Spring also seems to bring about a change of food cravings – [...]]]> Today marks the first day of spring and it has announced itself with a gentle warming effect over the last few days. What fun to see life begin to grow, flowers begin to bloom and the feeling in the air change without much effort.

Spring also seems to bring about a change of food cravings – from baked squashes to fresh fruits & veggies. But another thing that spring brings forth is the excitement of delicious flavors baked into an adorable cupcake.

Funny thing with these is that they were the “leftovers” from a larger cake that I made with flowers leftover from another project. Isn’t it delightful how the leftovers can sometimes turn out to be a bit better than the original? Another delight of spring don’t you think?

What are you looking forward to now that spring is here?

I am looking forward to baking up more of these cute & delicious spring cupcakes!

Fresh Orange Cupcakes

1 package of yellow cake mix
1/4 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of canola oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 large eggs

1. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, sugar, and orange zest. Whisk to combine. Add orange juice, canola oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Blend with the mixer on low speed for one minute, then speed it up to medium and beat for 2 more minutes.

2. Fill cupcake papers about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake at 350F until golden in color and a toothpick test comes out clean, about 22-25 minutes.

3. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Tropical Cream Cheese Buttercream

1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon of coconut extract
1 teaspoon of almond extract
1 teaspoon of butter flavoring
1 teaspoon of (clear) vanilla extract
1/4 cup of milk
2 pounds of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of meringue powder
1 tablespoon of fine salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and shortening together at medium speed until light & fluffy, about 1 minute.

2. Add coconut, almond & vanilla extract, butter flavoring and milk and beat at medium speed until completely combined, about 3-5 minutes.

3. Combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt together (NOTE: easiest to do by purchasing a 2 pound bag of powdered sugar and adding the meringue powder and salt to the bag, holding it closed and moving the contents gently to combine) and add to the cream cheese mixture in three parts, beating on low speed until well combined, using a spatula to scrape down the sides.

4. Increase speed to medium and beat for about 1 minute to increase volume. Add additional milk by the teaspoon to reach desired consistency.

5. Use Wilton tip 1M to swirl frosting onto cupcakes.

Since being here in Peru, [...]]]> If you don’t know by now, I drink coffee every morning. In the winter, I drink a cup of hot chocolate or hot tea just about every night. I love the feeling a warm cup brings to your hands and how the hot liquid makes you feel all the way inside.

Since being here in Peru, I have learned how to make my own hot cocoa powder (to avoid spending $4 a box on Swiss Miss packets), found brands of chocolate like Milo and Choco Presto, and enjoyed cups (and cups) of Peruvian Drinking Chocolate.

In celebration of delicious hot cocoa, I offer you an adorable idea of Hot Cocoa Cupcakes. For those of you in other countries, please take a look at Kraft to see the original idea. Instead of using a box mix for devil’s food cake, I made the cakes from scratch (because I had to, not because I wanted to); I tried to make cool whip (because I had to, not because I wanted to) – and it was a flop. With a race against time, Ulrike from Kuchenlatein was so helpful to find a different frosting recipe when I realized my plan D (no, not plan B) wasn’t going to work.

These may not warm you up inside, but they sure will make you smile!

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes
Adapted from kraft.com
Makes 24

2 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of shortening
1 3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup of water

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beating until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add water and flour mixture to the shortening mixture, stirring after each addition. Pour batter into muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.

3. Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks.

4. Frost with Marshmallow Chocolate Frosting. Add miniature marshmallows and sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Marshmallow Chocolate Frosting
Adapted from Cooks.com

2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 small can of evaporated milk
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 cup of small marshmallows

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk and cocoa powder. Cook to 230F on a candy thermometer, or until soft ball stage.

2. Remove from heat and add small marshmallows, stirring until melted. Cool slightly and frost cupcakes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes are being served up for the March Cupcake Hero Contest, hosted by Laurie at Quirky Cupcake.

When I visited again with another team in 2000, I was thrilled to [...]]]> I have tried coffee in many parts of the world and in many parts of Peru. I certainly have a fondness for Colombian coffee. It was the first South American country I traveled to as part of a Christian Missions Team in 1993.

When I visited again with another team in 2000, I was thrilled to visit “the coffee country” once again. Our project that year included work on a somewhat-abandoned home that the hosts wanted to use as a center for kids and the elderly. When we arrived, we were shuttled off to a hotel because they had (gasp!) found a bat inside of the place.

The next morning, they took us and all of our things out to the fenced in abandoned-home. Did they get rid of the bat you ask? Here’s the funny thing, they figured there were so many, they would never get rid of them all so they figured we could just stay alongside the bats. (Ack!) We spent the week doing projects and intermittently killed bats of all sizes. We actually kind of hunted them for the first few days thinking we could rid them ourselves. No such luck!

Oh, and there was no running water on the premises either. So we were living in a bat infested abandoned home with no running water, what seems like a zillion mosquitoes and heat that rivaled India! Mind you, I know it sounds horrible but truthfully all of us had a great time, we accomplished several projects and went home satisfied that we had served the missionaries in Colombia to the best of our abilities.

So back to my indulgence…because we were living with luxurious accommodations and room service was at our every beckoned call…oh, that was in my dreams!…

There were a few working electrical outlets in the house we stayed at. Or now that I think back, maybe there was just one running from the ceiling with an extension cord hanging down partway to the floor in the doorway of the room the guys slept in (did I mention we were on mattresses on the floor?). Every morning, I would get up before the rest and have some time to read the Bible while drinking a cup of coffee.

I would connect the coffee pot to the hanging extension cord and place it on one of the benches to brew my morning cup. My dear friend, one of the hosts, was kind enough to lend me her coffee pot for this purpose and also provided me with a cup to drink from each morning. Not a mug, a plastic cup. I have no recollection why I borrowed the plastic cup instead of the mug…maybe the memory was too painful I blocked it out?

Once the coffee was ready, I would pour it in the plastic cup, my fingertips burning to the touch. At the time, I was obsessed with flavored creamers. But, in Colombia, all I could do was sprinkle a little sugar into the brew since we had no refrigeration and no way to take my cinnamon vanilla creamer down with us!

My morning coffee ritual helps me to start off my day, even now. But, thankfully the coffee pot connected to the hanging cord with the hot plastic mug experience has been put behind me. Now, I faithfully use my French press and enjoy memories of Colombian coffee with treats like this.

Quad Shot Brownie Cupcakes
Makes 12. Inspiration from Glenn’s Recipes

1 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of hot water
1 tablespoon of instant espresso or coffee powder
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of Colombia’s Crema de Cafe (substitute Kahlua)
1/2 cup of whipping cream
1 teaspoon of instant espresso or coffee powder
1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of Colombia’s Crema de Cafe (substitute Kahlua)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

2. Heat water and espresso powder in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve. Add sugar and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boil. Remove from heat, stir in 1 cup chocolate chips until smooth. Cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in flour mixture and spoon into lined cupcake tins.

3. Bake at 350F for 20 to 22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely.

4. Heat cream and espresso powder in small saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve espresso. Add chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in powdered sugar. Chill until frosting is of spreading consistency. Spread onto cupcakes.

5. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These cupcakes are for Laurie at Quirky Cupcake (well in the end they are actually for her husband’s birthday…today…Feliz Cumpleaños!) for January’s Cupcake Hero!

No, not the local supermarket.

I am talking about the ENTIRE COUNTRY OF PERU! That’s right, we are having a NATIONWIDE CENSUS today. Truthfully, I think it is more funny than bothersome. Sure, I had to make sure to buy some last minute items from the tienda, the corner store, last night [...]]]> No, not my favorite store.

No, not the local supermarket.

I am talking about the ENTIRE COUNTRY OF PERU! That’s right, we are having a NATIONWIDE CENSUS today. Truthfully, I think it is more funny than bothersome. Sure, I had to make sure to buy some last minute items from the tienda, the corner store, last night since no store would be open today. But, what this “nationwide shutdown” has granted me is a few more run throughs on my cupcake creation for today’s deadline of the Cupcake Round-Up II at Vanilla Garlic and Cupcake Bakeshop.

I have mentioned before that it is often at night, just as I am willing and ready to fall asleep that thoughts and ideas of recipes crowd my mind. It was one of those evenings a few weeks ago that got me thinking about this idea and I do believe it is *perfect* for the Cupcake Round II - Reinvention.

You may have heard that I have a passion for Peruvian food. I love the flavors, the freshness and the incredible taste! That goes for the soups, the breads, the stews, the seafood and so many other things. However, I must admit their desserts are a bit casera. What do I mean? They are not fancy, delicious, eye-popping kind of desserts. They are rather plain and often lack…something.

Do I like any of the Peruvian desserts? Oh, I like them, don’t get me wrong! But, often my liking them is directly related to me making them again and again – adding, adjusting – until I find that perfect blend of Peruvian recipe with my own touch. Arroz con Leche is a perfect example. If bought on the street, it is a simple mixture of soggy rice, milk, sugar which is sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. But if you are lucky enough to taste the Arroz con Leche made in my house, you are in for a delectable dessert combining creamy rice, sweetened condensed milk (or as I referred to it last night – “Nest-lay” – the Spanish pronunciation for Nestle!), hints of cinnamon and clove, flavored with orange peel and topped off with a splash of port wine. OH YUM!

I wanted to create a cupcake based on Arroz con Leche. Being that I can be somewhat of a perfectionist, my ideal creation would include each and every ingredient I use for Arroz con Leche, just baked into a little cake. My first batch was way to dry and turned out more like Arroz con Leche bread. It will probably taste really good with hot sweet milk. My second batch turned out to be the best in terms of cake texture and form. I will blame my blender for the minor problem I had with the grains of rice remaining in too large of pieces. In an effort to remedy the rice, I added the batter back to the blender which caused the third batch to be too rubbery and not cake-like enough.

Arroz con Leche Cupcakes

1 cup of cooked brown rice (no salt, no oil!) (could use white rice also)
1 cup of low-fat milk
1 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup of Canola oil
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of orange peel powder (if using fresh orange peel, add it to the rice mixture)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons of port wine

Preheat oven to 350F. In a blender combine brown rice, low-fat milk, sweetened condensed milk and oil. Puree until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and orange peel powder. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add rice mixture, eggs and port wine. Stir just until combined. Fill cupcake holders with about 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350F for 22-25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 12-15.

Orange Icing

6 tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons of orange juice
ground cinnamon to decorate

Combine sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar and orange juice; stirring until smooth. Spread over cupcakes and sprinkle with cinnamon. Enjoy!

One day soon, I will make the real version of Arroz con Leche. Promise. (Updated with the Arroz con Leche link.)

Enjoy your special Spiced Sweet Potato Cupcakes!

1/4 cup of butter, softened1/4 cup of shortening1 teaspoon of vanilla1 1/2 cups of sugar2 eggs2 cups of flour1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder1/2 teaspoon of baking soda2 teaspoons of Autumn Spice Mix1 cup [...]]]> Dad, this is my way of wishing you
a very happy birthday from afar!

Enjoy your special Spiced Sweet Potato Cupcakes!