Bailey's Irish Cream Milkshake Cupcakes

Milkshakes are like a creamy, twisty blend of a big bowl of ice cream and fluffy soft clouds!...

Have to be honest.. I never was a big fan of the creamy cold...

but there are a few things en la vida (in life) I can never seem to turn down.

Uno...milkshakes..

.Dos....cream based liquer  and

 Tres...cupcakes! 

So needless to say these Bailey's Irish Cream Milkshake Cupcakes

are enough to lead me to  a sugary sweet Irish Heaven with a spirited twist!

If you are lucky enough to make them for yourself , I'll meet you there too!

 Bailey's Ganache (ganache should be made first to allow time for cooling)

 
Ingredients

1/2 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 tbsp of Bailey's Irish Cream

Directions

1. In a saucepan bring the cream to simmer over medium heat.

2. Remove cream from heat and whisk in chocolate it's completely melted and incorporated well.

3. Whisk in the Bailey's Irish Cream

4. Place in refrigerator until it has a good consistency for swirling or drizzling into the buttercream.

Ingredients

(Bailey's Vanilla Malt Buttercream)

2 sticks butter (room temperature)
6 tablespoons malt powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
6 to 8 cups confectioners sugar

Directions
 
 1. Beat butter on low speed until smooth

2. Add in the malt powder, vanilla extract, Bailey's Irish Cream and milk and 4 cups of powdered sugar. Beat on low for 1 minute.

3. Add in the rest of the sugar, 1 cup at a time and mix on medium speed. Set buttercream aside.

Ingredients

(Bailey's Irish Cream Cupcakes)

 2 1/2 cups cake flour
3 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
3/4 cups  of unsalted butter room temp
3 eggs room temp
3 tsp of vanilla
1/2 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

 
Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. This recipe made me 12 Jumbo Cupcakes
 
2.In a medium bowl mix together all the  dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon
 
3.In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream together the sugar, butter and vanilla for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
 
4. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
 
5.Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the Bailey’s Irish Cream, begining and ending with the flour mixture.
 
 
 6.Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 min. I like to carefully look at mine around the 10 minute mark to watch how they are cooking.
 
7. Once cupcakes are done and cooled, mix in your melted Bailey's Irish Cream Ganache. Next you can use a piping bag or spatula to swirl on your Bailey's Irish Cream Buttercream. Shake on your sprinkles.
 
8. The bottle of Bailey's on top of course is optional. I suggest  you add on when your ready to serve. Just a note...my bottles were 1/4 full when I stuck them in cupcake on top as not to overflow the cupcakes and waste perfectly good alcohol.
 
 
 

Grilled Pineapple & Coco Cupcakes

El verano donde esta?!....Where has the summer gone?....

gone too soon, it happens to me every year I try to relish each day. 

Trying to juggle a healthy mix of chilling on the couch air conditioner breeze blowing through my hair

and running like a wild cavemen through the concrete jungle also known as the  amusement park.

Trying to escape the 105 degree summer sun while standing on line for the colossal jumbo vertical stand-up twister with the 300 ft drop.

Either way I tried it both ways and trying to focus on keeping summer from going away too soon helped me not to realize that summer was halfway over....

and now I can't help but pay attention because I'm receiving letters stuffed with homeroom numbers, binder and paper size requirements and kids requesting Converse sneakers with pictures of doughnuts printed on the sides.

Summer's over but I'm just not ready to let it go so I'm enjoying the sweeter side of summer with these

Grilled Pineapple Coco Cupcakes...

they give me the excuse to light up my grill  sit in the grass and soak up the leftover rays of the beautiful summer sun!

A La Cocina!

ingredients (yields approx. 12 cupcakes)
2 1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 c. milk (or 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. pineapple juice)
3 eggs, separated
2/3 c. grilled pineapple cut into chunks, drained
1 tsp. good quality vanilla extract
12 pineapple rings (approx. 2 cans keep in mind you'll need extra pineapples for the batter)

grilled pineapple directions
Grill pineapple wedges, a cut side down, on a lightly oiled rack set 5 to 6 inches over glowing coals until just charred, about 2 minutes on each cut side.

(If you don't feel like lighting up the grill you can also use your oven being careful to lay the pineapples over the oven rack so that they won't fall through the cracks)

cupcake directions

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.

 

2.In separate bowl cream together butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolks until well blended.

 

3.Pour flour mixture and milk and pineapple juice into your butter mixture, alternating between the two. Add in your crushed pineapples then gently fold in your egg whites.

 

4. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done. Cupcakes will be moist.

coconut buttercream

1 stick butter, softened
1 teaspoon coconut extract
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons coconut milk

 

                                                   

buttercream directions

 

1.Beat butter with a mixer until smooth.

 

2.Slowly beat in powdered sugar and mix until crumbly.

 

3. Add in the  coconut extract and 3 tablespoons of coconut milk and mix until smooth. If needed, add another tablespoon of milk to reach desired consistency.

 

4. Once buttercream is done, you can either frost with spatula or place buttercream in a piping bag and swirl it on top of the cupcake.

 

5. Once cupcake is frosted and set, take your grilled pineapple rings and place them on top.

 

Now it's time to taste la vida dulce!

                         

                                                    

 

 

 

 

 

Cocoa Puffs Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes

How is chocolate not considered a drug?  I mean it's truly the only thing I crave constantly yet lack self- control to resist !

Seriously it literally screams, (not calls) mi nombre every single night.  I don't understand how or why it happens all I know is that it happens.

And when the chocoltay stuff calls, I have no choice but to answer.

Believe me I've tried to resist the temptation and quietly snuggle into my bed without fufilling my semi-sweet desires

but the result is me waking up in a night sweat 3 hours later  and endulging in 3 times the amount of chocolate I originally wanted just to make up for the time my body spent deprived of it while I was sleeping.

Now, please tell me how something with so much poder (power) and control can be left so hapharzadly on every store shelf?!

If your like me and find yourself being so strong in every other area of your life

but instantly weakend by the smell of a freshly unwrapped chocolate bar

than these chocolaty Cocoa Puffs Chocolate Chunk Cupcakes are your sweetest sin!

This is a super-easy chocolate cupcake recipe that comes out moist and delicious!





                                                               Ingredients

For the Chocolate Ganache

3 tablespoons corn syrup

6 ounces heavy cream

12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

You can also use semi-sweet chocolate baking squares like these, all you have to do is microwave them on 70% power mixing every 45 secs until completely melted.

                                                                         

                                           Directions

In a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.

                                                                          
                                                                          Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of flour1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup brewed coffee 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 egg
1 bag of chunk chocolate chips
1 box of Cocoa Puffs cereal

                                                                           Directions

1. Mix all of the ingredients well with a mixer or wooden spoon. Sprinkle chocolate chunks over the cupcake batter. It should be brown and smooth, free of lumps.
2. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes.
3. Once cupcakes are completely cooled, prepare your chocolate ganache and dip the top of each cupcake until completely covered with chocolate.
4. Take a handful of chocolate Cocoa Puffs cereal and sprinkle onto each cupcake, I love to make sure there is a heaping pile so that when a bite is taken you get a mouthful of cocoa goodness!

 

 

El Happy Payaso- Clown Cupcakes

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Everybody loves a clown.....right!? 

Or maybe not?

Maybe only if they are the friendly balloon animal twirling, colorful ball juggling type. The kind with fluffy orange hair and a round red shiny nose. 

Not the kind with a creepy over exaggerated half friendly half sly grin, and huge floppy black shoes.

The kind that chases you all around the fiesta trying to entice you to smell his pretty white flower, only to happily spray you with a cold stream of water right in your unsuspecting face.

Without a doubt these cupcake clowns are the warm-hearted loving kind, after all they have hair made of cotton candy, a bubble gum nose and curls made of rainbow colored popcorn.

I like to think that these clowns come from a magical circus where all clowns are made of sugar and have smiles as bright as sunshine!......

And there is nothing scary about that!

These cupcakes are actually super easy to whip together and lots of fun to create. You can give them all different shades of "hair" and various expressions and smiles.

Any of your favorite cupcake or frosting recipe will do, If you are making these for a birthday party it would be super cute to make. This recipe from the Baked Bree blog sounds really yummy.

Oh and btw, just in case you didn't know El Payaso- is the Spanish word for clown, it's actually a fun word to say and it always makes me smile!

                                                                     Ingredients

Cupcakes & Frosting

 For the "Happy Payasos" you will need the following :
rainbow gumballs
black licorice - I used Haribo Black Licore Wheels
gummy worms
popcorn & dye to color popcorn ( you can find the instructions here)
cotton candy
duff's cake graffiti spray

                                                                    Directions
1. Prepare your cupcakes & frosting following the recipe from above, or one of your liking

2. Cut your black licorice into 1 inch pieces, if you are making 12 cupcakes than you will need 48 1 inch pieces ( this is a nice job for the chicos) and set aside

3. Frost your cupcakes using a icing spatula or knife, being sure to cover the whole cupcake with icing.

4. Next, spray the icing with your pink cake graffiti spray on both sides of the cupcakes, to resemble rosy pink cheeks.

5. Place  the licorice eyes on your cupcake, placing them on like two X's,  you can also use one piece and place them in a straight line like slit eyes. ( The fun thing about these cupcakes are that they are so customizable.)

6.  Now you can place on your gummy worm smile, stick your cotton candy hair on either sides of the cupcakes and sprinkle on your colored popcorn hair.

7. The final finish is placing on the colorful gumball nose.....and VOILA! You have
" El Happy Payaso"...the cutest clown in town!

Rainbow Gold Cupcakes

Every year it feels like the holidays are arriving faster than ever. 

As a little chica I would wait and wait for Christmas to come, my Christmas list ready since mid-summer for the happy handoff on Santa's lap. 

I would count down the days one by one and from November to December and it seemed like it was like 465 days until Christmas, instead of 30. 

But now that I'm older I can't seem to slow down time fast enough, in one moment I'm making milk chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day, than I'm hiding Easter eggs,

before I can even stop to think I'm picking out Halloween costumes

and then before I can even blink I'm flinging up my Christmas tree just to begin gently wrapping everyone of  my 1,500 breakable ornaments ten minutes later.

So it's no surprise to me that this year St. Patrick's Day and Easter are all crammed together in the same month.





 In honor of this year's holiday mash up I decided to make cupcakes that celebrate los dos ( both of them).

They are sweet little rainbow striped cupcakes with a great big golden chocolate filled egg. They are colorful enough to please a Leprechaun and have just enough chocolate for Easter bunny approval!

I thought it would be perfect to make these cupcakes in a flavor that would highlight their sunny appeal, so I replaced the vanilla extract in my buttercream with orange extract.


I even spiked my cake batter with un poquito ( a little bit) too!

The result was a colorful and feliz (happy) cupcake on the outside, with a vibrant orange inside that was like biting into a little piece of Sunshine!

                                                           INGREDIENTS

For Orange Buttercream Frosting-adapted from Gale Gand Recipe

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

 

 

 

                                                     DIRECTIONS

 

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add orange extract and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

 

 

For the Orange Cupcakes-

 

1 box of yellow or white cake mix

 

1 tsp orange extract

 

Follow the instructions on the cake mix box and simply add in a tsp of orange extract.

 

Rainbow Stripes

1 can of vanilla frosting ( Pillsbury)

colorful dye ( enough colors for a rainbow)

 

1.In order to make the rainbow stripes that run along the cupcakes, you need to take a can of classic vanilla frosting.

 

2. Divide about  1/4 cup of frosting into 6 different cups ( or less if you choose) for each color of your rainbow.

 

3. Microwave each cup for about 15 secs until it's a pourable consistency, than add your colors to each cup and mix.

 

4. One color at a time using a spoon, drizzle color along each cupcake until you have a complete rainbow of colors.

 

For the Golden Eggs

Cadbury Eggs

luster dust

vodka

paint brush

 

1. You need to take your Cadbury Eggs and use a edible paint called luster dust, which you can purchase at your local cake supply store or online here.

 

2. I usually just use the top from the luster dust and pour a sprinkling of it directly into the cap.  Then you will need just a little pour of Vodka, enough to wet the paint but not overflow into the cap with the luster dust.

 

3. Next, dip your paint brush into the luster dust/vodka mix and paint directly onto your Cadbury Egg, leave them to dry on a piece of wax paper or baking sheet.

 

4. Once your eggs are dry, gently place them on top of each cupcake, than get ready for all the oohhs and ahhhs you will get from these pretty little treats!