Slightly Coconut Frosting

This frosting is the perfect compliment topping for the Samoa Cupcake!
Different from my last Cream Cheese Coconut Frosting, this Slightly Coconut Frosting has a subtle hint of coconut, yet remains sweet. Its super easy and the ingredients are not pricey!

What you will need:

• 1 can coconut milk
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Let's get started:

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, lower to a low-medium heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Combine coconut milk and remaining ingredients and beat until light and creamy. Refrigerate any unused frosting. 

Spread about a tablespoon on top of cooled Samoa Cupcake. Then lightly press frosted cupcake into bowl of cookie crumbles. 

Serve, Eat & Enjoy! <3
 

Girl Scout Cookie Cupcake

It's Girl Scout Cookie season again! Being a former Girl Scout myself, I figured I would honor them with a cupcake creation of my favorite cookie: The Samoa. 
This cookie, for those of you that don't know, is a vanilla cookie, dipped in caramel, topped with coconut and drizzled with chocolate. Now that I'm salivating, let's get started on this cupcake recipe!

The Samoa Cupcake:
What you will need:

• Vanilla Cake Mix (Super Moist, Betty Crocker)
• ingredients for cake mix (eggs, oil, water), on box
• 2 boxes Samoas cookies (Be charitable people!)
• One batch of Slightly Coconut Frosting*

*Recipe for frosting will be in next post! Stay Tuned!! :)

Okay, lets get started: 

Preheat oven to temperature indicated on box mix. Line your muffin tin with paper liners. While your oven is preheating (about 15-20mins), lets prepare our cookie filling and garnish. Put the cookies in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Put in a bowl, and set aside for later.
Batter:
Combine all ingredients for cake mix in large bowl. Scoop batter into lined muffin pan only about 1/3 full. Sprinkle a layer of cookie crumbs on top of batter. Pour the remaining batter over cookie layer and fill cup about 3/4 full. Bake for appropriate time indicated on box. Once cupcakes are done, let cool completely before frosting. 
Makes 24 cupcakes.


Stay tuned for the Slightly Coconut Frosting recipe that perfectly compliments this Samoa Cupcake! :)

Chick Cupcakes!

Hey everybody! Here's an adorable decorative cupcake recipe. Just in time for Easter, these cupcakes will brighten up this rainy weekend we're having. They are fun to assemble, so I recommend making this a fun family project! :)
Easter Chick Cupcakes:

What you will need:

• Lemon or Coconut Cake Mix & ingredients for mix (I like either of those flavors for Easter because they are light and fruity, yet simple.)
• 1 container Vanilla Frosting
• about 2 cups flaked/shredded coconut
• 24 donut holes (vanilla)
• yellow & green food coloring
• 24 candy corn or 12 halved orange jelly beans
• mini chocolate chips

Let's Get Started!:
Preheat oven according to package directions. Place liners in muffin tin; I like to use a pretty Easter themed or pastel paper liner. 
Batter:
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients on cake mix package. Scoop batter into paper liners. Bake for appropriate time on box. When done, let cool for 15-20 mins.

Decor: 
While cupcakes are baking, scoop out the Vanilla Frosting into medium bowl. Carefully add 15-18 small drops of the yellow food coloring and mix until it blends to desired yellow for a chick. :)
Place coconut in 2 small bowls (1 cup each). In one bowl, add 4-6 drops of green food coloring. In the other bowl, add 4-6 drops of yellow food coloring.
Assembling your chick:
Frost the tops of your baked and cooled cupcakes. Dip the opposite sides of the cupcake in the green coconut flakes. Use remaining frosting to cover the donut holes. Place donut holes on top of frosted cupcake (using the frosting as glue).
This will form the chick's head! Press a pinch of yellow coconut on top of the head to look like feathers. Press the candy corn (or jelly bean) in the face for the beak. Use 2 mini chocolate chips for the eyes. 

You can do a variation of decorating ideas using these ingredients. Get creative! Check out other cupcake baker's designs and make a combination of them!


Serve, Eat & Enjoy! <3 

A "How To" Video: Chocolate Ganache

Check out this awesome instructional video, courtesy of Betty Crocker, about the simple process of making homemade chocolate ganache! 

Serve, Eat & Enjoy! <3

Raspberry Filled Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

I love this recipe simply for the reaction I get from people on the first bite:

"Oh! It's filled with jam!"
This easy cupcake recipe involves a SuperMoist Butter Golden cupcake, filled with seedless raspberry jam, and topped off with Chocolate Ganache.
If your feeling fancy or creative, buy some fresh raspberries for a pretty garnish. That bright fuchsia color will break up that dark chocolate brown.
What you will need:

• Moist Butter Golden Cake Mix (I used Duncan Hines)
• ingredients according to cake mix (usually eggs, butter/oil, water)
• seedless raspberry jam

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

• 12 oz chocolate, chopped with small pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream

Now lets 's get started!
Preheat oven to temperature according to package directions. 
Place cupcake liners in muffin. Mix cake ingredients in large bowl and scoop into muffin tins. (DO NOT add the raspberry jam to this batter! Although it may be tempting, save the jam until after the cupcakes are baked and cooled!)
Bake cupcakes for appropriate time on box. After they're ready, let cool for about 15mins before we add the raspberry jam.
Now once the cupcakes are cooled completely, the fun part begins!
Take a clean turkey baster and (while plugging the bottom) scoop the raspberry jam into it. Poke the tip of baster (about 1inch) into the middle of the cupcake and squeeze baster slowly. I try to squeeze a big tablespoon of jam into the cupcake. *Once the cake begins to expand and show slight cracks on top, that is when you should stop filling. Repeat with each cupcake!

Now for the Ganache:
Place the chopped pieces of chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the heavy cream on med-high heat until it comes to a strong simmer, just before boil. Remove heavy cream from heat and immediately pour it over the chocolate pieces. Stir until completely mixed, melted, and glossy. Allow ganache to cool before pouring it to glaze your cupcakes. (The longer you allow ganache to cool, the thicker it will set.)

Once your ganache is ready, take a big tablespoon and drizzle it on top of your cupcakes, completely covering the center (to hide the cracks from jam filling).

While ganache is still wet, place your raspberry on top, using chocolate like glue.

*STAY POSTED for an awesome instructional video, courtesy of Betty Crocker, on how to make ganache.

Serve, Eat & Enjoy! <3

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting recipe goes fantastic on top of that Pina Colada Cupcake w. Coconut Rum!! This frosting is so rich and creamy, it compliments the crisp fruity flavor of the Pina Colada Cupcake so well. And of course, its easy to make!


Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

What you will need:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 oz cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 1/2-1 cup of powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
• 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut

Lets get started:
Cream the butter and cream cheese together (about 3 mins). Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to really make sure of mixing.
Slowly add the powdered sugar, taste as you go to attain desired sweetness. 
Fold in the coconut. Make sure to leave a handful for garnish at the end!

Spread onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle coconut on top. 
*Optional= Toast the coconut in the oven on a baking sheet until golden brown for some nice color and professional look.


Start Summer early with these tropical cupcakes!


Serve, Eat & Enjoy! :)

Piña Colada Cupcakes w. Coconut Rum

With all this nice weather lately, I've been thinking about summer and vacationing. And for me, like many others I'm sure, I find vacations and Pina Coladas synonymous. I was inspired! So I searched for various recipes for Pina Colada Cupcakes and decided to combine the parts of the ones that sounded most delectible! I came up with this:

Pina Colada Cupcakes w. Coconut Rum & Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting: 
(I know its a mouthful name, but wait till you try a mouthful of these cupcakes!)
What you will need:

• 1 box White Cake Mix (look for "Super Moist" mixes)
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup coconut rum (I used Parrot Bay)
• eggs (according to cake mix package)
• veggie oil (according to cake mix package)
• 8 oz can crushed pineapple in juice, drained well
• 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut (optional, but recommended)

Let's get started!


Preheat oven to temperature on cake mix package.
Add cake mix, eggs, and oil according to package instructions. Substitute the water (on package) for 1 cup pineapple juice and 1/3 cup coconut rum.
Blend ingredients well with electric mixer.
Add crushed pineapples. Make sure they were well drained, and mix until blended. Fold in coconut (optional but recommended!)


Bake accordingly to package instructions. 


When cupcakes are done, set aside to cool.


Stay posted for the Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting that goes perfectly with this delicious sweet cupcake! :)

Individual Cherry Cheesecakes!

Here's a fun, super easy recipe that will impress others with the presentation and excite their palate with flavor!
Individual Cherry Cheesecakes:
What you will need:

• 2 pkg Cream cheese (8oz each)
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbspn lemon juice
• 1 tbspn vanilla
• 12 Vanilla wafers (I used Nilla Wafers)
• 1 can of Cherry Pie filling

Let's get started!

Line muffin tin (12cup) with paper liners. Preheat oven to 375degrees.
Mix softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla in a bowl.
Place wafer cookie in the bottom of each of the 12 cupcake liners. Spoon in the cream cheese mixture until liner is 3/4 full.
Bake in 375 degrees for 15mins. Once cakes are ready, let cool for approximately 15 mins.
Top each with a spoonful of cherry pie filling and refrigerate for 1 hour.
*Optional: Garnish with a dollop of Cool Whip or whipped cream. Crush 5 extra Nilla Wafers and sprinkle with cookie crumbs.


These little individual cheesecakes, much like my mini maple cheesecakes, are the perfect dessert to impress your guests without too much hassle! :)


Serve, Eat & Enjoy! :) 

German Chocolate Cupcakes

This recipe may sound like hard work, but I promise, you won't break a sweat!
I originally made this as a birthday cake for my father, but we can just as easily turn this into a decadent cupcake recipe to add to the list!

What you will need:

• German Chocolate Cake Mix, (Super Moist Duncan Hines, recommended) & ingredients in accordance to the box mix
• Bag of White Chocolate Chips (the bigger the bag, the better!)
• German Chocolate Cake Icing/ Chocolate Coconut Frosting (again, we used Duncan Hines)
• Coconut flakes (3/4 cup) for decoration

Let's get started!
Preheat oven according to cake mix, (375). Then line your muffin pans with paper/foil cupcake liners.
Follow directions on box to make batter. After German Chocolate Batter is made, combine about 1/2 of the bag of White Chocolate Chips into batter, mix well. (Save some for garnish/filling)
Scoop the new batter into paper liners and bake for appropriate time on box.
In the meantime, take a handful of remaining chips and set aside. Take the leftover chips in the bag and place into a microwavable bowl. In intervals of 30seconds, place in microwave until chips are melted; stirring after each 30 seconds.

After cupcakes are baked and cooled, with a knife, cut a small circle in your cupcakes and scoop it out (no bigger than a quarter). Cut that piece of cupcake in half, horizontally (so you have 2 small circles of cake). Drizzle in a spoonful of the melted white chocolate. Take the piece of cutout cake and place it gently back over the hole in your cupcake. Repeat with ALL cupcakes.

When finished filling, frost each cupcake with that delicious coconut icing. Garnish with the leftover white chocolate chips and/or shredded flakes of coconut.


The ingredients are minimal, but the taste is outrageous! Get creative according to your taste buds! Instead of white chocolate chips, like I chose, try peanut butter chips, milk/dark chocolate chips, chocolate with coconut...the list goes on!

Ps- Happy Birthday Dad! :) <3


Serve, Eat & Enjoy! :)