Cupcakes for Love

A nurse in work is running a fundraiser for her daughter-in-law that is battling breast cancer.  

These are my pink themed cupcakes.....made with love. 

(here's a warning....I use cake mixes  for MOST of my recipes.  Why try to improve on something Betty Crocker has spent MILLIONS perfecting)

First, I made all the cupcakes and then used a melon baller to take out the centers.  

I put a chocolate truffle in each chocolate cupcake.

These (below) are LEMON SUNSHINE CUPCAKES with Lemon Curd filing, a shortbread bottom and cream cheese frosting.  I painted the inside of the 16" piping bag with the gel coloring and then filled it with the pink icing.  I used a 2D tip!  Start in the center, and then just SWIRL around the edge.  VOILA! 

Recipe: 

For crust on the bottom:
1 1/3 cups shortbread cookie crumbs, (22 Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies or Pecan Sandies)
1/4 cup granulated sugar4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the batter:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 small box (3.4 ounce) instant lemon pudding
1 (18.25 ounce) box lemon cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker Super Moist)
1/3 cup lemon curd

Make the crust.  Put it in the muffin cup and press down.  

Mix all the ingredients except the curd.  Fill to the top-ish of the muffin tin.  

Bake at 350 for ABOUT 22 min. 

When cool, scoop out (I used the BALLER) and fill with a little curd. 

 (I've been told "less is more Mom" by my #2 son - the Foof - about the curd).  

THESE (below) are my FAVE!  

Almond cupcakes with almond filling, and almond buttercream frosting. 

Recipe:

Ever see the cookbook by Dom Deluise?   "Eat this: It'll make you feel better". 

WELL, it's terrific.  Not only for the recipes, but also for the stories.  

I use his "Death By Chocolate 2" as a base for all my cupcakes. 

White Cake Mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 c water

1/2 c oil

Box of pudding (vanilla) 

2 tsp almond flavoring (I use William Sonoma)

Bake at 350 for ABOUT 22 min. 

Use any almond filling you like!  I buy mine in the ITRALIAN aisle. 

I use a basic buttercream frosting, and add......ALMOND FLAVORING!

Pink jimmies makes the job complete. 

Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting.  Nothing inside because FILLING them with cream cheese filling would be CREAM CHEESE OVERLOAD and I can't decide what else would go with it! 

I used a 2D tip to TRY to make a pink hydrangea.  Eh.  I like it in blue better....but blue wasn't the THEME....so it was pink.  Again, I painted stripes on the inside of the bag.  Just two stripes.  WIth a wooden coffee stirrer...that I borrowed from work.....

NOW!  DELICIOUSNESS.  

Candied pecans.  

Beat one egg white with 1 tbsp of water til foamy.  

In another bowl, mix 1 cup sugar, a little cinnamon and a smidge of salt. 

Coat the pecans with the egg foam. 

Toss them in the sugar. 

Spread on  a cookie sheet. 

Bake at 250 for 1 hour....tossing every 15 mint.  SET THE TIMER.  Or you'll forget. 

Don't they look great on my Carrot Cake Cupcakes!!  

THIS recipe comes from my friend Linda, who, when giving me the recipe also gave me 6 cups of shredded carrots.....and an order for a few dozen.  

Recipe: 

Mix together: 

2 c. sugar (NOT a WW recipe)

1 c veg oil

4 eggs. (one at a time)

Add in:

2 cups four

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

3 cups shredded carrot

1 cup walnuts (I used pecans)

1 cup coconut

Bake at 350 for...YOU GUESSED IT.....22 minutes...ish. 

I used a 1M tip to make the swirl on top.  Then, added on the PECAN...and ate the rest of the batch.

Chocolate with a chocolate truffle center

Death by Chocolate 2 recipe:

4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 package of extra moist chocolate cake mix
1 12-oz package of chocolate chips

I omitted the chips...since I was doing the truffle.  BUT, your cupcakes, your decision.

Mix and bake at 350 for 22 min.  

I used a standard buttercream frosting recipe but used "chocolate" extract that I found at.....

MY FAVORITE STORE....William Sonoma. 

I used 1M tip again and added some little pearls for decoration.  DON'T USE TOO MANY.....or the dentist will be buying a new summer home on YOUR DIME. 

White Chocolate cupcakes with Cherry pie filling and a cherry on top. 

Recipe: 

White cake mix

White choc pudding

blah blah blah.....

(see recipe above) 

I used canned cherry pie filling in the center and then put one ON TOP.

By this time of the day, I was exhausted and I don't remember what tip I used.  

Be creative.  

If my nursing career doesn't work out, I could open a "Cake Mix Bakery"

Maybe I'll call it "Betty Crockless"

I'm tired.