Cupcake Wars

Cupcake Wars is one of our favorite tv show on the Food Network, its a show about four cupcake bakers who challenge each other to make the best cupcake. Each round is different, the first round starting out with four bakers is using 3 secret ingredients that they have to include in one cupcake for the judges to taste. The ingredients can range from bacon to seaweed to so much more, the next round is about taste, texture, and appearance with three cupcakes, each round one person is elminated until the final round where there is two bakers left. Which they have to make a cupcake display for an event and bake a thousand cupcakes. Check out the video if you haven't already. This really is an amazing show!

Corner Bakery Cafe Review

The Corner Bakery Cafe has a variety of foods to help your appetite. They have breakfast ,lunch, and pasteries. The Corner Bakery Cafe is known for appeasing to all appetities and ages. They are diverse within the food category because they cater to everyone. When ,y family recently ate their, my sister was hungry for pasta, I was hungry for fresh pasteries, and my dad wqas hungry for a sandwitch.  The crazy part was that this bakery had all of those things at a reasonable price. I will put up a link for you to check out their website as well as what they have to offer. Hope you try it out!http://www.cornerbakerycafe.com/home.aspx

Buttercream Cupcakery Review

We personally love cupcakes and  found this to be the most amazing cupcakery in Fort Collins; if not Colorado. Not many people do know about this amazing place, and we think they deserve way more attention than they receive. They even offer gluten free cupcakes for the people who are allergic or are seeking a better every day diet. This business does not look to reach the top of the totem pole they look to reach out to people and bring happiness to the community. “When I was younger I would bake with my mother and working here brings back fond memories of my childhood. And I want to help give those same memories to others;" states Lorenezetti. They advertise on two main social networking sites, to bring themselves business, and those two are Facebook and Twitter. You will get a free cupcake just for following.

Mint Chocolate Cupacakes

Over the weekend Amanda and I made these, they were so yummy. I thought it was weird that it we had to put peppermint extract in them but they turned out pretty good. We didnt have time to make homemade icing so we just used plain vanilla icing with a little bit of the peppermint extract and some green food dye. The recipe was kind of weird we had to use sour cream which doesn't taste very good. My brother tried the finished product and thought they were gross, but Amandas brother tried them and he really liked them. So i guess it was 50/50 on the taste. If you want to try the recipe out here it is:

Ingredients

Cupcake Ingredients

• 8 Tbsp (1 stick, 4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Method

Cupcakes
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining it with cupcake liners. Use a double boiler or add an inch or two of water to a medium sized saucepan and place a metal bowl over it, bringing the water to a simmer. Add butter (cut into chunks), chocolate, cocoa to the bowl. As the butter and chocolate melt, whisk until the ingredients are well combined and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool to touch.
2 In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
3 In a large bowl (can use a mixer), beat the eggs. Add the salt, the sugar, the mint extract and beat until well combined. Slowly add in the chocolate butter mixture and beat until combined.
4 Add in half of the sifted flour mixture, mix to combine. Mix in the sour cream. Mix in the remaining flour mixture.
5 Spoon the batter evenly into the lined muffin cups. Place in oven in middle rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6 Let cool in muffin tin on a rack for 15 minutes. Then gently remove cupcakes from the tin and let cool completely before frosting.
Use frosting of choice, flavored with a little mint extract. Garnish with a little fresh mint. Recipes for simple butter cream or cream cheese frosting follow.
Makes 12 cupcakes.

DC Cupcakes

DC cupckaes is one of our favorite cupcake shows. The two sisters, Sophie, and Katherinie own their own bakery with their mother. Their bakery is called, Georgetown Cupcakes, located in Washington, D.C. They make any kind of cupcakes you can imagine. For breast cancer awarness they created a giant pink bra made out of cupcakes. We posted a video for you to watch their experience. All the different and unique cupcakes they create are tricky, but somehow they always know how to make it work. One day we want a bakery where we are able to have the same skills as Sophie and Katherine.

Snickers Cupcakes

Last week, Kenya and I made a trip to King Soopers to buy our ingredients for Snickers Cupcakes. It was a long, time consuming process, but a cool learning experience. We had no idea that a cupcake could taste exactly like a snickers bar! Our frosting did not go as planned, but I am sure it will go better for you! I would for sure reccomend this recipe. If you are interested in trying it out, here is the recipe:


Ingredients:
 For the cake:

• 1 package of devil's food cake mix
• 1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs; lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 30 snickers minatures

 For the frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup caramel topping; plus more for drizzling
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:


For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Line 24 cup muffin tins with paper liners
• In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs, vanilla, and water.
• Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared pans.
• Gently push the frozen snickers into each center of the batter and smooth the surface, covering the candy bar.
• Bake for 18-22 minutes.
• Cool cupcakes on wire rack.

For the frosting:

• Cream the butter and shortening in the bowl with an electric mixer.
• Add in the vanilla, salt, and caramel syrup.
• Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added, give it a taste and decide if you want more caramel.
• Garnish with chopped snickers minies and a drizzle of caramel syrup.

Coconut and Banana Cupcackes

In Kenya and my Gourmet and Multicultural foods class, we had a cake decorating unit. With the limited supplies, we wanted to make a unique flavor. So we decided to use coconut and banana extract in the batter. They turned out AMAZING. We actually suggest this to others. As gross as it may sound, they were really yummy. Here is our recipe:
For the cupcakes:
Use a box of white cake mix and follow the directions on the back.
In the batter add banana and coconut extract for flavor.
Split into three bowls and add your favorite color in each.
Add a layer at a time into each cupcake pan.
For the frosting:
Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups frozen whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®), thawed

Directions

1. Beat the whipping cream, instant pudding mix, milk, and vanilla extract together with an electric hand mixer in a large bowl until soft peaks start to form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the mixture will form soft mounds rather than a sharp peak.
2. Fold the whipped topping into the whipping cream mixture to evenly mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.