cupcakes Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Posted by Meaghan Barry on February 7, 2014

It’s officially one week until Valentine’s Day and I have got some serious planning to do! I have yet to make a single treat or card and our V’day menu remains a blank sheet of paper. I figured a Valentine’s Day round-up was in order to spark some serious inspiration!

Cutout Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting

These heart-shaped Cutout Sugar Cookies with Buttercream Frosting have recently been our most popular post and for good reason! They are amazingly delicious cutout cookies without all the fuss that royal icing requires.

Valentine's Day M&M Cookies {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I also love these these M&M cookies. While I made them for the first time last year for Valentine’s Day, I made them throughout the year with various colored M&Ms.

Golden-Oreo-Truffles

These Golden Oreo Truffles are only 5 ingredients and are perfectly easy to make for your sweetheart!

chocolate_covered_strawberries

It’s also a great time of year to make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (or pretzels or bananas!)

3 Layer Brownies- chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, and brownies together in one bar!

Or you could package up these amazing Three Layer Brownies to give out as gifts for Valentine’s Day! The three layers include chocolate chip cookies, Oreos and brownies…wow!

Our Red Velvet Cupcakes were recently selected as part of the Blog Better Boston {hub}LINKS newsletter as part of their “Let’s Talk Love” round-up. Here were the other blog posts that were selected as part of this week’s theme:

hublinks-featured-blogger-LOVE

Looking to buy your sweetie a V-day gift? Mandy’s Money has a guide that covers gifts of various price points.
Who doesn’t love wedding photos? Lindsay’s Look takes us back to her wedding, 3 years ago.
DIY to your heart’s content with these Valentine’s Day DIYs (that aren’t cheesy) from Design Fixation.
Three words: Red. Velvet. Cupcakes. Two Sisters Two Cities has the recipe…and it involves cinnamon cream cheese icing.
This Valentine’s Day themed shoot from Stephanie Rita Photography is just too cute!
Want kissable lips? Cobbs Hill has the recipe for this two step process.
Inspired by grammar school valentines, Glitter Trim cooked up these adorable envelope cookies.
Wearing your heart on your sleeve is so last year! Style Tab recommends wearing it on your sunglasses instead.

Happy Valentine’s Day planning!

sister m signature

Posted by Meaghan Barry on May 2, 2013

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

I typically buy healthier items when I grocery shop at Whole Foods (versus a typical Boston-area grocery store such as Stop & Shop or Shaw’s.) However, the one thing that gets me everytime is the tres leches cake from prepared foods section. It’s always located on the last end-cap we have to go around before we head to the cashier. I can practically hear it calling my name from the shelf! I often find myself picking up a slice to split with my husband for dessert.

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

While K and I were discussing what Cinco de Mayo recipes we were going to post, I told her about my obsession with the WF tres leches cake. I’ve never made one before and she told me that I had to try making tres leches cupcakes instead. K just bought me some awesome new cupcake pans for my birthday so I figured it would be the perfect chance to use them.

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

If you haven’t had a tres leches cake (or cupcake) before, tres leches means three milks due to the three varieties of milk used in the recipe. This recipe actually has four types if you count milk and heavy cream as separate types of milk (the other two are evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk.)

Tres Leches Cupcakes {from 2 Sisters 2 Cities}

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Recipe type: dessert

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 18

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
5 eggs, yolks and egg whites separated
1 cup sugar, divided
⅓ cup whole or 2% milk
1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the tres leches glaze

1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 14-ounce sweetened condensed milk
½ cup heavy cream

For the cupcake topping

2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare two cupcake pans with paper liners (this recipe makes about 18 cupcakes.)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer, add the egg yolks and ¾ cup sugar. Beat them together using the whisk attachment until mixture is well combined. Add the milk and 1 and ½ teaspoon vanilla; continue to beat until combined.
Pour the liquid mixture over the flour mixture and stir together gently with a spatula. Wash out the mixing bowl and whisk attachment. Once dry, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks appear. Add ¼ cup sugar and continue to beat until combined.
Using the spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the other large bowl. Mix until just combined and pour batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 15 minutes or until center of cupcakes reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the tres leches glaze

Line a baking sheet with foil and transfer the cupcakes once they have cooled. Using a fork or a skewer, poke about 10 holes into each cupcake.
In a large measuring cup, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ½ cup heavy cream. Pour mixture over the cupcakes (some residual glaze will spill over onto the foil.) Place the baking sheet of cupcakes in the fridge and allow to chill up to 30 minutes.

For the cupcake topping

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Using the whisk attachment, mix together until stiff peaks form. Use a spatula or spoon to top cupcakes with whipped cream topping.
Store cupcakes in refrigerator.

Source: Adapted from The Pioneer Woman, Alton Brown, and The Latin Kitchen

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Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on March 29, 2013

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

Since Easter is usually timed with the start of spring, it is often associated with bright and pastel colors. Oh, and of course bunnies and chicks! I was trying to think of a cupcake that could be Easter-themed. I know I could have gone with a carrot cake cupcake, but truthfully my all time favorite cupcake is vanilla with buttercream frosting.

Funfetti Cupcakes

Homemade funfetti cupcakes have been on my list of recipes I have been wanting to try for awhile. After finding the cutest Easter egg cupcake liners at Target- okay, I may be a little obsessed with Target- I decided to give this recipe a try. A fun way to top these colorful cupcakes is with a bright-colored marshmallow peep. My favorite peeps are the yellow ones of course! Make these cupcakes for your Easter weekend!

Easter Funfetti Cupcakes

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Funfetti Cupcakes

1 + ⅔ cup AP flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp.baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 Stick)
1 egg
¼ cup sour cream
¾ cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup sprinkles

Buttercream Frosting:

½ cup butter (1 stick)
3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Sprinkles, for topping
Peeps, for topping

Instructions

Funfetti Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with liners.
In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until combined.
In the bowl of your mixer add butter and sugar. Mix until fluffy.
Add in eggs and mix together.
In a measuring cup mix together sour cream, milk and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients into mixer bowl in 3 parts alternating with sour cream/milk mixture.
Mix until smooth. Gently fold in sprinkles into batter with a rubber spatula.
Divide the batter into the 12 cupcake pans. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes

Buttercream Frosting:

Cream butter in bowl of mixer, add in 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla on medium speed. Beat until smooth and creamy, making sure to scrape down the sides to incorporate all of the ingredients. Gradually add in remaining confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is a good spreading consistency. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, making sure not to over beat.

Assembly:

Once cupcakes are cooled, prepare a pastry bag with a large star tip. Fill with frosting and swirl onto cupcakes. If you don’t have pastry bags or tips, glob a spoonful of frosting in the middle of cupcake and take a knife and smooth around. Top with sprinkles and peeps.

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction, Frosting is a 2 Sisters 2 Cities original

Home Easter Funfetti Cupcakes
sisterk (2)

Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on March 10, 2013

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

My boyfriend’s birthday happens to fall around the same time as our dating anniversary and Valentine’s Day. I usually feel the need to make something over the top and special for this span of special events. I thought a really long time about what cupcake I would make him for his birthday. In the past I have made our favorite vanilla on vanilla cupcake so I wanted to try something new. His favorite type of ice cream is Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. I searched and searched for an existing Chunky Monkey cupcakes recipe, but I couldn’t find one. So, I thought it would be the perfect time to create one. I had several stipulations that I wanted to follow:

1. No banana extract because that just sounds gross to me
2. Use a basic vanilla frosting, not a chocolate or banana frosting so I could use toppings
3. I wanted it to be a banana chocolate chip cupcake, not muffin.
4. I didn’t want to put the actual ice cream in the cupcake. Yeah, I found a recipe that had the melted ice cream in them…gag!

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes Unwrapped

I found a recipe for roasted banana cupcakes in my Martha Stewart Cupcake cookbook to start off the recipe. I added mini chocolate chips and toasted walnuts to this recipe. When they came out of the oven, I couldn’t wait to rip into one to see what it tasted like. At first I was a little disappointed because I didn’t think it would all come together to taste like the ice cream.

I let the cupcakes cool and started to make the frosting. I frosted the cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream frosting with an open circle tip. I then used a small offset spatial to scoop out a well in the top of the frosting. Then, I let the frosting set for a bit while I prepared the ganache, candied walnuts, and chopped banana chips. Once these were ready, I took the homemade chocolate ganache and drizzled the chocolate on top of the cupcakes. It was an amazing chocolate-y mess. I then filled the wells in the frosting with a pinch of candied walnuts and a pinch of chopped banana chips.

Plate of Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

I couldn’t wait to try them so I grabbed my boyfriend and made him try one with me at the same time. The results?? We both shouted with a mouthful of cupcakes, “oh my god- they taste just like the ice cream!” It seriously couldn’t get any closer to the taste of the ice cream. I have to say it was one of my most triumphant baking moments. I am extremely excited to share this recipe for Chunky Monkey Cupcakes with you today.

A bit of a Chunky Monkey Cupcake

Chunky Monkey Cupcakes

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Serves: 16

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

3 ripe bananas
2 cups cake flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated
½ sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts.
1 tsp. cake flour

Buttercream Frosting:

½ cup butter (1 stick)
3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Ganache:

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate , chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter

Toppings:

½ cup banana chips, topped
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tbsp. brown sugar

Instructions

Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place three whole unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast bananas for 15 minutes. The peels will turn brownish/black.
While bananas are roasting sift together cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
Once bananas are roasted, let cool before peeling. Turn oven down to 350 degrees.
In the bowl on a mixer, cream butter on medium-high until fluffy. Add in egg yolks, one at a time until mixed in. Scraping sides of bowl down in-between eggs.
Add roasted bananas into the mixer.
Mix in dry ingredients in three parts alternating between sour cream (1/4 cup twice).
Beat in vanilla extract.
In a small bowl mix together mini chocolate chips, roasted chopped walnuts and 2 tsp. of cake flour.
Move batter to a large bowl, and clean mixer bowl (If you are not using a stand mixer, just get out another bowl and you don’t need to transfer batter). Add on whisk attachment to mixer. In clean bowl, add in egg whites and whisk until soft peaks form
In the large bowl with batter lightly fold in chocolate chip and walnuts. After the chocolate and nuts are incorporated fold in egg whites in two batches.
Scoop batter into liners, putting about ¼ cup of batter or a cupcake scoop in each lined tin(it should be about ¾ths full). It should make about 16 cupcakes so make sure to fill the empty muffin tins halfway with water for even cooking. lf you have a 12 muffin pan, cook one pan at a time.
Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cupcakes cool.

Buttercream Frosting:

Cream butter in bowl of mixer, add in 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla on medium speed. Beat until smooth and creamy, making sure to scrape down the sides to incorporate all of the ingredients. Gradually add in remaining confectioners’ sugar until the frosting is a good spreading consistency. Beat on medium high speed until light and fluffy, making sure not to over beat.

Ganache:

Placed chopped chocolate in small bowl. Place cream in small sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Pour cream on chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes. Whisk together until all the chocolate is melted and smooth. Mix in butter stir until incorporated. Let cool slightly so ganache thickens.

Candied Walnuts:

Take chopped walnuts and place in sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring occasionally and watching so they do not burn. Once walnuts are starting to toast up add in a tablespoon of brown sugar. Stir until brown sugar starts to melt and covers the walnuts. Add in a couple drops of water if the brown sugar isn’t sticking. When walnuts are glazed place on a paper towel and let cool.

Assembly:

Once cupcakes are cooled, prepare a pastry bag with an open circle large tip. Fill with frosting and swirl onto cupcakes. If you don’t have pastry bags or tips, glob a spoonful of frosting in the middle of cupcake and take a knife and smooth around.
With an offset spatula or butter knife, scoop out a small well on in the middle of the frosting.
Take a small whisk, dip in ganache and move back and forth over cupcakes to drizzle with chocolate.
In the well of the frosting add in candied walnuts and chopped banana chips. Enjoy!

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes, frosting and toppings are a 2 Sisters 2 Cities original

Delicious Chunky Monkey Cupcakes
sisterk (2)

Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on March 11, 2012

Well hello everyone, long time no see. I am sorry it has been so long since I have posted, but I have been very busy with traveling to Las Vegas for a trade show for work. I got back early in the morning on Thursday and then went to work for the full day. It’s funny how such a short trip like that can affect your energy levels. I finally recovered after sleeping in late on Saturday morning.

Before leaving for Vegas on Monday, I did however throw a 60th birthday party for my boyfriend’s mom. She always goes out of her way to make holidays special for us so I wanted to do something really special for her to celebrate such a monumental year. During the week before, I planned for the party and made a list of all the things I wanted to do. My boyfriend had to bring me back to reality at some points with my ideas. What?? I really wanted a limo!!

On Thursday night I had a little energy after dinner, so I went ahead and made a half of a batch of cupcakes. I used the Magnolia cupcake recipe I use all the time. My boyfriends mom loves these cupcakes so I didn’t want to change it up too much. I had flower petal cupcake papers from Wilton’s which I got from my mom for Christmas. This was really where I came up with my theme for the party- since the wrappers were pink flowers, I wanted everything to be pink. My boyfriend’s Mom (lets just call her R) has lived the majority of her life with men, my boyfriend and his father/her husband. I thought a perfect way to ring in a 60th birthday would be a pink party since it is so feminine and pretty.

At Party City I bought:
–Pink Fluffy Pom Poms– I have seen these in Martha Stewarts Magazines and in her showrooms in NY
-Two tones of Pink streamers
-3 tones of pink balloons
– Pink napkins
–60th Birthday Plates– they had pink in them so I allowed them
– Pink birthday Tiara
–Pink Boa– this was just something I thought would be fun addition- nothing makes you feel like a princess or queen like a feather boa and tiara!
–Pink 60th Birthday Button– This button can be customized by age- I personalized it with a big pink 60!
– Wilton’s Clear Treat Bags
– Assortment of Pink Candy*
–60th Birthday Candles

At A.C. Moore I bought:
– An assortment of pink ribbons- in different shades and sizes. I found them all in the clearance bins for a dollar and the thinner ones were only 50 cents.

At the grocery store the day of the party, I bought:
-Assortment of Pink Candy*
– Assortment of 60 Pink Roses (I got about 30 regular roses and 20 small spray roses)

*Pink candy included- Pink Kit Kats (it’s Easter time so I was able to find these), Pink Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, Smarties, Pink Lollipops, Pink Starburst, Pink M&Ms, Pink Cotton Candy, Pink button candies, and Russell Stover Chocolate Marshmallow Eggs in a pink wrapper.

I placed all the candy into the candy bags and tied them with pink ribbons and created a tag with a personalized party message. I used a tag paper punch to cut these tags out and punched the hole with a heart shape paper punch.

I then made R her favorite dessert- Extreme 3-Layer Brownies and then frosted the Magnolia Cupcakes I had made on Thursday Night with a pink butter-cream frosting and pink sanding sugar.

Next I filled 2 vases filled with the assorted pink roses and tied thick pink ribbons around the neck of the vases.

Once I got to R’s house, I had her distracted in another room while my boyfriend and I decorated the dining room with the streamers, balloons, pink puffs, vases of roses, candy bags, and the plates of brownies and cupcakes. When she came into the room, we greeted her with the boa and tiara! She was so shocked and so happy about all the decorations. My gift I gave her even fit into the theme- a pink Swarovski crystal bead for her charm bracelet so she can remember her 60th Birthday Party!

Throwing parties can be easily put together with a theme and good planning. No matter the size of the party, people will notice all the details you put into everything. I love, love, love planning parties! :)

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Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on February 7, 2010

I made these cupcakes this weekend for the birthday of the guy I am dating ;). The recipe is from the famous Magnolia Bakery in NYC, and it is one of my favorite recipes for cupcakes. It is a little more labor intensive than the other recipe, but you won’t be disappointed. Also just in case you think this recipe is healthy because I try to cook healthy, this recipe is the complete opposite, but a great splurge.

Magnolia Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:

Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla Buttercream:

The vanilla buttercream we use at the bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners’ sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: From Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Enjoy!

-K

Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on January 19, 2010

I was a busy girl tonight and also made cupcakes for one of my friend’s birthday tomorrow. I don’t like to make boxed cupcakes because I don’t think they taste as good. Depending on how much time I have I either make them from scratch and or make what I like to called the “souped-up version of boxed batter” My mom found this cookbook a couple of a years ago called The Cupcake Doctor by Anne Byrn. The recipe I use repetitively from this cookbook is call “Birthday Cupcakes” and it makes the best yellow cupcakes. I frost them with either a butter cream frosting or chocolate. The frosting recipe I like to use is the butter cream frosting recipe from the side of Domino Confectionary Sugar package (yeah I know how obvious is that.)

Birthday Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box of golden or yellow cake mix
½ cup of sugar
4 eggs
1 8oz package of low fat cream cheese
½ cup of water
½ cup of vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Combine and stir all ingredients together until well mixed. (This is easiest to do when cream cheese is room temperature)

Line 24 cupcake pan (or two 12 cup) with baking paper and pour in about ¼ cup of batter into each cup.

Cook in the oven for 24-27 minutes. To check if done, stick a toothpick in one and if it comes out clean, plus the center bounces back when you touch it, they are done. Let cool on wire rack before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 – (1 lb.) pkg. Domino® Confectioners Sugar (approx. 3 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup – butter or margarine, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons – milk
1 teaspoon – vanilla

Instructions

Combine in large bowl, with mixer at low speed, confectioners’ sugar, butter, milk and vanilla.

Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency.

Makes enough to fill and frost 2-layer cake, 13x9x2-inch sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes.

*Note- If you are an awful froster like me I highly recommend the Wilton’s 12-Piece Cupcake Decorating Set (from Bed Bath and Beyond or Michaels). I used the Star Tip 1M, and it doesn’t say this on the package but you need to put the larger coupler to use the larger tips.

Enjoy! ( I sure did)

-K