Let's Party and Have a Ball! ... A Birthday Cake Popcorn Ball!

Yes, it's true. I like making other treats beside cupcakes =] These are too easy and too delicious to not share how to make them! There was NO special occasion for these. I just really really REALLY wanted to try them out! =] BUT they are absolutely perfect for any party, especially birthdays and baby showers. You can easily dress them up with the colors of the cupcake liner you sit them on and the sprinkles you shower on top! I used my Minnie's Bakeshop Sprinkles for these that I found at The Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland!

Birthday Cake Popcorn Balls

Adapted from Ashley's Homemade Adventures

Yields about 15 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick – plus more for hands [I used the other half and just let it sit to room temp for my hands])
• 1 (10 oz) package of mini marshmallows
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Funfetti cake mix
• 12 cups popped popcorn (1/2 to 3/4 cup yellow corn kernels)
• sheet of wax paper
• sprinkles
• cupcake liners

 Directions:

1. Pop the popcorn into an extra large bowl. I use a hot air popper like the one below. I found mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $20. They are so quick and easy to use! Make sure there are no unpopped kernels in your bowl after popping.

2. In a large saucepan (2 quart or larger if you have it), on low heat, melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter. Mix in salt and then add marshmallows. Stir every 45 seconds to 1 minute until melted like below. The next steps should be done quickly because once the mixture begins to cool, it gets VERY VERY sticky.

3. Add Funfetti Cake mix and stir into melted marshmallow mixture until clumps are gone. Add popcorn and stir with a rubber spatula to prevent as much breaking of the popcorn as possible. It will be sticky and stringy like the picture below.

4. Lay the sheet of wax paper on flat surface. Grab small amounts off the other half butter stick, and rub on palms of hands to coat. Pull a handful of popcorn marshallow mixture from the pan and roll into a ball, about the size of a baseball and place on wax paper. Add sprinkles right away so they can stick. Continue to make balls grabbing a little more butter for your hands as needed. Especially on the tips of your fingers.

5.Remove each ball from wax paper and place on your cupcake liners and VOILA!

Congratu-OREO-lations!

I made these for an elementary school graduation but they would be great for ANY graduation! You can dress them up with the kind of liners you buy and the decorations (sprinkles) you use! They're black and white, they can look sophisticated but can easily be made fun with some colorful sprinkles or sequins! The greatest part is the OREO truffle surprise in the middle =] The beauty of stuffed cupcakes is no one knows they're stuff until they bite into them! I was shocked how the whole OREO, including the cream center, easily turn into dust-like crumbs... That's what makes these so easy! Plus, WHO DOESN'T LOVE OREOS?!

Cookies and Cream OREO Truffle Stuffed Cupcakes

Adapted from Love From the Oven

Yields 24 Cupcakes

For the OREO Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 Family Size Pack OREO's (it comes with 5 roll packs, you'll use 3 roll packs for these truffles and 2 for the frosting)
• 1 8oz block Cream Cheese, room temperature

Directions:

1. Empty 1 roll pack of OREO's in a blender or a food processor. Make sure the lid is secure and pulse the cookies until they turn into dust (crumbs). You may need to stir some of the cookies around a couple times because they can get stuck, but they crumb very easily and quickly. Empty crumbs into medium bowl.
2. Repeat step 1 with 2 more roll packs of OREO's and empty into the same bowl.
3. Put the block of cream cheese into the bowl with the cookie crumbs, and on medium-low with an electric mixer, mix the crumbs and cream cheese will until they make what looks like dough. I like to use dough hooks so it doesn't get stuck in the regular mixers.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop a little less that 1 scoop of the dough and roll into 1 1/2 inch balls. This should be just enough for 24 truffle balls. Put truffle balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for at least 20 minutes. Keep in freezer until you need them =]

For the Vanilla Cupcake 

Ingredients:

• 1 Box VANILLA cake mix
• water
• oil
• eggs (all as indicated on box)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake paper liners. Set aside.
2. Prepare the Vanilla Cake batter as instructed on box.
3. Put a bit of the batter in each cupcake liner – enough to cover the bottom.  Then add in your OREO truffle balls.
4. You can now cover the truffle balls in the liners with the rest of the batter. 1 heaping tablespoon or 1 ice cream scoop should be enough. This should be just enough for the 24 cupcakes.
5. Bake according to package directions or until the top of your cupcakes are a golden very light brown.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool in cupcake pan for at least 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cookies and Cream Whipped Frosting 

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

•  2 roll packs of OREO's (leftover from Family Pack you used above to make the OREO truffles), blended into crumbs (Step 1 on OREO truffle directions)
• 1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
• 4 teaspoons cold water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix gelatin and cold water in a small saucepan, and let the mixture stand until gelatin thickens. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool; do not let set.
2. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until slightly thickened. Continue beating slowly, while gradually adding the gelatin. Whip at high speed until stiff.
3. Carefully fold in 3/4 to ALL of the crumbs into the whipped frosting (to your desired taste), until well mixed.
4. Refrigerate until ready to pipe onto cupcakes.

For the Mini Cupcake Toppers

You will need:

• 24 Mini Reese's, unwrapped BUT dark brown paper left on to look like a cupcake liner
• 1 cup Whipped Cookies and Cream Frosting
• Piping bag
• Wilton Tip 12 (small, round)
• Edible Pearls or your favorite sprinkles

Directions:

1. Pipe frosting on each mini Reese's using the piping bag with the Tip 12.
2. Top with favorite decoration!

NOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

1. Pipe frosting on each COOLED cupcake, using a large piping bag and a Wilton 1A tip.
2. Top with your Mini Cupcake Toppers!
3. Refrigerate until serving and ENJOY!

Radiator Springs in the Palm of Your Hand!

I'm a home nurse for kids and these were for one of my little angel's 9th birthday. It was important to me to make these as fun to eat as possible. At first I was going to use paper Lightning and Mater's on cupcake picks, even though I hate putting things on top of my cupcakes that aren't edible. BUT THEN, the Dessert Goddesses blessed me with graham cracker CARS 2 characters in the supermarket aisle! I used a very interesting icing for this cupcake. I didn't want the standard chocolate buttercream. I wanted something lighter in color and also in texture to even out everything that was going on, on top. It worked out perfectly! Everyone loved them at the party and there wasn't one left over. =]

CARS 2 Cupcakes

For the Red and Blue cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1 box WHITE CAKE mix
• water
• oil
• eggs (all as indicated on box)
• red and blue food coloring

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with 18-24 cupcake papers (again, depending on how fluffy you like your cupcakes).
2. Prepare white cake batter as indicated on box.
3. Separate batter evenly into 2 medium bowls.
4. Add red food coloring in one bowl and blue in the other and mix, until desired shade of colors is achieved. Make sure you don't over do it with the food coloring or else they can actually give your cake a weird taste. You shouldn't need more than 10 drops of each color.
5. Put one scoop (or one heaping tablespoon) of each colored batter to each cup in cupcake pan. 
6. Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool about 5 minutes on pan and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For Light and Fluffy Brown Sugar Chocolate Icing:

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions
Pour the heavy cream into a medium bowl, and whip with an electric mixer. Add sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder; whip until stiff and spreadable. Refrigerate until needed. 

Other things you need: 

• 1 box of honey graham crackers 
• 1 box vanilla wafers
• green candy melts
• small sheet (12" by 12" should be ok) wax paper
• small candy making bottle
• black fondant
• corn starch
• yellow writing icing
• character graham characters

1. In a large Ziploc bag, put about 1/2 the package of honey grahams and 1/2 the package of vanilla wafers inside, together. Use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer and just go at the bag to make all the crackers and wafers into dust (crumbs). Set aside.
2. Use a ceramic bowl and melt the green candy melts according to the packaging. Carefully pour the melted green chocolate into the candy making bottle. On the sheet of wax paper, make lots of little cacti by squeezing a small amount of the melted green melts and kind of spreading and drawing it into the desired shapes and sizes. Make sure to make the stems a little longer so when you put it into the icing, it will stand up well without sinking too far in that you won't know what it is anymore =] put the wax paper in the fridge until needed to allow the cacti to harden.
3. I used Duff Black Buttercream Fondant (purchased at Michael's in a large bucket). I grabbed small handfuls at a time, and rolled them out on a surface sprinkled with cornstarch with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut straight strips (as many as you have cupcakes) about 3/4 inch wide and 3 inches long (long enough to go across the cupcake).

NOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER! 

Make sure to decorate one cupcake at a time!

1. Evenly spread the icing on each cupcake using a butter knife or frosting spreader. It doesn't need to be perfect or pretty =]
2. Lay one of your black fondant strips through the center of the cupcake. Trim any excess fondant hanging too far off the edge.
3. Get little scoops of the cracker and wafer crumbs on the tips of your fingers and gently pat on the frosting on each side of your black fondant road. Dust off any crumbs that get on the fondant with a dry napkin.
4. Use a tiny bit of frosting to cover the bottom edge of the character graham cracker, and stand in the middle of the black fondant road.
5. Use the yellow writing icing to make dotted road lines on the black fondant on each side of the character cracker.
6. Get your cold little cacti out of the fridge and stand in frosting wherever your heart desires on the cupcake.

I know it's tough to imagine some of the directions without pictures, but I never thought I'd be making this blog, so I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of many-step cupcakes such as this one. Again, ANY QUESTIONS are welcomed!

I've Got You Covered!... with Chocolate, that is...

I made these on Easter Sunday since it's  relaxing day for us in my house, There were some chocolate covered strawberries in my fridge and some extra strawberries so I decided to utilize it ALL. You know, I didn't want anything to spoil and go to waste... hehehe! =]

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

For chocolate cupcakes

Adapted from Hello, Cupcake!

Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk (instead of water)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard cupcake pan with 18-24 cupcake papers (depends on how fluffy you want your cupcakes)
2. Beat together all of the ingredients with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until almost all lumps are gone
3. Divide batter evenly among cups (I like mine fluffy, I add about 1/3 cup of batter to each cup, usually about 3/4 full) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
4. Allow cupcakes to cool slightly and then move to wire rack to cool completely.

For Strawberry Buttercream

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp strawberry puree (approx 8 fresh strawberries)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Puree strawberries with a food processor (my Magic Bullet worked just as well =] )
2. In a bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together butter on medium speed until light and fluffy
3. Reduce speed of mixer and slowly add confectioners' sugar, and beat until well combined
4. Add vanilla and strawberry puree, and mix until just blended (If frosting is too thick, add more puree, if it's too liquidy, add more sugar)

AND OF COURSE, PIPE ON COLD STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM AND TOP WITH A CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY... AND ENJOY! =]

...We all Scream for Cupcakes that LOOK like Ice Cream!

I'm going to start with the details here. All the posts under this one have just been my projects up to this point. They didn't require too much planning. It was when I made THESE masterpieces when I realized I may have a hobby that I'm pretty good at now! =]

I made these for a very special 12 year old girl's birthday. You'll learn more about the family she is in later, because they are JUST like family to me. I wanted something fun, not too sophisticated but not too kiddish either. 12 years olds are pretty tricky and in an awkward stage, not quite a teen but they usually don't play with toys. They ended up being perfect and she LOVED them! It was the first time I tried a cake from scratch, the first time I baked inside a cone, and the first time I made an icing out of heavy whipping cream. I was scared but everything came out great, and I'm so lucky all on the first try! Below are the recipes I used but remember, you can always play with different flavors and textures and make these creations your OWN. That's what I've always kept in mind and the love definitely comes out in each and every bite! =]

Banana Split Cupcakes

For the Banana Cupcake Batter:
Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 regular ice cream cones (not cracked or broken, and not jumbo!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Over a standard 12 cup cupcake pan, secure one sheet heavy duty foil on top. Poke a hole in the foil on top of each cup groove, making 12 holes to securely stand the ice cream cones.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Slowly stir in flour mixture until ingredients are together, making sure you DO NOT OVERMIX.
4. Add about 1/4 cup batter into each ice cream cone. (If you have an ice cream scoop to scoop in the batter, its about 2 scoops. That's what I use and its so much easier! I know they're pricey but they're worth the investment! I got mine at Marshall's for $10.)
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan. Poke a hole on the bottom of each cone with a butter knife to allow the heat to escape. If you don't do this, there is a chance the heat will make your cupcakes soggy on the bottom. You can either stand them up or lay them on their side on top of a wire rack to cool completely.

  

For the Sturdy Whipped Cream Icing:

Adapted From Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package unflavored gelatin
• 4 teaspoons cold water
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon clear imitation vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix gelatin and cold water in a small saucepan, and let the mixture stand until gelatin thickens. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly; DO NOT LET SET.
2. Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla until slightly thickened. Continue beating slowly, while gradually adding the gelatin. Whip at high speed until stiff. 

NOW TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

You will need:

• Banana Cupcake Cones (you already made, make sure they're cooled completely!)
• Sturdy Whipped Cream Icing (you already made)
• Chocolate Almond Bark
• Sprinkles
• 12 Maraschino Cherries (drained and slightly dried on a paper towel for at least 15 minutes)

MAKE SURE YOU DO ONE CONE AT A TIME!

1. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop one heaping scoop of icing on top of the Banana Cupcake Cone. This icing is great! I had absolutely NO problem with it melting. The gelatin REALLY makes a difference! And it looks and tastes like real ice cream!
2. Melt the almond bark according to package directions. You can either get a piping bag or Wilton candy making bottle, put the melted chocolate inside and squeeze it on top of the scoop of icing to look like hot fudge on top. Make sure the chocolate isn't too melted, like liquid, or it will drip right off!
3. ADD your sprinkles and cherry before the chocolate hardens! Store in the refrigerator until time to serve.You can use the cupcake pan covered with foil you used to bake the cones in, to store in the fridge so they don't fall over. =]

I hope you enjoy making these as much as I did! They are so fun to make and eat! Any questions are welcomed!

Kids Parties!

Red Goodness In A Jar