Violet Beauregarde

If you happen to watch ABC Family you would know that recently they showed the 2005 version of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. If you missed it, you should find a way to watch because it is a good movie. My favorite part of the movie is when the competitive Violet Beauregarde gets turned into a giant blueberry.

The love of her transformation inspired me to create a blueberry cupcake.

But instead of the cupcake getting juiced like Violet I thought they should get eaten by many.

Dig in and remember "Oompa Loompa, do-ba-dee-doo".

The Recipe

Printable Recipe

Cupcakes:

• 1 + 2/3 cups cake flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 + 1/4 cups blueberries

Frosting:

• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Make the Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups.
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until pale and fluffy about 3 minutes.
4. Beat in eggs 1 at a time then vanilla.
5. Scrape down sides of the bowl. On low speed beat in flour in 3 additions alternating with sour cream starting and ending with flour.
6. Fold in blueberries.
7. Fill baking cups 2/3 full.
8. Bake about 20 minutes until toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs - not raw batter - attached. Cool completely before frosting.

Make the Frosting:

1.  On medium speed beat the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. On low speed beat in vanilla, lemon zest and confectioners' sugar.
3. Turn up to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy 4 - 5 minutes.
4. Frost cupcakes.
5. Garnish with leftover blueberries.

SPLAT!!

So as I was driving home one grateful Saturday afternoon, I passed by the infamous Dairy Queen and I thought yum-my. I go through the Dairy Queen drive-through and order me a mocha moolatte while my mom ordered a banana split WITHOUT THE NUTS! I'm thinking she's crazy, who orders a banana split without the nuts. I mean the nuts make it the American classic it is.

So I decided to take her craziness and my craziness to create a cupcake based on the All-American Classic, the banana split. I made a banana cupcake.

Then made a strawberry buttercream frosting and topped it all off with hot fudge, a pineapple and the most important cherry on top. And what a delight it was to see my banana split cupcake come to life. I even put the nuts on the side to pacify my mom. 

Enjoy!

The Recipe

Printable Recipe

Banana Cupcake

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 ripe bananas mashed
• 3/4 cup sour cream

Strawberry Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3½ – 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons strawberry syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half, heavy cream or whole milk

Optional

• pinch of salt
• pineapple
• cherries
• nuts
• hot fudge

1.       Preheat oven 350°F.

2.       In large bowl, cream butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3.       In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

4.       Add eggs, vanilla and banana; mix well.

5.       Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream; blend thoroughly but do not over mix.

6.       Pour into prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

7.       Cool 10 minutes in pan on rack; remove and cool completely before decorating.

8.       Cream together butter and ½ cup of confectioner’s sugar at a time. After each cup of sugar has been added, add strawberry syrup 1 tablespoon at a time, then add vanilla and then beat on high for about 20 seconds to lighten the frosting.

9.       Add half-and-half, one tablespoon at a time until the buttercream has reached a consistency where it will hold its shape. Add pinch of salt and whip on high for a final 20 seconds.

10.   Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to three days. To use once refrigerated, slowly allow to reach room temperature and then beat on low speed until the buttercream is smooth before using.

11.   Add pineapple, cherries, hot fudge, or nuts if desired.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

Hi guys! So this is my first post on my blog The Sweet Cuizine. I'll start by saying that my name is Brianna and I just absolutely love baking cupcakes. It is my absolutely favorite thing to do in the world. But I don't just bake cupcakes....I decorate them too or at least try to. Anyways I'm going to be bringing you all the different flavors the world can offer in cupcake form. But I won't stop there...I'll bring it in cake form , lollipop form, cake pop form, and other types of sweets too. 

To start this blog off, I thought I'd pique some of your interests with a taste of a childhood favorite, that ooey gooey peanut butter and jelly sandwich that your momma used to make for you when you were in elementary school. 

But instead of just making a sandwich, I made it into a cupcake....... sounds delicious I know. So to start I made a peanut butter cupcake and then after it was baked I cut a hole in the middle of the cupcake and slid some yummy grape and strawberry jelly into the middle. Finally I made a peanut butter buttercream frosting and frosted the top to make a delicious peanut butter and jelly cupcake that has all the components of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and looks fantastic. 

Bon Appetit-as the French would say! 

THE RECIPE

Printable Recipe

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

• 1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• Your favorite flavor of jelly or jam

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with liners. Set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. With a handheld or stand mixer, cream together the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes on medium speed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add in vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed. Slowly beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until just combined. Do not over mix.

Divide batter evenly between 12 cupcake tins. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool before filling the cupcake.

Cut a hole in the middle of each cupcake about halfway down and take out piece. Then with a spoon or piping bag with tip, fill the hole with your choice of jelly or jam. Then cover with frosting.

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

• 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 4-6 tablespoons milk

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Finally, frost your cupcakes.