack for an additional 20-30 minutes.

For the frosting:
2 cups confectioners/icing sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp. seedless raspberry jam
1 tbsp. lemon concentrate, thawed
1/2 tsp. raspberry extract

2. In a large bowl, beat all ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Frost each cupcake with a piping bag. Sprinkle with pink sugar for an extra hint of pink.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes.

For an extra boost of pink, try baking these cupcakes in pink baking cups. A light pink will create a softer look, and a hot pink will create a big pop!

Chocolate & Black Pepper Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder              
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Stir in the chocolate chips and black pepper. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pans 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:
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

2. Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla, and butter until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting on top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips on top of each cupcake.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

White Chocolate & Raspberry Cupcakes - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened1 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. baking powder              
4 eggs
1 tsp. raspberry extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, and raspberry extract in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pans 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:
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
18 fresh raspberries

pink or red sprinkles, if desired

2. Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla, and butter until smooth and creamy. Spread frosting on top of the cupcakes. Sprinkle some pink or red shimmering sugars on top of each cupcake and finish off with a raspberry.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

White Chocolate & Strawberry 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. strawberry extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, and strawberry extract in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until light and creamy (2-3 minutes). Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pans 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:
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp. chopped fresh strawberries

2. Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar, vanilla, and butter until smooth and creamy. Stir in the chopped strawberries. Spread frosting on top of the cupcakes. OR leave the strawberries out of the frosting mixture and spoon a small scoop of chopped strawberries on top of each cupcake.

Makes approximately 18 cupcakes

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Figs - Recipe

For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup confectioners/icing sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup mashed bananas
1 1/2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped, dried figs
1/2 cup flaked coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together. In a large bowl, cream the sugar and oil with an electric mixer on low-medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs slowly, then stir in the dry ingredients in 3 parts, blending in between intervals. Add the rest of the ingredients, and stir until well combined. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool on a wire rack for an additional 25 minutes.

For the frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. lemon curd
sliced fresh figs
2. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the remaining ingredients until well combined. Frost each cupcake with a beveled spatula or knife. Top each cupcake with a fresh slice of fig.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

Happy Father's Day

Hello all you daddy's girls,
you know what today is...Father's Day!

Want to make something simple and fun just for Dad?

Here are a couple of ideas that are simple enough for anyone to make, to get the kids involved, or to make on your own.

These ideas bring you two things dads love, golf and being the king of the castle.
First are these sweet and simple golf cupcakes.

Bake up Dad's favorite cupcakes, and let them cool. Pick up some decorator icing from your local crafting or cake decorating store. (Decorator icing is stiffer than the icing you'll find at the grocery store, you'll need it to keep the blades of the grass standing up). Using food coloring, tint a container of decorator icing green. Fit a piping bag with a grass tip (wilton #233) and fill the bag with the green icing.  Press the tip gently onto the top of the cupcake, make sure the tip is touching the cupcake while you squeeze gently and adhere the base of the grass to the top of the cupcake. In one fluid motion, keep squeezing and pull up, stop squeezing and pull away. This will create the look of about 10 blades of grass at a time. Repeat this step until the top of the cupcake is covered in 'grass'. Place a yogurt covered raisin or peanut in the grass like a golf ball. Cut a flag from construction paper and glue it to a toothpick. Stick the toothpick into the grass. Voila, your golf cupcake is complete!

If Dad isn't much of a golfer, you can show your love with this great king's crown cake.

This crown shaped cake pan will take one boxed mix, so it's nice and easy to use. You can purchase this pan for about $15, or you can rent one at your local Bulk Barn store for about $2. Fill the pan and bake your cake as directed on the box. Allow the cake to cool for about 1 hour. For this cake, you can use your favorite white frosting from the grocery store. You will need 2 tubs of frosting. Tint one tub of frosting yellow with food coloring, leave the other tub white. With a beveled spatula or (carefully) with a knife, frost the entire cake yellow. Using the white icing, frost in between the cake tops with white. Frost the bottom 1-2 inches of the cake in white. Press a knife or the back of a spoon gently into the white frosting and pull up in a random fashion to make a textured furry look. Using M&Ms create a colourful outline around the edge of the cake. Add extra embellishments wherever you want, to make your cake special. Spell out Dad in the middle of the cake using a pre-colored tube of icing.
Now wasn't that simple? And, the kids will love playing with the M&Ms making their own colourful patterns and designs on Dad's cake.

Well, that's all for today, I hope you all enjoy the weather and have a great dad with your Dad!

Until next time,
Happy baking, caking, and tasting!

Love and sprinkles, xoxo