Chocolate Potato Cupcake

When a friend of mine jokingly asked me to make a Potato Cupcake, I couldn't help myself...and it was actually quite delicious!  When you bite into this cupcake all you can taste is a deliciously moist and rich chocolate cupcake - the only hint of potato is the garnish.  For this spud-tacular cupcake you'll need...

• Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• Milk (enough to replace the water your cake mix calls for)
• 2 Cups Grated Potato (I didn't bother removing the peel if you're wondering...but you can)
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• Green Gel Food Colouring (Optional)
• Garnish Ideas: Plain Potato Chip or Chocolate Covered Potato Chip (you'll need chips and melted chocolate chips to do this...see below for instructions)

And here's my simple recipe...

Step 1: Preheat your oven as directed on the cake mix package.  Add all the ingredients your Chocolate Cake Mix calls for EXCEPT for the water.  Instead of the water, replace the called for amount with Milk. Mix the ingredients together until it's smooth. Stir in Grated Potato until fully incorporated.

Step 2: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 3: For the icing, I decided to make Vanilla Icing and dye it green, but you could leave it white or use Chocolate Icing instead.  So, for my Vanilla Icing, using your mixer beat the vanilla icing and butter on high until smooth. Give your icing a taste and if it's too buttery for your liking add in some icing sugar.  At this point I added in my Green Gel Food colouring until I was happy with my icing.

Step 4 (optional): If you'd like to top your cupcake with a chocolate dipped chip simply melt down 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and dip half your chip in the melted chocolate.  Place the chocolate dipped chip on a piece of wax paper and repeat for as many garnishes as you need.  If you get tired of dipping, don;t worry about it.  Simply garnish some with chocolate dipped chips and some with plain - no one will ever know!

Step 5: It's time to ice your cupcakes.  Spoon or pipe your cupcake with the icing you just mixed up.  Top your cupcake with the garnish of your choice and enjoy the reactions of your guests.

Happy Faking!

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Baby's First Fancy Cupcake #7

A belated CONGRATS to SR and WR who welcomed their baby boy, HNR, in June.  He was a little late to say the least and was quite the sack of potatoes (10 lbs 2 ounces to be exact), which reminds me of a cupcake dare from a friend to make a Chocolate Potato Cupcake...perhaps that will be my next recipe.  Anyways,  I'm sure you'll keep Mom and Dad hopping for many years to come and I can't wait to meet you in August!

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Faking Fancy Cupcake Wedding Centrepieces #2

Before you tackle this Cupcake Wedding Centrepiece, be sure to check out my entry on Cupcake Stands because it will come in handy as you shop.  This centrepiece is another three in one! Not only does it give you a beautiful centrepiece filled with each guests tasty cupcake dessert, but it also serves as the table number.  You can keep it as simple as that, OR you could put each guests name on the cupcakes to add a personal touch.  As for the cupcake featured at the top with the table number...may the best guest get seconds.

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Tie-Dye Cupcake

I LOVE these cupcakes! Just looking at them makes me smile. They are playful and have fun written all over them.  Whether it's a kids birthday, a small celebration or a big retro party blowout, these cupcakes are versatile enough to serve up at most any occasion.  To make this colourful treat you'll need...

• Vanilla Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water - but we're subbing out the water for this one)
• Buttermilk (to replace the water)
• Assorted Gel Food Colouring (as many or as few colours as you'd like)
• Store Bought Vanilla Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• Garnish Ideas: This cupcake doesn't really need a garnish, but if you wanted to up the colour insanity you could always sprinkle rainbow coloured candies or chocolate chips

Now how to make them...

Step 1: Follow the direction of your Vanilla Cake Mix - from preheating your oven through to adding the eggs and oil BUT replace the water it calls for with Buttermilk.  Mix together the batter until smooth.

Step 2: Here comes the COLOUR. Decide how many colours you want to include in your batter.  For simplicity, let's say you go with 6.  Take 6 medium-small sized bowls and divide out your batter evenly - or not...no one will know.  Add your selected Gel Food Colouring to each bowl and mix well.  Now you have 6 different colours of batter!


Step 3: Using a teaspoon,  spoon in a single colour of batter into your cupcake liner.  Alternate between all the colours until you've filled your cupcake liner 3/4 of the way full.  While you're filling each cupcake liner, try tipping the pan slightly as you add a colour so that the layers aren't lying flat on each other.  Bake as directed on the package.


Step 4: While your cupcakes are baking, why not whip up the vanilla icing. Mix together your Vanilla Icing and Butter on high until smooth.  Taste your icing and if it's not sweet enough for you or too buttery add in some icing sugar.

Step 5:  To make your Tie-Die icing, you'll need a piping bag, tip of your choice (I used tip 1M - my favourite!), assorted Gel Food Colouring and a small paintbrush or long stick.  Take your piping bag and brush or scrape on a long stripe of Gel Food Colouring on the inside of the bag.  Alternate around the colouring around the inside of your bag until it looks like a multicolour peppermint wheel.  Carefully spoon in the icing trying not to mess up the sides - you'll touch the sides a bit but it's not a big deal.  Pipe the icing on as you normally would and it will come out rainbow streaked!

Happy Faking!

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Baby's First Fancy Cupcake #6

This past weekend I was lucky enough to meet HB and BB's newest addition to their family.  AB was two weeks early and definitely surprised his parents with his arrival having not finished his room.  He is SUPER sweet and I miss him already, but I left this Baby's First Fancy Cupcake behind.  Hopefully him and his parents will be in my neck of the woods to visit in the near future.  And if they do, maybe I'll make him my Tie-Dye Cupcake, if he's old enough that is.

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