Ice Cream Liquor Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I am so excited to share with you all my first competition entry for the Ice cream Cupcake Contest. Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious is hosting their annual Ice Cream Cupcake Contest. The competition requirement is the ice cream cupcakes must contain cake and ice cream (or frozen yogurt, gelato, or something ice cream-like).

This was harder than I expected because coming up with a recipe to incorporate ice cream was not an easy task. I know I wanted a cocktail cupcake but could not figure what flavor would go best with ice cream.

While shopping at Publix I went down the frozen aisle and saw the Mayfield’s Vanilla Bean Ice cream. At that instance I knew the perfect cupcake.
This cupcake is a chocolate chip cupcake with cream liquor, layered with vanilla bean ice cream, and frosted with a whipped buttercream cream liquor frosting.
This ice cream cupcake is definitely a keeper. Perfect for the summer time to cool down and relax with a cocktail flavor.


Chocolate Chip- Cream Cupcakes w/ Liquor Buttercream
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 20 min

Ingredients:
CUPCAKES:
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 Tablespoon cake flour
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
10 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup Cruzan Cream Liquor (Bailey's can be used)

BUTTERCREAM:
1 cup butters (2 sticks), at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons Cream Liquor (Cruzan Cream or Baileys)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, toss together chocolate chips and 1/2 Tablespoon flour.
3. Sift together dry ingredients- flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, use electric mixer to combine cream cheese and butter. Add sugars and vanilla; beat until blended. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liqueur alternately to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Gently stir in chocolate chips.
5. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, filling them almost to the top (they shouldn't raise much. Bake cupcakes 18 to 22 minutes, or until centers of cupcakes are set.
6. To make buttercream: Place all ingredients in an electric mixer bowl. It’s best to chill the bowl to help whip with volume. I include ½ cup of heavy cream for a whip effect. Blend together until smooth and creamy.

Assemble cupcakes:

Remove the ice cream from the freeze and lit it defrosts for a while. Remove the cupcake from the wrapper and cut the cupcake horizontally. Spoon a semi-melted ice cream on the bottom half of the cupcake and put the top on the ice cream half. Place cupcake back in freezer for thirty minutes.

Make frosting a pipe with a large start tip onto the ice cream cupcake and drizzle with Hershey's syrup.

I took it a step farther and created a dessert cup. I melted dark, milk, and white chocolate and poured them in a bowl. Taking a toothpick I made a swirl in the chocolates to get a marble effect. I took it old school and blew a balloon up and dipped it in the marble chocolate rotating left and right. Place the balloon on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and freeze for thirty minutes.
Store in the freezer.

Cupcake & Buttercream Source: (Adapted from Recipe Girl).

AppleTini Cupcakes - Time To Get Wasted

Today is my dear friend Mrs. Rochelle Washington birthday. Rochelle is such a sweet dear friend. Mrs. Washington and I work at the same company HDR. Rochelle is our company receptionist. But she is not any normal receptionist she basically is holding the company down. And that voice of hers she sounds like need to have her own radio station. I can’t describe in words, but do call HDR Atlanta office just to say hi and you will know what I mean. Mrs. Washington is also a crafty person. She is the star behind RosignedIt that specializes in handmade cards. Check out her blog Two Tears In My Bucket for some wonderful masterpieces. Father Day is right around the corner and it’s not too late to place an order with her.

So I knew she like red velvet, cheesecake, and chocolate. But she already tasted my recipes before and I wanted to impress her for birthday. Now today she turn 29 years old hope she don’t mind telling her age, and she keep saying for her birthday she want to get wasted. Keep in mind a Smirnoff to her will get her drunk. This woman can’t handle any liquor even if it is 5%. When I heard her say she want to get wasted I laughed because the movie Grownups came to my mind when the little girl said I want to get chocolate wasted.

Now back to the cupcake. She loves Apple Martini. I think that’s the only drink she orders. I tease her so much because I think its pure juice, well the ones I had. So I knew one of my favorite blogs Bakers Royale has an AppleTini recipe and felt this would be perfect for her. Now keep in my mind I did not follow the directions for the Apple Tini recipe. I used everything for that recipe but I did not measure the vodka or the Schnapps I just poured. Hey she wanted to get wasted.

I brought the cupcakes to work today for her. She only had TWO and she is totally wasted. She trying her best to look sane but her eyes she is so out of it. She better not mess up answering the phones.

Here is the Juices and Berries (Her Favorite quote) go check out Bakers Royale page to make these Awesome Totally Wasted AppleTini Cupcakes.

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Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This weekend I was in a cake mood. I wanted a cake that melts in my mouth and make me feel sweet and mellow. My daughters keep saying chocolate cake please. But I am not a chocolate fan, and hey this is my treat. I keep going back and forth in my head deciding on what type of cake I want. And then my dear ex-coworker friend came to my mind. She made this delicious cream cheese pound cake for a thanksgiving potluck and from since I had been begging her to do one for me. She keeps teasing me and says I promise I will make you one. Well she left the company I work at and I never got my cake. What a bummer huh. I said to myself you know what I am going to make this cake myself. Hey teach that Ms. Lisa lesson. So I got up and got to work.

Oh boy this cake is so moist, sweet, and damn it’s good.

My daughters was not too happy about it because they wanted chocolate cake. So what? Mommy want her cake and eat it too. My youngest daughter (two years old) is so in love with strawberries. Everyday mommy can I have a strawberry please. So in my household strawberries are a must in the refrigerator. So I handed my youngest daughter her strawberry butwhen I stepped back in the kitchen I found a strawberry in the center of my cake. Now imagine this lovely cake on its platter and then half of a strawberry in the middle of YOUR cake. I was heated. Now my oldest came into the kitchen and said mommy you should make a strawberry glaze and throw it over the cake. Brilliant idea. Wow my kids got taste just like mommy. Mommy is happy again!

I was skeptical about throwing it over the whole cake and then it get too wet and take away that smooth feeling. I let my daughters decorate outside the cake with strawberries and I made a glaze and only cut a slice of my handmade beauty and did a drizzle on the plate.

I must say it was good. So I dipped my cake in the drizzle and boy did I feel good.

You should try it too. It is a perfect pound cake. Trust me its good!
CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE
INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached or bleached all-purpose flour; spoon into measuring cup and level to rim
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter; can be cold from the refrigerator
One 8-ounce package cream cheese; I prefer Philadelphia Brand
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 large eggs; can be cold from the refrigerator

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup tube or Bundt pan.


2. In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until softened and add the sugar at the side of the bowl. Beat until light and fluffy on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
Add in the cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy about 3 minutes more.

NOTE - Cream cheese should not be creamed in with the butter and sugar, for a long time, causing it to be over mixed, because it breaks down the gums in it.
This causes a much runnier batter and the loss of air bubbles. The cake will not has as fine a texture as a result.

Make sure you stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often with a large rubber spatula.

4. With the mixer on low, beat in the vanilla, and then, four eggs, one at a time, beating for 20 seconds after each addition or until well incorporated and the batter is smooth.

5. With the mixer on low, beat in one-third of the flour mixture, and when absorbed, add in the fifth egg, and beat until smooth. Repeat with one-third of the flour and the sixth egg. Beat in the last one-third of the flour and mix until absorbed.

6. Stop the mixer and give the batter one or two turns with a large rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

7. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes or until the cake is browned, cracked on top, and a long thin wooden skewer inserted in the middle emerges with a few moist crumbs attached but not batter.
When using two 9 x 2-inch pans, bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes on a wire cake rack, and then unmold. Turn upright to cool completely.

Strawberry Coulis (Adapted Smitten Kitchen)
2 cups quartered hulled strawberries (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Combine strawberries, water, and sugar and lemon juice in blender. Purée until very smooth, then press through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

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