The Cupcake Curriculum

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Hey guys!
Check out my new buisness website at www.cupcakesbykeckie.com
I am trying to break into the cupcake catering biz head first, so give it a looksee!
Thanks for the support! ... remember, word of mouth is the BEST advertising!

Cupakes for sale!

Planning a wedding, shower, or party and want some specialty cupcakes? I would be glad to make you a batch of customized cupcakes! I can create just about any flavor, style, color and quanity of cucpakes you can imagine. Please call or email me and we can arrange a tasting and discuss options. All prices are determined by the ingredients you choose, but I promise that I am extremely reasonable.

Feel free to browse my blog for ideas on flavors, but the options are not linited by what you see here.

I can also provide references upon request, I have many happy customers!

My contact information is 303.807.0077 or keckie.swenson@gmail.com

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Yields: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients (for cupcakes)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup finely pureed ripe bananas

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients (for the chocolate buttercream)

12 tbsp. softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

8 tbsp. dark cocoa

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3-4 tbsp. milk

--Optional: A few drops of banana creme flavoring

--Optional: Yellow sprinkles

Directions In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt, pureed bananas and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

**For the “kid version” I also added the following buttercream to the top. However, it’s probably a little overkill for most adults.

Directions:

Beat the butter until smooth in the mixer. Turn mixer off and add the powdered sugar. Slowly restart the mixer and beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add extract(s) and milk and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Pipe on to cooled cupcakes. Top with sprinkles!

Iron Cupcake Win

Oh... my... Lanta!!! I can't believe it, but I finally won the Iron Cupcake Earth Challenge! This month's challenge was "passion" and the winning cupcake was my "Lavender Love Cupcake." Thank you all so much for your votes and support! And thank you VERY much to the outstanding sponsors who are donating a killer prize pack! Thank you Sandy, the "Cupcake Queen" for bringing us Iron Cupcake!

The recipe for my winning cuppie is below if you would like to whip up your own award winning batch!

Please show some love to those awesome sponsors at....

The Demy by Key Ingredient
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Stupid Easy PBJ Cupcakes

Yeah, the title says it all... These are seriously some of the easiest cupcakes I have ever made. I managed to make these and clean my kitchen (all dishes included) in the time it takes me to make many of my other cupcakes. But the great news is that they were excellent nonetheless! The only thing I would change is maybe making the cake even more peanutbuttery. The peanutbutter frosting compensates for the slightly less peanutbuttery cake because the flavor is very intensely peanutty. These cupcakes were a huge hit at work. Several people actually called them their favorites! I have to admit that is a little bit of an (unintended) backhanded compliment to me since I know how simple they were to make in comparison to my other creations ;) Oh well, like all my Food Network mentors say, simplicity is key!

Side note: I will be entering these to the Iron Cupcake Challenge under the name "Kindergarten Crush."

PB Cupcake:

1 3/4 cups cake flour (AP flour is okay too)

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk (I used 3/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup soy milk)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup room temp. unsalted butter

2 eggs at room temp.

3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at a low speed in the electric mixer until just blended. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Spoon batter into a lined cupcake pan, fill each cup apx. 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. Allow to cool completely. Use a large pastry tip to hollow out a hole in the middle of each cupcake. Discard (eat) the center plugs.

Peanutbutter Buttercream:

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup creamy peanutbutter

3 tbsp. milk (or soy milk)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Beat the butter and peanutbutter in the electric mixer until smooth and completely combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to fluff up and become light. Spoon the buttercream into a pastry bag with your favorite frosting tip on the end.

Finishing Touches:

Heat one cup of jelly (I used grape) in a microwave safe bowl for 20 seconds at a time (stirring between each time) until it is somewhat pourable. Spoon jelly into the center holes of each cupcake. Pipe the buttercream on top of each cupcake. Spoon a light drizzle of jelly on top of each frosted cupcake. Enjoy!

Happy baking!

Voting for Feb. Iron Cupcake

Voting will open on Iron Cupcake on 2/28 at 8pm. Please go to http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com and place your votes. Voting will remain open until 3/4 at noon. The cupcakes I entered for this month's Passion theme were "Lavender Love," "Aphrodite's Kiss," and "Kindergarten Crush." Every voter gets three votes. Thank you and happy baking!!

Let's show some love to our outstanding sponsors:
The Demy by Key Ingredient
Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Bella Cupcake Couture
Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House
Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply

Lavender Love

If you're in the mood for a very adult cupcake, this is definitely it! The flavors in this one are mature, subtle, and layered. The cupcakes have a distinct fruity olive oil undertone, which is lighted by lemon and sweetened by the blackberries. The lavender gives the entire cupcake a lightly floral aromatic quality. There is a hint of salt to add the the complexity of the final flavor. These are some serious cupcakes! (Something a little different from the cotton candy or s'mores cupcakes.)

I made these while filming my audition video for Food Network! I really hope it's special enough to catch their attention! :) So... here's the recipe:

Lavender Oil Cupcake Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup Baker's sugar
1 packed teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tbsp. dried lavender, chopped
1/2 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers. Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, lemon zest, and lavender in a medium bowl until foamy. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined.
Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter evenly among pans, and bake until light gold and testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and allow to cool completely. When cool, use a large round pastry tip to poke a hole in the center of each cupcake, eat the plugs

Blackberry Filling:

3/4 cup black berried (fresh or frozen)

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. water

1-2 tsp. corn starch

1 tsp. high quality balsamic vinegar

Heat the black berries, sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir often. As the sauce begins to come together (apx. 3-4 minutes), add the corn starch if necessary to thicken the sauce. Add balsamic vinegar, and allow to cook for 1-2 more minutes. Allow the sauce to cool. Spoon or pipe the filling into the holes in each cupcake. Make sure the edges are relatively clean.

Lemon Butter Cream Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2- 2 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. finely grated lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon extract

1-2 tsp. milk

Whip the butter in electric mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the powdered sugar until completely combined. Add lemon zest, lemon extract until completely iincorporated. If the mixture is too stiff, add 1-2 tsp. milk. Pipe the frosting around the edges of the blackberry centers using a leaf pastry tip. If desired, dust with a little pearl powder. Enjoy!

Happy baking everyone!