Experiment: Can I make a cupcake from scratch?
Experiment Taken From: Notebook Entry 01.08.09
Materials Needed: Please see The Farm Chicks for the full instructions. I followed the instructions exactly.
Results: I will admit it, I am a cake mix kind of girl just because it is quick and easy. I was really intrigued by this recipe though for Moist Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream because they just sounded divine.
The perfect occasion arose as we were celebrating my mother-in-law’s birthday. I wanted to make a birthday dinner for her so I thought this would be a sweet ending to our dinner.
The recipe came together beautifully until I added the boiling water. As I stirred, what now looked like watery soup or a dish leftover in the sink, I did feel a little panicky. The entry assured me that it was supposed to look exactly like that though so I used my batter bowl to pour in this watery mess.
I made the frosting while the cake was baking and the frosting came together perfectly. I loved the ratios in this recipe because it was so light and fluffy. I also used the tip for just a hint of food coloring to create a more pastel look.
What was a watery looking mess turned out to be the most delicious cupcake I have ever made in my life! The cake was moist and flavorful. In fact, the cake was still good four days after our party and tasted just like the day I made it. The frosting on top was sweet, but just the right amount of sweet.
Conclusion: The entire family agreed that this is a recipe worth repeating. I think this will be my new cupcake recipe for these special occasions because it was delicious and also was made from ingredients that are always lurking in my pantry. Thanks to The Farm Chicks for a wonderful recipe that I will be using over and over again!
Here are the other recipes from the birthday party:
Classic Baked Ziti
1 pound lean ground beef (I subbed it this time with Sweet Turkey Sausage removed from its casings)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32 ounce) jar meatless sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta, cooked & drained
2 (8 ounce) cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I subbed it this time with Italian Cheese Blend)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook ground beef & garlic over medium-high heat for six to eight minutes or until beef is browned; stirring frequently. Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, & oregano. Reduce heat & simmer for ten minutes. Stir one cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles. Spoon half of the ziti mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese & a 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Top with two cups sauce, then remaining ziti mixture & remaining sauce. Cover & bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella & Parmesan cheese. Return to oven & bake uncovered for ten minutes or until heated through.
Amy’s Holiday Punch
1 (2 liter) bottle cherry 7-Up soda
1 liter (half a bottle) raspberry flavored soda (I found this at Walmart)
1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (12 ounce) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1 (1 liter) can pineapple juice
Mix all the ingredients together for the punch. This will fill one large punch bowl or two smaller ones. Rum can be added for a spiked punch, but that would be super inappropriate for a princess party! This will convert the non-punch lovers in the group, I promise!
There was also something else at the party in this…
But I will have to show it to you next week! A girl has to save some content for next week!
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I can’t wait to see what you create and what you find inspiring!
it’s hard to believe that boiling water could go in a cupcake recipe, but you haven’t let me down yet, Amy!
Marking this for the birthday cupcakes next month.
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YUM. I am gonna try out those cupcakes soon. And buttercream frosting is the bomb, it is hard to go wrong with that
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Those cupcakes caught my eye from your last “notebook” post. They looked so moist and delicious.
And, though I do resort to cake mixes, I think homemade cupcakes are (almost) always better.
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The boiling water part was strange, but these were some MOIST cupcakes…so I guess it works! I didn’t do very well on the first attempt, but that was user error – not the fault of the recipe. The second go ’round was great. These cupcakes are terrific!!!
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Does this make 24 cupcakes? I am making them for my son’s birthday, I need to know if I should double it.
Thanks,
Melissa
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It made 24 cupcakes exactly! Let me know what you think and thanks for visiting!
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Thanks, Amy! After I read the directions, I saw that it made 24 cupcakes. I guess I was used to looking at the beginning or the end to see how much a recipe makes.
This was the best (by far, hands down) buttercream frosting ever! My kids loved these cupcakes. The cupcakes were also a huge hit as a birthday treat for my son’s AWANA group at church last night. I think I got more compliments from the adults than from the kids!
Personally, I liked the cupcakes with the frosting, but I did not like the cupcakes plain. Despite all of the cocoa and all of the sugar (2 cups!), they didn’t taste super-chocolatey or very sweet. They were definitely ok with the frosting, though.
Thanks for all of your great recipes and other ideas. I’m speaking about saving money at a conference in March, and you will definitely be mentioned as a fabulous resource!
Melissa
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My favorite chocolate cake (on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box) uses boiling water, and it is the BEST CAKE EVER. I think I definitely need to give these cupcakes a try.
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