Creepy Crawlers

I had the best time making these cupcakes .

To learn how to make these Creepy cupcakes watch these YOU TUBE video's with experts Karen Tack and Alan Richardson.

Martha Stewart's Brown Sugar Swiss Meringue Frosting

Bown Sugar Swiss Meringue Frosting by Martha Stewart
Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients
5 large egg whites
1 2/3 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature

***Note~ This makes a lot of favorite...might want to cut the recipe in half

Directions
Put egg whites, sugar, and salt into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture registers 160 degrees, about 4 minutes.
Beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Beat until frosting is smooth and glossy, 3 to 5 minutes. Buttercream can be refrigerated airtight for up to 3 days; bring to room temperature, and beat before using. 
Happy Baking
Rhonda

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Epicurious

Toba Garrett 
Ingredients
12 oz  egg whites (10 large egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cups granulated sugar
3 lbs  unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp almond extract or pure vanilla extract

Preparation1. Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg-white mixture is hot to touch or a candy thermometer reads 140°F (60°C).

2. Pour hot whites into a room-temperature bowl and whip with a wire whip until double in volume on MEDIUM-HIGH speed. When the mixer stops, the meringue should not move around in the bowl. Meanwhile cut up butter into 2-inch pieces. (The butter should be slightly moist on the outside but cold inside.)

3. On your mixer, remove the whip and attach the paddle. Add half the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) into the bowl immediately and pulsate the mixer several times until the meringue has covered the butter completely. To pulsate the mixer, turn it on and off in a jerky motion. This forces the butter on the top to the bottom of the bowl. Add the balance of the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) and pulsate mixer several times. Slowly increase the mixer's speed, starting with the lowest speed and increase the speed every 10 seconds until you reach a MEDIUM-HIGH speed.

4. Continue beating until the mixture begins to look light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Reduce speed to LOW. Add flavoring and continue to beat on LOW speed for 45 seconds. Then beat on MEDIUM-HIGH speed for an additional 45 to 60 seconds.

5. Leftover buttercream can be placed in plastic containers with lids and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely (several hours) and rewhip before using


Thanks for stopping by,
Rhonda

Chocolate Merlot Cake

   Recipe from Field of Cakes

Dark Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooled, strong coffee
1/2 cup Merlot
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sugars, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, coffee, wine, buttermilk and oil.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour wet ingredients into the center.

 Blackberry Merlot Ganache
16 ounces good quality 65-70% dark chocolate (in 1/4 inch pieces or smaller)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup merlot
1/4 cup seedless blackberry preserves
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
Set chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set aside.
In small sauce pan heat cream to just about to boil (little bubbles coming up but not to a boil yet)
Pour immediately over the chocolate and shake the bowl to help the chocolate settle. Allow to rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the wine and blackberry preserves together till almost too hot to touch (I just used my microwave for about 45 seconds)
Pour into the chocolate mixture and whisk until very smooth. Add butter and whisk until completely blended.

Blackberry Merlot Buttercream
2 cups firm but room temperature blackberry merlot ganache
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
1 stick salted butter (softened)
1/3 cup dutch cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup (or more to suit your tastes) powdered sugar

In mixer set on medium speed, beat the ganache and butter until smooth and silky.

Turn the speed to low slowly add the cocoa, beat until smooth (about 2-4 minutes then

add cream, a little at a time. When fully incorporated bring speed up to high and beat

for 5-7 minutes. Turn speed back down to low and add powdered sugar by Tbsp., tasting

along the way. When it is sweet to your taste,  beat again at high speed for a good 5 minutes

to really break down any graininess that you might get from the powdered sugar.

Bring back down to low speed and beat for a while that way to get rid of air bubbles.

Fondant cupcake toppers

Ari's Birthday Sleep over cupcakes

Tomato Soup Cake

This cake is really really good! I used a spice cake and

followed the directions on the box and added 1-can of

Tomato Soup, 1-3oz. box of cheesecake pudding mix.

Hard to believe it has been 8 years since I made these

cupcake because my husband love it so much.

  I will make these soon and post the pictures.

My EGGLESS cupcakes

The Recipe~ 1 box Chocolate Cake Mix, 1-3oz box of Chocolate pudding, 1/2 Cups of crushed Oreo cookies. I followed the recipe on the box but forgot the eggs. These cupcakes tasted so GOOD!!!! I made them to sell at a bake sale but they never made it to the SALE. I can't wait to make these again.

Cupcake Flowers

The youtube link below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9qtZwHHmx4

Decorative Cupcake Holder

Step 1. According fold a (9 x 6 inch) crepe paper, each fold should be 1 inch. This is what it should look like. Step 2. Round the corners Step 3. Cut them into individual strips Step 4. Glue the strips onto a big "NUT CUP." Step. 5 Turn the nut cup over and fluff out the crepe paper.

Decorative Cupcake Holder

Step 1. According fold a (9 x 6 inch) crepe paper, each fold should be 1 inch. This is what it should look like. Step 2. Round the corners Step 3. Cut them into individual strips Step 4. Glue the strips onto a big "NUT CUP." Step. 5 Turn the nut cup over and fluff out the crepe paper.

Lifesaver Candle Holder

I can't remember where I saw this but it is a great idea that I had to share.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Scharffenberger Chocolate Cupcakes

The Essence of Chocolate

I'm going to leave this description as simple as these cupcakes were to make:

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and warm
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup hot water

Directions

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute.
3. Add half of the water and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining water. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour.
4. Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 18-22 minutes (rotating the pan from front to back half-way through the baking time), just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Frost the cupcakes when they are completely cool. Store and serve at room temperature.
5. TIP: For light tender cupcakes, spoon flour and cocoa lightly into measuring cups (instead of dipping the cups into the flour or cocoa), then sweep the measures level without tapping or shaking them.


Special Equipment

• 1 cup cupcake pan with 12 cups, lined with paper liners
• Electric mixer (hand held or stand mixer)