Filling cupcakes

After experimenting some with filled cupcakes, I finally feel comfortable enough to blog about my experience. I'm not making any wild claims about knowing the best way to do this. I was just really happy about finding a way that seemed to work for me.

Items you'll need:
Cupcakes (I've made Orange Cream and Pink Lemonade ones so far)
Pastry decorating bag
Wilton #230 Bismarck filling tip
Marshmallow cream filling (or whatever you want to use)

If you are using a large bag, it's easier to fill it if you fold down the top edge.

Put a generous amount of filling in your bag. Work the filling down to the tip. Twist the open end of the bag closed so the filling doesn't come out that way when you squeeze. (I know this sounds like a "well, duh!" kind of thing, but it's better to be safe than have someone ask me later "What am I doing wrong here?") To get a feeling for the amount of pressure you'll need for the flow you want, squeeze some out into your bowl.

Insert the tip into the top of the cupcake.

Squeeze 1 to 1-1/2 tsp of filling into the cupcake. You'll probably see the cupcake start to expand a bit. You'll know you've put too much in if it cracks.

Pull the tip out while lightly squeezing. This will fill up the spot in the cupcake where the tip was.

If you want, you can cut one open to see how much it getting into the cake.

Frost the top of your cupcake with your favorite frosting.

Enjoy!

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Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I've wanted to make pink lemonade cupcakes for a while now. I've Googled many a recipe, but never really had any excuse to make them. Then I signed up to bring a dozen cupcakes to a baby shower for a girl in our congregation (ward, for all my LDS readers), and suddenly I had a great excuse to make them! Next up, I'll take them to the Young Women for reaching a very important goal they set. Woot! Woot!

Cupcakes ingredients:

2-1/2 C all-purpose flour
1-1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1-1/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/2 C vegetable oil
4 egg whites
1/2 C buttermilk

Frosting ingredients:

8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
Red food coloring, as needed
2 C confectioners' sugar
3 Tbs frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 Tbs lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Red food coloring, as needed

Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard muffin cups with paper liners and set aside. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar, pink lemonade concentrate, oil, and egg whites until well blended. Add half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Then add the buttermilk and mix again, followed finally by the remaining dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Add red food coloring one drop at a time to achieve desired pink color. The color will fade slightly when baked.

Fill each liner 3/4 full with batter.

Bake the cupcakes for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter until nice and fluffy. Pause the mixer occasionally to add the confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup at a time and beat until combined and fluffy.

Add the pink lemonade concentrate, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add red food coloring one drop at a time to achieve desired pink color. Frost cupcakes.

Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated up to 2 days in airtight containers. Bring to room temperature before serving.

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Orange Cream Cupcakes

When I was a child, my favorite ice cream bar was an orange creamcicle. Actually, it still is. I love all things flavored orange. I love oranges, orange juice, orange couscous with chicken, orange chicken, and orange and vanilla swirled ice cream.

This recipe is a combination of two recipes I found online. The cake part comes from Sweet Little Details and the frosting from Dolcedo.

Tip on filling your cupcakes: Practice makes perfect. This is the first time I've tried filling cupcakes. Some worked; some didn't. But I'm not giving up. Some day, I'll do this like a pro. I've seen it. It will happen.

Ingredients for cakes:
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 C granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of pure orange extract
Zest of 1 orange
1-1/2 C all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C milk

Ingredients for frosting:
1 C  unsalted butter, room temperature
5-6 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
1/4 C orange juice
splash of milk or cream
Food coloring

Making cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Place the sugar and orange zest into the bowl of your mixer and blend until moist and fragrant.

Add in butter and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and orange extracts.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.

Making frosting:
Beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy.

Add 3 C of sugar, vanilla, orange extract, milk, and juice. Beat until combined.

Gradually add remaining sugar until the frosting is the desired consistency. If you want a color other than slightly not white, add food coloring. On medium-high speed, beat for another 5-7 minutes, until icing is fluffy.

Filling and frosting:
Put frosting in a decorating bag fitted with a round hole tip.

Insert the tip into the top of the cupcake and squeeze frosting into the cake. You don't want to go too far into the cake. When the frosting starts pushing against the tip, it's probably enough.

Tip from one crazy girl: As I stated above, this was a first-time experiment for me, and when I have a better understanding (aka more experience), I'll post about my findings.

When all of the cupcakes are filled, frost the tops.

If you aren't consuming these right away, I would suggest putting them in an airtight container in the fridge because of the juice in the frosting. If you use a different frosting recipe, you can store the cupcakes in a non-refrigerated airtight container for 5 to 7 days, depending on how fresh you and your family like your cake.

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