The Luck of the Irish

            St. Patrick’s Day is infamously known for being the biggest drinking holiday of the year. Even if you aren’t Irish, it is customary to be decked out in green and chug a good amount of green beer from the moment you wake up until the moment you pass out.

            As I’ve said before, I love to bake for my co-workers at the steakhouse I work at. This year, unfortunately, I had the luck to be scheduled on St. Patrick’s Day, so no green festivities for me. However, I stumbled upon a recipe for Shamrock Shake Cupcakes one day at my internship.

            For those who don’t know, Shamrock Shakes are green milkshakes, made famous primarily by McDonald’s during the month of March, that have a refreshing mint and vanilla flavor. Instantaneously, I decided to make these cupcakes for my co-workers that were in the same boat I was.

Shamrock Milkshake Cupcakes (yields 22 cupcakes)

Ingredients

4 egg whites

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

¼ cup green crème de menthe

½ cup shortening

1 ¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 recipe White Chocolate Frosting

            Green food coloring

Directions

1. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line twenty to twenty-two 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a 2-cup glass measuring cup combine the buttermilk and the creme de menthe. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until mixture is combined.

3. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.

4. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin cups. Cool completely on wire racks.

5. Divide White Chocolate Frosting between two bowls. Tint one portion with green food coloring. Spoon each frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe white and green frostings onto tops of cupcakes to resemble four-leaf clovers. Makes 20 to 22 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.

White Chocolate Frosting (yields 3 ½ cups)

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

6 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 ½ - 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions

Place white baking chocolate in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a small saucepan heat whipping cream just until simmering. Pour over white baking chocolate; let stand, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth; let stand for 15 minutes. Gradually beat butter into melted white chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed, beating until combined. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting reaches piping or spreading consistency. Makes 3-1/2 cups.

            I have to say; these cupcakes tasted exactly like the Shamrock Shakes from McDonald’s that everyone loves so much. With just the tiniest bit of crème de menthe to add the minty flavor and green glow, it is a simple and sweet way to get into the Irish spirit.



*Recipe Compliments of Better Homes and Gardens (http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cupcakes/shamrock-milkshake-cupcakes/)

Two-Tone Trimmed Treats

            My favorite thing about cupcakes is that they are quick and easy to make. However, unlike larger cakes, there is not much room for creative freedom. With that being said, it is important to work with the space that you are given. This morning, I figured I’d share with you my favorite technique for making cupcakes look a little bit more fun; two-tone frosting.

            As I said, cupcakes are quick and easy, and so is this decorating technique. While it may look complicated, as if it would take an hour rather than only five minutes, two-toned frosting is easily doable for even baking beginners.

            All you have to do is take two batches of white frosting, separating them evenly. Color each back a different color of your choosing. When ready to decorate, take an icing bag or icing gun and fill it halfway (vertically) up the side of the bag or gun with frosting color #1. Proceed to do the same with frosting color #2. If doing this correctly, your icing bag or gun should look as if it has been split vertically down the middle. Tie off the bag or cover the gun with the end cap and proceed to frost cupcakes with Wilton tip 1M in a swirling motion. 

             It is, honestly, as simple and easy as that. The receivers of your cupcakes are sure to love this technique and will be begging you for your secret! Two-toned cupcakes add a bit of flare to an otherwise plain and boring dessert. Don’t ever let your cupcakes be dull; with cupcakes, the possibilities are endless.

Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea?

            So this month I have been pretty busy on the cake scene. I recently had an order for a 10-year old’s birthday party. What was the theme? Spongebob Squarepants. When the mother throwing the party added in this fact, I internally groaned. The thought of shaping 35 Spongebob cupcakes made my insides twist and, because I am a full-time student with two part-time jobs, I knew this would be a challenge in the sense of time management. Because of the time constraints and the complexity of the layers of Spongebob’s face (it took extreme attention to detail), I began this project two days before the due date.

            The cupcakes were simple; 17 chocolate and 18 vanilla. Baked in neon blue and green wrappers, I covered each cupcake with a thin layer of buttercream frosting before placing them in the refrigerator to allow them to harden up a bit before adding the first layer of bright yellow fondant (Recommended product: Duff 2-lb. Fondant Tub; available for purchase at nationwide retailers including Michaels and Party City for $19.99).

            Using a circular cookie cutter, I cut 35 yellow faces, placing them upon the layer of buttercream. Moving on, 35 mouths, hand-cut using simply a sharp knife and self-colored black fondant, made their way onto the blank Spongebob faces, adhering to the yellow with only a small dab of water brushed onto the backs. Next came the formation of the eyes, a very important characteristic of Spongebob’s face. With large, piercing blue eyes, the cupcakes were adorned with 70 eyes, each having three layers; white, blue and black. This took the longest of all, cutting out 70 of each color. To do so, simply use circular decorating tips, each being a different size. White, of course, would be the largest tip, followed by blue and finally black. Falling backward, I returned to the mouths, as Spongebob cannot be Spongebob without his famous two buckteeth. Once again, cut out 70 small white squares, proportioned correctly to the size of the black mouths. Attach them using water, as well.

            Now that the hard tedious part is over and done with, using black decorator’s icing and Wilton decorating tip #3, apply three long black eyelashes to each of Spongebob’s eyes. Continue on to add a half-moon nose to overlap the bottoms of both eyes. Using the same tip but pink icing, draw on two bubbly cheeks and your Spongebobs are complete!

            These cupcakes, while time consuming and tedious, were, overall, easy to make a complete hit at any kid’s birthday party. Whether used as the treats to sing ‘happy birthday’ with or a thank-you-for-coming party favor, these cupcakes’ infectious smiles are sure to be contagious.