Caramel Apple Cupakes

It's hard to face the fact that my kitchen is gone.

Physically the kitchen is still here.  And right now the dining room table is in it so that new carpet can be put down.   But my kitchen is in transition as the movers came yesterday and packed up all the things that are going to Hawaii with me.  Including my favorite kitchen tools and baking supplies.     

With me is a loose phrase.   I will be there in less than a week.    My stuff may be there by Thanksgiving.   My bathroom is a holding area for everything that's going in my checked luggage and carry on.    Like Hunter Hayes sings, "who wants easy?  I want crazy."  

Even though I don't have a kitchen any more, I still have some of these cupcakes left.   

I'm not really cooking from scratch right now, so I was stoked to find Pillsbury Caramel Apple Cake Mix which was new to me.    It was a treat to see that Caramel Apple Milky Ways made it back into the stores for the season again this fall.

I put the two together, with a little homemade cream cheese frosting and served these at my Liquor Cabinet Liquidation and Aloha Party.     Just so you know, the moving company will not take liquor.   

So we had to drink it.

So sad.   You do what you must.  

What You Need

Cupcakes:

1 box of Pillsbury Caramel Apple Cake mix, and the ingredients on the box required to make 24 cupcakes.

Frosting:

1 8oz package of reduced fat cream cheese

2/3 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons caramel dipping sauce (or ice cream topping)

Garnish:

Caramel Apple Milky Ways

What You Do (in 3 super easy steps)

1.  Prepare the cupcakes using the instructions on the box.

2.  Prepare the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and caramel dip in a small/medium size bowl. 

3.  Once the cupcakes are cool, put a light coat of frosting on top and garnish with a Milky Way.   If there is any frosting left, it makes for a great fruit dip.   

Share with friends.     Because of the cream cheese frosting, store cupcakes in the fridge.   

Do you like all the fall flavored treats that are in the store right now?   

If you're visiting for the first time, like Traveler in the Kitchen on Facebook.   I promise pictures of sunsets and palm trees when I get to Hawaii - it may be a while until I have a kitchen, but I'm guaranteed to be eating something fun.   I just read about Musubi sandwiches yesterday, maybe I'll be trying that!

Margarita Cupcakes

Margaritas are a long standing tradition in my family. When we get together, especially if we're out on a deck or patio, the tequila and lime are at the ready. Mom isn't the "Margarita Mama" for nothing.  

So, with a margarita in hand, I present a cupcake that you can enjoy all summer long - no need to limit it just to Cinco de Mayo.

What You Need

For the cupcakes:
1 box lemon cake mix
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup tequila
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 eggs
1 small box lime gelatin

(in addition to the tequila you are drinking, you need a little to brush on top of the cupcakes when they come out of the oven)

For the frosting:
1 cup butter
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon tequila
1 teaspoon lime zest

What You Do

For the cupcakes:
It's real easy.   Preheat the oven to 325 (for a non-stick pan), line your muffin pan with liners.   I was able to make 24 full size cupcakes and another 12 mini's with the batter.  

Combine all cupcake ingredients in a big bowl.   Mix with an electric mixer on low speed for about 30 seconds.    Use a quarter cup measuring cup to fill the muffin cups.   Fill them only about half full so they don't bake over the top of the muffin pan.   Bake for 18-22 minutes until it passes the traditional toothpick test.    If you're making mini-cupcakes, 10 minutes is all you need. 

When the cupcakes come out of the oven, lightly brush the top with tequila.
Let your cupcakes cook before frosting.

For the frosting:
Beat the butter in a large bowl until fluffy.    Add the lime juice, tequila and lime zest.   Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, continuing to beat until smooth and full of butter-creamy goodness.   The frosting is pretty stiff, so I found it easier to use a pastry bag to pipe it on so that I didn't tear up the cupcakes.   If you wanted to thin it out, you could slowly add a little more tequila or lime juice (or even milk).

Garnish with green sugar, sprinkles, lime slices, or cocktail umbrellas.   Salud!


Cupcake recipe slightly adapted from Betty Crocker.  
Awesome frosting recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

 

 

Tis the season.

No, not that season (although I saw it lurking in the back corner of Target the other day.  A light up flamingo with a santa hat, really? ).   

The season of pumpkin and apple spiced everything!    Pumpkin lattes, apple crisp.   You name it and it's out there.   You might as well give in and enjoy.   

And if you're thinking that you need to take a fall treat somewhere in the next few weeks, these pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting are the way to go.

What You Need

For the cupcakes:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie mix - and most cans have 2 cups, so you can either make more cupcakes, or perhaps some pumpkin cookies....)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

For the frosting:
8oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 cups powdered sugar

For the pecan topping:
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

What You Do

Preheat your oven to 350.   Place paper baking cups in 24 muffin cups (I actually made 26....24 for going out and 2 for eating in).

In a large mixing bowl beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and spices with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.     Spoon batter into muffin cups, about 2/3 full.

Bake for 15-19 minutes (check at 15, that's what worked here at altitude).     Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then set on the counter or wire rack to finish cooling. 

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.   Add maple syrup.    Slowly add in the powdered sugar.  If you put it all in at once and at a high speed, you will end up wearing it.   Smooth frosting onto the cupcakes with an off set spatula and top with the pecan topping.

To make the pecan topping cook pecans and sugar over low heat in a skillet for 8 minutes, stirring constantly.    Allow nuts and sugar to cool before frosting and garnishing your cupcakes.

What's your favorite fall flavor?

Screwdriver Cupcakes

Cooking with alcohol was on the brain over the holiday weekend.  The Bananas Foster pancakes were the first thing.   These cupcakes were the second.  Last year I had seen a book called Booze Cakes  when I was out and about.   Naturally I had to see if the library had that.  They did.  I love the Arapahoe library.   I do.  

I looked in my cabinet, still had some Ketel 1 Oranje.   How fortuitous.   This recipe was meant to be.

The recipe indicated it would make 12 cupcakes.   I ended up getting about 40 mini cupcakes and 6 regular size cupcakes.   Perfect for my sister to take in to her co-workers. 

What You Need

Cupcakes:

3 eggs

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2 teaspoons orange zest (I zested 2 oranges - no measuring spoon for me)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup orange vodka

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Frosting:

6 tablespoons butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 tablespoons orange juice (used the juice of the two previously zested oranges)

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 tablespoons orange vodka

food color, if you would like to tint the frosting

Garnish: 

Flaked coconut and orange sprinkles  

Jenni's Frosting Feedback:  I made the frosting according to the instructions in the recipe and thought it was too thin.  I guess I was envisioning a buttercream that I could pipe, but I don't think that's how it was designed.  I ended up adding another cup (maybe 2) of powdered sugar to the frosting to get it a little fuller.   I would frost the mini cupcake then hold it upside down over the bowl for the excess to drip off.   It has a delicious flavor and I have extra frosting left over for another orange vodka buttercream adventure.  Pondering....pondering. 

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pan with liners.  Lightly spray the inside with cooking spray. 

Beat eggs until foamy.   In a mixing bowl, cream butter, mix in sugar and zest.  Beat in the eggs.

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl whist together orange juice and vodka.   Add flour and vodka mixtures to the egg/sugar mixture in three alternating additions.  Fold in coconut.  Pour batter into muffin tins (use a spoon for the mini cakes).  

Bake mini-cakes for 10 minutes.   Bake full size cupcakes for 21 minutes. 

For the icing:  In a mixing bowl cream butter and sugar 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy.  Mix in vanilla, orange juice, and cream.  Fold in vodka.  Feel free to modify the recipe or maybe use your favorite butter cream recipe with a hint of orange if you'd like it to be more sturdy (based on my amateur experience). 

Garnish frosted cupcakes with coconut and/or orange sprinkles.    Listen to your friends heap compliments on you.

Recipe Source:  Booze Cakes