Sweets and a Treat

Yummy cupcake sweets from me to my favorite men . . .

Red velvet and Sprinkle's strawberry cupcakes.

And a pretty little treat from me to me . . . 

A pot of mixed tulips in one of my favorite color combinations . . . 

pink, red and white.

Two new cupcake recipes tested.  Both came out very well with good reviews.

Pretty colored tulips from the grocery store I picked up as a treat for myself. 

Grandmother Paula's Red Velvet Cake

(Food Network - Paula Deen)

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter (room temp)

2 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 ozs red food coloring

2-1/2 cups cake flour (to make your own cake flour, take one cup AP flour minus 2 tbsp and add 2 tbsp corn starch)

1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

In mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.  

Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture - mix well.

Sift together flour and salt.  

Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Blend in vanilla.  

In small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.  

Pour batter into three 8" round greased and floured pans.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  

**Note**  I halved the recipe to make about 18 cupcakes.  It worked very well.  I used a standard cream cheese frosting tinted with pink gel food coloring.

You can see the real bits of fresh pureed strawberry.
yummmmm

Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes

(featured on The Martha Stewart show February 2008)

2/3 cup whole or frozen strawberries (thaw if using frozen)

1-1/2 cup AP flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup whole milk, room temp

1 stick butter, room temp

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temp

2 large egg whites, room temp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 12 cupcake liners.

Place strawberries into a small food processor and puree.  You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more berries if necessary or save any extra puree for the frosting.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla and strawberry puree.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.  

With the mixer on low slowly add half the flour mixture.  Mix until just blended.  Add the mil mixture.  Mix until just blended.  Slowly add remaining flour mixture scrapping down sides of the bowl with spatula as necessary.

Divide batter evenly into lined muffin tins and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes.  

Sprinkles' Strawberry frosting recipe can be found here.

**Note** I added some of the strawberry puree to the leftover cream cheese frosting used for the RV cupcakes for the strawberry cupcakes.  

 Are you making some yummy Valentines goodies for your sweeties? 

Thanks for visiting!

Leave a comment so I can get to know you.