Im a rebel...and I blame Billy Idol....

So Juggling Act sent me a new recipe....shame on her! Doesnt she know that if she sends it to me Im going to have to make it? Of the frustration of it all.

Today's cupcake?

Hot Chocolate Cupcake

Today you will need the following for the cupcake batter:

The frosting is listed below.....

yields 12 normal size cupcakes

your oven will need to be set to 350*

1 cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

step one: in a small bowl add the flour, the cocoa, baking soda, and salt and set aside

Step One: Dry Ingredients



Step two: in the mixer beat the butter and sugar till smooth and creamy

Step 2: Butter and sugar



Step three: Beat in the eggs and vanilla and allow to mix till fluffy

Step three in action......


Step four: on low speed add the flour and milk. Alternating between the two. Starting and ending with flour.

Step four in action

Step five: Spray and line your pan. And evenly distribute the batter. I use a cookie scoop. Even and consitent.

Ready? Set? ....................


Step Six: bake for 20 to 25 minutes....( side note to readers, i never use a timer for my home baking , so the time guideline is what was on the recipe. I go by the product vs the timer. Timers can be wrong.)

Bake!!!!!!



After the cupcakes are done and cooling comes the frosting. Now this is where I had to improvise.
Let me start by putting the icing recipe on here.

2 cups 10x sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 Tbsp + 2 Tsp milk

1 1/4 cup mini marshmallows
3 or 4 candy canes

I followed the recipe as is. I will admit I was a little skeptical about it. The ratio of sugar to shortening seemed to high. But I thought just follow it and fix it later. Well I made it and what was in the bowl was thick enough to use as spackel or glue. Even added some extra milk. Didnt help. So here is what the recipe said to do to finish and then Ill show you what I did when I said screw this., Im doing it my way. :)

The recipe said to take 2 Tbsp of icing for each top and to spread around. making sure its coated. Then to take 8 or 9 of the marshmallows and stick on the top. Cut the candy canes into pieces long enough for straws.

So this is where the whole Hot Chocolate Cupcake comes into play.

But like I said I wasnt happy with the icing. I like fluffy and creamy. So heres what I did. I wasnt going to waste the icing that I made. So I fitted a bag with a small star tip. Threw the icing into it and did the same with some chocolate fudge icing I had floating around in the cupboard.

and this is what i ended up with.....

Ive got this absolute love for black and white themes.

The cake was phenomanal in my opinion. And Im happy with the way they turned out. Best of luck if you follow the recipe to the original instructions. But happy baking if you decide to be a rebel and do it your own way.


Sugar kisses,
C



A mile a minute..............

Have you ever had a period of your life where everything happens so fast you forget to breathe? But its not something bad...its something great!!! LOL. Channeled my inner Tony the Tiger for that one. An idea that is so near and dear to yourself has so many aspects and yet each one of those aspects are seeming to come together almost flawlessly. This week and a half has snowballed from one thing to another. And not ONE aspect of it is bad. I am working harder and more passionately and am so in love with what Im doing that I forget that I should be absolutly terrified! That maybe Im just dreaming. That Ill wake up on the floor with Matt laughing at me cause I fell off the bed. But the thing is, its not a dream. However. it is. A dream to be my own boss. To do what I want to do. How I want to do it. And not have to answer to the higher ups who think they know everything but dont have the slightest clue as to what my job entails. The only thing is, im not having this fantasy anymore. Cause its my reality. Wicked Confections has been launched. Mine and Juggling Acts creation. Something we both love and adore. And i couldnt be happier.....actually I could be. If i had a cupcake in my hand....lol...

Sugar kisses,
C

A Stitch in Time

So today is a Lilo and Stitch kind of day. You know that one movie that no matter how crappy you feel you know it will cheer you up? Well Lilo and Stitch is my movie. Todays not bad. Im just worn out a little.
There's been a ton going on the past week or so. Juggling Act and I are starting our own side business and its happening fast. Which is very good. Just alot of work. Plus that and trying to be there for my boyfriend and making sure the house is taken care of. And work. Although there Im kind of lucky. The whole unemployment and part time job is kind of to our advantage right now.

So what have I dont lately? Well brownies and cupcakes are kind of a staple in my house. I live with my boyfriend and two of his friends. One Girl...Three Guys. Sounds like a soap opera gone wrong. Of course when has one gone right? lol.

So a week or so ago I made cupcakes. Jugging Act and I were getting together later that day and I try not to come empty handed. Something my mother instilled in me. :) So chocolate cupcakes it was.

Chocolate Cupcakes. Please dont mind my oven. Havent had a chance to self clean it.

I went simple this time around. I learned that when 3 guys want something sweet it had better be quick and easy. So box it was. To be honest. There is nothing wrong with a mix. You can gurantee consistency and you would be suprised to learn how many bakerys dont use scratch baking. Cause of the consistency issue being more important.

So while the cupcakes were in the oven I started on the icing.

Yup....its pink. Been in a pink mood lately. Think its Valentines Day being right around the corner thats doing it. So the icing is done and cupcakes are cooling...time to decorate.

I was just going to do the simple swirl top but when at the store I picked up Reeses pb hearts. So i decided to use them. They were so cute! The guys immediately scarfed up three or four. To the point it caused the lights to flicker in the kitchen they downed them so fast. Lol. And this is what happens when you turn your back for a second......

 This would be my boyfriend taking a lick...needless to say he had to eat it. Which he wasnt sad about. Wonder why...lol.

So today is a hang out session with Juggling Act. Making brownies for tonight. Making cupcakes Saturday morning for work that night. Dinner with Matt, Juggling Act, hubs and monkey on Sunday. And possibly doing Tux and Gown strawberries as well.

But right now I think Im going to crash for an hour or so and watch some Lilo and Stitch.......
cause I need some Coconut Cake and Coffee.


Sugar Kisses,
C