Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

Yeah.

I went there.

 I'll be honest and tell you that this really isn't my kind of recipe. I typically like to play it pretty safe.

Silly, silly me.

This recipe is adapted from here. I'm not a huge buttercream icing fan, so I threw in a block of cream cheese. Why not? Cream cheese makes everything better. It also mellowed out the immediate taste of SUGAR.SUGAR.SUGAR when I took a bite.

Don't worry, these are totally healthy. I used the knock off Cinnamon Toast Crunch you get at Whole Foods! :) Kidding. I heard someone was concerned about my typical low fat choices. I totally made up for them with these.

Excuse me while I dig my way out of frosting.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

If there is one dessert that my husband requests that I make, it is red velvet cupcakes. Cupcakes that taste like chocolate, but don't look like chocolate is just plain fun. I top these cupcakes with my signature "best cream cheese icing ever" and then try to restrain myself from eating 8 cupcakes.

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

  Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (3.4 oz) package Jell-o Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 (1 ounce) bottle red food coloring
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  
• Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing:
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks of butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 
  
• Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with muffin cups. Set aside.
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, pudding mix, and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food coloring and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

1. Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing: Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and vanilla extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Angel Food Cupcakes

Let's make cupcakes! Ok! Lent really put a dent (I'm a poet and wasn't aware of it) in my creation of delicious sweets. Angel Food Cake is by far on of my favorite cakes, but I always seem to forget about it. Usually around this time of year, it starts showing up around the grocery store bakery and I say (out loud, to no one), "Oh yeah!! Angel Food Cake!!!"

This was my first time making a homemade Angel Food Cake mix. With the lack of butter or oil, I convinced myself that Tony Horton would be ok with me having three one. So I did. Yum. I'm not a big frosting gal, unless its contains 6 blocks of cream cheese, so I topped these with fresh whipped cream (1 pint heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in the mixer until "whipped") and fresh berries. This combination just screams Summer, and seeing as it was 92 degrees here yesterday, go ahead and whip up a batch. 

Please visit my link parties page to see who I linked up with this week!