Spice Cupcakes With Sugared Cranberries Recipes

SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water and raisins to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (do not drain). , Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in raisins. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts. , Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack. , For frosting, in a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cream and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat; cook and stir until smooth. Stir in butter and vanilla. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Stir in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes; top with nuts if desired.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Bring 1 cup each water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup cranberries and a few strips of lemon zest, then remove from the heat and let cool; drain. Thinly slice the zest. Put 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a pie plate; add the cranberries and zest and toss. Let set, 1 hour, shaking the dish occasionally.

SPICED CUPCAKES WITH CITRUS GLAZE

Steps:

• Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Lightly butter 48 mini-muffin cups. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with two additions milk and beating well after each addition.
• Transfer batter by heaping tablespoonfuls to cups. Bake until golden brown at edges and a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 15 minutes, rotating pans once. Let cakes cool in pans, 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Make glaze: In a bowl, whisk together juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth; add 1 to 2 drops food coloring if desired. Spoon over cooled cakes.

TROPICAL SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place 18 cupcake liners in muffin tins.
• In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Whisk the mixture lightly until there are no clumps, and the spices are mixed throughout. Set aside.
• Cream the butter with a mixer for a few minutes until soft and fluffy.
• Add the sugars and eggs to the butter, and beat until light in color and fluffy in texture (about 5 minutes).
• Next, add the Grand Marnier and beat until incorporated.
• Add 1/4 cup juice from the freshly squeezed orange and 1/3 of the flour mixture, and beat until incorporated, scraping the batter down into the bowl as necessary. Add the coconut milk and 1/2 the remaining flour mixture, and beat until blended. Add the buttermilk and the rest of the flour mixture and again beat until incorporated, scraping the bowl as necessary.
• Measure 2 - 3 tbsp orange zest from the freshly zested orange, and add to the mixture; also add the coconut and mix until blended.
• Using an ice cream scoop, fill the cupcake liners with one scoop of batter each (filling the liners about 3/4 full).
• Bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let rest in the muffin pan for 15 minutes.
• Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin, and place on a rack to cool thoroughly before frosting.
• Make frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until creamy.
• Measure 2 tbsp juice from the freshly squeezed orange and add to the cream cheese.
• Measure 1 cup of confectioner's sugar and add to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until the ingredients are smooth.
• Add the coconut milk, the Grand Marnier, and another cup of confectioner's sugar. Beat until smooth.
• Add another cup of confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth.
• Add 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth.
• At this point, check the consistency. If it is firm enough to spread on the cupcake, it's finished. Add a little more confectioner's sugar (a few tablespoons at a time) if it needs to be firmer.
• Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.

MRS. KOSTYRA'S SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and spices three times.
• With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.
• To finish, place cupcakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet; spoon glaze over cupcakes, and let set. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are glazed; keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

SPICED SPIDER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
• Combine flour, white sugar, baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in bowl; whisk to mix. In separate bowl, mix water, canola oil, vinegar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Pour liquids into dry mixture and stir until smooth. The batter will be very thin.
• Transfer batter into a measuring cup or pitcher; pour batter into prepared cupcake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when gently pressed with a fingertip and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Beat cream cheese, butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually mix in confectioners' sugar until frosting is creamy and spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes.
• To decorate cupcakes, use black decorating gel to draw a small circle in the center of each cupcake. Draw a larger circle around the first, and continue making larger circles until the last circle is about 1/4 inch from the edge. There should be about 5 rings on each cupcake. Use a toothpick to draw about 8 lines radiating from the center of the cupcake to the edge, like spokes on a wheel, to make webs.
• Cut the licorice strings into pieces about 1 1/4 inch long for legs. Poke four licorice legs into both sides of each gumdrop. Use decorating gel to make eyes and a smiley mouth on each gumdrop. Place a gumdrop spider onto each cupcake in the center of the webs.

SPICE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 15 muffin cups with paper muffin liners.
• Sift the flour, cornstarch , baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Mix in the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes.

CRANBERRY SPICE "TURKEY" CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cupcakes:
• To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350˚F, and line two cupcake pans with twelve paper baking cups each. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add each egg slowly, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
• Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by one third of the water. Mix slowly. Then add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the water. Mix slowly again. Finally, add the last third of the flour mixture and the last third of the water. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
• Scrape down the bowl, and add the cranberries. Fold in using a spatula until the cranberries are scattered throughout the batter.
• Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, fill each baking cup so that it is two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes cool and then frost with Georgetown Cupcake's signature swirl (see note)
• For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, mix all the ingredients for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, until frosting is light and airy. Frost each cupcake with a thick layer of the frosting using an offset spatula.
• For the fondant turkeys:
• Roll out a small ball of brown fondant, approximately the size of a golf ball, to form the body of your turkey. Then roll out a ball of brown fondant, approximately half the size of the first ball, to form the head of your turkey. Attach the head to the body using piping gel or water.
• Roll out two small balls of white fondant, each approximately the size of a pea, to form the eyeballs of your turkey.
• Roll out two small balls of black fondant, each approximately the size of half a pea, to form the pupils of your turkey's eyes. Using piping gel or water, attach the pupils to the eyeballs, and the eyeballs to the turkey's head.
• Roll out a small piece of orange fondant, and shape it into a crescent to form the turkey's beak. Attach it to the turkey's head using piping gel or water.
• Roll out four small pieces of brown fondant and shape them into rounded teardrops to form feathers.
• Let the fondant turkey and feathers set for 5 to 10 minutes, and then place the turkey on top of a cupcake, with the feathers placed behind.
• Line up six pieces of candy corn, pointed side down on the brown fondant feathers behind the turkey's body to form another layer of feathers.