Rainbow Cupcakes for Mothers' Day

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

 A tribute and memory to our beloved mom.
With love, from your daughters.

These pretty rainbow cupcakes, are very moist with soft, tender texture. Yummy! Perfect for any occasion!


Happy Mother's Day to all mothers! Wish you a lovely day with your family!

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For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking Seeded Crackers, recipe from Williams-Sonoma : Essential of Baking, or here. The linky will start on 29th May until 7th June. Everyone is welcome! 

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Somewhere Over The Rainbow Cupcakes
(adapted from : The Big Book of Cupcakes, Betty Crocker)
Cupcakes : makes 12
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (I use 2/3 cup)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut extract (did not use this)
3/4 cup canned coconut milk (not cream of coconut)
yellow, green, red and blue liquid food colour

Frosting :
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter or margarine, softened (I use 3/4 cup)
6 cups powdered sugar (I use 1-1/2 cups)
dash salt (omit this as butter is salted)
5 tablespoons milk (1 tbsp)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon coconut extract (omit this)
multicoloured candy sprinkles, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350F. Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-sized muffin cups.
2. In small bowl, mix flour and baking powder; set aside. In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after addition. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon coconut extract. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, half at a time, and coconut milk, half at a time, beating just until blended.
3. Measure about 3/4 cup batter into each of 5 small bowls. For yellow, stir about 6 drops of yellow food colour into batter in first bowl. Tint second bowl green, with 6 drops of green food colour ; third bowl red, with about 8 drops red food colour ; fourth bowl blue, with about 10 drops blue food colour ; and fifth bowl purple, with about 8 drops red food colour and 3 drops blue food colour.
4. Spoon scant tablespoon of yellow batter into each cup, smooth to edge of baking cup with back of spoon. Repeat with green, red, blue and purple batters. (fill cups to 3/4 full)
5. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack to cool.
6. In large bowl, beat 1-1/2 cups butter, the powdered sugar and salt with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract. Add remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Beat until fluffy.
7. Pipe or frost about 1/4 cup frosting onto each cupcake. Sprinkle with multicoloured sprinkles.

kitchen flavours notes :
I've made the full recipe and yields me only 9-1/2 cupcakes. Any changes I've made are listed in blue.

#42/100

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"Choo-choo Train" Birthday Cake

Ask any kid what they would like to have for dinner, the answer is most likely one of those fast food. I asked my son what he wants for dinner and he immediately said "PIZZA"! I knew he would say that! Since yesterday was my son's birthday, he got his wish. We went to Pizzahut for dinner. After that, we had his birthday cake at home.

Made him this "Choo-choo Train" birthday cake which was taken from Betty Crocker's "The Big Book of Cupcakes" and they called this "Snow-capped Gingerbread Train". Since mine is not as beautiful as the one in the book, I'll just name it "Choo-choo Train" birthday cake!  :) 

I just made the basic chocolate cupcake instead of the gingerbread cupcake. The frosting is Cream Cheese frosting. The decorations I used are Smarties, gummy sweets, marshmallows, pretzels sticks for the joining of the wheels and cheezels for the rims of the wheels.

He was happy with his birthday cake. Guess what he reached for first as soon as he has blown the candles? Marshmallows !

My baby is 9 years old! And next year there will be two numbers to his age! Oh my, we are getting older too!   : o)

Chocolate Cupcakes
(adapted from "The Big Book of Cupcakes" by Betty Crocker)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup hot water
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
3/4 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar (I use 180gm)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. (I got exactly 8 regular muffin size and 12 mini cupcakes).
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder, set aside. In small bowl, mix hot water and cocoa until dissolved; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and cocoa mixture, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.
4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks to cool. Frost with desired frosting.

(For regular size, bake for 20-25 minutes and for mini size, bake for 12 to 16 minutes)

Cream Cheese Frosting 

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 to 3 teaspoons milk

4 cups powdered sugar (I use about 3 cups)

1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and 2 teaspoons of the milk with electric mixer on low speed until smooth, beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
2. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time. If frosting is too thin, beat in a small amount of powdered sugar.
3. Leftover frosting can be tightly covered and refrigerated up top 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature to soften; stir before using. Frosts 24 cupcakes (about 2-1/2 cups).

Decorations :

Assorted candies (such as candy-coated chocolate pieces, round chewy caramels in milk chocolate, chewy fruit snacks, licorice twists, hard round peppermint candies, fruit-flavoured ring-shaped hard candles and gumdrops)

Pretzel sticks

Sample-size cones

To Assemble Train :

Make Cream Cheese Frosting, reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating. Frost cupcakes with remaining frosting leaving one regular size cupcake unfrosted. Place 5 regular cupcakes on serving platter. Cut unfrosted cupcake in half; place upside down at front of train as shown. Attach mini cupcakes to both sides of train with frosting and connect with pretzel sticks. Add additional cupcakes to front and back of train as shown. Decorate with candies, pretzel sticks and cone, as desired (attaching with frosting as needed). 

Peppermint Twist Cupcake for Happy Mother's Day

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

Something to ponder ! I have shared this last November,  now is a good time to share this again!

4 YEARS OF AGE Y My Mommy can do anything! 
8 YEARS OF AGE Y My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE Y My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE Y Naturally , Mother doesn't know that , either!
16 YEARS OF AGE Y Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE Y That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE Y Well , she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE Y Before we decide , let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE Y Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE Y Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

Made this cupcake for Mothers' Day. Here's to all Mothers!

I'm sharing this with
Sweets For A Saturday over at Sweet As Sugar Cookies
Cookbook Sundays over at Mom's Sunday Cafe
Sweet Tooth Friday over at Alli n Son
Bake With Bizzy over at Bizzy B. Bakes


Peppermint Twist Cupcakes
(adapted from "The Big Book of Cupcakes" by Betty Crocker)
Makes 24 cupcakes
For the cupcakes :
 2-3/4  cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening or butter
1-2/3 cups sugar
5 egg whites
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/4 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
red paste food colour


For the Peppermint Frosting :
5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 to 8 tablespoon milk


For Garnish :
red food colour

1. Heat oven to 350F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 mixture at a time, add milk, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.
4. Spoon 1-1/2 cups batter into small bowl; stir in 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract and paste food colour to make red batter.
5. Into each muffin cup, spoon about 1 tablespoon white cake batter. Top with about 1 tablespoon red batter, then 1 tablespoon white batter. With table knife, draw an "S" in batter of each muffin cup to swirl batter.
6. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks to cool.
7. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract and 6 tablespoons milk with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Spread scant 2 tablespoon frosting on each cupcake.
8. With tiny paintbrush, "paint"  liquid food colour in swirl pattern on frosting on each cupcake. (I just mix half the frosting with red food colour, put both the white and red frosting in a piping bag and pipe out a swirl pattern)

My Notes :
~ for half a recipe, I only got 9 cupcakes.
~ I use 100gm sugar for half a recipe for the cupcake, the rest of ingredients; just use half from original
~ for the frosting; half from the original