Baptism Dress Cupcake Cake and My Favorite Frosting - Coconut Buttercream Frosting

My little girl turned 8 last month and got baptized this past weekend.  I found the idea for her cake floating around on Pinterest and made this darling Baptism Dress Cupcake Cake for her.  It was super simple but everyone was pretty impressed.  It would also make a fantastic bridal shower or christening cake.

I used my favorite frosting, Coconut Buttercream Frosting, on it and everyone loved it!  The butter and coconut flavorings are my secret ingredients.  My kids (coconut haters) have no clue there's coconut flavoring in it and even like this frosting better than my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.  Unless you knew there was coconut flavoring in the frosting, you'd probably never guess.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 pound powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
2-4 tablespoons milk

Combine butter and shortening in a large bowl and mix until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well combined.  Add flavorings and milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until the frosting is smooth and desired consistency.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Weekend re-Treat and  Pin It Thursday.

Whipped Caramel Filled Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I must have grown up sheltered, because I had never heard of banana cake until just a couple years ago.  It was my father-in-laws birthday and he wanted a banana cake.  So I made him one.  Kinda.  I made up a batch of my delicious Banana Bread and cooked it in a cake pan.  Then I threw a little Vanilla Buttercream Frosting on the top and called it good. :) If only I had know about Pinterest back then!

These Whipped Caramel Filled Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting were my first real attempt at making a banana cake (or cupcakes) and they turned out fantastic!  The baby wouldn't leave them alone and the hubs even had 2!

I hope your Monday is every bit as sweet as these amazing cupcakes!

Cupcakes:

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt OR sour cream

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla 

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 
Caramel:
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar

Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the cupcakes, combine sugar, yogurt OR sour cream, egg, and butter and mix well.  Add mashed bananas and vanilla.  Add flour, salt, and baking soda and mix well.  Pour batter into a muffin pan lined with cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.  Cool completely on a cooling rack.

For the caramel filling, combine brown sugar and butter in a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and brown sugar and butter are well combined.  Let the mixture come to a boil and let boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat and let cool.  When the mixture is completely cooled, beat until light in color, about 5 minutes.  Spoon caramel mixture into a pipping bag that has been fitted with a filling tip.  Insert tip into the center of each cupcake and squeeze out about 1 tablespoon filling.

For the frosting, cream together cream cheese and butter in a medium sized mixing bowl until fluffy; 2 to 3 minutes.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well combined.  Frost cooled, filled cupcakes.

Whipped Caramel Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting recipes from The Royal Cook - originals!

Banana Cupcake recipe adapted from ButterYum.

Linked on Weekend re-Treat, Strut Your Stuff, Tatertots & Jello, Pinworthy Projects, Party in Polka Dots and Manic Monday.

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

You know that day that comes once a year?  The one that people seem to get a kick out of celebrating that your hair is more gray, your skin is more wrinkly and your age is quickly approaching ancient (or antique, whichever you prefer)?  Well, I had one of those days last week, and while I prefer people don't rub it in that I'm not as young as I used to be (and never will be again *sigh*), it was quite a lovely day.  It started with my sweet little girls (4 and 6 years old) bringing me a lovely breakfast in bed prepared all by themselves (their favorite little snacks :D)!  I got lots of love notes from my 6 year old (we are officially bff's now!), the sweet hubs cooked lunch and dinner and the older kids did the dishes.  The only thing I did was make the cake, er, cupcakes.

My husband loves turtles.  The chocolate, caramel and pecan candy.  I buy him a box once in a while and the kids pretty much think their mission in life is to sneak into them and then brag to Daddy about it.  It's kind of turned into a little game.  I've started buying turtles for my sweet hubs just so the kids can play their little game.  They even like to tell where they found the turtles, how they got to them, how many they ate, where they ate them, and even where they stashed the wrappers (like, in Daddy's shoes....).

While I was trying to figure out the perfect cupcakes to make, my sweet little 6 year old spied a box of turtles on top of the fridge and suggested we make turtle cupcakes.  She's pretty much brilliant!  This Caramel Buttercream frosting  got to be the caramel part of the turtle cupcakes.  And it was awesome!

2/3 cup butter, divided
1/3 cup brown sugar

Combine 1/3 cup of the butter and the brown sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Once the mixture has come to a boil, stir in remaining 1/3 cup butter and stir until melted and mixed in.  Let the mixture come back to a boil and boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat and let cool completely.

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Combine butter and shortening in a large bowl and beat until they are well mixed and smooth.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well mixed.  Add milk and mix until smooth (should be thick).  Add cooled caramel and mix until well combined.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Manic Monday, Tatertots and Jello and The Busy Bee's.

Candy Corn Frosting

As a kid, my favorite treat to get at a class Halloween party, or out trick-or-treating, was a frosted sugar cookie with a candy corn or pumpkin stuck in the center.  I always left the candy in the middle of the cookie and ate it.  My favorite bite was the one with the candy corn.  I loved the taste of the candy corn, frosting and cookie all put together.  Those were the days.  Treats didn't have to be store bought and actually tasted good!  *sigh*

This year I went of a quest to find the perfect Candy Corn Frosting so every bite would be the best.  There was only one problem.  I couldn't find a single recipe.  I tried making Candy Corn Frosting a couple weeks ago.  It didn't turn out.  It was thick and runny.  Oxymoron?  Not in this case.  But it sure tasted good.  Since then I've spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to make it work.  Probably more time than is normal.  But I won't admit it.  At least not out loud.  The second go was a charm!  The consistency was perfect and it was yummy!  I'm brilliant, I know.  And extremely humble. :)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup candy corn
3 tablespoons milk
dash of salt
3 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter, candy corn, and milk in a food processor.  Process until smooth(ish), scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.  Mine still had some chunks, but I think it might be because my candy corn didn't seem to be the freshest.  The kids liked the chunky pieces.  Scrape candy corn mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl and stir in salt and powdered sugar.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Tatertots and Jello, Sweet Bella Roos, and Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I've tried and tried to come up with something clever to say about this White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, but I just can't seem to come up with anything.  At least not anything other than it's amazing!  It really is.  My daughter took some of the cupcakes we frosted with this White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting to a neighbor and the neighbor was at my door the next morning telling me the cupcakes were the best she has ever eaten.  Ever!

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted and cooled
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt
2 tablespoons milk

Combine butter and shortening in a medium sized bowl and beat until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and salt and mix until well combined.  Add melted white chocolate and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday and Tatertots and Jello. 

Peanut Butter Frosting

I don't know about you, but I like love peanut butter.  Peanut butter with apples slices (I just got the nerve up to try that one with in the last year and it's now one of my favorite snacks!), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, peanut butter and chocolate, and just plain old peanut butter.  I made some lovely chocolate cupcakes and was trying to figure out what kind of frosting to make when I found a bag of peanut butter cups hiding in the cupboard.  I know, I know.  If you find something, it had to have been lost, or at least forgotten about.  And how, exactly, does one forget about, or lose, an entire bag of peanut butter cups?  And how do 5 kids not find them and devour them in less time than one can blink?  It seems to be a mystery.  Mystery or not, this frosting was fantastic!  The perfect compliment to chocolate cupcake.  The kids love it.  The hubby loved it.  The kids friends even loved it.  But then, I can't think of a thing not to love.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons milk

Combine butter and peanut butter in a medium sized bowl and mix until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and mix until well combined.  Add vanilla and milk, 1 tablespoon at time, until desired consistency is reached.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday.

Cookies and Cream Frosting

Oh. My!  This Cookies and Cream Frosting is absolutely amazing!  My daughter wanted vanilla frosting on her cupcakes for her birthday party, but when I walked past a lovey package of Oreos at the store, the wheels in my head started spinning.  The result of the spinning wheels in my head isn't always good.  I guess I got lucky this time. :)

I had some leftover cookies so I crumbled them up and sprinkled them on the top of her cupcakes.  She loved them!

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt
5 chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos), crushed (if you're piping the frosting, you'll want them crushed pretty fine, if not, feel free to leave some chunks)

Place softened butter in a medium sized bowl and beat until smooth.  Add salt and powdered sugar and mix until well combined.  Add vanilla extract and cream and mix until smooth.  Mix in crushed cookies.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday and Show me what ya got.

Smooth As Silk Frosting

This frosting really is as smooth as silk. I have never had such a silky smooth frosting. And the taste? Amazing! It's not as sweet as a buttercream frosting (like my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting), but every bit as delicious. I think I might have eaten a little too much before it went onto the cake. Maybe.....

Smooth As Silk Frosting takes a little time to make, but is worth every minute. It starts with a white sauce and ends with silky smooth perfection. Even my frosting hater loved it! I know, I know. Who doesn't love frosting? She is a bit weird. :)

3 tablespoon Flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup real butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Cook until the mixture is thick enough that you can see the bottom of the pan while stirring. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Once it has cooled off some, you can put it in the fridge. Combine sugar and butter and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and thickened milk mixture. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fully (it took me just over 5 minutes). When it is finished you shouldn't be able to feel any of the sugar.

Recipe from Our Best Bites.

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday.

Royal Icing

This royal icing makes some fancy shcmancy cookies! It takes a bit of time, but is a lot of fun to work with and the cookies come out SO cute. The kids were at school when I made them and sure were impressed. They loved my little heart design and how smooth they were. They kept asking me how I did it, but I kept it as my little secret.

If you are looking for something a little (okay, a lot :)) quicker, try my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. It's amazingly delicious!

4 tablespoons meringue powder
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form. (Make sure all bowls and utensils are totally grease-free or your icing will never reach proper consistency.) For each color of icing you want, spoon some of the thick white icing into individual bowls and add coloring. Place about half of each colored icing in a piping bag. Thin the other half of the colored icing by adding 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the icing is about the consistency of corn syrup. Place each color of thinned icing in a piping bag or squeeze bottle.

To use. Out line the area you want colored with the thicker icing. Let dry for at least 30 minutes, then fill in with the thinner icing. You can use a toothpick to spread the thinner icing if needed. Let dry at least 1 hour.

Recipe from Glorious Treats.

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday. 

Cheesecake Dip

Oh my! Looking for something sweet and really tasty to serve at your Super Bowl party? Or just to snack on any old time? This Cheesecake Dip may just be what you're looking for. It is sweet, creamy, and oh-so-yummy. It's tasty on graham crackers, fruit, a spoon.... You get the idea. Oh! And have I mentioned it is also great as a frosting for cake? Well, it is!

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream all together and chill until ready to serve.

Recipe from my friend Peggy.

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday.

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Oh. My. Goodness! This Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting is AMAZING!! I don't particularly like cream cheese frosting, but this has me nearly drooling. Yep. It really is that good. The thing that I like love about it is that the cream cheese flavor is not overly strong. It's quite mild. I also love the consistency. Most cream cheese frosting won't hold up, but this will.

I used this Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting on cupcakes for my Bunko group and, oh my! The ladies were in love! I have never gotten so many compliments on anything before. And multiple compliments from the some ladies. And the sweet hubby said it was the best frosting ever!

1 (3oz) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cream or milk

Combine cream cheese, butter and shortening; mix until combined. Beat in powdered sugar and salt. Add vanilla and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Make sure to beat it really good.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday #35 and The Little Birdie Blog.

Chocolate Frosting

My daughter loves chocolate. I mean she really, REALLY, loves chocolate. For her birthday party she wanted chocolate cup cakes with chocolate frosting. I have a great Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe that I use all the time, but wanted something more chocolatey. So....I came up with this. It was a hit! My daughter loved it and so did all of my other kids.

1/2 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter. Add powdered sugar and salt and mix well. Add in vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk and mix. Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth. Add additional milk if needed to get desired consistency.

Recipe from The Royal Cook - an original!

Marshmallow Fondant

My sweet little 4 year old (now 5 year old!) just had her birthday. I usually just buy a cake, but this year I decided to make one. The reason? It boils down to pride. I guess I have a bit of a pride issue. You see, for this past Christmas I made my parents a calendar with pictures of my sweet little kiddos. They were admiring the picture for this month which happens to be of my little 5 year old last year on her birthday. My papa told my mom what a beautiful cake I had made and that I must have really spent a lot of time on it. My mom informed him that I do not make cakes for my kids birthdays, but that I purchase them. Well, that did it. I decided that I had to make her cake this year just to prove that I can make a pretty nice looking cake too.

While I was scouring the internet, looking for a cake to make, I came across several that had fondant. I have never made or tasted fondant before, but decided to give it a try. After all, it did make some pretty cakes.

I made up a batch of fondant for her cake, but still had no clue what I was going to do with it (other than sample it - YUM!). I finally decided that I was on my own and had to use a little creativity - not my strongest suit. After 2 days of thinking, I came up with an idea and this is what I did. I am pretty darn proud of myself! I managed to make a cake that looked pretty good, tasted really good, and didn't even have to start over! Hoary for me!

I adapted this recipe from All Recipes.

Linked on Show Me What Ya Got #12, All Things Related #37 and Sweets for a Saturday 6.

1/4 cup shortening (I used butter flavored)
1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup water
2 pounds powdered sugar, divided

Place the shortening in a shallow bowl, and set aside. Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff. Rub your hands thoroughly with shortening, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with powdered sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes. Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with powdered sugar. Roll out 1 inch larger than you need to give a little wiggle room. Lightly frost your cake (or what ever you are using your fondant on) to insure the fondant sticks. Attach decorations with a little frosting as well. I used Vanilla Buttercream Frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I love buttercream frosting. I eat it on cakes, cookies, brownies, spoons and even my finger. I think it is delicious any way it is eaten. I think this recipe is absolutely perfect! My kids love it too. I made brownie bites (trial run for my little girls princess party in a couple weeks), and left the bag with the frosting in it sitting on the counter while I was cleaning up (and taking pictures). I turned around and 2 of my little helpers had eaten almost half of the bag! Luckily, the sugar high only lasted for about an hour.

I adapted this recipe from Wilton (in a booklet that came in my cake decorating kit).

Linked on Sweets for a Saturday #3 and It's a Valentine's Party.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (I use butter flavored)
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix butter and shortening together. Beat in powdered sugar and salt, then add milk and vanilla.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

For me, the frosting is what makes or breaks a cake. If the frosting is good, the cake is good. I have a friend who said that cream cheese frosting can make dirt taste good (as well as a few other less appetizing things). Well, I think that pretty well applies to any good frosting. Although it could make dirt taste good, I don't think I could get over the gritty texture, so I will stick to cake. I love this frosting on cake or brownies, on graham crackers or on a spoon. As long as it is on its way to my mouth, but hopefully not to my hips or backside, I love it.

I snagged this recipe from Wilton.



1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
3-4 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa 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 and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.