Who You Callin' Cupcake - Michelle Garcia [23]
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
2 cups Mountain Dew, divided
Put It All Together green food coloring yellow food coloring
Frosting
1 recipe Vanilla American Buttercream
(page 27)
2 cups powdered sugar
1¼ cups Mountain Dew
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions, but replace ¼ cup of the milk with ¼ cup Mountain Dew. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions. When the cupcakes come out of the oven, heavily douse them with the remaining Mountain Dew.
Frosting Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions, but add the 2 cups powdered sugar to make it extra thick. In the standing mixer with the paddle attachment, slowly add the Mountain Dew to the extra-thick buttercream until the correct consistency of regular (not extra-thick) buttercream is achieved. Pour the Mountain Dew in slowly, or the buttercream will trick you and become too loose.
Put It All Together Dye half the buttercream green and the other half yellow, and put them side by side in a piping bag. Swirl the frosting onto the tops of the cupcakes.
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY
This cupcake is pretty self-explanatory and very delicious. I’ve found that adults like it more than children (who usually just go for sprinkles).
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Put It All Together
2 cups fruit jam (make or buy your favorite—I usually use strawberry)
Frosting
1 recipe Vanilla American Buttercream
(page 27)
2 cups chunky peanut butter
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes Prepare the Vanilla Bean Cupcakes according to the recipe directions.
Frosting Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions. Fold the peanut butter into the buttercream.
Put It All Together With your index finger, poke holes through the cupcakes and fill them with the jam. Frost the cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream and a dollop of jam.
THE ELVIS
After I wrote this recipe, I found out that a TON of people have written Elvis cupcake recipes. I pondered changing the name, but I’m pretty sure the King would have liked mine the best, so I kept it.
Cupcakes
6 strips bacon
1 recipe Devil’s Food Cupcakes (page 19)
2 bananas
Put It All Together
12 banana chips
Frosting
1 recipe Vanilla American Buttercream
(page 27)
2 cups chunky peanut butter
HOW TO MAKE IT
Cupcakes Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bacon on a baking sheet until the strips are crunchy but not burned, about 25 minutes. Then drain all the grease off and allow the bacon to cool. When the bacon is cool, mince the strips up into little pieces. Reserve half the minced bacon for garnish. Prepare the Devil’s Food Cupcake batter according to the recipe directions. Slice the bananas into thin rounds. Fold the banana slices and the remaining bacon into the cupcake batter. Bake the cupcakes according to the recipe directions.
Frosting Prepare the Vanilla American Buttercream according to the recipe directions. Add the peanut butter to the buttercream with a rubber spatula and mix well.
Put It All Together Using a piping bag with a star tip, frost the cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream. Sprinkle the cupcakes with the reserved bacon pieces. Top each cupcake with a banana chip and you’re done!
PUNKIN’ DONUTS
Growing up, I was one of those punk rock street kids that some neighborhoods in Chicago are infamous for, and we particularly liked to hang out at a certain donut shop. This cupcake is dedicated to all the free donuts they graciously gave me, and to Officer Sweeney, who just loved to give me sh**.
Cupcakes
1 recipe Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Raspberry Filling
4 cups fresh raspberries
1 cup sugar
Frosting
1 recipe Chocolate American Buttercream (page 27)
Donut Glaze
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
½ cup heavy cream (or soymilk if you want
it vegan)
HOW TO MAKE IT
Raspberry Filling Combine the raspberries and sugar in a saucepan. Cook the mixture over high heat, stirring until a jam