Sparkledoodles!

I have a magical recipe to share with you.

It will warm your tummy up when it is cold outside.

It's got enough spice to keep you sassy.

It's nostalgic and special like something your grandmother baked.

♥

Sparkledoodle Cupcakes

Inspired by Snickerdoodles ♥

Cinnamon-alicious Cupcakes whipped with frosting swirls and sprinkled with sparkly cookies!

This little sparkledoodle cupcake believes in you ♥ Consider it your cupcake trophy when you get done baking, you know..when you are sprinkling the last few sparkles on your cupcake! (Right before you are ready to eat it, if you can..because I know it's cute).

Just in case I haven't reviewed this with you already, rule #1 with baking the recipes I share with you. There's no secret here. Make sure you abundantly pour love into your measuring cups.  When you add enough love, it takes you on a flavor journey that will keep you coming back to the amazing day you ate a Sparkledoodle Cupcake.

The Cupcake: ♥

Ingredients Needed:

Box of White Cake Mix (I like Pillsbury, Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker if I am doctoring up a cake mix)

1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk (in place of the water on the cake mix box)

1/3 Cup of Vegetable Oil

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cinnamon 

Instructions:

1.  Preheat your even to 325.

2.  Line Cupcake pans with appx 18-20 cupcake liners.

3.  Pour your Cake mix in a stand mixer.

4.  Add Buttermilk, Eggs and Vegetable Oil, and Vanilla to your mix.

5.  Mix Well, Scraping down sides of bowl until well blended (you can mix for about two - three minutes scraping down bowl in between).

6.  Now, measure your Cinnamon and fold this in with a rubber spatula (this way your cake mix will stay white with little flecks of cinnamon in it instead of turning your batter brown).

7.  Fill each cupcake liner appx 2/3 full and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The Cookie:

(adapted by Emeril Live, sparkles added by Amanda Cupcake!)

Ingredients Needed:

2 3/4 C All Purpose Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 C Shortening

1/2 C Unsalted Butter (Softened!)

1 1/2 C Sugar + 3 Tablespoons

2 Eggs

1 Tablespoon of ground Cinnamon

1 Small Container of Hologram Silver Disco Dust!

Large Sugar Crystals ♥

Instructions:

1.  Preheat your oven to 325.

2.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

3.  Mix 3 Tablespoons of Sugar & Cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.

4.  In one bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.

5.  In Stand Mixer, Cream your Shortening,  Butter, and Eggs together until creamy.

6.  Gradually add the 1 1/2 Cups of sugar and eggs to this mixture.

7.  Add the dry ingredients to this blend and mix well until mixture is smooth and fluffy like the cookie dough of your dreams.

8.  For cookies that will fit on cupcakes: Hand roll the dough into 3/4 inch balls.

9.  Now Dip and Roll ♥  (and by dip and roll, I mean dip your cookie dough balls into the cinnamon/sugar blend and set each cookie dough ball spaced evenly apart on cookie sheets.)

10.  Bake your little labors of love for appx 8-10 minutes, or until they are slightly golden on top.

11.  While cookies are still warm, add your magic: Sprinkle large sugar crystals, hologram silver disco dust, and a small amount of extra cinnamonalicious ground cinnamon on top of each cookie. You now have your cookie trophy for your cupcake!

The Frosting:

13 oz Marshmallow Creme

1 lb of Unsalted Butter (softened)

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

4-6 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1.  In stand mixer, cream butter and marshmallow creme until fluffy. (tip on getting the marshmallow creme out of the jar: warm up a rubber spatula with hot water, dry the spatula and quickly scoop out the fluff with the spatula while it is still warm!)

2.  Add 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla to your blend.

3.  Now add your sweetness! Gradually add powdered sugar to turn this into whipped heaven!

For a more "whipped" frosting, add less powdered sugar. For a more "stiff" frosting, add more!  Remember, since you have a pound of butter in your blend, you can add quite a bit of powdered sugar with out the frosting being too sweet!!

4.  Piping Magic:  For Dreamlike Swirls, I pipe frosting with a round 1M tip.  For larger more texured swirls I pipe with an Extra Large French Pastry Tip!

Inspired by all things sparkly, (including glitter heels that I wear here at my cupcake mansion) and great friends like my friend Amy here who bakes splendid cookies for me as gifts! ♥  

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Cupcakes

I've been reminiscing about my past summer. (All the weddings my cupcakes have attended)!!!  And I plan on continuing with that.♥  But I also have to live in the present moment.

Can I just say I am so stoked and most importantly...grateful?!

This is me beaming in the reflection of my new shiny double convection oven at the Amanda Cupcake Mansion. ♥ It even says "PRO" on it. (The pressure's on now)!

 

As of Friday morning (September 14th) my little cupcake estate was approved by the health department. This is my new kitchen.

 

My "fairy godmother" and I had a toast over Cupcake Wine and cupcakes to celebrate!

 

I even have a view to the outside world while I make cupcakes for you♥

 

This was moving day.  I used to store my entire kitchen under the basement stairs of Cronie's in Waupaca, using crates as makeshift shelves in the basement.  You ask how I stay thin making delicious cupcakes?  Here's your answer. I ran up and down the stairs to get my supplies, all night long.   (FYI, there is glitter foreverly imprinted in the wood of the stairs. I left my mark at Cronie's).

 

And..believe it or not..I made thousands of cupcakes out of this pretty historical single rack oven out of the Cronies kitchen. (I'll never ever forget where I started).  The secret to making sure my cupcakes were baked evenly with this oven?  Making sure the temp was turned down to 250 degrees and rotating the cupcake pans every so often.

 

Now you see why I was smiling in the reflection of my new oven.  With a few tear droplets coming out of my eyes too ♥ It was a *moment* in my time here as Amanda Cupcake.

 

Ok. So you want to know where the cupcakes are.

Here are some that I made right before my move:

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Cupcakes

to celebrate fall.

They are cupcakes that taste just like pumpkin pie..with pumpkin pie pop tarts baked inside!

 

I cut up pumpkin pie pop tarts into little squares. The pop tarts are popping out of the pumpkin colored cupcake..just like they pop out of the toaster!  The sprinkles I added look like they are falling off of the pop-tart. ♥

 

This is what the pumpkin pie pop tarts look like baked inside of a cupcake. Baking a pop tart inside of a cupcake is easy, and after they are baked inside of the cupcake they taste like little pies! 

 

Step by Step:

1.  Cut your untoasted pop tarts up into little squares using a serrated knife. 

2.  Scoop a small amount of batter into the bottom of a cupcake liner and place the pop tart square on top of the batter. 

3.  So the pop tart square is a surprise..I hide it by pouring more pumpkin pie batter over the top of the pop tart!

 

 

Now the recipe for the cupcakes so you can try this at home:

 

Pumpkin Pie Pop Tart Cupcakes ♥

 

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1 (14oz) can of Pumpkin Pie Filling
1 (4oz) box of vanilla pudding (or you can experiment and try other fun flavors like cheesecake, white chocolate, etc).
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk
3 eggs
Box of Pumpkin Pie pop tarts

My main ingredients in everything I bake:
Patience, Sparkles, and LOVE.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
3. Pour your cake mix and pudding powder in stand mixer, whisk until combined.
4.  Gradually add remaining ingredients and mix on medium-high for 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the bowl to incorporate all the ingredients.
5.  Pour batter into tins.
6.  You can place a piece of pop tart in each before baking if desired. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean.
7.Once cooled, top with frosting and poptart.

 

♥

 

 

Tip for the pumpkin pie pop tart cupcakes:  Because there is so much delicious heavy pumpkin action going on inside of the cupcake batter, the pumpkin pie cupcakes are dense & don't rise very high.  You can fill the cupcake liners almost 3/4 full.

 

 

♥

 

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz of Cream Cheese

8 oz unsalted butter

3-5 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar

 

1.  In a large bowl, whip your Cream Cheese & Butter together until creamy.

2.  Add Vanilla Extract and Heavy Whipping Cream.

3.  Gradually add Powdered sugar.  For a more "fluffy dreamy" frosting swirl, use about 2-3 Cups Powdered Sugar.   For a stiffer frosting consistency (good for piping texture), use 3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar.

My Animal Cupcake Entourage♥

I may not be as classic as Little Debbie yet.
And no, I'm not a  fairy tale princess who has talented woodland friends.
...Someday I'd love to travel the world and sign my own recipe books but I am not followed like Lady Gaga by the paparazzi. ♥

But I have been entertained by an adorable entourage of my own.

Animal Cupcakes.

Beavers.

Deer.

Cows.

Frogs.

Owls.

I couldn't help but laugh while I was making the beavers. The tail is a nutter butter cookie.The ears are chocolate m&ms.  The nose is a heart shaped runt, and the teeth are pieces of Trident gum.  I used an edible ink marker to draw the center line down the piece of gum!

Some of them even wore black top hats.  I laughed when one of my facebook cupcake friends said that if the beaver cupcakes could speak, they'd speak in an English accent ♥

A Hereford Cow Cupcake Entourage. Would not be complete with out a mud pie ♥. (it's chocolate frosting)...

A Hereford Cow Variety Pack.

I made the cupcake toppers out of Oreos. Anything you dream of..you can fit on an Oreo. Even something as big as a cow!  That's my philosophy.

Do you remember the frogs with green m&m eyes? 

Or my ladybug cake pops with heart shaped lips and glittery red cheeks♥

I'm starting to think of....an Amanda Cupcake parade!

I made these chocolate peanut butter deer cupcakes for an avid taxidermist.  After seeing and then eating cute deer cupcakes he might feel too guilty and retire from taxidermy, don't you think?! ♥

The antlers are pretzel sticks I broke apart and "glued" together with candy melts.  Their noses are peanut butter candy melts.  I couldn't resist piping  on a little peanut butter frosting tail.

..and yes.. there's even a random one with a red nose. You know who that is, don't you?

More of my entourage...

Vanilla Almond Owl Cupcakes.

With Almond Feathers and Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds around the eyes ♥ Cashews for the Noses. Lifesaver Eyes.

An owl cupcake variety pack!

M&Ms & Peanut Butter Candy Melt Eyes.

Sunflower Seeds used for the noses or feathers.

Edible Glitter.

Of course.

The "Diva" in my cupcake entourage:

Peacock ♥ Cupcakes.

They made an appearance at a wedding shower.

..In my cupcake world, this is what a peacock looks like when getting all dressed up for an event as special as a bridal shower!

VIP Peacocks.

My not-so-secret ingredient I added to all of my animal entourage cupcakes:  Laughter. ♥

Ice Cream Cupcakes ♥

♥

This is my quote for the summer because...

I love ice cream.

I am one of those people that will sneak a big spoon of ice cream out of the carton from the freezer.  And then I can't get enough so I'll walk back and do it again.

And this week has been one of the hottest that I can remember. I have to chart this on my blog because I swear the temperatures here in Wisconsin and east of here are going to go down in history.

If you can't stand the heat..

make ice cream cupcakes.

That's what I did!

Not cupcakes inspired by ice cream.

Cupcakes made with ice cream. ♥

The bottom layer is: Crushed Oreo Cookies

The second to bottom layer: Red Velvet Cake Pop Blend (Red Velvet Cake Crumbled up and Mixed with Frosting)

The third to bottom layer: A Scoop of Ice Cream

A mini layer of red velvet cake pop blend in between.

The top layers:  Whipped Frosting, Cream Cheese Frosting. Chocolate Ganache. ♥

An Ice Cream Cupcake Variety Pack.  Some are topped with Spoons (inspired by my sneaky trips to the freezer for ice cream!)  And others with sugar cone cupcake toppers!

I'd like to do more with my ice cream cone cupcakes. Just completely go over the top. Like accessorize them with the deliciousness you find at an ice cream bar. Think gummy bears, cookie dough bits, reeses peanut butter cups, you name it.  I'll do that next. An "ice cream bar" cupcake.

A hint for making the sugar cone cupcake toppers:  Cut the sugar cone in half with a serrated knife and it will turn your sugar cone into a mini sugar cone.  A much better size for a cupcake topper. ♥

To make your own ice cream cupcakes:

(My recipe was adapted from a segment on Fox 11 Living With Amy from the WI Milk Marketing Board)

You will need:

One Cupcake Pan

12 Cupcake Liners

Ice Cream (any flavor you wish)

One Ice Cream Scoop

Oreo Cookies, Crumbled Up

Your favorite cupcakes-baked, crumbled and mushed up with frosting so that they are the texture of play-doh. I used red velvet.

Accessories:  Maraschino Cherries, Sugar Cones, Sprinkles, Gummy Bears...Oreo Cookies..Mini Wooden Spoons....Delicious Dreams Come True..

1.  Place 12 Cupcake Liners in your Cupcake Pan.

2.  Sprinkle Crumbled up Oreos in the bottom of your cupcake liners.

3.  Next, "pack" your cake pop blend on top of the cookie crumbles. It should stick since it is sticky like play-doh.

4.  Use an Ice Cream Scoop to scoop some ice cream on top of this.

5.  Freeze for at least an hour, or until your cupcake is firm enough that it won't fall apart/melt when you eat it right away. I like that you have to freeze these cupcakes instead of baking them ♥

6.  Quickly (before your cupcake melts) - top it with whipped cream frosting (see recipe below).  At this point you can either choose to freeze this again for another hour..or you can let the whip cream stay soft.

7.  Using a frosting tip, swirl on cream cheese frosting.

8.  Now you can add anything your heart desires-think of what you love to add to your ice cream treat!  I added maraschino cherries, edible glitter, sugar cones, sprinkles, chocolate ganache or chocolate syrup!

Simple..but Wonderful...Whipped Cream frosting:

8 oz Cream Cheese

1/2 Cup Fine Baking Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Almond

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1.  In your stand mixer, combine Cream Cheese and Sugar until fluffy.

2.  Gradually add Vanilla, Almond and Heavy Cream.

3.  Whip at a high speed until you see stiff peaks form, scraping the bowl in between to make sure all ingredients are blended evenly. ♥

Flaming Strawberry Cupcakes

Part of being a hopeless romantic means that I love celebrating life, and dreaming of things others might think impossible.

If I could make everyday some kind of a special holiday, I would.

♥

Yesterday, it was Valentines Day.  I am nowhere near Anti-Valentine's Day.  I enjoy that there is a day we can loudly proclaim we are celebrating loving each other.

The cupcakes I baked on my own little Valentine's Day Eve celebration were intense. An affair to remember, really.

FLAMING STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES.

I took a risk playing with fire, but if you don't take risks, you might never experience something truly amazing. ♥

The Lovers:

Chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes. Oh my.

And You.

The Matchmakers:

Strawberries, Carved out in the center.

Bacardi 151, poured into the strawberry centers.

Have they ever warned you about that "bad boy" you just couldn't resist? Sigh.

I didn't heed any warnings.

I poured  a small amount of Bacardi 151 into the strawberries, and used a match to light the Bacardi on the inside of the strawberry. 

I love love love how the little blue flames look like bubbles from this angle. The beautiful blue flame burned for about a minute.  All I was left with was a delicious chocolate cupcake, and a memory of what once was.

♥

So I ate the cupcake.

And I knew this magical experience was worth the risk.

Orange Dreamsicle Cupcakes In the Winter!

Waking up on a winter morning wrapped up in my snuggie, looking out the window at a fresh snowfall is kind of like comfort food. And when the sun goes down, the sparkles in the snow become twinkly stars.

If I lived in an edible winter wonderland, the snow would be fluffy and creamy and sugary. Like a dream.

Orange and White Winter Dreamsicle Cupcakes.

♥

I used an extra large #9 Open Star Tip to swirl frosting dreams come true.

The tip looks like this and you can buy it at Ateco:

I used a basic buttercream frosting recipe, and added a splash of orange extract. See recipe below.

My favorite brand of icing color (especially their "electric" line of colors!):  Americolor.

Picking up the cupcake with a stick and eating it like an orange dreamsicle in the winter is an indulgent fantasy, truly.  I used mini "Woodsies" popsicle sticks as cupcake toppers. You can buy them at Hobby Lobby.

little dreams ready for delivery.

Simple Recipe for your very own Orange Dreamsicle Cupcakes:

(Makes approximately 24 cupcakes!)

Ingredients needed:

1 box of white cake mix

3 oz package of Orange Jello Mix

3 or 4 oz package of Cheesecake pudding mix

1 1/4 Cup Orange Juice

4 Eggs

1/3 C Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Orange Extract

Optional (and I like adding this..):  1 tsp of Orange Zest

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Line your cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.

3.  In a bowl or a stand mixer, whip all of your ingredients together for approximately 2 minutes.

4.  Once ingredients are blended, use an ice cream scoop to fill your cupcake liners with batter-approximately 2/3 full.

5.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The delicious frosting:

8 oz Cream Cheese
1 Cup Unsalted Buter

1 Tablespoon of Milk or Heavy Whipped Cream

1 Teaspoon of Orange Extract

2 tsp of Orange Jello Powder

appx 6-8 Cups of Confectioners Sugar

Optional:

• Combine 4 oz of cream cheese with your butter & milk
• Add 1 Tablespoon of Orange Zest to the frosting blend.
• Sample your frosting with a popsicle stick ♥ I really recommend this!

Instructions:

1. In your Mixer, Blend Butter and Milk until creamy and dreamy.

2. Add Orange Extract and Jello Powder to the whipped goodness.

3. Gradually add Confectioners Sugar.  This is where you decide how much you want to add. The more sugar you add, the thicker the texture of the frosting.

I add about 3 cups of this to achieve a dreamy swirl of frosting. You can always add more milk to make the frosting creamier.

♥