Cupcake Ghosts

Bring a dessert to life with a simple technique from Karen Tack and Alan Richardson! In the book What’s New, Cupcake? Both of the authors implement a series of simple, plain, and unique alterations to cupcakes. With this dessert, I can emulate a finished piece, one that is creative and very easy.

These are the ingredients that I used:

1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting

2 containers (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed in refrigerator

24 1 ½ - inch balls of ice cream (any flavor)

Multicolored candy-coated chocolate-covered sunflower seeds or chocolates

(Tack and Richardson 157).

I began this dish by prepping the cupcakes. I mixed the batter in with 3 eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. Then, after a few minutes of mixing, I placed it in the oven set to 325 degrees. After a set amount of time has passed, I had the cupcakes fresh and ready.

I began to approach the dish by carving out a spherical shape from the cupcake, not too far from the edges. Tack and Richardson suggested to sprinkle grounded cookies on top of the cupcake, but I decided to take a different route. I excluded that step, and, instead, I went on to filling the hollow portion of the cupcake with a small scoop of ice cream.

At this point, there were only a few more steps to put the final piece of the ghost together. I then coated the cupcake in a swirl-like fashion. As Tack and Richardson suggested, “Pipe a circle of the whipped topping around the base of the cone cake. Pipe a smaller circle on top of the ice cream and the whipped topping to cover the cake, then pipe a third layer of whipped topping, using a squeeze-release-pull motion” (157). This overall created a ghostly effect; the stacked swirls represent an animated outlook of how ghosts are shaped. At the end of this method, I peaked at the very uppermost portion to signify a ghost-like head.

I finished off the dessert by placing two sunflower seeds just below the very top of the frosted twirls to depict eyes. The finished piece was generally very simplistic, yet incorporates different flavors to achieve a desired effect both flavorfully and creatively. Through making this dish, I’m curious as to how else you can transform dishes like these. How do you bring your desserts to life?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Cupcake Ducks

Remodel the world-known cupcake through a series of shapes and design!

Ingredients:

24 vanilla cupcakes baked in yellow paper liners

2 cans plus 1 cup vanilla frosting

Yellow food coloring

12 marshmallows

20 plain doughnut holes

14 orange fruit chews

48 brown mini candy-coated chocolates (M&M’s Minis)

(Tack and Richardson 129).

Cupcakes are usually uniform in its creation, but I decided to utilize variances of forms to create a duck replica. To prep the dish, I began to prepare all the individual parts. I began with the duck’s tail; shaping the spongy piece with both ease and difficulty. In Karen Tack and Alan Richardson’s example, the marshmallow is displayed so it angles like a tail of a duck. For stabilization purposes, I used two toothpicks to connect both the modified marshmallow and doughnut hole to the cupcake.

Following those steps, I got 6-7 tablespoons of frosting and added multiple drops of yellow food coloring in to a bowel. Mixing the paste eventually gave a nice, yellow hue. However, without having the proper tools, I had to figure out a way to dip it into the frosting. After I had the duck structured the way I wanted it, I coated it in the finished frosting look. According to Tack and Richardson, they suggested, “Holding the cupcake by its paper bottom, dip it into the yellow frosting just up to the liner” (131).

Finally, I added the brown coated chocolates to play as the eyes and placed it on the doughnut hole structure. Then, I used the orange fruit chews to act as the beak of the duck. Cutting them in half, I was then able to get the desired size. I flattened the pieces and bent it at an angle where it would resemble an open beak (131). Securing it onto the cupcake was a challenge, but eventually it was pinned in place with delicate pressure.

Creating this dish was a bit of a struggle but was overall had complementary pieces that sufficed. Manipulating the shapes offered a different take on making cupcakes, something I’d usually make with much more ease. Throughout making this dessert I began to wonder: What difficulty do you add to your hobbies?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Cupcakes in Blossom

     For my last go-around with these cupcakes, I want to try something a little different. So, I took on Karen Tack and Alan Richardson's version of a "Mother's Day" cupcake which are simply a bunch of flowers.

Ingredients include:

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• An Array of Colored Decorating Sugars
• 1 Bag Flavored Mini Marshmallows (Assorted Pastel Colors)
• 1 Bag Mini Marshmallows
• 1 Can Vanilla Frosting
• Pastel - Colored Licorice Pastels (Optional)

     This recipe was another quick, 3 step process that came out beautifully. To begin, you were to separate each color of decorating sugar into its own bowl. Next, to create the petals for each cupcake you must cut 22 like-colored marshmallows in half by the diagonal; allowing each of the pieces to fall in your desired color of sugar. You would then shake the bowl and press the cut side into the sprinkles to get coated. Next, a thin coat of frosting is spread along the cupcakes. Following this, you would place your petals first along the outside edge of the cupcake and slowly make your way towards the center (Tack and Richardson 138). To present these on Mother's Day, the authors suggest to, "Arrange  the flower cupcakes on a serving platter. [Buy and] trim green licorice twists to look like stems and place on the platter" (Tack and Richardson 138).

I personally really like the color scheme.

     Once again, a recipe for such great looking cupcakes doesn't get any easier, especially with the intricate help from the authors. As I said in an earlier post, even with the most basic skills needed to complete these cupcakes, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson are ready with their tips and tricks to help you, which is great when you strive for perfect cupcakes to present.

Since these are a Mother's Day - themed treat, I think I may have to make these come May 14th. Will You?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What's New, Cupcake?. New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010.

Cupcake Roses

An elegant dessert served with candy, frosting, and cupcakes require quite a bit of detailing! A cupcake rose is a savory snack with a simple touch to the world’s favorite cupcake! With a few key ingredients, this recipe can be mastered:

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 bags (10 ounces each) cherry candy fruit slices

• 6 green fruit chews (Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Jolly Rancher)

• 1 cup red decorating sugar (Cake Mate)

• ½ cup white decorating sugar

• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

• 1 ½ cups small light green jelly beans (Jelly Belly)

(Tack and Richardson 123).

To start off my dish, I began to bake the vanilla cupcakes myself. The batter required a mixture of three eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. With the oven set to 325 degrees, I placed the new mixture inside the oven. While I waited for it to cook, I continued on with my recipe.

The more thorough portion of the recipe all came down to the cherry candy fruit slices. After opening up a package of cherry candy fruit slices, I used scissors to sever the candy and flattened it to become one single, smooth surface. Initially, sugar bits and pieces were pasted on to the candies, and after persistently washing it under water, they became a flat exterior.

I began to cut the small pieces so they rounded at the ends like flower petals. I would have the larger petals wrap around the smaller petals so that it would create a Russian-doll effect. According to Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, they state, “Add another strip of candy, continuing to roll up around the outside of the center, always pinching the bottom end to secure” (Tack and Richardson 123). Rearranging them so that they won’t overlap, I began to pull back the edges to give off a more rose-like effect.

Overall, this cute dish serves as a delightful sweet that brings the family together for any occasion! Going back in to routinely things after the holiday break sets an atmosphere of stress, so getting together with some sweets is a "treat" for all! What dessert lets you wind back?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Hungry Hungry Hippos

     Time for another cupcake recipe! This time, I've got my eyes set on these crazy simple (yet super adorable) hippos which are part of a whole jungle themed design by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.

Ingredients include:

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• Blue Decorating Sugar
• 1 Can Vanilla Frosting
• Nutter Butters
• Mini Chocolate Chips
• Orange Froot Loops

     For these little guys, there are only 3 simple steps.

     First, you must "Place the blue sugar in a small shallow bowl" (Tack and Richardson 79). You are then to set aside some of the vanilla frosting into a ziplock bag and tint the rest of the icing into a deep shade of blue using food coloring. You must then spread this on top of the cupcakes and roll the edges in the blue sprinkles. Lastly, to form the hippo heads, you are to press a cookie into the frosting of each cupcake allowing one third of the cookie to hang over the edge, and use the bagged icing as glue to add the hippos chocolate and cereal features (Tack and Richardson 79). 

Hey, that's pretty good.

     Easy right? Nothing too crazy with these steps at all. To make matters even better, these authors have written tips to help you with almost every aspect of their recipes. For example, they can take you step by step on how to roll your cupcakes in decorating sugar, use a ziplock bag to pipe designs, or even just on how to frost a cupcake. All of these tips are created to help us, the students, achieve the best possible outcome, which is an aspect I've come to love about these authors and their book.

I made these hippos for my 1-1/2 year old cousin to enjoy. Who would you gift these cupcakes to?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What's New, Cupcake?. New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010.

Koi Pond Cupcakes

     For my next cupcake attempt, I'm am to pursue the "Koi Pond" design by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. These little confections are described as, "Koi goldfish made from circus peanuts which transform a simple platter of cupcakes into a golden pond" (Tack and Richardson 99).

Ingredients for these bad-boys includes:

• Vanilla Cupcakes
• 1 Can + a 1/2 Cup of Vanilla Frosting
• Blue Food Coloring
• Orange Circus Peanuts
• Orange Peanut Butter M&M's
• Orange Froot Loops
• Brown Mini M&M's

     While going through this recipe, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy everything was. To begin, you were to place some of the vanilla frosting in a small ziplock bag and set it aside then tint the rest of the frosting with a few drops of blue food coloring and spread this on the cakes. You were then to cut the circus peanuts a variety of ways in order to create the bodies of the fishes, as well as their fins. After assembling the little guys on top of the cupcake, you were to use your set aside frosting as glue to create the fishes face out of M&M's and cereal (Tack and Richardson 99-101). These steps, of course, were far more intricate by the authors, which is great as it leaves little room for error.

     Once again, it was a great relief how simple these cupcakes were, as the only semi-difficult portion was filleting the circus peanuts due to their stiff and crumbly texture. According to the authors, you are to, "[for the fins] place the circus peanuts on their sides and cut lengthwise into two slices...lay each slice cut side down and cut each in half on the diagonal... for the bodies, place the remaining circus peanuts flat side down and make a diagonal cut from one end, moving no more than 1/4 inch..." (Tack and Richardson 99). Having the steps written out was great, however, for this portion of the recipe I found their visual on page 101 more useful as I was able to see exactly what shapes the authors wanted for myself to portray. 

They're a little ugly, but I'm pretty content.

After these cupcakes as well as my last polar bear sweets, I've become pretty keen to making animal-inspired cupcakes. So I ask; What animal would you like to see as a dessert?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What's New, Cupcake?. New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010.

Cupcake Apples

Dive in to a savory dessert with a creative touch to the classic cupcake! Karen Tack and Alan Richardson composed a delightful dish for all made simple. The world-known cupcake has been transformed in to a unique dish through the inspiration of an apple. Surprisingly, the two makes a cuisine that has undeniable goodness. Just follow a few easy steps to achieve the cupcake apples.

These are the ingredients I used:

1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting

8 mini plain or chocolate-covered doughnuts

4 chocolate chews (Tootsie Rolls)

6 green fruit chews (Jolly Rancher, Tootsie Fruit Rolls)

(Tack and Richardson 121).

Also, I used red food coloring to create a vibrant hue of an apple. Starting off with making a red paste, I added multiple drops of red food coloring to five tablespoons of icing (121).

Leaving the paste to the side, I started to craft the vanilla cupcakes. Creating the batter required a mixture of three eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. Then, I set the oven to 325 degrees and placed the mixed batter in it. During the time I waited for the batter to cook, I set out to create the other features of the cupcake design.

Mini doughnuts illustrated the shape of the apple. To slim the look of it, I cut the mini doughnuts in half from the side. I then used the red paste from earlier to coat them to give off a shiny look. Shortly after the batter was done baking, I placed the set mini doughnuts onto the cupcakes.

Adding on to the more decorative portion of the apple, I used a tootsie roll and a green fruit chew to give off a more accurate depiction. These two played a role by creating stems and leaves for an apple illusion. According to Tack and Richardson, “For the stems, cut the chocolate chews in half lengthwise on the diagonal and shape each half into a stem” (121). However, I took this as a guideline and did my own take. I flattened out the tootsie roll as a first step instead, then cut and shaped it to my liking. On the other hand, the green fruit chews were a little more difficult to control. The green fruit chews were prepackaged with sugar, so washing off all of the excess bits took up more time than expected. Also, the chunky candies were more of a challenge to flatten and to trim. Fortunately, with enough caution, leaves formed.

 

To finish off the piece, I coated the cupcakes with red decorating sugar to mimic a gleaming apple. Overall, this dessert was delicious from the multiple sweets involved in it – all under the looks of an apple! It’s amazing how a mixture of chocolate, vanilla, icing, and candy toppings all in to one bite can be as just as savory as any of those alone. What do you think is the perfect dish combination?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

What's New, Cupcake?

Cupcakes are a classic, sweet delight which many have come to know and love. Within the book "What's New, Cupcake?" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, these treats have been taken to a whole new creative and tactical level which I've set out to achieve this quarter.

To begin this journey, I've set my sights on these adorable confections called "Frosty Mugs". 

Ingredients Include:

• Chocolate cupcakes baked in silver foil liners.
• White decorating sugar.
• Thin (chocolate) cookies.
• Orange candy slices.
• Vanilla frosting.
• Green food coloring.
• Chocolate chips.
• Mini chocolate chips.
• Small red candies.

    After baking the cupcakes, the snowmen were decorated with: a snowy complexion using course sprinkles over frosting, a face by the help of chocolate chips, a faux carrot nose using orange candy slices, and a chocolate-cookie hat with a sprig of holly (Tack and Richardson 200).

    This may sound simple, however, in order to create a neat finished product, there were tedious steps involved in decorating the cakes. For example, in coating the cupcakes you are to, "Place the material in a shallow bowl large enough to accommodate the cupcake. [Then] hold the bowl at an angle and lightly press the frosting.... into the coating material to coat and shape the entire surface" (Tack and Richardson 17). Though the intricate detail the authors put forth in their text may seem like "too much", I found myself being thankful for this: it leaves less room for error. After following this step, I guess you could say I had clean and perfectly coated cupcakes.

These guys may not have ended up perfect, but I'm pretty happy with them.

    In the introduction of this book, the authors reminisce on a turning point within their culinary career. They ended their tale of recreating van Gogh's "Starry Night" on a canvas of cupcakes with their peers reaction to their masterpiece; "they said we were as looney as van Gogh himself" (1). This made myself wonder; how did this duo push beyond what others think in order to express themselves to the fullest whilst doing what they love?

So I ask you: what makes you push past what others think to fulfill your ambition?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What's New, Cupcake?. New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010.

Cupcake Pies!!! :]

Take a bite in to a classic, sweet delicacy! With a few simple steps the mouthwatering dessert can be served; it’s as easy as pie!

Designed as the classic pie, Karen Tack and Alan Richardson utilized what the general audience desires and incorporated two ideas in to one. Cupcakes and pies, a global favorite, are combined as M&Ms and attuned frosting was applied to it. A few ingredients were needed in order to create the dish:

• A dozen vanilla cupcakes baked in silver foil liners

• 2 cans (16 ounces each) of vanilla frosting

• Yellow food coloring

• Unsweetened cocoa powder

• A cup of M&Ms
  (Tack and Richardson 49).

I started off by baking the vanilla cupcakes myself. I mixed the batter in with 3 eggs, a cup of water, and half a cup of oil. After a few minutes of mixing, I placed it in the oven set to 325 degrees. While I waited for the batter to cook, I continued on with the recipe and made the frosting portion of the cupcake.

Starting off with scooping 5 teaspoons of frosting in to a bowl, I added the necessary ingredients to give off a more golden hue. These ingredients included adding unsweetened cocoa powder and yellow food coloring to give the frosting an extra touch of color. Placing the new mix in to a Ziploc bag, I snipped a corner of the bag to give the impression of a decorating icing tube (19).

At this time the cupcakes were done, and I was ready to apply the pie design. Placing a thin layer of icing on the cupcake, I assorted the M&Ms so each color corresponded with a certain cupcake. “For the lattice crust, pipe 4 or 5 lines across the top of a cupcake, about ½ inch apart. Pipe 4 or 5 more lines, on the diagonal” (49).

Lastly, I gave the cupcakes a finishing touch with a beaded crust. My family and I have experienced a delicious take following the guidelines Tack and Richardson has provided. Overall, the unique cupcake has given me something different to try while offering a scrumptious touch. Upon making this dessert I began to wonder: Do you think combining two ideas of a dish would make any plate more interesting?

Tack, Karen and Alan Richardson. What’s New, Cupcake? New York, New York. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Boston 2010

Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes

Hello, my name is Ashlee Gormley and for my blog posts, I have chosen to do baking. 

Truthfully, I only chose to do baking so I could eat the project after I took pictures. But I also really enjoy it. There are a variety of recipes to choose from, and even then your options aren’t limited to just those. You can improvise and recreate the recipe to your liking.

In addition, I took creative cooking last year and I really liked the different foods we got to eat. We made pizza, salads, muffins, and more. But for this project I am specifically making desserts.

I thought it would be fun to make cupcakes for Thanksgiving, but unfortunately time was not on my side. So, instead, I made them just for my family that weekend. Looking through the book I chose to base my project off on, Petite Sweets, the Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes stood out to me the most (definitely because the picture looked so good). It was a really light brown cake with a white frosting. Really simple, but really delicious.

Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes from Petite Sweets

So let’s begin with the steps I took to create this cupcake!

To start with, I gathered all the ingredients:

Chocolate velvet cake:

• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1½ teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Vanilla frosting:

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To start with, I set the oven to 350°F so that the oven would be ready by the time I had mixed all the ingredients together.

To start the cupcake batter, I took an electric mixer and creamed the butter and sugar together until it was "light and fluffy." Then, I beat in the egg and mixed in the cocoa powder. 

In a second bowl I mixed the flour, salt, and baking soda. 

In a third bowl, I mixed milk, vinegar, and vanilla. 

I didn't have buttermilk like the recipe called for, so I used regular milk in the last bowl. As I said you could always do before, I improvised! The buttermilk only adds to the red color, so using milk didn't alter the final product besides appearance. 

Anyhow, after all those ingredients are mixed together, I added the second and third bowl to the electric mixer alternately. I mixed the batter until it was smooth and then spooned the batter into an already-prepared muffin tin. Then I placed the muffin tins (I ended up with about 20 cupcakes- 2 muffin tins) into the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. 

As the cupcakes were baking, I started on the frosting. I took a saucepan, combined the flour and milk, and stirred it over medium heat. Over time, the liquid mixture thickened. When it was totally thickened, I covered the saucepan and placed it in the fridge. 

In a cleaned electric mixer, I beat the sugar, butter, and vanilla. When the mixture in the fridge was completely chilled, I added that to the electric mixture and creamed them together. 

At this point, the cupcakes in the oven were done so I took them out. 

Then I took a container to put the icing in so it would be easier to frost the cupcakes.      

And finally I frosted the cupcakes, placed them in cupcake liners, and even added some decorations to make them look nice.

Ta-da! Complete! The process of making the cupcakes took a while, but it was really fun to decorate the final product. 

If I were to do this again, I would probably do it when my dad wasn't home so I wouldn't have to keep shooing him away when he'd try to eat the uncompleted cupcake. I'd also apply more cooking spray to the muffin tins because the cupcakes would not come out of the tins, so the tops kept tearing from the bottoms. 

I would highly recommend making these cupcakes if you're looking for something easy to make. They were all devoured within two days. I'm definitely going to make them again sometime (hopefully) soon.

What's your favorite dessert to make? Have you ever added your own little spin to the recipe? How did it turn out? 

Thanks for reading!

Ojakangas, Beatrice, and Roger LePage. Petite Sweets: Bite-Size Desserts to Satisfy Every Sweet Tooth. Portland, Me.: Sellers, 2009. Print.