Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Do you love Peanut Butter and Chocolate? Who doesn’t…right? Since one of the most popular cupcakes are the Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes that I shared last year, I decided to change up the recipe a bit and create some new and delicious Stuffed Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes. They start with a Peanut Butter Cupcake that has a Peanut Butter Cup stuffed inside and topped with a creamy Chocolate Frosting. To finish them off…I added another Peanut Butter Cup!

I know Cupcake Tuesday is a bit early this week, but with the Bush’s Grillin’ Recipe Virtual Party tomorrow, I thought it would be best to get started a little early. And besides…I could hardly wait to share these with you all!

Yum! See what I mean? Heaven…I tell you…heaven!

I found the original recipe in the Taste of Home Cupcake Book, and actually combined two of the recipes from the book. The Peanut Butter Cupcakes start with a cake mix, and with just a few other ingredients, they turned out rich and creamy.

The Chocolate Frosting was also a new recipe to me, and it turned out delicious as well.

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Mother’s Day is drawing near! I love flowers…and I’m pretty sure most Moms do! Whether they are blooming in a pot that you painted, blooming cupcakes in a flower pot or flowers you add to the top of the cupcakes…Mom is sure to love them!

We have chatted several times about Candy Clay, the mixture with candy melts and corn syrup that you can mold like fondant, but it’s taste a whole lot better. Well now we are making easy flowers with the Candy Clay, and creating Mother’s Day Cupcakes.

After spotting the May 25th. cover of All You Magazine, I was inspired to come up with my own flowers. The flowers are easy, but do take a little time, so plan accordingly.

Candy Flowers Supplies

• Candy Clay – head on over to grab the recipe
• Jumbo Rainbow Sprinkles {or other sprinkles for the centers}
• Mini flower cookie cutter
• Flower Forming Cup {you don’t have to use this, but it did help a lot to form the flower easily}
• Flower centers – Decorator Tip #3
• Toothpicks
• Tool to make indents in flowers {we used an orange peeler}

How to make Candy Flowers

1. Mix a batch of Candy Clay, I like using White Candy Melts, then just dividing it and adding whatever color I want.
2. Roll out clay to about 1/8 inch thick, cut with flower cookie cutter
3. Lay in forming cup and make indents to give flowers depth. We used an orange peeler and it worked great.
4. Fit decorator bag with #3 Tip and add white frosting {it won’t take much}
5. Pipe on 4 dots of frosting and using a toothpick, add the sprinkle {Tip: if you stick the toothpick in a little frosting, it picks up the sprinkle easier}
6. Remove flower from forming cup and lay aside {you can easily re-form the flower with your hands if you need to}

After the flowers are done, now it’s time to start on the cupcakes. I baked Red Velvet Cake in these fun, colorful cups that I bought from Pick Your Plum. After the cupcakes are cool, it’s time to decorate.

Mother’s Day Cupcakes

• Sprinkles and colored sugar {I used white and blue nonpareils, yellow colored sugar and green jimmie sprinkles}
• Decorator bag fitted with a #12 round tip
• Frosting in colors of your choice

Decorate Cupcakes

1. Fit a decorator bag with #12 tip
2. Color frosting to match liner {I used Wilton Rose Petal, Sky Blue, Leaf Green and Lemon Yellow}
3. Pipe on frosting, making sure there is an outside ring for the sprinkles
4. Add sprinkles to a plate or bowl, dip the edge of cupcake in the sprinkles and roll gently
5. Add flower to top

Mom is sure to love these easy Flower Cupcakes, but you could also use them for a Spring Party, Bridal or Baby Shower or even a little girl’s Birthday Party.

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!

If you are reading this post in email, pop on over to check out all the cupcakes linked up to Cupcake Tuesday!

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Well Happy Cupcake Tuesday my friends! How are you? I have some really fun cupcakes for you today for Cinco de Mayo, and if you don’t celebrate it, you can certainly use them for a fun party cupcake or maybe even a dessert after a Mexican dinner.

The Cinco de Mayo Cupcakes have Chocolate Chili Poppers on them! How fun! While looking through the May issue of Family Fun Magazine, I spotted the Treat of the Month…Chocolate Chili Poppers and thought they would be fun on top of cupcakes.

See…aren’t they fun? And they are easy enough that the kiddos can help you make them…here’s what you will need…

Chocolate Chili Popper Supplies

• Tootsie Rolls – 2 midgets per chili
• Pretzels
• Red and Green Candy Melts

Directions:

1. Place 2 unwrapped midget Tootsie Rolls in a small bowl and microwave for 5 seconds to soften. Carefully {it might be hot} mold the 2 Tootsie Rolls together and roll into a ball
2. Roll into an oblong shape
3. Push pretzel into the middle of the Tootsie Roll {be careful so it doesn’t break} and mold the Tootsie Roll into the shape of a chili
4. Place red candy melts in a measuring cup or glass {something a little tall} and place in microwave to melt. Amount of time will depend on how many disks you are melting. Dip chili into melted candy and place on wax paper until set, about 10 minutes.
5. Break off pretzel so there is only about 1/2 inch showing.
6. Melt green candy the same way to did the red, dip the top of the chili into the melted green candy. Place on wax paper to set

For the cupcakes, I started with a French Vanilla Duncan Hines cake mix and added the ingredients to make it taste more like homemade. Then colored the frosting with Wilton Teal, Orange and Buttercup Yellow, and used a Giant Round Decorator Tip to frost them.

And in case you are baking for the adult crowd…here are the Cinco de Mayo Cupcakes I made last year…Margarita Cupcakes

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!

If you are reading this post in email, pop on over to check out all the cupcakes linked up to Cupcake Tuesday!

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Well we are back from our little cupcake break, thanks to all who bought a copy of Cupcakes! 12 Months of Happiness…I really appreciate your support!

Earth Day is on April 22nd! This is one of those days that we celebrate, that I feel should be celebrated every single day. As a family we try our best to help the environment by recycling, growing our own food and by using products that are earth-friendly.

These Bug Cupcake Cones are a perfect little treat to make with your kiddos for Earth Day! Or maybe even for a Bug Birthday Party.

Another way to help our environment is to cut down on paper, so the cupcakes are baked in Ice Cream Cones. For the Cupcake Cones, I used a Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix and added the ingredients to make it taste more like homemade, and then baked them in Ice Cream Cones using the easy method of baking them upside down.

I frosted them using a Decorator Bag fitted with a #10 Tip. Then the Bug making started…

Any candy or cookies you have will work, here’s what I used…

Caterpillar

• Body – Necco Wafers and Gum Drops
• Eyes – Snowcaps
• Antennae – Colored licorice

Using your hand, press gum drops until flat. Attach to the Neccos with a little frosting. Add the licorice and Snowcaps on with a little frosting.

Bumblebee

• Body – M&M’s
• Eyes – Jumbo Sprinkles
• Wings – Gum Drops

Place M&M’s on frosting, add sprinkles with a little frosting. For the wings, press a gum drop out flat and cut it with a small cookie cutter, any shape will work, I used a tiny leaf.

Butterfly

• Body – Mike & Ike Candy
• Wings – Necco Wafer
• Eyes – Jumbo Sprinkles

Place body on frosting, add sprinkles for eyes with a little frosting. Arrange wings next to body.

Worms

• Oreo Cookies – crushed
• Gummi Worms

Place Oreos in a resealable bag and crush with a rolling pin. Add frosting to cupcake and sprinkle on crushed cookies. Push a worm into the frosting, lay another worm next to it.

Spider

• Body – Mini Oreo Cookie
• Legs – Black licorice
• Eyes – Mini M&M’s

Remove 1 side of the Oreo and place cut legs into the filling, replace top. Add eyes with a little frosting.

Lady Bug

• Candy Rocks
• Red M&M’s
• Black Food Writer
• Eyes – small sprinkle or licorice

Place rocks into frosting. Using a Food Writer, draw dots on the M&M, add eyes with a little frosting

Caterpillar

• Body – candy necklace cut apart
• Head – M&M
• Antennae – licorice

Place candy on top of frosting, add the M&M for the head and the licorice

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!

If you are reading this post in email, pop on over to check out all the cupcakes linked up to Cupcake Tuesday!

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Carrot Cake is one of those traditional cakes that I remember my Mom baking years {and years} ago. The moist cake is chock full of goodness…carrots, raisins, nuts and spices. And although Carrot Cake has been around for a very long time, it never goes out of style.

What better cake to celebrate Easter than with a Carrot Cake? Well…Carrot Cake Cupcakes, of course!

Typically Carrot Cake has Cream Cheese Frosting, but I wanted these Cupcakes to have a light and fluffy frosting to enhance the moist, rich flavors in the cake. A simple combination of Cool Whip and Marshmallow Fluff was perfect.  And with the addition of Reese’s Pieces shaped to look like a carrot, they are the perfect Easter Cupcake!

The Easter Bunny is sure to be pleased with these…

And with all the other Easter Candy the Easter Bunny has, he will be excited to know that these Carrot Cake Cupcakes {without the frosting and decoration} are low in sugar. Truvia Baking Blend is the star of this cake with 30% fewer calories and 60% less sugar.

After trying Truvia Natural Sweetener awhile back in Cranberry Relish , I was really excited to see their new Truvia Baking Blend! And I must say…I was very pleased! The Truvia Baking Blend did not change the flavor in the Carrot Cake Cupcakes, and in fact…I think it enhanced it.

Don’t let the large list of ingredients scare you away, this cake went together really quickly and the little extra effort of chopping carrots and nuts is WELL worth the effort.

Visit Truvia for more delicious recipes! Follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Would you like to try Truvia Baking Blend…here’s a coupon to get your started… SAVE 75¢ on any ONE (1) package of Truvia® Natural Sweetener or Truvia® Baking Blend with sugar

Disclosure: I was sent Truvia Baking Blend to try. As always, the opinions are all my own.

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!

If you are reading this post in email, pop on over to check out all the cupcakes linked up to Cupcake Tuesday!

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

Are you a Basketball fan? Well, even if you don’t usually watch the games, you may have heard, March Madness is upon us. And the Sweet Sixteen starts this weekend. For those of you throwing a March Madness Party, or celebrating…I created some Basketball Cupcakes, specifically IU Cupcakes for Hoosier fans!

The most important game of all {well at least to us} is on Friday when Indiana plays Kentucky. You see my good friend and fellow blogger, Tiffany from Eat at Home is from Kentucky…and of course…we are Hoosiers. So we have a little rivalry going on, not just a Basketball competition, but a CUPCAKE competition!

Blue Velvet vs Red Velvet = Kentucky vs Indiana

This is just a little ribbing between friends…Kentucky vs Indiana. But I think it’s pretty fun!

First, let’s chat a bit about the Indiana University {IU} decoration on the cupcakes. They are made with Candy Clay. I’ve mentioned candy clay a couple times before, so I thought it was high time I share with you how to make it.

In case you are like me, and don’t care for the taste of fondant or don’t like working with it, then Candy Clay is your answer!

I first learned how to make Candy Clay from a couple of my favorite cupcake decorators, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, in their new book, Cupcakes, Cookies & Pies! oh my! It’s easy to work with, but does takes some planning since it needs to rest for 3 hours after you mix it. So no last minute cupcakes with the Candy Clay. You can certainly make up a batch, store it in a resealable bag and use what you need.

I use white candy melts, then I can divide the batch and color it as I need it.

Candy Clay Supplies:

• 1 bag candy melts
• 1/3 cup corn syrup

Welcome to Cupcake Tuesday! Be sure to check out the ALL NEW Cupcake Heaven page! And if you are in need to a special cupcake design, use the “Be a Hero” area!

In case you hadn’t heard…we have been celebrating St. Patrick’s Day…in a BIG way! Today is Day 13 of our 17 days of sharing, and of course since it’s Cupcake Tuesday, I couldn’t help but share some St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes with you!

These little Leprechaun Cupcakes are sure to bring a smile {and a little luck} to your St. Patrick’s Day Celebration!

While looking through Cupcakes, Cookies and Pies, oh my! Book recently, I happen to see Karen & Alan’s adorable little gnomes, so I used inspiration from those to create the Leprechaun Cupcakes. After a little time to figure out how I wanted to do the beard and hat, they went together pretty quickly.

Let’s gather our supplies…

Leprechaun Cupcake Supplies:

• Regular size cupcakes
• Mini cupcakes
• Peach frosting for face
• Green frosting
• Hair – Reddish/Brown frosting
• Hat – Ice cream cones with flat bottom
• Hat – Wilton green color mist
• Hat – green colored sugar
• Hat – about 1/4 cup light corn syrup {not pictured}
• Shamrock – white jumbo heart sprinkles and white jimmie sprinkle
• Arms – green Twizzlers {available in the Rainbow pack}
• Hands – brown, tan or pink Jelly Belly beans
• Eyes – mini chocolate chips
• Nose – chocolate jimmie sprinkles
• Decorator bag, Tips #5 and #104

I’ve broken down the steps for you, hopefully it’s helpful.

1.  Cut off the bottom section of the ice cream cone, about 1 or 1 1/2 inches. Spray it with the color mist {I just did this so the cone wouldn’t show through the green sugar}. Place corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl and heat about 10 seconds until bubbly. Using a pastry brush or paint brush, brush on corn syrup and then sprinkle with green sugar. Place on wax paper to dry.
2. Add the shamrock with a little frosting
3. For the arms, cut a small piece of Twizzler, about 2 inches. Dip the jelly bean into the corn syrup and push into the end of the Twizzler. Place on wax paper to dry. {note: the jelly beans didn’t stay in very well, so you will need to push them in pretty far or attach with something else besides corn syrup}
4. Frost the regular size cupcake with green frosting. Unwrap the mini, cut off the top to make it level, and frost the sides with peach frosting, it doesn’t have to be perfect, most of it will be hidden with hair
5. Using the #5 Tip and brown frosting, pipe hair onto sides of face and back of head. Using the #104 Tip, pipe on the beard
6. Add the Hat and pipe around the bottom of the hat with the #5 Tip
7. Add the eyes and nose
8. Add the mustache using the #104 Tip
9. Add the arms and a little flag from Ireland if you want

Sending a little luck your way…

You may also like the St. Patrick’s Day Cupcakes from last year…

Follow along as we share 17 days of St. Patrick’s Day Food and Fun…

Now it’s your turn…show off your cupcake creations! I’d appreciate a link back and be sure to check out the other cupcakes!