Orange Zucchini Cupcakes - Recipe

For the muffins:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
pinch salt
4 eggs
1 cup vigrin olive oil
3 cups shredded zucchini
2 cups crumbled feta cheese
3 tbsp. grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and oil with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the zucchini feta cheese and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is just combined. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter into each well of a muffin tin that has been greased with butter and flour. Bake for 28-32 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 30 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack. 


For the frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
2-3 cups confectioners/icing sugar


2. In a medium bowl, beat all ingredients except for icing sugar, until smooth and creamy. Add icing sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating between additions until all icing sugar has been incorporated (add extra icing sugar to reach desired consistency). Frost each cupcake and top with a sprinkling of additional orange zest, if desired. 
Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

Zucchini Feta Muffins - Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vigrin olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 tbsp. grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350F. Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and oil with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the zucchini feta cheese and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until the mixture is just combined. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the batter into each well of a muffin tin that has been greased with butter and flour. Bake for 28-32 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 30 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

Makes approximately 6 muffins

Tomato Marjoram Cupfakes - Recipe

Yes, I meant to type cupFakes, because they're not true cupcakes, they're savory instead of sweet and eat like a dinner instead of a dessert, but they are equally delicious!

For the cupfakes:
2 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
4 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup
3 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with butter and flour. In a medium bowl, mix the marjoram, flour, baking powder, and salt with a spoon. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, soup, and sun-dried tomatoes with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix the flour mixture into the soup mixture until just combined. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of the muffin pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and cool for an additional 20 minutes.

For the frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 cups confectioners/icing sugar

2 tbsp. concentrated tomato paste

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the icing sugar 1 cup at a time, beating between additions. Add the tomato paste and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Frost each cupcake and top with a tomato slice, or a cube of roast chicken, if you're adventurous. 

Makes approximately 12 cupfakes

Pepperoni OR Vegetarian Pizza Muffins - Recipe

For the pepperoni pizza muffins:
2 tbsp. chopped FRESH basil
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
4 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup
3 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped pepperoni or salami
additional cheese for topping if desired

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with butter and flour. In a medium bowl, mix the basil, flour, baking powder, and salt with a spoon. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, soup, and sun-dried tomatoes with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix the flour mixture into the soup mixture until just combined. Stir in the mozzarella and meat until evenly dispersed. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of the muffin pan. Top each muffin with a sprinkling of shredded cheese, if desired. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and serve warm.


For the vegetarian pizza muffins:

2 tbsp. chopped FRESH basil
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
4 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup
3 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup frozen stir fry vegetables, thawed

additional cheese for topping if desired

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with butter and flour. In a medium bowl, mix the basil, flour, baking powder, and salt with a spoon. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, soup, and sun-dried tomatoes with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix the flour mixture into the soup mixture until just combined. Stir in the mozzarella and vegetables until evenly dispersed. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of the muffin pan. Top each muffin with a sprinkling of shredded cheese, if desired. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and serve warm.

Makes approximately 12 muffins

Tomato Basil Muffins - Recipe

These muffins are reminiscent of Nonna's home made spaghetti sauce. With a warm rich flavor they match well with pasta in a red sauce or meatloaf. They're also a lovely compliment to roasted red pepper and tomato soup.

For the muffins:
2 tbsp. chopped FRESH basil
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
4 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
10 3/4 oz. can condensed tomato soup
3 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan with butter and flour. In a medium bowl, mix the basil, flour, baking powder, and salt with a spoon. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, soup, and sun-dried tomatoes with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix the flour mixture into the soup mixture until just combined. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter into each well of the muffin pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove muffins from the pan and serve warm.

Makes approximately 12 muffins

Pistachio & Peach Muffins - Recipe

1 1/3 cups roughly chopped dried peaches
4 tbsp. brandy
4 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup confectioners/icing sugar
2 lightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Soak the chopped peaches in the brandy and let stand for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350F. Drain the apricots and then puree in a food processor until smooth. Put the flour and butter in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or a fork cut the butter and flour together until it looks like bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar, eggs, buttermilk and pistachios until just combined. 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 30 minutes.

Makes approximately 12 muffins

Cupcake Tour of North America

Hello there my traveling companions...
You may have seen an earlier posting of mine where I told you about my first famous cupcake tasting. Magnolia Bakery, New York City. Their cupcakes are cute, and pretty tasty, but, I'm not convinced they are quite as good as mine. BUT, Magnolia did lead me to the fabulous discovery of whipped icing.... ahhh my one true icing love.

Now the cupcake tour continues...

Last year I was in New York for a work conference... and wouldn't you know, this year the conference is taking me to yet another rather famous cupcake city. Vancouver!

You may be thinking, Vancouver has famous cupcakes?! Well, if you've watched the W Network lately, you may have seen a little show called 'Cupcake Girls' giving viewers a behind the scenes look at a franchise called Cupcakes by Heather and Lori, that is currently based only in British Columbia.

I watch this show all the time. It gives a good business perspective of running a bake shop. I also like to drool over the pretty cupcakes and watch the fun new flavors the bake staff comes up with. So while I'm in Vancouver, I will DEFINITELY be making a trip to a cupcakes shop, and see what their product is all about. I will still be in Vancouver next Sunday, but hopefully I get to post some updates.

If you are a fan of the show, and watch regularly, maybe you've seen the episode where they have staff from all the stores get together and bake up some new flavors and everyone tastes them to see what should become new additions to the menu... this episode made me drool, so hopefully I will get a chance to try the passion fruit, french toast and oh honey cupcakes... Eeep! I'm so excited!!!

Alright my darlings, lots to do, things to pack, baking to finish up... I'm off for now...

Until next time,
Happy baking, caking, and decorating (oh, and tasting, can't forget the wonders of tasting)!

Love and sprinkles, xoxo