At Macy's w/ Hoche and Jimmy until 4 AM.

All day, every day.

Jay invited a bunch of people over for brunch tomorrow, so I thought I'd take over some red velvet cupcakes. They're the same ones I've made before only with about twice as much frosting, then jammed into a big tub of jimmies I have sitting in my freezer.

French toast cupcake with maple buttercream and bacon.

I can't find maple extract, so just use maple syrup.

Mini blueberry cheesecake.

Recipe adapted from the cupcake book Laura got me.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup blueberries

Preheat to 325. Prepare 12 liners.

Crumble graham crackers, stir in melted butter. Spoon crumb mixture into bottom of cups, press firmly, set aside to set.

Beat ricotta until smooth. Add cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar. Blend until smooth.

Slowly add eggs, blending well. Fold in blueberries.

Spoon into cups, bake for 25 min. Cool/chill. Top with additional blueberries.

Peanut butter and chocolate chip cupcakes, in the awesome giraffe-print liners that Alicia got me for xmas. :)

Recipe adapted from the cupcake book that Laura got me.

Cakes:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 eggs
1 cup cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I used Crazy Richard's)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

350 degrees, about 20 min. Makes 9.

The batter is incredibly dense, and the cakes come out (predictably) oily, some even pulling away from the liners completely. I think I'll put in more chocolate chips next time, just because I like them and I feel the cakes, while nice as is, need a little "something".

Frosting:
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk


I love these liners!

Mexican chocolate cupcakes with chocolate sour cream frosting.

Dark chocolate Azteca cupcakes with cinnamon buttercream.

Roasted garlic white chocolate cupcake.

Bailey's mocha cupcake.

What can I say? They're perfect. :)

Tres leches cupcake.

These cakes are MESSY. From start to finish, MESSY. There's no other way to put it. A mess to make, a mess to eat, a mess to transport. They taste alright - the eggy cake soaked beyond saturation (I didn't think that was possible, either) with sweet milk gives the whole thing a very bread pudding-like quality - but I honestly don't see myself making these again anytime soon.

And yes, I am fully aware that this is my THIRD cupcake post IN A ROW. I swear I'm still getting out of the house as much as I used to, just not taking the photos. Might have some projects brewing, though.