You are here: Home / Archives for Cupcakes

Chocolate & Irish Cream Cupcakes

April 1, 2013 By + 47 Comments

“A QUARREL IS LIKE BUTTERMILK, ONCE IT’S OUT OF THE CHURN; THE MORE YOU SHAKE IT, THE MORE SOUR IT GROWS.”  Irish Saying

Chocolate and Irish Cream Cupcakes | From My Sweet Heart

The only quarrel that will likely start over these pretty black and white Irish Cream cupcakes is who will get the last one!  Buttermilk is one of the key ingredients in these light and airy cupcakes.  In baking, buttermilk reacts with baking soda to give your product a light texture and also prevents your baked goods from browning too quickly.  A huge thank you to Roxana, of Roxana’s Home Baking; and the founder of The Chocolate Party for pairing chocolate with buttermilk this month!  And since I am a year round fan of Bailey’s Irish Cream, I knew that I would be making these buttermilk cupcakes.  They are soft and light in texture, with a mellow chocolate flavor; but the Irish Cream is everywhere in this recipe. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chocolate Party, Cupcake Heaven, Simple, The Chocolate Party Tagged With: , , , , ,

Espresso Cupcakes with Sweet Mascarpone Frosting

August 10, 2012 By + 37 Comments

“I HAVE MEASURED OUT MY LIFE WITH COFFEE SPOONS.”  T. S. Eliot

Espresso Cupcakes with Sweet Mascarpone Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

There was a time when I believed that I enjoyed the aroma of coffee more than the taste.  But over time,  I have really come to enjoy the flavor.  I don’t drink it daily, but I love coffee, both hot and cold.  And I love how coffee brings a savoriness to sweets like ice cream and cupcakes!  When I first came upon the recipe for these cupcakes, I was really intrigued by the combination of ingredients.  I would never have thought to put lemon zest and marsala wine in coffee cupcakes!  But I thought about running a wedge of lemon along the rim of my espresso cup and it made sense!  There was something else that I really enjoyed about these cupcakes . . . . . [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Simple Tagged With: , , , , ,

Lemony Blue Heart Cupcakes

January 19, 2012 By + 86 Comments

It’s Kitchen Improv!!!

Lemony Blue Heart Cupcakes | From My Sweet Heart

Have you ever watched Chopped on The Food Network?  It’s one of my favorite shows!  How those chefs combine 4 totally obscure ingredients in the most cohesive way in 20 minutes is mind blowing to me!  And though I’d love the challenge, it would take me days to figure out how to put them all together!

Luckily for me, I’ve found a more reasonable, realistic, and fun version of this concept.  It’s called The Improv Cooking Challenge.  And it is hosted by Kristen from The Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.  If Kristen is a harried homemaker, you would never know it.  She’s a wonderful chef, baker, blogger, mother, whose site is filled with amazing recipes for “family style cooking, frugal tips, and an occasional random post”.  And it is awesome!

The premise of The Improv Cooking Challenge is that each month we are given 2 ingredients to incorporate into a recipe of our choice.  I can do that!  This month, we were to utilize lemons and sour cream.  A fabulous combination!  Let me show you how I worked them into a scrumptious and lemony cupcake filled with a creamy lemon and blueberry filling.  Hopefully, I won’t be hearing Kristen say, “Chef Anne, you’ve been chopped!” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Fruity, Kitchen Improv Tagged With: , , ,

Funfetti Cupcakes { sprinkles with a twist}

December 21, 2011 By + 14 Comments

“I MEAN, C’MON NOW.  WHO DOESN’T LOVE A FUNFETTI CUPCAKE?”  Matt B. (my son, at the age of 20)

Funfetti Cupcakes | From My Sweet Heart

HaPpY 21st BiRtHdAy To My Son MATT!!!!

Why do I always feel my age on my kids’ birthdays!?!  So every year I ask my boys (young men!) what they would like me to make them for their birthday.  And Matt always wants a funfetti cake or funfetti cupcakes!  And so last year, when Matt requested funfetti, I asked if he didn’t think he was getting a little old for funfetti.  And my quote for this post was his reply!

Good for you Matt!  We should all remain kids at heart!  And the truth is…..WHO DOESN’T love funfetti cupcakes?!  So this year I asked for a compromise.  Maybe just a little something more sophisticated than your average sprinkle.  After all….he is officially and finally 21 today!  You will laugh when you read how I could even think that what I added was sophisticated!……… [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Simple Tagged With: , , , ,

Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

November 19, 2011 By + 31 Comments

“I WOULD RATHER SIT ON A PUMPKIN AND HAVE IT ALL TO MYSELF, THAN BE CROWDED ON A VELVET CUSHION.”  Henry David Thoreau

Pumpkin Pecan Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

I often walk this fine line of trying to be creative or walking off of the deep end!  And what I’ve learned is that sometimes you just have to leave well enough alone.  Keep things simple and let the ingredients speak for themselves.  And for me, this applies most of all to baking cupcakes.  Maybe I’ve been watching Cupcake Wars too much!  And if you’ve ever seen that show….they combine some funky flavors in one cupcake! But you will find this pumpkin cupcake recipe to be pretty straightforward.  What works well with pumpkin?  For me, it was the warming spices of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice combined with the cool tang of cream cheese, the toasty crunch of pecans and the sweetness of a drizzle of maple syrup.  If these speak to you then……. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Fruity Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Boston Creme Cupcakes

May 23, 2011 By + 15 Comments

“DON’T BE DISMAYED AT GOOD-BYES.  A FAREWELL IS NECESSARY BEFORE YOU CAN MEET AGAIN.  AND MEETING AGAIN, AFTER MOMENTS OR LIFETIMES, IS CERTAIN FOR THOSE WHO ARE FRIENDS.”  Richard Bach

Boston Creme Cupcakes | From My Sweet Heart

HaPpY BiRtHdAy MiKe!!!

I have an amazing story to tell you.  At least it’s amazing and special to me.  I recently had the occasion to have cocktails with my high school sweetheart.  What’s so amazing you ask?  It’s just that we have not seen each other in nearly 35 years!!!

I truly believe that nothing in life is random.  And that everything happens for a reason.  And I am trying to understand why I am given this second chance at friendship.  For me, I think I know.  I struggle to understand how some can take friendship for granted; or worse, can let go so easily after investing much time and emotion.  But second chances of this magnitude don’t come along every day.  And so it is that I know, despite what time has passed, that this is a friendship I will treasure and nurture for all the days of my life.  Mike recently suggested that I get back to our roots and make a Boston Creme Pie.  So here’s  to prom pictures and pansies and Boston Creme Cupcakes and many more birthday celebrations to come…..and to many, many more years of friendship! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Simple Tagged With: , ,

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

April 24, 2011 By + 8 Comments

“LARGE, NAKED, RAW CARROTS ARE ACCEPTABLE AS FOOD ONLY TO THOSE WHO LIVE IN HUTCHES EAGERLY AWAITING EASTER.”  Fran Lebowitz

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

 

Actually, I like carrots.  Though I prefer them cooked than raw.  And even so much better when nestled in sweet cakey goodness! Yet somehow, I still feel healthy when I eat any baked good containing carrots!

These are a cinch to make and very very moist and flavorful.  It was originally a cake recipe and the tops came out kind of flat.  But that was actually the best part.  It taste like a carrot cookie on top of a carrot cake! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Fruity Tagged With: , ,

Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

April 21, 2011 By + 7 Comments

“ANYTHING SIMPLE ALWAYS INTERESTS ME.”  David Hockney

Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

In the culinary world, we speak so often to ‘depth of flavor’ and layering of seasoning and spices.  Honestly, to me, sometimes keeping it extremely simple is best.  I love to experiment with some over the top flavor combinations. But there are those times when I just want to enjoy a basic sugar cookie, or a piece of buttery shortbread, or a spongy madeleine.  And for the first snowfall of the season, I always bake a “snowcake”; a simple bundt cake lavishly dusted with powdered sugar.  The common ingredient in all of these treats? . . . . .

 

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Cupcake Heaven, Simple Tagged With: , , , , ,

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

April 3, 2011 By + 4 Comments

“LIFE IS UNCERTAIN.  EAT DESSERT FIRST.”  Ernestine Ulmer

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting | From My Sweet Heart

 So I live in D.C. where there are an abundance of cupcake bakeries.  And it occurred to me one day….that I could do that!  Okay.  Maybe not in mass.  But I was certainly capable of making something better than a funfetti cupcake!  I am starting off the first post of this very new blog with this cupcake.  Because this was my first attempt at making a “fancy cupcake”.  And it is one of the most scrumptious things….. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chocolate, Chocolate Tagged With: , , , , , ,