TARBORO — Everyone loves cupcakes, both children and adults. Cupcakes can be almost anything. You can make the elegant, fun even nutritious. They are easy and don’t require as much skill to decorate as a layer cake.

The first recipe is lemon cupcakes and cream cheese frosting. They are easy and delicious. If you use real lemons for the juice, even better. Then you can add about 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest to both the cupcakes and the frosting.

One of the most popular and beautiful cupcakes is recipe number two. It’s vanilla on vanilla. Vanilla cake mix for the cupcake and vanilla buttercream for the frosting.

The third recipe is chocolate-orange cupcakes. This one is not from a cake mix but it’s easy and doesn’t have a lot of ingredients. You can add a box of chocolate instant pudding to make it a little richer. If you do that, you will need to increase the liquid just a bit so that it’s not quite as thick.

The fourth cupcake is cinnamon and coffee. It’s amazing how much instant coffee can add to the flavor of a lot of things. I don’t drink instant coffee but I keep some on hand.

The fifth cupcake recipe is a  Cheesecake cupcake. You use cookies for the crust. Your family and friends will love you for this one.  Cheesecake can be difficult to make, but not this cheesecake cupcake. The recipe calls for spreading a little strawberry preserves on top but you can use whatever flavor you have on hand.

If you read my articles, you know that I love to bake brownies. The next recipe is brownie cupcakes. They are standard brownies baked in a cupcake pan. However, you can put a little chocolate frosting on top to double the chocolate flavor.

The last recipe will be the kid’s favorite. It’s Ice Cream Cone cupcakes. You can do that with about any of these recipes. You make the mix a little thicker and bake it in flat bottomed ice cream cones. Beautiful and fun.



Lemon-Cream Cheese Cupcakes

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) lemon flavored instant pudding

1 cup water

4   egg whites

2 tbsp. oil

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

2 tbsp.  lemon juice

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar



Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat first 5 ingredients in large bowl with mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

Bake 21-24 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese, butter and juice with mixer until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended. Spread onto cupcakes.



Vanilla Cupcake

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream

Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.



1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract



Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.

If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Yield: enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake



Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

3/4 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup cocoa

3 eggs

1 orange, the skin finely grated and the juice extracted



For Decoration

whipped fresh cream

slices of fresh oranges

chocolate sprinkles



Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the grated orange rind. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the orange juice. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at 375F for 12-15 minutes.

When the cupcakes are cool set them all out ready for decorating. Whip the fresh cream until it is in firm peaks. Do not over beat. Place the cream in a piping bag and put a swirl of cream onto each cupcake. Then top each one with a piece of fresh orange and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. These are rich in textures and full of flavor.



Cinnamon and Coffee Cupcakes

1/2cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine

1 cup plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon



Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with a mixer or wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time and beat each one well. Add the milk and mix. Add the flour, baking powder and cinnamon powder (sieve together into the bowl with the other ingredients) and mix gently together.

Divide into cup cases and fill 2/3 s full.

For large cupcake pans, cook at 375F for 15-20 minutes, small cupcakes for 12-15 minutes on the middle rack of an oven.

Remove and cool. The garnish with coffee butter cream and chocolate sprinkles.



For the Butter Cream combine Confectioners sugar with butter or margarine and add 1 teaspoon of instant coffee which has been dissolved in 1 teaspoon of water, mix well, spread with a spoon or pipe onto the cupcakes.

This makes about 10 cupcakes, double up recipe for more cupcakes.



Cheesecake Cupcakes

12 sugar cookies (can use crushed vanilla wafers)

8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons all purpose flour

 

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups 3 x 1 1/2 inches) with foil cupcake liners. Place a cookie in bottom of each liner, trim cookies to fit if necessary. (Or sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of vanilla wafers in the bottom of the foil cup)

Beat together cream cheese and sugar on medium speed in large bowl until smooth, add eggs, beating just until blended, beat in sour cream, vanilla and lemon rind. On low speed, beat in flour. Spoon batter into cups, dividing equally.

Bake in 325 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until cakes are set. Cool cakes in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove cake to rack to cool.

Can carefully spread strawberry preserves over top of each cake while warm. These can also be served with canned cherry pie filling for topping.

Makes 12 mini cakes.



Cupcake Brownies

1 cup butter

4 ounces semisweet chocolate

4 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans



In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate; cool for 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and sugar. Add vanilla and chocolate mixture; stir in flour and nuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake at 350 F for 18-20 minutes or until brownies test done with a wooden pick. Cool.



Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

1 box cake mix (any flavor)

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

36 ice cream cones (flat bottoms)

1 can frosting (16 1/2 oz.)



Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare cake mix according to directions.

Place cones in cups of muffin tins. Fill cones 2/3 full with batter.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back. After cooling, frost top of cones. Decorate with sprinkles. Makes 36 cupcakes.



Did you know?



Cupcake tips



Bake cupcakes in paper or foil liners, unless a recipe specifies otherwise. Liners come in a regular 2 1/2-inch size, a 1 5/8-inch mini size and a 3 1/2-inch extra-large size.

Don't ever butter a cupcake liner, but when making dense or very moist cupcakes, spray with no-stick canola oil cooking spray for easy removal.

When baking extra-large or big-top cupcakes, spray the top of the pan so the batter doesn't stick.

Use shiny rather than dark pans for baking. Some experts use nonstick pans to keep cleanup to a minimum. You can also bake cupcakes in specialty cupcake-style pans in flower, star and heart shapes.

Fill standard-size cupcake liners 2/3 (1/4 cup batter) to 3/4 (1/3 cup batter) full, depending on recipe instructions. "To streamline the cupcake-making process, use an ice cream scoop (in different sizes) with a spring action lever to fill the cups.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/





Recipes with 1 cup flour make about 12 to 18 cupcakes. Figure that the batter from an 18.5-ounce box of cake mix will make 20 to 24 standard 2 1/2-inch cupcakes, 36 mini 2-inch cupcakes and 12 jumbo or extra-large 3- to 4-inch cupcakes.

Watch cupcakes carefully to avoid over baking. Invest in an oven thermometer and check to make sure your oven is baking at the correct temperature.

If you're having a party, bake a bunch of different flavored mini cupcakes so people can have tastes of each. If recipes don't specify mini baking times, note that minis will take more than half of the baking time recommended for standard size cupcakes. Figure around 16 minutes for minis and 20 to 25 minutes for standard size cupcakes.

Use the toothpick in the center test for doneness. In most cases, if the toothpick comes out clean, it's done and if cake sticks, bake a little longer.

Cool cupcakes in pan 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out on rack to cool completely.

Use a small offset spatula (it has a flat rounded blade designed for even spreading) for frosting cupcakes as the crooked handle gives you extra leverage.

Decorate cupcakes with sprinkles, M&Ms, chopped nuts, toffee, peppermint candies, jelly beans, chopped or shaved (with a vegetable peeler) light, dark or white chocolate, cookie crumbs, gumdrops, sifted cocoa powder, fresh fruits, edible fresh flowers, candied flower petals, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Also pipe on frosting designs if desired or use a knife to create swirls in buttercream frostings. Plastic stencils with small designs can also be used (sift powdered sugar or cocoa powder over stencil openings and remove stencil carefully).

If traveling with cupcakes (some travel better than others; i.e. frostings and glazes that harden) during the summer, be sure to chill them first and transport in individual cupcake containers or disposable pans with plastic lids (available in 9x13, single serving or other sizes).

Cupcakes are best consumed the day they are baked.

You may freeze most cupcakes, unfrosted, for up to three months.



Karen’s Kitchen is a weekly column by Karen Freeman of Tarboro. Contact Karen at:

kvfreeman@triad.rr.com to exchange ideas, ask questions, submit recipes, tips or suggestions.

Check out her Web site: http://www.geocities.com/kvfreeman27886/