{Bake} - Holly Cupcakes

{Image Via Martha Stewart}

So I may have be slightly partial to these cupcakes because they celebrate my namesake, but also because they are so deliciously simple to make and offer a cheerful addition to any holiday dessert table. The full tutorial for these sweet little treats can be found here.

{Bake} - Candy Cane Cupcakes

{Image Via Cupcakes Take The Cake}

Chocolate and mint is my favorite holiday combination. (Peanut butter and chocolate is the all time favorite.) The rich smell that always fills the house whenever I'm baking a tasty treat with this flavor combination makes my mouth water. So of course I was drooling the minute I stumbled across this delectable cupcake recipe and wasn't disappointed when I tested it out either. Thanks to  Cupcakes Take The Cake and JavaCupcake for this ultimate holiday treat!

A dark chocolate mint cupcake topped with peppermint buttercream & candy canes

Makes approx 2 1/2-3 dozen cupcakes

Cupcakes

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar (not packed)

½ cup canola oil

2 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

6 oz baking chocolate 100% cacao

3.5 oz bar of Lindt Intense Mint Dark chocolate bar

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

½ cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line pan cupcake liners.
2. With an electric mixer and a paddle attachment, mix together the sugars, oil, and vanilla.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each egg.  Beat until smooth.
4. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.  Add the melted chocolate in a slow stream to the egg/sugar mixture.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until well incorporated.
5. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda & powder and the salt.
6. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in thirds.  Between each addition, add ½ cup of milk. MIX ONLY UNTIL INCORPORATED. Scrape the sides of the bowl
7. Add the boiling water and fold together by hand.
8. Fill cupcake lines ½ full.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes.  Rotate pan 180 degrees, lower temperature of oven to 325 degrees and bake an additional 4-6 minutes.
10. Cupcakes will be done with a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting
4 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1. In an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended.
2. Add the vanilla extract and blend.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Slowly add the cream.
5. Beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy for 4 minutes.

Garnish
1 box candy canes
Star tip & piping bag full of frosting

1. Unwrap the candy canes and set aside half.
2. Break half of the candy canes into ¾-1 inch pieces
3. Put the second half into a zip loc bag.  Place on a flat, hard surface and pound with the flat side of a large wooden spoon until there are no more big chunks left.  You should have a fine powder with a few small pieces left for dusting the tops of your cupcake.
4. Pipe frosting onto cupcake.
5. To garnish, sprinkle candy cane dusting onto piped frosting.  Place a candy cane piece on top.

{Bake} - Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

{Image Via Duncan Hines}

These cupcakes bridge the holidays and make a terrific dessert centerpiece for gatherings from Halloween to Thanksgiving. The patch is made from both standard and mini cupcakes baked in white and orange liners. Cupcakes are topped with a bonnet of orange frosting. The icing is rolled in orange sugar and the ribs are shaped by pressing a bamboo skewer into the frosting. The patch is finished off with licorice for stems and tendrils. Then pick your favorite and start eating!

Ingredients

12 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice cupcakes baked in orange paper liners

24 mini Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice cupcakes baked in white paper liners

2 pieces of green licorice twists

1 can plus 1 cup of Duncan Hines Creamy Homestyle Classic Vanilla Frosting

Orange food coloring

1 cup orange decorating sugar

Green licorice laces

Baking Instructions 

1) Cut the licorice twists into 3/4 inch pieces to make the pumpkin stems. Tint the vanilla frosting orange with the food coloring. Tint 1/2 cup of the orange frosting a darker shade of orange with more food coloring. Spoon the darker orange frosting into a ziplock bag; set aside.

2) Place orange decorating sugar into a  shallow bowl. Spread the orange frosting on top of the cupcakes mounding slightly in the center. Starting on the edge roll the cupcake tops in the sugar to cover completely.

3) Use a wooden skewer to mark the ridges in the tops of the cupcakes. Starting in the center or slightly off center, lightly press the skewer over the cupcake tops to create 5 or 6 indentations. Snip a very small corner (1/16 inch) from the bag with the darker orange frosting and pipe lines of frosting in the indentations on top of the cupcakes. Insert the cut green twists for the stems and add the green laces, trimmed into shorter pieces to make the tendrils.

{Bake} - Turkey Cupcakes

{Image Via Martha Stewart}

Gobble, gobble, gobble is all you're going to here when these little cupcake cuties are served up! (And it won't be the turkeys either.) Of course you know we can't get enough cupcakes around here so in honor of the fast approaching turkey day, here are some nifty little turkey cupcakes from (who else of course), but Martha Stewart.

DIY - Halloween Hoot Cupcakes

{Image Via Land O Lakes}

I love these cute little owls! So perfect for a fall birthday or halloween party so they just had to be featured for Cupcake Monday. Also I thought it would be fitting as I will be adding my new owl collections to the shop this week, including a special Halloween themed one.

Halloween Hoot Cupcakes

Preparation time: 1 hrs  15 min  Baking time: 19 min 

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes Ingredients:

1		(18.25-ounce) package butter recipe white cake mix
1 1/4		cups water
1/2		cup butter softened
3		egg whites
1		teaspoon almond flavoring
1		cup sweetened flaked coconut

Frosting Ingredients:

3 1/2		cups powdered sugar
1		(8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4		cup butter, softened
1		tablespoon milk

Decorations Ingredients:

48		butter rum-flavored hard candies with holes
		Milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2		cup sliced almonds
24		whole cashews

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine all cake ingredients except coconut in large bowl. Beat according to package directions. Gently stir in coconut. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake for 19 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Combine all frosting ingredients in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.

Frost cooled cupcakes. Place 2 butter rum candies on each cupcake for eyes. Dip bottoms of chocolate chips into frosting; place onto each candy circle to form center of eye. Arrange almonds above eyes for feathers. Add cashew for beak.

Store refrigerated in container with tight-fitting lid.

Recipe Tip
The back of a spoon works great to make decorative swirls when frosting cakes and cupcakes.

Recipe Tip
Butter rum candies with holes are available in bags or rolls. Yellow or orange candies can be substituted for the butter rum.

DIY - Apple Cupcakes

{Image Via Martha Stewart}

Celebrate the fall harvest or back to school with these precious little cupcakes resembling freshly picked apples.

Ingredients

• Red, yellow and green food coloring, as desired
• Simple Buttercream
• Vanilla Cupcakes
• 24 thin pretzel sticks
• Sour green apple candy strips (about 2 1/2 feet)

Directions

1. Using food coloring, tint buttercream as desired.
2. Using an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes with a generous amount of buttercream. Place a pretzel stick in the center of each cupcake to form a stem. Using kitchen scissors, cut candy strips into leaf shapes, and insert one into each cupcake, creating an apple. for each cupcake. Place next to the pretzel stem.

DIY - Little Pumpkin Baby Shower Projects

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{Image Via Creative Party Place}

Use pumpkins to spell out "it's a boy" (or girl) either by writing on them with a marker or carving them and placing a candle inside. Place them on the front steps to greet guests, as a centerpiece on a table or as a focal point of a room.

{Image Via Martha Stewart}

Create unique and seasonal centerpieces by carving out pumpkins and using them as vases for floral arrangements. Also a great idea for fall weddings!

{Image Via Beau Coup}

Delicious pumpkin brownie pops would be the perfect treat for guests. The queen of cake pops, Bakerella has a tutorial here that could be used to create your own.

{Image Via Gourmet Mom}

These adorable pumpkin cheese balls would look fabulous on the table. Just serve with pretzels, crackers or veggies. Grab the tasty and easy recipe here.

DIY - Candy Corn Cupcakes

{Image Via I Heart Cuppy Cakes}

Aren't these fabulous! I am a sucker for cupcakes and candy corn so when I stumbled across this recipe on I Heart Cuppy Cakes I was in heaven. So unique for a halloween party or fall birthday.  I just love them!

DIY - Frog Prince Cake

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{Image Via My Cake School}

Ever enviously watch one of the cake shop shows on TV and wish you could do that? Well now it's your turn to be the Cake Boss with this crazy cute Frog cake design by My Cake School. This fabulous blog offers all sorts of DIY cake designs and projects with simple, clear instructions including this frog cake which would be perfect for your next baby shower or birthday.

DIY - Cowgirl Cookie Jars

{Image Via Bakerella}

What a delicious take home idea from Bakerella! Cowgirl cookie jars contain all the ingredients and directions for your guests to bake up some delightful treats at home. These are also easily converted to cowboy cookie jars. A complete tutorial and a cute label download is available from Bakerella here.

DIY - Sheriff Badge Rice Crispies

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{Image Via The Celebration Shoppe}

What a great idea! Kim at The Celebration Shoppe created these sheriff badge rice crispie treats for one of the take home goodies at her son's birthday. Easily personalized and super yummy they would be a great addition to any take home treat buffet. You can get all the details on how to make your own with Kim's detailed tutorial.

Inspiration - Mustache Mania

{Image via Cake Spy}

{Image via Cake Love}

{Image via Sprinkle Bakes}

Here is a little sample of the delicious eye candy I found for inspiration for the new Stache Bash collection. The last is from a recipe for Moustache Topped Chocolate Cupcakes (can you say yummy!!) I found on Sprinkle Bakes blog. What a deliciously fun project perfect for any Stache Bash!

Bangerang Bake Shop

 

{Images courtesy of Bangerang Bake Shop}

Caution the following images may cause uncontrollable drooling ... and for good reason. Bangerang Bake Shop (formerly Fat Daddy Bake Shop) whips up some of the most delectable and delicious creations and then delivers them directly to your door. With a menu that includes selections like "Plain jane in a party dress" to "The big salty caramella fella" there is something for everyone. Curing that cupcake craving just got a whole lot easier!

 

Growing from their humble beginnings on Etsy, Bangerang Bake Shop has been most recently featured in O magazine and on The Today Show.  The entrepreneurial Mom behind these treats, Nicole Mahler, has always had a certain knack for baking cupcakes and when searching for a way to safely ship these sweet creations, cupcakes in a jar was born. Arriving with a few days of ordering, all of Bangerang's cupcakes are made with the finest freshest ingredients. Preservative free these delights can be eaten within 7 days or frozen for up to 10 weeks, so you can have one now and save one for later ... if you can resist!

These certainly have my vote for a truly unique and delicious favor at any party or wedding, I mean who doesn't love cupcakes?