BOO! Halloween Cupcakes

Happy Halloween! Cupcakes are one of my favorite things to decorate, they're really versatile when it comes to getting creative with them. For today, it's not about the recipe, it's about the decorations, but... baked goods always have to be tasty! I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe with 7 minute frosting. I started my decorations with the frosting, I chose to use orange food coloring, which I thought would be the perfect background for any Halloween decorations. Then, I melted chocolate chips and with a piping bag created different figures and words, which you just have to put in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until they set; if you live in the tropics I suggest you use fondant or bakers chocolate, if not they'll melt... immediately, experienced it today. I also decided to create a pumpkin patch, which was extremely easy, I just crumbled chocolate cookies to create the dirt and lied the cupcakes on top of it. To add more of a Halloween spooky feel I added some chocolate tombstones. Hope you have a great Halloween and enjoy the post!!!

Xo,

Flor

¡Feliz día de las brujas! Los cupcakes son para mí el medio perfecto para decorar como quieras. Hoy no es tan importante la receta, sino la decoración con motivo de Halloween, pero claro, siempre tienen que ser deliciosos. Utilicé una receta básica de cupcakes de vainilla con "7 Minutes Frosting". La decoración de los mismos comenzó con el color del frosting, usé color vegetal anaranjado, el fondo perfecto para cualquier decoración de esta celebración. Luego derretí "chocolate chips" y con una manga pastelera (piping bag) creé figuras y palabras, lo puse en el refrigerador por 10 minutos y listo. Si vives en el trópico te recomiendo que utilices "Baker's Chocolate" o pasta laminada, de no ser así se te van a derretir, inmediatamente... lo experimenté. También decidí crear una siembra de calabazas, rompí galletas de chocolates para crear el suelo y acomodé los cupcakes. Para añadirle un poco de miedo a la decoración añadí lápidas de chocolate. ¡Espero que tengan una noche buenísima y les guste el post!

Me dejan saber!

Xo,

Flor

Ghoulish Halloween Treats

I love how people go all out during Halloween, decorating their homes, with creative and out of the box costumes, and of course... Halloween treats! A couple of days ago, I started looking for Halloween inspirations for sweet treats, and I found amazing things! I don't have anything specific going on for Halloween yet, but I don't think we really need a reason to have fun with cupcakes or whatever you want to bake! I'm obsessed with the two pictures of the cupcakes above, and I'm definitely going to try and recreate the witch cupcake, it's genius! I looked for all types of ideas, simpler ones, like the meringue ghosts, classier options like the beautiful cupcakes with the little pumpkins on top, to more creepy ones, like the voodoo gingerbread cookies! Hope you find inspiration for your own ghoulish treats!

Let me know!

Xo,

Flor

Me encanta como la gente se goza Halloween, decorado sus casas, haciendo disfraces súper creativos, y pues claro... decorando sus postres. Hace unos días comencé a buscar inspiración de como decorar postres con motivos de Halloween, encontré maravillas. Hasta el momento no tengo nada específico planeado para este día, pero creo que no necesitamos una razón para gozarnos este día. Estoy obsesionada con la imagen y decoración de los cupcakes de arriba, definitivamente voy a tratar de recrear el de la bruja... está genial. Busqué todo tipo de inspiración, desde ideas más simples como los fantasmas de merengue, otras ideas más clásicas, como los cupcakes con la calabaza pequeña, a ideas más asustadiza, como las galletas de voodoo. ¡Espero que encuentren inspiración!

Me dejan saber que les parece.

Xo,

Flor

More classic and less crazy ideas! 

Images from Pinterest, Martha Stewart & Food Network

Miniature Lemon Delights

There's something about lemon sweets that just makes them perfect for summer. I usually wouldn't put Butter Cream Frosting and the word light in the same sentence, but this one is particularly light and refreshing tasting. I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe, super easy to make, because I wanted it to be about the lemon frosting. I thought of maybe doing lemon cupcakes, but the vanilla ones were really the perfect canvas for the frosting and gave for a more light tasting sweet and not an overpowering lemon taste. I went for miniature cupcakes instead of the regular ones, to keep them bite sized and in the same line of simple and light. This recipe works perfectly for a summer get together, they're petite and refreshing, which is really important in hot summer days. I'll be posting more recipes about lemon treats during the next couple of weeks, I personally think lemon is the way to go during summer, plus I saw a lemon and honey tart that's just calling my name! Hope you like the recipe!

Let me know!

Xo

Flor

Vanilla Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups sifted flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and milk, stir to blend, then beat slowly about 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer. 

Add egg and vanilla and beat slowly 1 1/2 minutes. Bake 20-25 minutes until cakes are golden brown and springy to the touch. Let cool.

Butter Cream Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened to room temp

1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar, sifted

4-5 tablespoons lemon juice

3-4 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cream butter until fluffily; beat in sugar, a little at a time, adding alternately with lemon juice. Mix in finely grated lemon rind and salt and beat until satiny and of good spreading consistency.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I'm convinced that some of the best pictures to look at are about baked goods. A couple of days ago I was looking at some of the people I follow on Instagram and saw the most delicious cupcakes I've ever seen (at least they looked that way) and immediately had this need of baking cupcakes. Chocolate cupcakes aren't usually my go to, just because I prefer vanilla, but I was craving some chocolate deliciousness. I know that summer is just around the corner, and we're supposed to be watching our waistlines so I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese for the frosting, the consistency is a bit different, but in taste it's really great, and wherever  you can cut some calories without sacrificing taste is a win win for me. Hope you like the recipes!

Let me know!

Xo

Flor

Chocolate Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups sifted flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

2 (1 ounce) melted squares unsweetened chocolate 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add shortening and milk, stir to blend, then beat slowly about 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer.

2. Add egg and vanilla, melted chocolate and vanilla and beat slowly 1 1/2 minutes. Bake 20- 25 minutes. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

12 ounces cream cheese, room temp * I used 1/3 less fat cream cheese

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla

1. Beat butter & cream cheese with mixer on median-high speed until fluffily, about 2-3 mins. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, then vanilla and mix until smooth.

Black & White Cupcakes

With Valentine's Day a mere 17 days away I've been inspired to share some recipe ideas for you to enjoy with loved ones. Of course Valentine's is synonymous with chocolate but that does not mean that all other desserts are scratched out! This Vanilla Cupcake recipe makes the most moist and delicious cupcakes ever. I made a Chocolate Ganache layer for this cupcakes and then made Butter Frosting to top it of. I usually find Butter frosting too sweet but this Chocolate Ganache is so full of flavor that it balances out the sweetness.  Hope you enjoy this post! Let me know!

Yellow Cupcakes

1 1/3 Cups sifted flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together into a large mixing bowl.

Add shortening and milk, stir to blend, then beat slowly about 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer.

Add egg and vanilla and beat slowly 1 1/2 minutes. 

Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake papers, filling half full. Bake 20-25 minutes until cakes are golden brown and springy to the touch.

Remove cakes from pans and cool upright on wire racks. Frost as desired. 

Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter

4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Additional milk

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 1/4 cup milk and vanilla.

2. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar, beating until combined. If necessary, beat in a little additional milk to make frosting that is easy to spread. Tint with food coloring as desired. Transfer unused frosting to a storage container and chill for up to 1 week. 

Late Evening Cupcakes

I had been meaning to post this cupcake recipe for some time; it makes the most delicious & delicate cupcakes. I love the idea of cupcakes because you can have cake without having to eat a whole piece and you can also taste more than one without feeling too guilty. I must mention that they can be extremely cute and it doesn’t need to be complicated, you can use really pretty liners, add color to the frosting or just add colorful sprinkles to them. For the frosting I used 7 minute frosting from the Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book, the best recipe I’ve used so far. This frosting is a great substitute for meringue on rainy days. Hope you try the recipe!

Bon Appetit!

Yellow Cupcakes

1. 1 1/3 cups sifted flour

2. 3/4 cup sugar

3. 2 teaspoons baking powder

4. 1/4 teaspoon salt

5. 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

6. 2/3 cup milk

7. 1 egg

8. 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, & salt together into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add shortening & milk, stir to blend, then beat slowly about 1 1/2 minutes with an electric mixer.

3. Add egg & vanilla & beat slowly 1 1/2 minutes.

4. Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake papers, filling each half full.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes until cakes are golden brown & springy to the touch.

6. Remove cakes from pans & cool.

7 Minute Frosting ( from Better Homes & Gardens New Baking Book)

1. 1 1/2 cups sugar

2. 2 egg whites

3. 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

4. 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. In top of double boiler combine sugar, 1/3 cup cold water, egg whites, & cream of tartar.

2. Beat with portable electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.

3. Place over boiling water ( upper pan should not touch water).

4. Cook, beating constantly with mixer on high speed, about 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

5. Remove from heat; add vanilla. Beat 2-3 minutes more or until easy to spread.