Wild Blueberry Velvet Cupcakes ♥

I have a wild imagination.

I know you probably have some wild in you too.

So I'm sharing a Wild Blueberry Velvet Cupcake recipe with you.

I see blueberries as nature's little edible ♥ gems.  They are blue on the outside..but how sensational is it that blueberries are bursting with violet on the inside!? Think of the blueberry as a beautiful ombre delight.  

My vision of a Wild Blueberry..Swirled with Electric Pink & Electric Blue frosting

(using Americolor Gels).  See my Rainbow Cupcakes Tutorial for how to Create A Rainbow Frosting Swirl.

Blueberries as the "gems" on top.

Sometimes I use chocolate covered blueberries on top. They're pretty and shiny. 

I buy them at my local Bulk Food Supplier.

What makes a cupcake *velvet*?

 Everyone has a different perception of velvet. To me..a velvet cupcake is rich. Rich in color...Rich in flavor..and combines some Luxurious tantalizing flavor journey that you can't quite explain. Leaves you asking, "What is that......Velvet?"

♥

I used Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste to get the perfect color of blue. ♥ If it is too grey of a blue for you, you can also add a tint of purple to your blue batter!

You can liven up the blueberry flavor even more..by cutting a blueberry pop tart into squares.. and baking a square inside of each cupcake.  I pipe a small layer of blueberry batter into the cupcake liner, place a blueberry pop tart square on top  of this first layer.  Then I pipe another layer of blueberry batter on top of the pop tart. Sometimes..I don't even tell people about this surprise. The blueberry pop tart baked inside of the cupcake creates so much wonder.. "What in the world was that amazing gush of blueberry they just bit into?!"

You're turning Violet.♥

Wild Blueberry Velvet Cupcakes.

Your Own Bake At Home Version of my creation!

Ingredients:

1 box of white cake mix
1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk
1/2 Cup Dry Instant Chocolate Pudding or 1 small 3.9 oz packet.
1/2 Cup Canola or Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 Cup Blueberries (thawed if frozen)

Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste + Violet Americolor Gel Paste-A few drops of each until you reach your desired level of blue color.

Optional: 1 packet of Duncan Hines Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 and line your pans with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In one large bowl, sift white cake mix and chocolate pudding (dry right out of the box-not prepared) together.
3. Measure 1 1/2 Cups of Buttermilk in a separate liquid measuring cup.
4. In stand mixer, cream oil and eggs together until evenly whipped.
5. Alternately add your dry cake mix/pudding mixture and buttermilk to the creamed eggs and oil.  Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.
6. Optional:  Fold in 1 packet of Duncan Hines Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations (you can buy these at your local grocery store in the baking aisle. Sometimes they are hard to find which is why I left this optional.  The blue raspberry frosting creations packet enhances the flavor of these cupcakes)!
7.  When your batter is smooth and you have scraped the bowl down a few times to make sure there aren't ingredients left on the bottom of the bowl, begin to add your Americolor gel paste for the blue in the cupcake.  I alternately add 2-3 dots of both Royal Blue Americolor Gel Paste and Violet until I reach a pretty royal blue color!  (see photos above for a match).
8.  Fold in 1/2 Cup Blueberries.
9.  Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cupcake wrapper about 3/4 full with batter.
10.  Bake for about 22-24 minutes or until cupcake springs back up when you touch it.

For those who are sensitive to food colors or prefer a more natural coloring:  The blueberries that you fold into this recipe will do the trick!  It will be more like a blue "swirl" in your cupcakes instead of the dark blue pictured here  Or instead of folding the blueberries in, you can puree the blueberries and pour the pureed mixture into your batter for a darker blue color.

Cream Cheese Frosting:(If you want to pipe the swirls like I did above, make sure you add enough powdered sugar to the frosting until it has peaks when you whip it).

8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)

½ Cup Butter (softened)

3-5 Tablespoons Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

6-8 Cups Powdered Sugar
Optional:  1 packet of Duncan Hines Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations
Edible Gems:  Chocolate Covered Blueberries (I found mine as pictured at the Bulk Priced Food Shop in Greenville, Wisconsin)

Piping tips to use:  French Star Pastry Tip, Open Star Pastry Tip

Optional colors to use in frosting:  Electric Pink, Electric Purple, Royal Purple, Royal Blue, Electric Blue

1.   Whip Cream Cheese and Butter until Creamy.

2.   Add Milk or Heavy Whipping Cream & whip together until blended.

3.   Gradually add powdered sugar until it forms creamy peaks.
4.  Optional:  Whip the Blue Raspberry Frosting Creations packet into your frosting for a light blue color in your frosting and to enhance the flavor of your blueberry velvet cupcake!

Fearless Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes ♥

When I bake, I try to create a story.
The more out of my comfort zone the better.
I just dive right in, and somehow my inspiration turns into an edible storybook. ♥

The Purple Chocolate Maple Bacon Pancake Cupcake

Who says Maple Buttercream Frosting has to be brown?

Inspired by:

Willy Wonka.

Remember the 3 course meal gum he created?

This cupcake is like that.

It's an entire breakfast.......in a cupcake.

The frosting au natural in this photo, which is wonderful too.

The main course: The chocolate cupcake.

Instead of baking the pieces of candied bacon inside of the cupcake batter, I fill the middle of the cupcake with tiny little pieces of candied bacon immediately after I am done baking the chocolate cupcake. (While it's still warm).

The entree: Swirls of Maple Buttercream Frosting. ♥

And for dessert.......

a piece of chocolate covered candied bacon.

Some are intimidated by bacon on a cupcake.

Please don't be!

This is why I call these cupcakes the Fearless Chocolate Maple Bacon Cupcakes. ♥  It's one of those things you have to try at least once in your life.  And if you do try a chocolate maple bacon cupcake, you'll want another one.  I know I did.

Recipe for the Purple Maple Buttercream Frosting:

(Adapted to an Amanda Cupcake version from an inspiration of mine, Brown Eyed Baker)

You will need:

8 oz Unsalted Butter

3 T Maple Syrup

1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2-3 Cups of Powdered Sugar (depending on the desired consistency of the frosting.)

Americolor Gel Color:  Regal Purple.

This is the French Fine Cut Star tip I used to decorate with.

It's a #869 and you can buy through Ateco.

1.  Using the whisk attachment on your mixer, cream the butter.

2.  Next, add the Maple Syrup and Vanilla Extract.

3.  Gradually add the powdered sugar to your frosting until you reach a fluffy frosting consistency. You can add more powdered sugar if you want more defined ridges and swirls in your frosting when you decorate.

4.  Now add a few drops of the Regal Purple Americolor Gel Color to the frosting. You have purple maple buttercream.  Inspired by Willy Wonka. ♥

Garnish with candied bacon at your desire. Don't be afraid to dip your bacon in chocolate too for a completely over the top cupcake. ♥ Recipe here for candied bacon!

CUPCAKE LOVE GIVEAWAY ♥ WINNERS!!

I have always believed in giving back just as much as you receive.

One thing in my life that I have been rich with is love from friends and family. ♥

I have discovered in owning a new business, sharing and giving my cupcakes for the right cause is just as important as selling my cupcakes.

This last week I decided to give some cupcake love away. Just because.
Just because is a pretty good cause, right?

You can see the announcement for the giveaway here with all the cupcake rules & love given.

I drew the entered names at http://www.random.org/ and drum roll please................here are the winners!

Winner of 1 Dozen Cake Pops:

Congrats to Denise Szelagowski! 

Winner of Amanda Cupcake tee:

Congrats to Brittany A !

Please email me with your mailing addresses and I will send out your surprise packages in the mail!

Click here to email me.

Congrats to the winners, and love right back to all of you.

If I could send the whole world free cake pops, I would.

Maybe when I am a seriously rich & famous cupcake maven, (you know...like the Oprah of Cupcakes or Willy Wonka & his surprise chocolate bar!) that's how I'll find world peace. By randomly sending delicious parcels to your mailbox. ♥

Until then..spontaneous cupcake giveaways!