Pink Lemonade Hydrangea Rose Cake and Cupcake Tutorial

Posted on June 24, 2011 by Sherrismiles

Hydrangea Rose cake and matching cupcakes. Flavor you ask? Pink Lemonade with Raspberry preserves filling and pink lemonade butter cream frosting.

Update: 07/17/11. Finally, I’m posting the tutorial on the cake and cupcakes. I had this almost typed and posted once, and it disappeared into oblivion when I went to post it and I lost everything. I just didn’t have the strength to re-type it again that same day. Sorry for the delay.

South Florida is a really great place to live. It’s literally paradise. Though, I have to admit that I miss the Mid West and gardening in the spring and summer. It’s just not the same here. A whole different region and zone for gardening.

I used to live for spring when I could get out into my yard and start nurturing my rose bushes and hydrangeas. It was my passion. In the summer, when the roses and hydrangeas were in full bloom, I would bring the flowers in and arrange them in a vase and place them atop my fireplace mantle. I could stare at them all day. *sigh*

I love them so much in fact, these two flowers were the wedding bouquet I chose for my second marriage, unfortunately the marriage didn’t last as long as my love for these flowers.

It was a blessing in disguise really, but that’s not what this post is about. It’s about my inspiration for this Pink Lemonade Hydrangea Cake with matching cupcakes.

I regularly scan Youtube videos on cake and icing techniques and ran into this instructional video on piping hyrdrangeas on cupcakes. I knew I had to try it as soon as I saw a cupcake could easily become one of my favorite flowers. And it is so easy. It really is. The secret is all in the piping tip you use (Wilton 2D large drop flower tip.) A monkey could do it. Not that I’m calling you a monkey.

I adapted this Pink Lemonade recipe from A Little Loveliness. I decided also to fill mine with raspberry preserves and make them even more delectable. I used one cake box and yielded one 9 inch round cake and 8 cupcakes.

Pink Lemonade Hydrangea Rose Cake and Cupcakes

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Sherri @ TheKitchenPrescriptiondotcom

Prep time: 3 hours 30 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 3 hours 42 mins

Serves: 16

Wow your guests at your next entertaining event with this lovely cake and cupcakes combination.

Ingredients

CAKE AND CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:
1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix
Ingredients cake mix calls for
3 tablespoons Country Time Pink Lemonade Sweetened Drink Mix
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon zest
pinch of salt
FILLING:
1-2 Jars of Raspberry preserves (depending on how much or little you desire)
BUTTER CREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
10 Tablespoons salted butter room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons soft light cream cheese
2-3 pounds confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4-6 tablespoons Country Time Pink Lemonade concentrate (thawed)
1 tablespoon heaving whipping cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest
OTHER ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:
White sugar pearls (can be purchased at Michaels in the baking section)
Pink sugar pearls
Wilton Rose gel/paste coloring (keeps from thinning out your butter cream)
Icing Whitener (I always have this on hand as the butter and cream cheese tend to make the color off white, which is ok for this this cake.)
Wilton Sky Blue and Lemon Yellow gel/paste coloring

Instructions

CAKE AND CUPCAKE PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
add pink lemonade sweetened drink mix
add lemon zest
add pinch of salt
mix with stand mixer or hand mixer
Pour batter into 9 inch greased and lightly floured non stick cake pan
Bake until a toothpick come out clean
BUTTER CREAM FROSTING INSTRUCTIONS:
Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth
add about 3/4 lbs of confectioners sugar
add whipping cream
add 2 tablespoons of thawed pink lemonade concentrate
add lemon zest
mix and keep adding confectioners sugar a little at a time incorporating the rest of the pink lemonade concentrate.
If frosting is too runny add more confectioners sugar
If too stiff add more pink lemonade concentrate
Now take some of the frosting in a separate container or bowl and mix in the rose gel coloring until you get the rose color you desire
Don’t mix the cake color frosting until after you do your crumb coat (see below)
Once that is done then mix a very tiny bit of the sky blue and a touch of yellow gel/paste and whitener to get that hint of yellow green hydrangea color
Its best to mix the color separately until you get the color you desire then add to frosting.

Once you have your cake and cupcakes baked and cooled, it’s time to have some fun. Let’s focus on the cupcakes first. Take a disposable piping bag and the Wilton long filling tip and fill the bag with the raspberry preserves. Fill the centers with the preserves like so.

Take some of your pink icing and fill a disposable piping bag, attach a Wilton 2D large drop flower tip and fill bag with the butter cream frosting. Hold bag at a slight angle. Start around the outside of the cupcake and work your way into the middle, just like the video above demonstrates.

After every couple of cupcakes or so, place your pink sugar pearls in the middle of the flower with a pair of tweezers. Doing this early allows the pearls to take before the frosting starts to stiffen and dry.

Next, it’s time to decorate the cake. Take a serated long knife and cut the cake carefully in half. I used the knife and a flat spatula to lift the top of the cake off. Use the pink frosting bag and go around the edges of the cake with the frosting to make a damn to hold the preserves in.

Fill the middle with preserves. I used the long tip and then spread out the preserves with a butter knife.

Replace the top of the cake. Don’t trim off the top of the cake, as you want the rounded top to create the round shape of a hydrangea.

It’s time to do an icing crumb coat, and place your rosettes on the cake. Pick where you want to place them and use the same pink frosting and tip that you used for piping the hydrangea. Here’s a great tutorial for piping rosettes.

Now you’re ready to start piping the hydrangea technique. I started on the top of the cake.

Stop every so often be sure to add your off white sugar pearls to the center of your flowers. Once the top is done I piped around the bottom of the cake where it meets the cake stand. I did two rows of hydrangeas on the side.

That’s it. Start showcasing your masterpiece.

Your guests will be in awe of your creation at your next entertaining event.

I’d love to see your cake or cupcakes or both. Please come back and leave a link or picture.

Rose Cake

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Sherrismiles

I was asked to make a cake for a co-worker’s birthday. I let her choose the flavor and then went to work on the rest. I wanted to try out a new technique I had recently seen and thought I could pull off even though I’d never made one before.

My experience with cake decorating isn’t exactly up to par. I’m actually a little better at cupcakes, but I love learning new ideas and practicing. This was my daughter’s birthday cake I decorated last year. So sorry Maria!Tasted great, but I learned that adding a layer of fresh sliced strawberries between the layers wasn’t such a brilliant idea. Check out the moat around the dish. The strawberries around the cake kept sliding too, so I had to secure them with toothpicks! Trial and error, that’s usually my learning method.

Lately, I’ve been tooling around in the kitchen with my left over icing and practicing piping techniques on plastic lids or Pillsbury sugar cookies as my canvas. What? I can’t very well eat plastic lids. Here’s my hydrangea technique I’ll be showcasing soon. Hydrangea cupcakes! How pretty will those be?

However, this cake was a rush order and I didn’t have much time for practicing. It was now or never. I do a lot of researching cake techniques on the internet and combine several ideas and always try to tweak it in my own way. The inspiration came from i am baker Tutorial, (hers is absolutely gorgeous by the way) as well as researching Youtube videos on rose decorating techniques.

I used this recipe for the cake and cream cheese icing ,which is my own. I didn’t add the blueberries to the cake batter, and I also used only a container and 1 tablespoon of cream cheese and added more confectioner’s sugar to stiffen up the icing.

After baking my two 9 inch round cakes I let them cool completely. Next, I leveled the bottom layer mound with a knife(serated is usually recommended.) I’d never done this before. I usually just stack them and slap the icing on as you just witnessed first hand.

While I was making the icing I added a whitener that I picked up at Michaels Craft Store to get some of the yellow out of the frosting that is caused by the butter and vanilla extract. Then, I set some frosting aside and mixed in a rose paste to get the pink color I wanted. I filled two Wilton disposable piping bags and used a 1M tip for each. This is a great starter set and has the 1M open star tip inside. (By the way, I get no compensation for recommending these links or products. I just think they are great products and resources.)

Next, I began on the side of the cake and held my tip even to wrist and elbow (straight out) and applied pressure for just a moment then went counter clockwise continuing around the center point. In other words, you work from inside out. This is a great video for the rose technique. My cake was a little high and I contemplated doing two rows of smaller roses, but in the end just went with one, although I had to loop around my starting point three times. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Mine wasn’t either.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Sherrismiles

Fruit is synonymous with summer. Don’t you think? On a sweltering hot summer day it’s the perfect relief from the heat. That was the inspiration for these cupcakes. I know what you’re thinking…ummmm it’s a fattening cupcake!

Before you judge hear me out on this. It’s loaded with blueberries which are one of the highest fruits in antioxidants AND it’s loaded with fresh lemon zest in the cupcake and fresh queezed lemon juice in the frosting. Lemon is clinically known to be a natural fat burner. You can’t lose with this cupcake! (ooor maybe you can.) Light and refreshing

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Recipe type: Cupcake

Author: Sherri @ The Kitchen Prescription (dot) com

Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins

Cook time: 12 mins

Total time: 1 hour 42 mins

Serves: 24

Packed with fresh summer fruity flavor. These lemon blueberry cupcakes are the prefect summer treat.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:
1 box Duncan Hines lemon flavor cake mix (if you’re not big on boxed mixes then use your from scratch recipe and just add more lemon zest)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups water
lemon zest of 1 lemon (set rest of lemon aside for frosting)
24 cupcake liners
3 cups fresh blueberries (2 cups for cake batter reserve 1 cup for cupcake toppers)
Lemon Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting:
1 stick butter (room temperature)
2 lbs confectioners sugar
2 8 oz. containers or bars cream cheese (room temperature) I use light cream cheese in containers.
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
juice one whole lemon (use the same lemon as above)

Instructions

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
rinse and dry blueberries with paper towels
mix cake recipe according to directions on box
add lemon zest of 1 whole lemon (set remaining lemon aside for frosting)
Mix slowly using hand mixer or stand mixer
once all ingredients are wet and well mixed fold in two cups blueberries and mix ( on med speed with stand mixer and high speed with hand mixer) until ingredients are well mix and no lumps remain in batter
full ice cream scoop into cupcake liners (or until liners are 2/3 full)
bake at 12 -18 minutes or until toothpick come out clean or cupcake springs back with touch
Cool completely
Lemon Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting:
mix butter and cream cheese until smooth
mix in confectioners sugar in moderate amounts until all 2 lbs have been incorporated
add vanilla extract and lemon juice
(if you feel frosting is too wet buy a little extra confectioners sugar and add until you get the consistency you want.)
mix ingredients until smooth and fluffy.
Pipe on with large Wilton 1M star tip
top with a blueberry

Ladybug Cupcakes

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Sherrismiles

Ok. How cuuuute are these? Not just because I made them. Because frankly, I found the idea while perusing cupcakes online. That’s what I do in my spare time. Some people social network, some read, some Pinterest, I spend hours upon hours looking for new cupcake ideas. When I stumbled upon this little number I knew it was the perfect time to try out my new #233 Wilton frosting tip I’d been dying to use.

The day before I made the cupcakes I found a Marzipan recipe and thought…fahgettaboudit! Too much time. Instead I searched the internet for alternatives and lo and behold red M&Ms would do the trick.

I used a Black Gel Icing. I had to practice on a few, and after I got some practice it went pretty well. Next time though, I think I will squeeze the gel into a small baggie and pinch a tiny hole in the corner for better application control. I started with the head first. It had a thick consistency and held shape well. Next I guided the a line down the back and finished up with some dots. It might be best to have a tool like tweezers handy because the gel wanted to stick to my fingers. Place on a paper towel on counter and dry overnight. Or if you don’t want to take two days to make your cupcakes…place right on cupcake! Right before placing on cupcake I saved some white frosting and put the dots (eyes) with a toothpick.

Ladybug Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Mint Butter Cream Frosting

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Sherri

Serves: 24

These make a perfect summer treat for kids and birthday parties.

Ingredients

Preheat oven to 350
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s )
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
2 cups hot water
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cupcake liners
Cream Cheese Mint Butter Cream Frosting:
1 stick of butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 lbs confectioners sugar
1-2 tsp of pure Mint extract (add a little at time until you get desired minty taste)
1-2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (add a little at time. Frosting should be stiff)
Add more whipping cream if needed
Green Food Coloring or paste to tint
Reserve a little white for the ladybug eyes

Instructions

Add dry cake ingredients to stand mixer or if using hand mixer add to bowl
Add wet ingredient and mix on low to med for a minute or two. Don’t over mix.
Use ice cream scoop and fill cupcake liners.
Typically you want the liner to be filled two-thirds of the way full.
Bake at 350 on middle rack for 6 to 12 minutes.
Do a Toothpick check. When toothpick comes out clean. They’re ready.
Take out of pan and let cool on racks or counter.
When cupcake are completely cooled use your #233 grass/hair tip and go around outside of cupcake edges first. Think PlayDoh years here. Keep tip straight up and squeeze. You can’t go wrong. Practice a few times. You can always wipe the cupcake off and start over. Have fun with it. Now place your Ladybugs on the cupcake and just try and watch people keep their hands off!

Notes

Refrigerate any left over cupcakes in air tight storage container.

Head on over to Tidymom and link up what you’re lovin’ this weekend! Great site! Love it!

Turtle Cupcakes

Posted on April 13, 2011 by Sherrismiles

One of my absolute favorite chocolate and caramel treats is a Turtle. The ooey gooey caramel with the saltiness of the cashews smothered in a rich indulgent milk chocolate makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Mmmm put a box of those in front of me and I’m yours forever! Oh, and expect an empty box in about 5 minutes.

With Cupcake Wars and DC Cupcakes all the rage on the television I thought I’d come up with my own unique creation. Now, I’m not sayin’ there hasn’t been a Turtle cupcake made somewhere out in this big universe before…there’s just never been one that’s been made this delicious.. I can say that cuz I’m biased. Also, to make sure it was unique I didn’t look up any recipes. Save for my usual chocolate cupcake from scratch, I completely came up with the Caramel Butter Cream Icing and ooey gooey caramel cashew surprise on the inside all on my own!

Chocolate Cupcake Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s

)

1 cup canola oil

2 cups hot water

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Mix the ingredients in the stand mixer on low for a minute or two. Don’t over mix. Typically you want the liner to be filled two-thirds of the way full. Bake at 350 on middle rack for 6 to 12 minutes. Toothpick check. When toothpick comes out clean. They’re ready.

Take out of pan and let cool on racks or counter.

While cupcakes are cooling whip up your caramel butter cream frosting:

10 tablespoons soft salted butter

4 cups powered sugar

6-8 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream (start with 6 add more if needed)

12 oz. jar of Smucker’s Caramel ice cream topping

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions: Mix all ingredients in stand mixer with flat beater until smooth and creamy. No worries a hand mixer will do if you don’t have a stand mixer. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator to keep cool while coring cupcakes and making center filling.

Caramel Center Filling Ingredients:

One bag of Caramel squares (for 2 dozen cupcakes I used about 30 squares)

2 tablespoons of milk

1 can or jar of Planter’s Cashew pieces

Directions: Put 2 tablespoons of milk on low heat in small sauce pan. Unwrap and add caramel squares. Melt slowly over low heat. If you have a heat disc once caramel is melted leave on low heat so it doesn’t harden. If you don’t have one, just to make sure you stir often and make sure it doesn’t burn.

Core out cupcakes with a small parring knife going in at about a 30 degree angle. This was a simple trick I just discovered after buying a piece-o-crap cupcake corer that I purchased at Bed Bath and Beyond. Works much better and gives you a clean cut and is already a staple in every one’s kitchen.

Now, fill center with 3 to 4 cashew pieces and pour in 1 teaspoon of the ooey gooey caramel over cashews and replace cupcake core.

Time to frost. Remove frosting from fridge and pipe onto top of cupcake. I found some great Wilton disposable piping bags at Bed Bath and Beyond. I used the large star tip. Fill bag about 1/3 full with a spatula. Work icing down with hands and twist tight. Begin at outer edge of cupcake going all the way around and when it almost meets where you began, start a new circle and end up in center. Add just a bit of pressure before completely raising up the tip, it gives it that nice star shape on the tippy top.

Store in airtight containers and place in refrigerator for up to 3 days. But honestly, these won’t last You and your family won’t be able to resist. Word to the wise, pour yourself a nice cold tall glass of milk. Enjoy!

Valentine Cut Out Cookies

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Sherrismiles

Banana flavored sugar cookie with strawberry cream cheese butter cream frosting. What a mouthful huh? Sure is. Mmmmmm. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner if you missed my Chocolate Raspberry filled cupcakes with Raspberry Butter Cream Frosting go check it out. Now you can also make these heart-shaped cut outs for your sweetie or family.

Banana Flavored Sugar Cookie Recipe

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons banana extract

3-4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

Directions: Cream butter and sugar then add eggs and banana extract. Mix. Then add baking powder, sea salt, and flour. Add 1/2 cup of flour at at time and mix into wet mix. If need be, use more flour but add small amounts. If using stand mixer use dough hook. When dough becomes one big ball and doesn’t stick to the side of bowl or your hands and is not gummy it’s ready. Place into air tight bowl or big Zip-Lock bag and place into refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. I prefer overnight.

When ready to roll dough preheat oven to 375 and coat cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Take dough out of refrigerator and slice with knife into quarters. Work dough in hands into balls first to soften up dough. It makes it easier to work with. Sprinkle a little flour on the counter and your rolling-pin. Roll dough out to about 1/2 inches thick. Don’t make cookie too thin. Use favorite Valentine cut outs. Place on cookie sheets and bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until right before cookie begins to brown. Try not to brown your cookie. Keeping a close eye one them is the trick. Cool cookie wire racks or waxed paper. Yields 3 to 4 dozen depending on the size of your cut outs and how thick or thin you roll your dough.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Butter Cream Frosting Recipe (I doubled this recipe since I had about 4 dozen cookies)

5 tablespoons soft salted butter

2 cups powered sugar

4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons soft cream cheese (use light if you want)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of strawberry extract

Directions: Mix in stand mixer or with hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Icing will have a light pink tinge.

Next use red food coloring to tint your icing a pink or red. Add as little or much as you want until you achieve your desired shade of pink or red. I keep icing I’m not using in the fridge so it doesn’t get warm as I’m decorating. Spatula icing into piping bag and choose tip. I used # 18 star tip and just made a zig zag design. Then sprinkle with toppings. If keeping treats around for a few days put in air tight container and refrigerate. (has cream cheese remember?)