Iced Tea Cupcake

It wouldn't be summer without a tall glass of Lemonade or Iced Tea at some point.  Since we have the Pink Lemonade Cupcake covered, it's time to serve up the recipe for an Iced Tea cupcake.  To make this summer treat you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Frozen Iced Tea Concentrate (you'll be replacing the amount of water it calls for...and you'll want it to be thawed too)
• Store bought White Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• 1-2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice (optional)
•  1 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest (optional)
• Garnish Ideas: cut down straw, fresh lemon slice, lemon peel curl

Now for the recipe...

Step 1: First things first, thaw your Iced Tea Concentrate because it's pretty hard to mix it in frozen! Once it's a liquid, you can start making your batter.

Step 2: For the most part, follow the direction of your White Cake Mix - preheat your oven and add in your eggs and oil, but replace the water with your Iced Tea Concentrate. Mix the batter until it is smooth. 

Step 3: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on package. Once done, cool completely before icing

Step 4: For the 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.  If you'd like to keep your icing plain, then you're done!  If you'd like a lemony kick to it, add a tsp of Fresh Lemon Zest and 1-2 tsp of Fresh Lemon Juice.  It's really up to you and how lemony you want your cupcake to be and if you want to add the zest or pulp in the icing.

Step 5: With the icing all mixed together, it's time to top your cupcake with the sweet or lemony icing.  Add as little or as much of your icing as you'd like.  You can use a piping bag or whatever icing method you prefer. To garnish your cupcake you could try cutting down a straw and sticking it in the icing with a fresh lemon slice or just top it with a fresh lemon curl.

Happy Faking!

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Pink Lemonade Cupcake

The first day of summer is just around the corner, which means sunshine and VACATIONS.  What better way to enjoy the sunshine and the patio than with a tall glass of lemonade...PINK lemonade to be exact!  This recipe was inspire by just that - summer sunshine and my back deck.  For this recipe you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Frozen Pink Lemonade -concentrate (you'll be replacing the amount of water it calls for...and you'll want it to be thawed too)
• Red Gel Food Colouring (Optional)
• Store bought White Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Zest (optional)
• Garnish Ideas: cut down straw, fresh lemon slice, candy lemon slice

Now for the recipe...

Step 1: First things first, thaw your Pink Lemonade.  For fun, I strained my Pink Lemonade and reserved the pulp for my icing....but you don't need to - after all, it's an awful lot of trouble.  On to the cake mixing!

Step 2: For the most part, follow the direction of your White Cake Mix - preheat your oven and add in your eggs and oil, but replace the water with your Pink Lemonade Concentrate. Mix the batter until it is smooth.  If you'd like to make your batter a little more PINK, add in a small dab of Red Gel Food Colouring and mix well. 

Step 3: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on package. Once done, cool completely before icing

Step 4: For the 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.  Next, you can add in the reserved Pink Lemonade Pulp and/or add a tsp of Fresh Lemon Zest.  It's really up to you and how lemony you want your cupcake to be and if you want to add the zest or pulp in the icing.

Step 5: With the icing all mixed up, it's time to top your cupcake with the sweet (maybe lemony) icing.  Add as little or as much of your icing as you'd like.  You can use a piping bag or whatever icing method you prefer. To garnish your cupcake try cutting down a straw and sticking it in the icing with a fresh or candy lemon slice.

Happy Faking!

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Lemon Blueberry Cupcake

Did you know that the colour associated with Saint Patrick was originally blue?  So why not incorporate a little splash of blue at your Saint Patrick's Day party and test your guests knowledge. These Lemon Blueberry cupcakes will definitely fit the bill with a small splash of blueberry blue!  For this cupcake you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water - but we're replacing the water with Milk)
• Milk (to replace the water)
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Curd (plus some for the centre)
• 2/3 Cup Blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons Blueberry Jam (plus some for the centre) 
• Store Bought Vanilla Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)

And now, on to the recipe...

Step 1: Sort of follow the directions on your White Cake Mix. Start by preheating your oven and add the oil and eggs...but DO NOT add the water.Replace all of the water your cake mix calls for with Milk.  Add in 1/4 of a cup of Lemon Curd and mix the ingredients together until it is smooth.

Step 2: Now it's time to add the blueberries.  It's you're adding frozen berries, you may want to toss them lightly in flour.  That way your batter won't turn purpley-blue.  Add your blueberries and carefully stir them in.  Do not over stir or your batter or your batter will turn purpley-blue no matter what you do.

Step 3: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 4: On to the icing! I was very lucky to receive a delicious bottle of homemade blueberry jam (THANKS MM) that I used for my recipe, but if you don't have a bottle of homemade jam, store bought jam will be ok too. Mix together your store bought Vanilla Icing and Butter on high until smooth.  Add in two tablespoon of smooth blueberry jam - you'll want it to be smooth so that you can pipe the icing onto your cupcake without clogging.   Mix well until smooth and add some icing sugar if it's not sweet enough for you, too buttery or if the jam made it a little too runny.

Step 5: Take your cooled cupcakes and, using a cupcake corer or small spoon, make a small hole in the centre.  If you're using a spoon, you may want to use a knife first to create a small circle and use a spoon to scoop it out.  Make sure you don't go too far down into the centre of your cupcake or your filling will fall out from the bottom when you unwrap it.
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Step 6: Spoon in around 1/2 of a teaspoon of Lemon Curd into the centre of each cupcake.  Pipe your icing around the outside of your cupcakes and spoon in around a  teaspoon of Blueberry Jam into the centre, covering the small dollop of Lemon Curd your already added. Done!

Happy Faking!

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Berry-Lemony Cupcake

Pavlova is a popular Easter/Spring dessert.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of meringue, so here's my take on a pavlova cupcake, minus the meringue.  If you wanted, you could top your cupcake with whip cream, but I opted for vanilla icing.  Here's what you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• 1/2 cup of Lemon Curd (the store bought stuff is perfect)
• 1 tin of Wild Berry Pie Filling
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)

On to the recipe...

Step 1: Follow the directions of your White Cake Mix - from preheating your oven through to adding the eggs, oil, water, etc.  Typically, White Cake Mixes call for egg whites only and not the whole egg... I just add the whole egg.  Mix together the batter until smooth. 

Step 2: Here's where we add some refreshing lemon flavour.  Add 1/2 cup of Lemon Curd and mix it into the batter until fully incorporated. Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners, around 3/4 of the way to the top. But wait,  you still need to add your Wild Berry Pie Filling before baking.

Step 3: Spoon around one tablespoon of Wild Perry Pie Filling and in the middle of your cupcake.  To do all 24 cupcakes, you'll use around 1/2 of the tin.  But don't worry, you'll be using the rest of your Pie Filling in just 10 minutes.

Step 4: Bake your cupcakes for 10 minutes.  The cupcakes will start to rise and the Pie Filling will start to sink into the centre.  After 10 minutes, remove your cupcakes and spoon another tablespoon or so on the middle of each cupcake.  Try to do this as quickly as you can. 

Step 5: Place your cupcakes back in the oven and  bake them for the remaining time as per your Cake Mix package directions.  So, for instance, if your cake mix tells you to bake your cupcakes for 24 minutes, bake for 10 minutes and then 14 minutes.  You may need to bake your cupcakes for 2-4 minutes longer since you interrupted the baking process.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 6: On to the icing.  Mix your vanilla icing and butter on high until smooth.  Try your icing and if it's too buttery for your liking, add in some icing sugar.  You can ice your cupcakes how ever you want.  I'd recommend either spooning it on or using a piping bag so that you don't break the seal on your filling.  And there you have it!  Happy Easter and...   

Happy Faking!

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Lemon Coconut Cupcake

This zippy cupcake is fun and flavourful.  It's so light and refreshing that you'll catch your friends, and even yourself, sneaking a second for good measure.  You can make this recipe with a few twists, like adding Coconut or Lemon Curd to the icing, but here's how I made this winning treat!  First you'll need...

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• 1/3 cup of Sweetened Coconut Flakes (plus more to sprinkle on top of your cupcake)
  
• 1 cup of Lemon Curd (some for the batter and some for the top of your cupcake - the store bought stuff is perfect)
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)

Now it's time to mix things up...

Step 1: Follow the directions of your White Cake Mix - from preheating your oven through to adding the eggs, oil, water, etc.  You'll notice that White Cake Mixes call for egg whites only and not the whole egg.  I usually don't bother with that and add the whole egg.  Mix together the batter until smooth. 

Step 2: Now it's time to add some tropical flavour.  Add 1/2 cup of Lemon Curd and mix it into the batter until fully incorporated. Add in 1/3 cup of Sweetened Coconut Flakes and mix through batter.  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: While you're waiting for your cupcakes to cool, you might as well make the icing!  Using you mixer, throw in the vanilla icing and butter and mix on high until smooth.  Feel free to add in some Coconut and or Lemon Curd to flavour your icing - just because I didn't, it doesn't mean you can't!  Give your icing a taste and if it's too buttery for your liking, add in some icing sugar.

Step 4: Take your cooled cupcakes and spread some Lemon Curd over the top.  Now it's time to top them with your icing.  If you wanted, you could use a piping bag to ice your cupcakes, or you can just spoon it on and carefully spread it over top of the Lemon Curd.  Then, take the back of your spoon, press it gently into the icing and lift it quickly to make spikes that look like meringue.  Sprinkle with the rest of your Coconut and you're done!  For added class, you can toast your Coconut before sprinkling it over the top.  And that's it!    

Happy Faking!

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