CUPCAKES!!

No sense in breaking this one down since very little of this can be considered “a recipe” and more just getting creative with presentation.

At MB’s bridal shower, I wanted to have a variety of yummy cupcakes on display.  She specifically requested her new favorite – Oreo Cupcake.  So, thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find a recipe from Annie’s Eats – one of my all-time favorite recipe blogs right up there with Pioneer Woman.  Also thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find two more inspiration cupcakes to make for the big party.  I decided to do an oh-so-classic French Vanilla – which turned out to be the big seller surprisingly enough.  Hey – people love a well done classic.  For my third (because 2 types was clearly not enough) I chose to do a Strawberry Cheesecake cupcake.  Drooling yet?

OK so here’s how to make these delicious cupcakes for your own soiree.  Keep in mind I used boxed cake mix as opposed to making the cupcakes themselves from scratch to save myself a little time and energy given everything else we had to prepare. Just substitute your favorite recipe (or brand of cake mix).  The buttercream recipes are at the end of this post.

Oreo Cookie

Ingredients:

• Chocolate cupcakes – I used Betty Crocker SuperMoist Chocolate Fudge
• Batch of Classic Vanilla Buttercream
• 4 oreo cookies (cream removed and cookies crushed)
• 12 oreo cookies (cut in half carefully with a serrated knife)

Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• Strawberry cupcakes – I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme Strawberry cake mix
• Cream Cheese buttercream
• 3 graham crackers (crushed)
• strawberry slices

Using the Wilton #2D drop flower tip, pipe a swirl on top of the cupcakes.  Sprinkle with the crushed graham crackers.  Garnish with a strawberry slice.

French Vanilla

Ingredients:

• French Vanilla cupcakes – I used Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix
• Batch of Classic Vanilla buttercream
• 1 vanilla bean
• blue and green food coloring

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife and run the dull side of the blade across the inside of the bean to scrape out the seeds.  Add them to the buttercream along with 4 drops of blue icing and one drop of green (you can adjust the proportions to get the color you want). Using the #2D Wilton drop flower tip, pipe a swirl onto each cupcake.  I chose not to add a garnish to this one, but in retrospect, I would have loved to have used the pearl bead sprinkles I used in my Irish Carbomb cupcakes.

Classic Vanilla Buttercream

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

On a low speed, beat butter until creamy.  Slowly add in powdered sugar about 1/2 at a time.  LOW SPEED.  Otherwise you’ll end up with a powdered sugar mushroom cloud in your kitchen and ruin your outfit.  Trust me.  Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on a medium speed for about a minute.  Add more cream if necessary to get a good piping consistency.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Follow the same instructions as the classic vanilla – just started by creaming the butter and cream cheese together.

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