Cupcake Frosting Styles

It should be no surprise that I love cupcakes!  Here are some cool pictures showing different styles of frosted cupcakes.

Cupcake Style!

Classic Texas Sheet Cake

 A Cake The Size of Texas!

This delicious, moist Texas sheet cake is made with sour cream and cocoa, then it's topped with a chocolate frosting. This chocolate cake is sometimes made with cinnamon, so add about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon if you like the spiced flavor.

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

A southern favorite, Texas Sheet Cake, is the richest and delectable, melt in your mouth, best chocolate cake ever. No matter how hard you try you will not be able to eat just one piece.

• ***Frosting***
• 1/2 cup butter 
• 1/4 cup cocoa 
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk 
• 1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, sifted (4 1/4 cups sifted) 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preparation:

Cake: Combine 1 cup butter, water, and 1/4 cup cocoa in saucepan over medium heat; heat until butter melts. Add sugar, flour, salt, eggs, soda, sour cream, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; mix well. Pour into a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan. Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Frost while still hot.

Frosting: Combine 1/2 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of cocoa, and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add the confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla mix well with electric mixer. Stir in pecans, if using, and pour over the cake. Spread to cover the hot cake.

Chocolate No Bake Cookies Take Me Down Memory Lane

I first made these no bake cookies with my cousins when I was a little girl.  I loved them so much that every time we visited I wanted to make them and many times we did!  Those were the good old days! Too bad they don't last.  But the cookies do!

2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oatmeal
Waxed paper


Here is my "healthy recipe"


1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts.

You can put all kinds of good stuff in these cookies, like flax seed, wheat germ, dried cherries and coconut are a few additions I have tried.  The recipe is very forgiving so you can just do your own thing!

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

I have been making these since I was a little girl and have a couple of tips that I have learned through the years. 

Start timing your sugar boil when the whole pot is boiling. The longer you boil the sugar the firmer your cookies will be. Boil at least a minute, if you boil just over a minute they will be shiny. If you boil longer you will be sure they will set better. But be careful not to boil too long, any more than 4 min. and they could be crumbly

Holiday Sugar Cookies!

 Fall and Halloween Sugar Cookies 

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In large bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt, stir into sugar mixture.

Form dough into flat disc on lightly floured surface; wrap in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F

On lightly floured board, roll out half of dough to 1/8 inch thick.

Using cookie cutters, cut out various shapes.

Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with extra sugar.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on rack.

There are lots of recipes for royal icing.  Here is one that I use.

Glossy Royal Icing

Makes 2 1/2 Cups       

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

1/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3 cups confectioners sugar

Stir warm water, corn syrup, and almond extract together in a small bowl until corn syrup and extract have dissolved. Place confectioners' sugar into a separate bowl and add liquid ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until royal icing is smooth. Store in a lidded container for up to a week; stir thoroughly before using.

Thicken with more powered sugar and thin with water

More Sugar Cookie Icing

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• food coloring (optional)

 

1. Cream together butter and sugar. Slowly mix in milk, then vanilla and almond.
2. Whisk until fluffy.
3. Can be spread or piped onto cookies.
4. Icing will begin to harden in less than 30 minutes. Wait a few hours before stacking iced cookies.

Frosting Recipes To Keep On Hand

Frosting is so easy to make!  

Why buy the store bought frostings with all the chemicals and additives when you make it yourself!  Here are some of my favorite recipes.

Ganache

Add 1 T. Instant Coffee for added flavor!

Ingredients
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (chocolate chips work great)
16 ounces (2 cups) heavy cream


Heat the heavy cream in a microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Process by  pulsing in a blender or use a mixer until chocolate mixture is smooth. Use as is for glazing. If you wish to make a lighter frosting, allow it to come to room temperature, approximately 2 hours. Once at room temperature, place in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

Buttercream

Easy Buttercream

Here is my best tip on buttercream.  Put the butter on top of the stove to soften while baking your cake!

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or ½ pound), softened
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or desired flavoring
• up to 4 tablespoons milk 

Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar, mix.  Add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

Perfectly Chocolate

1. "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
2. 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
3. 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
4. 3 cups powdered sugar
5. 1/3 cup milk
6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
8. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

SIMPLE CREAM CHEESE
This is a simple recipe for delicious cream cheese frosting. 
Teresa's Tip - Put Cream Cheese and Butter on the top of stove to soften while your cake is baking!

1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature  (2 pkgs)
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pinch of salt is optional 
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

Heat butter in a microwave-safe dish in microwave on high for 7 seconds. Transfer butter to a bowl and beat with cream cheese and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until mixture is nearly fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir confectioners' sugar into cream cheese mixture to make a smooth frosting. Store in refrigerator.

This Light Cream Cheese Frosting is Perfect

 for

 Red Velvet and Carrot Cake

Light Cream Cheese Frosting

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Ingredients

• (2) 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick real butter, softened
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Beat cream cheese, butter and heavy whipping cream until fluffy and combined.
2. Add vanilla.
3. Mix in powdered sugar a little at a time.
4. Mix on high speed until creamy and light.
5. Add more cream or powdered sugar to adjust the thickness if needed.

Addy's First Cake With Marshmallow Fondant Icing

Marshmallow Fondant Frosting 

Addy's First Cake

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe 

1/4 Cup Vegetable Shortening (Crisco)
1 Pound Of Mini Marshmallows
1 Teaspoon Clear Vanilla Flavoring
1 Teaspoon Of Butter Flavoring
2 tbspTablespoons Water
2 lb Powdered Sugar
Large Microwavable Glass Bowl

1.  Grease the inside of the glass bowl 

2.  Put the marshmallows into the greased bowl with the flavorings and water. then stir around so the marshmallows get covered

3.  Place the glass bowl with its contents into the microwave and start microwave just until the mixture starts to melt

4.Stir until it is nice and smooth

5.  Add all the powdered sugar into the bowl of marshmallow and mix for four minutes

6. Add food coloring, cover, place in fridge for at least an hour

7. Take it out and let come back to room temperature until ready to use

8. Roll it out!

Note:  Bake your cake and frost with a thin layer of buttercream frosting and then cover with your fondant.  The buttercream frosting will make it tast great and hold the fondant in place!

Jon's Favorite German Chocolate Bithday Cake

My family loves this cake!

You can find this recipe on the inside of Baker's German Chocolate Squares. I never can remember all the ingredients and end up opening the chocolate squares in the store to make sure I don't forget something.  Here is the frosting recipe.

Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting
4 egg yolks

1 can evaporated milk 12 oz
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 pkg angel flake coconut 7 oz
11/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup whole pecans

BEAT egg yolks, milk and vanilla in large saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add sugar and butter; cook on medium heat 12 min. or until thickened and golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

ADD coconut and nuts; mix well. Cool to desired spreading consistency

.

Yummy!!