Just Me....and GF Blueberry Muffins

Hey friends. Today I have a post about me. Ok, there will be a recipe at the end but, first, me...This year has been a trying one for me health-wise. I was born with asthma and have struggled with lots of different allergies for as long as I can remember. I've always been able to manage these with an albuterol inhaler, allergy medicine, shots, and the occasional visit to the doctor/pharmacy for antibiotics. I would suffer from the typical change of weather symptoms and you can forget about rolling around in the grass or having a real Christmas tree.

However, up until this year, it's been manageable. I never had to give up being a kid or playing sports. Working out wasn't an issue unless I was sick (who actually works out when they're sick anyway?) Outdoor picnics and visiting people with cats were do-able as long as I remembered to take a pill and bring my inhaler. Of course, over the years, I've had some issues. The occasional asthma attack or sinus inection. A few bouts with bronchitis and, once, pneumonia as a child. But these were spread out over thirty years and, for the most part, controllable with the proper methods.

This all changed in January of this year. I had my first sinus infection at the beginning of the month. I went to the doctor, was prescribed steroids and antibiotics, and sent home. Over the next month I had two more sinus infections and went through two more rounds of antibiotics. Since then, I've had countless ear infections, and I can't even remember the number of times I've woken up congested or with a severe headache. I already watch my MSG intake because too much of that causes migraines. This was something else.

I found an allergy specialist and started immunotherapy (allergy shots) to no avail. In fact, every time I got a shot, I just got sicker. Enough was enough. Something had to change. I spoke to one of my coworkers (the wife of my boss who shed the light on my MSG allergy - for more info read this post) and she told me about a book called Foods That Fight Pain by Dr. Neal Barnard. This book is so great! It contains the Elimination Diet - essentially, a detox plan that empties your system of all toxins and foods that are common triggers for pain, allergy attacks, headaches, etc., and then slowly allows those trigger foods back into your diet, one at a time, to help you figure out which ones are causing problems for you. Trigger foods are different for every person. Reading this book and following this plan helped me figure out that my trigger foods are foods with gluten in them.

Yep. You read that right. I'm a pastry chef with a gluten sensitivity. Let me tell you - this is not cool. Don't get me wrong. I'm truly thankful to have some answers and know that there is hope for a healthy life. It's just a little sad for me to think of all the cupcakes I'll have to give up. Now, I don't believe that I have Celiac's Disease. I can eat gluten in small amounts as long as I'm prepared to face the consequences. Sometimes I'll probably decide that that dark chocolate cupcake is worth the pain and suffering. :) But, for the most part, I will be living a gluten-free life. Thus, I'm looking at a LOT of change around here. Don't worry....you can still expect to find delicious, "normal" desserts here. There will just be the occasional GF recipe to share that says, "yes, having a gluten allergy is livable!" In fact, I'm sharing a yummy muffin recipe with you in this very post that is gluten free without missing any of that muffin-y goodness.

I'm also extremely blessed with a family, friends, and coworkers who are so supportive and cheer me on every step of the way. In fact, my mom wants our family to adapt to a more GF lifestyle and our meals, as a family, are going to start reflecting that! Thank you, Lord, for these people!!

So, without further ado....

GF Blueberry Rice Muffins (adapted from here)

Streusel Topping:

2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons white rice flour
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (or melted salted butter or margarine)

For the Muffins:

1 egg
1/2 cup vanilla rice milk (you can use whatever milk you prefer)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup white rice flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with liners) a 6-cup muffin tin. For the streusel topping, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour. Add oil (or butter or margarine) and mix together until fluffy and incorporated. Texture will be sandy. Set aside.

For the muffins, in another small bowl, combine rice flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Carefully stir in blueberries. In a medium bowl, mix the egg, milk, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice until well blended. Add in the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with streusel topping. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are starting to brown. Allow muffins to cool 5 minutes in pan before removing.

I really love these muffins and am going to experiment with the recipe for different flavors! It was so encouraging for me, especially this early on, to find things that are ok for me to eat, while still tasting good and having the right texture. I think I'm gonna be ok! :)

Don't forget to stop by and enter the giveaway here to win 12 awesome prizes!

Until next time, happy reading, and more importantly, pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you!

Mixed Berry Lemonade {Sunflower} Cupcakes

I know - the title makes you wonder - but I’m so excited to tell you about these cupcakes! They turned out so perfectly (if I do say so myself) and were such a hit! I can’t tell you how fulfilling it is to ghave an idea that comes together, start to finish, and makes other people happy!!

 I made these for a dear friend of our family whose birthday we were celebrating. This lady and her husband are such a huge part of our lives and we are so thankful to know them! Linda is an awesome woman and a huge encouragement and blessing in our lives. Her husband Jim is like a second dad to us and a really great friend to my dad! She is currently going through her third, yes THIRD, bought with cancer and her attitude is just amazing! She knows that God is in control and, while she certainly has her moments, she takes everything in stride and faces it head on – with God leading the way!! I know she has to be scared, but her faith is what gets her through. I’m just so humbled by her. So, when Jim said he wanted to do something for her birthday, I was in! And I knew exactly what I wanted to try. Her favorite flowers are Sunflowers so here’s where my mind went…

Ah! They're just so pretty...I love them!  

Anybody recognize those liners? I got them from Pick Your Plum and love them!! Check out the link on my side bar under "affiliates" for more of their awesome goodies!

Here's how I made these beauties...

Mixed Berry Lemonade Cake

1 box white cake mix

4 egg whites

1 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup frozen (can use fresh) blueberries

1/2 cup frozen (can use fresh) strawberries

2 tablespoons blackberry jam

Juice and peel of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare cupcake pans. Mix all ingredients in mixer until just combined. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full with batter and bake until springy to touch or tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool.

Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, cold

1 teaspoon vanilla

juice and peel of 1/2 lemon (or more depending on desired taste)

yellow gel food coloring

approx. 4 cups confectioner's sugar

Cream butter, shortening, and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, lemon juice and peel and mix until combined. Add sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. If you need more than 4 cups for consistency, add extra a little at a time until you get it where you want it. Add enough food coloring to reach desired color and keep icing cool until ready to use.

You'll be happy to know that I actually took pictures of the flower making process! Now you can see what I'm talking about as I explain the procedure....yay me! 

Step 1

Lightly frost cupcake with a small amount of icing and drop about a teaspoonful of blackberry jam in the center. It's ok if the jam runs because you're going to cover this up with the petals. 

Step 2

Around the outside edge of the cupcake, use a star tip to pipe a row of petals all the way around. To make each petal, press on your piping bag so that the icing starts to come out of the tip, stop pressing, and pull away from cupcake. If you're not comfortable with piping, you may want to practice a few times on parchment or wax paper. Once you get it down and feel comfortable, you can scrape the icing up and mix it back into the bowl to use on the cupcakes (waste not, want not). ;)

Step 3

Last, but certainly not least, move in on the cupcake and pipe a second row of petals, making sure to completely cover the edge of the jam so that you have a round center. Try to place this second row in between the petals of the first row. Voila! A beautiful sunflower cupcake!!

Even if you don't make the sunflowers (although I don't know why you wouldn't...they're so perfect for summer) please try this recipe! It's so delicious and refreshing this time of year. My dad said that these are his favorite so far and, even though I started with a box mix, I still feel accomplished because I doctored it up so much. 

Also, two things you may have noticed. First, A Cupcake Love Affair is now accepting sponsorships through Passionfruit Ads. If you're looking for a place to advertise your blog or shop, stop by my Sponsor page and check out all the options! Second, you may have noticed that my followers count is steadily heading toward the big 200 (well, for me, that's big)! Between GFC and Bloglovin', almost 200 readers are following along with us and I have to tell you that that's really exciting for me! I never thought that many people would be interested and, yet, you all just keep on showing up and coming back for more. Thank you! I've decided to do another giveaway when I reach 200 so spread the word. What will I be giving away? Let me just say this...I won't be the only one giving something away and the number of "bloggy" friends who have volunteered to participate...well, you don't want to miss this!! If you're a fellow blogger and would like to participate in the giveaway, shoot me an email on my contact page.

I hope you're all having a fantastic summer! Until next time, happy reading and more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Red {Velvet} White and Blue Cupcakes

Happy Independence Day, friends! To say that I'm proud to be an American is a huge understatement. I love this country. I love the principles it was founded on, the people who live here, and the flag that waves. I'm so thankful to live in a country where, for hundreds of years, we've had the freedom to worship my Savior and read His Word without persecution or fear of worse. I'm extremely thankful and truly humbled by those who sacrifice each and every day to fight for my freedom and the rights that I enjoy daily.

So, this morning, I want to say thank you. Thank you, Lord, for giving us this great nation and your gift of salvation that really gives us a reason to celebrate. Thank you, forefathers, for believing in something enough to fight for it. Thank you, men and women who serve, for giving of yourselves and putting your lives on the line so that I can remain free. Thank you, Old Glory, for waving and offering us hope. Thank you, America, thank you...

Today I'm sharing, not a new recipe, but a new technique that helped me make these beautful cupcakes. I came across this icing technique one day while wasting time on browsing the internet.

How cool does that look? We had a 4th of July picnic at church Sunday night and I brought these babies. Let me tell you...they were a huge hit! I started with my tried and true Red Velvet cake recipe, added my favorite White Chocolate buttercream, threw in some food coloring and an awesome technique, and there you have it...beautiful, delicious cupcakes perfect for a patriotic celebration!

This is the second time I've used this technique (the first was for my Nutella cupcakes). This time I needed to swirl three colors together and used a straight tip instead of a star. I just loved the result! I should probably warn you...you may be seeing a lot more swirled icing on this blog now that I've got it figured out! :)

I hope that you all have a fun, safe holiday with your friends and family! Before I go, here's a picture of my friend's sweet baby girl, enjoying our picnic (and one of my cupcakes) Sunday night...

Ha! I love it! Until next time, happy reading, happy cupcake-ing, but more importantly, happy 4th of July!!

The Blogging Community: A Community of Friendship, Creativity, Support...& Prayer

Hello, my friends. Today I have a special treat for you...not of the cupcake variety. A few weeks I ago I met Carly at Texas Lovebirds. Some would say it was a chance meeting. I just "happened" to see a tweet about a blog planner that just "happened" to spark my curiosity, I clicked the link and just "happened" to stumble across this lovely blog. Stalker Outgoing person that I am, always looking to make new friends, I began looking around and found way more than just a planner (although I'm happy to say that Carly is making me a lovely planner and I can't wait to get organized around here). However, it just so "happens" that I don't believe in chance or luck. I believe that God ordains my steps and leads me where He wants me to go, and, on that day, where He wanted me to go was Carly's blog. This lady has a beautiful heart and I can't tell you how happy I am to have "met" her. I've been praying about a way to use my blog as a vehicle to share my faith and Carly has part of the answer. Here she is to tell you all about it. I hope that you take the time to read this as it has already changed my thinking and, ultimately, my life. It's all yours, Carly....

Hi, guys! My name is Carly and I blog over at Texas Lovebirds. My blog chronicles my life as a wife, a new momma, and a woman who tries to live by His grace daily. I write for therapy. I write to remember. I write to laugh. I write to relate. I write to connect. I write to inspire. I hope you will find one of those things when you visit my blog.

Today, Heather is so kindly letting me guest post on something that has become somewhat of a passion to me. I am so thankful that she sees my heart and is helping give me an avenue to share it. This post might be a little lengthy, but I hope you'll stick around and hear what I have to say.

A month or two ago, I felt God really tugging on my heart about prayer. I felt Him pushing me to be more than the person who prays before meals, more than the person who prays each night before bed. I felt Him pushing me to truly pray for others when I say I will. I felt Him pushing me to carry other's burdens through prayer.

As I began to make changes in my personal prayer life, I felt God continue to tug my prayer life in a direction I never imagined...toward blogging. I didn't know what to pray so I prayed that blogging wouldn't become an idol. I prayed that I wouldn't stress too much about it. I prayed that my little corner of the blogging world might be a light for someone, somewhere. And in the midst of this prayer, this question came to mind... 

Why can't the blogging community become a praying community?

I didn't really know what that meant or how to involve prayer in the blogging community, so I went back to praying about that question. My mind was consistently brought back to my college campus. I attended a private Christian university in Dallas and all over campus there were prayer boxes. In these boxes, anyone could leave a prayer request. You could be as specific or as vague as you wanted. You could be known or completely anonymous. Most importantly, leaving a request gave you the knowledge that someone was praying for you and your pains and struggles, your joys and triumphs. Those boxes got my wheels turning and I began to realize how helpful an online prayer box could be to many people.

After talking to a blogging friend, I decided to set up a Google Doc where people could leave these requests. The Google Doc form asks you three questions. In these questions you are able to share as much information as you wish.

The form recently launched on my page and can be found at the top of my blog under the tab titled "prayer." Once you've found the form, this is how things will work... 

1) Fill out the form with your prayer request. The information you leave is visible only to me.

2) Click "submit."

3) Know that there is someone praying for you! 

You can leave as many requests as you'd like, as often as you'd like. I just really hope that you'll head over to my blog and utilize this! I feel that it is an incredible opportunity for us to support each other. The Bible calls us to bear each other's burdens and I feel as if there is no better way to do this than through prayer. 

Please, help spread the word about this movement...the blogging community becoming a praying community. Tweet it, Facebook it, and post about it on your blog. This is starting small through prayer requests submitted to me but my mind is racing with ways to make this grow. Your support and your prayer will help this movement more than you know. 

So, let's get started...

Is there something weighing on your heart?

Is someone who is close to you really sick?

Have you just experienced a loss?

Is Satan filling your mind with toxic thoughts?

Are you struggling in a relationship?

Are you feeling hurt by someone?

Are you struggling to forgive someone?

Do you feel God tugging on you to make a change?

Are you celebrating a recent victory?

Are you thankful for all He has given you? 

I'd love to pray for you in any way that I can.

Thank you, Carly. I'm humbled by your heart.

How about you, friends? I'm so excited about this movement! I want to know that my blogging doesn't just lead people to the kitchen because, while that certainly makes people happy, it has no eternal value. I'd hate to think that I reached hundreds, or even thousands, of people with yummy recipes and beautiful cakes...and nothing more. I want people to see my heart, to know my God, to believe that there is someone out there who cares about their souls and their hurts, their fears and joys. Please utilize this tool. Share your requests with Carly. I'm planning on implementing something similar myself here and will let you know when it's up and running. Until then, know that I'm praying for you. That Carly prays for her readers. That God loves you and cares for you more than you could ever know.

Yes, this post was different than what you usually read here. I just truly believe that it's important. I want my little corner of the blogging community is a praying community. Imagine what would happen if this catches on.....

Blessings,

P.S. I'm a guest over at Ladybird Ln today so stop over and say hey! 

PB Chocolate Cupcakes: Treats for Your Soul

Ok, so the title may be a bit dramatic but, seriously, these babies are just delectable. A treat for the eye and tastebuds. I think for me, personally, the ultimate flavor combination is a good, quality chocolate with peanut butter...classic...simple, yet dramatic...satisfying.

My best friend from middle school turned 30 last month and I made these cupcakes for her. Let me tell you a little bit about this girl. We met in the 7th grade and pretty much clicked right away. She's sweet, funny, and just fun to be around. We share the same faith, likes and dislikes, love for sushi and salt & vinegar chips and I love her family and she loves mine! We've been in and out of each other's lives over the last 18 years, had our share of ups and downs, fought with each other, laughed with each other, cried with each other, and lost touch. But through it all, she is still one of the very few people who know me inside and out, accept me for who I really am, and love me in spite of it. I'm so thankful that she moved within 40 minutes of me last year and that I was able to be in her wedding just over a year ago. I don't know what the future holds, but I know that whatever comes, I'll always be able to count on her! Thanks, Danielle! LYLAS!! :)

Danielle and I on the weekend of her wedding :)

Now back to the cupcakes....

Sorry, I know you want the recipes and how-to's but I just love looking at them! :)

Dark Chocolate Cake:


2 cups AP flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder (recipe calls for dutch process)
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup plain greek yogurt (recipe calls for sour cream)
1 1/2 cups water
2 T distilled white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs


Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with liners. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt (or sour cream) and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Divide among cupcake liners. Bake until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes before removing cupcakes from pan.


For the icing, I had some left over Cream Cheese Icing that I added peanut butter to until Danielle said it was enough. :) Yes, she was there with me when I made them and since they were for her...well, she was the boss.


For the chocolate-peanut butter drizzle, I just melted semi-sweet chips with peanut butter in the microwave. Sorry, I don't have amounts for you but it's really just up to you and your taste preference. Of course, the toppers were Reese's peanut butter cups, piped with more icing on top to make them look like mini cupcakes. I couldn't help it....I just love cupcakes! :)


Make these cupcakes! They are so delicious and will turn a rainy afternoon into a delight!! Until next time, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

A Few of My Favorite Things....

Is that song running through your head right now like it is in mine? Every time I read the name of this post, I can't get it out of my head. Anyway, I've been racking my brain as to how to stay active in the bloggy world without an oven and I decided to tell you about some of my favorite things so that you can get to know me a little better....

#1 The beach. I don't really care for swimming in the ocean but I could just sit on the beach (properly sun-blocked, of course) all day with a book and the sound of the waves in the background. It's just so beautiful, peaceful, and oh so soothing!

I wanna be here right now!

#2 Bare Minerals make up. I will never go back to regular foundation again! Never! This stuff is amazing. If you've never tried it and think, "It's just a bunch of hype for a more expensive product." Wrong-o! This stuff works miracles. Flawless, radiant skin every time! It also helps clear up skin problems when used regularly. (No, I wasn't paid or asked to say these things.) This is 100% my opinion!

Foundation & brush, concealer & brush, and blush

#3 Vera Bradley bags. I love all things Vera Bradley! I don't have a favorite print, I have lots of prints that I love. I can't choose just one. I think I've mentioned before that I have a bag addiction. Well, I'd say that 85% of the blame goes to Vera Bradley. I'm obsessed. My family and I went on a weekend beach trip one time and I used my large duffel bag. Dad was getting everything out of the back of the Yukon and I yelled, "Stop! Vera does NOT go on the ground!" To which, he responded, "Who's Vera?" When I pointed to my bag, he rolled his eyes and held my bag hovering over the asphault, waiting for me to take her off his hands. :)

That's 2 duffel bags, 3 purses, a lunch bag, a lunch cooler, 3 wallets, 1 wristlet, 1 lrg cosmetic bag, 1 small cosmetic case, a lrg tote, medium tote, apron, and tin and the prints are Java Blue, Buttercup, Baroque, Hello Dahlia, Twirly Birds Navy, Pirouette, Raspberry Fizz, Peacock, and Classic Black

Happy Birthday Brunch & What's Coming Up.....

Birthday Muffins

Hey friends! This has been a busy week and next week isn't looking any slower! I wanted to take a few minutes and give you all a heads up about what's goin on in my life and what you should expect to be reading about in some upcoming posts. First, remember I told you that we'd be taking a few detours from cupcakes this month because of birthday celebrations at work? Well, today is my second birthday with two more - one on Monday and another on Tuesday - next week. For today's birthday girl, Debbe, we're having a surprise birthday brunch. I made Glazed Spice Muffins that I found on Pinterest (the recipe I used calls them Glazed Doughnut Muffins, but I don't get the correlation between these and doughnuts so I changed it), Breakfast Casserole, and a fruit salad with a Marshmallow Cream Cheese dip. Now, this sweet lady's birthday is actually on Saturday - St. Patrick's Day - but the office is closed on Saturday so we celebrated a bit early.  The muffins were wrapped in birthday themed liners with a candle in one so that we could sing to her and she could make a wish and blow it out. Let's face it, a birthday isn't a birthday without candles , singing, and wishes! We also had juice and coffee and lots of fun! I love surprises!!

Fruit with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Dip (equal parts marshmallow fluff and cream cheese)

The spread :)

Let's see...this week we've had missions conference at church and tomorrow morning is our ladies' breakfast and then church-wide missions banquet in the evening - yes, lots of food. Also, I have friends moving out of state so I'm meeting up with them Sunday night; I have to get things planned for the two birthdays next week - one of which is my BFF, Michal's (from my Lemon & Raspberry post); and I have a bridal shower Tuesday night which will bring us back to cupcakes - Tiramisu and Mint Chocolate Chip - YUM! Oh yes, and two other friends are coming into town over the weekend with lots of plans and fun to be had for all throughout the week!! Whew...I'm tired just typing all of that!

So, what can you be expecting to read next week? Well, first there will be the aforementioned Tiramisu cupcakes in a post titled "I Do with Tiramisu" and "A Luck O' the Irish Month O' Cupcakes #2 - Mint Chocolate Chip for the Bride". There will also be a post about the two special birthdays next week but I don't want to give any surprises away so you'll just have to wait and see....don't let the suspense kill you! ;) Anyway, I'll be happy when life settles down a little bit because I have some really exciting ideas for cupcakes and can't wait to share them with you!

Some fun and exciting news - Terry over at These Peas Taste Funny featured the Green Velvet Cupcakes from my previous post on her Facebook page so head over and check out her fun blog! Thanks, Terry, for the shout out! Also, Kara over at Happy Go Lucky just featured the Lemon & Raspberry cupcakes from last week (thanks to all of you wonderful "clickers") so head on over and check them out on her blog! Thanks, Kara and Amy, for a fun party!

As you can see, great things are happening in my little corner of world and I'm loving every minute! Talk about blessed! As always, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

A Lemon & Raspberry Friendship

As promised, this post is all about lemons and raspberries. When I started this blog I wondered if I would have a hard time coming up with ideas for cupcakes or interesting topics to write about. Silly me. I should have known that my life, by nature, is crazy and quite interesting so how could I possibly have any problems with this? Case in point - my friend, Michal, when I told her about the blog, immediately asked me to start working on Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes to practice for her future wedding. No, she's not engaged but, as any woman knows, you can never start planning your wedding too early!

First, let me tell you a little about what this girl means to me. I believe that God literally made her to be my friend. Truly. Our dads are both Baptist preachers and actually, my dad assists hers as the Associate Pastor at the church we both attend. They both have four daughters, look uncannily alike, get along way too well, have the same birthday, and are probably brothers separated at birth. Michal and I met in 2005 when we started working at the same ministry in central Florida. We got to know each other at work and through our church and discovered that we're basically the same person. So many things about each of us are mirrored in the other. There are few people in this world that I consider a kindred spirit and she is most definitely one of them. You could say that she's the yin to my yang, the pea to my pod, or the raspberry to my lemon. :)

Me and Michal - an oldie but a goodie :)

Now, the reason you're here - the cupcakes. I decided to do these a couple of different ways to give her options. The first is a lemon cake - light and moist - filled with a thick raspberry sauce. Second, a raspberry cake (a tweaked version of my Sweet & Sour Strawberry Cake) filled with a tangy lemon curd filling. The icings are a Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream and a Raspberry Buttercream. I mixed and matched these cakes, fillings, and icings in order to find the combination that best reflects our friendship - sweet & lovely with just a little bit of sass!

These cupcakes aren't for the faint of heart! For me, they're a little too strong in taste. I think I'd prefer to have a neutral flavor mixed in with all the lemon and raspberry. Maybe next time I'll try a vanilla cupcake with lemon and raspberry fillings and icings or the fruity cakes but with a vanilla icing with the sauces on top. I'm definitely not a fan of the result of adapting my S&S cake to raspberry. I don't know what got lost in translation but something definitely did! My coworkers agreed that the cupcake combination they liked was the lemon cake, raspberry filling, raspberry buttercream, and lemon drizzle - Michal really liked that one. So, it's back to the drawing board for the perfect raspberry cake.

The good cupcake :)

Here are the recipes:

Lemon Yogurt Cake ( adapted from  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-yogurt-cake-recipe/index.html ):

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared liners and bake until a cake tester placed in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cupcakes are done, allow them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While they're is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over each cupcake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

*Makes about 20 standard size cupcakes.

Sweet + Sour + Strawberries = Success!

Don't let the word "sour" scare you! These cupcakes are fabulous, in my humble opinion. Maybe a better description would be tart or tangy but then, there goes the alliteration and, Baptist preacher's daughter/grammar-lover that I am, I just can't accept that! (Anyone who grew up in/goes to a Baptist church knows that every good message has an outline with points all beginning with the same letter...I think the grammar thing is self-explanatory). While thinking about cupcakes and researching different recipes for this post, I came across and thought of several ideas, finally deciding on strawberries. The first reason was a pretty simple one - BOGO (buy one get one)! Anyone who knows me knows that I have become a couponer extraordinaire in the last year and a half (for couponing how-to's see the button to the right for www.southernsavers.com) and in my world, BOGO = LOVE! So, I stocked up, washed, chopped and froze what I didn't need for these cupcakes and the baking began.

The second reason for this cupcake is my dear friend, Abi. Abi's favorite cake flavor is strawberry and I've always gone to a box mix for this. Now, don't get me wrong, boxed mixes have their time and place - I have a stock of them in my cabinet for things like cake emergencies, last minute parties, and church pot-lucks - but, hello, I spent a lot of time and money studying to become a pastry chef and I prefer to do things from scratch as much as possible. There's just something about the process of taking a plethora (love that word) of ingredients on the counter, combining them in a bowl, and having a beautiful, delicious creation come out of the oven. Anyway, back to Abi. Abi and her husband, Chase just had their first baby - Thunder Remington - and let me tell you, HE IS PRECIOUS! I can't wait to hear him call me Miss Cupcake (my buddy, Chandler from my first post, is his cousin). Our church threw Abi a shower, for which I made the cupcakes, and I vowed then and there that I would find/create a from scratch recipe before I made her cupcakes again. How ridiculous that I had never tried before. Well, now I have and am so pleased with the results!

To make these delicious, pretty-in-pink cupcakes I took my basic white chiffon cake and changed some things here and there, drawing from ideas I found online. I added pureed strawberries, substituted vanilla extract with raspberry, added a little red food coloring, and used a mixture of sour cream and milk for the liquids. The result is a moist, light, pink cupcake that is divine. The one thing I would change next time is using strawberry extract instead of the raspberry I had on hand for a slightly stronger strawberry flavor. As for the icing, I used my basic cream cheese icing and added sour cream to it. I got the idea from a recipe I saw online that added cream to the icing. This intrigued me. However, as I prefer a slightly tangy, less sweet cream cheese icing, I used sour cream. Again, next time I may add strawberry extract to the icing...maybe not. And, of course, the crowning glory of each cupcake is half a strawberry. One of the many things I remember from culinary school is my Plated Desserts instructor drilling into us that you never serve strawberries on a dessert with the green leaves and stem...next time I think I will though. I just love the look of a little strawberry, completely intact, on top...so cute! Shhh...don't tell my instructor.

So, there you have it. My first custom cupcake creation. Don't worry...tabs are coming soon where I will post pictures and list all of my recipes so you can try them and let me know what YOU think. Not all of the cupcakes I bake and write about here will be mine. After all, I have some fabulous tried and true recipes that I got from many different sources that I wouldn't change a thing about. I really wanted something of my own for this first one, though, and I must say that I feel a certain level of accomplishment. Thank you to all of you who have encouraged me thus far! I hope that you like what you see. Speaking of which, before I go, let me ask. What do you think of my new look? Now, this I cannot take credit for. My beautiful, talented friend, Sarah Yoder, is the creator and artist behind the look. I'm truly blessed to have such a talented friend in my life and am so very thankful for the awesome work she's done. Check out her blog at www.lifeonwalnutstreet.blogspot.com and let her know what you think of her work. Thanks for stopping by and again, happy reading and most importantly, happy cupcake-ing!


Sweet & Sour Strawberry Cupcakes:

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 c granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
5 egg whites
1 t raspberry extract
1 t red food coloring
1 1/4 c pureed strawberries
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 t each baking soda and baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk

Cream Cheese Icing:

2 8oz pckgs cream cheese
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 c sour cream
1/2 t red food coloring (or enough to reach desired color)

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until combined
2. Add egg yolks one at a time, then raspberry extract, food coloring and strawberries; beat until combined
3. Sift dry ingredients and add to strawberry mixture alternately with milk and sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients
4. Mix just until combined
5. In another bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff and add to batter in small amounts, folding gently, until just combined
6. Bake until top springs back when touched.

Yield: 36 cupcakes

For the icing:

1. Combine cream cheese and butter.
2. Add vanilla, food coloring, and sour cream and mix until smooth.
3. Whisk in sugar, a little at a time, then beat until happy with consistency. 

Icing will appear slightly runny. Firm up in refrigerator before piping onto cupcakes. You may top with fresh strawberries if desired.