Mt. Dew Cupcakes

I found this cupcake recipe on Pinterest at All Things Cupcake. Click the link to go to the original recipe.

John’s cousin Derek, loves Mt. Dew and when I saw these I knew I needed to make them for him. When he came home for leave this past Christmas I forgot to make him his own cupcakes. I’m a terrible person. So he got on my case. Now he will be here today on leave before he deploys this year. So we are greeting him at the airport with his cupcakes. I hope he likes them. They are delicious. If you like lemon lime, and Mt. Dew you are truly in for a treat. I adapted this recipe to my likings.

Mountain Dew Cupcakes

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
3/4 cup Mountain Dew
1/4 cup of lemon and lime juice (juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime)
zest from 1 lemon and 2 limes (separate into 2 piles, one for buttercream)
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Beat butter on medium for 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar and lemon, lime zest. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, Scrape sides of bowl in between additions
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to mixer bowl. Turn on low for 5 seconds.
5. Add the Mountain Dew, lemon/lime juice. Mix to combine.
5. Scoop into cupcake papers about two-thirds full.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Mountain Dew Buttercream

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4-5 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Mountain Dew
Juices half of 1 lime.
Lemon and lime zest (rest of zest from cupcake recipe. Or zest from half of 1 lemon and 1 whole lime)
neon green food coloring (yellow and blue if you dont have green)

1. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
2. Beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy
3. Add half of the sugar, turn mixer on low for 5 seconds.
4. Add the Mountain Dew, zest, and lemon extract . Beat until combined.
5. Add food coloring to the desired color.
6. Gradually add remaining sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

lemony day

i was browsing baking blogs, like i do almost every day, on my spare time. i had done the apple cupcakes so what next? my mom got a recipe from my grandma for a lemon cake. its amazing so i decided to make a lemon cupcake and stumbled upon javacupcakes triple lemon cupcakes. But oh my was i excited! the original recipe leaves way too much curd and not enough frosting so i made it into an easier to follow, more equivalent recipe.

Triple lemon cupcakes

*CAUTION!!! very lemony!

adapted from javacupcakes.com

Lemon curd (make this before so it has time to cool)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons butter

2 lemons

1.      zest and squeeze the lemons; set aside

2.      Using a double boiler, melt the butter on medium heat.

3.      Add the sugar, lemon juice and zest, whisking until smooth

4.      Bring to a soft, slow simmer, NOT boil, and temper the eggs by adding a spoonful of lemon mixture into eggs and Wisk. (This brings the eggs up to temp without scrambling them) then add to lemon mixture.

5.      Cook the curd until it sticks to the back of a spoon or is thick and creamy (approx. 10 mins)

6.      Transfer to an air tight container and cool in refrigerator for at least one hour.

7.      Stores for up to a week in refrigerator

Lemon cupcakes

¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks) room temperature

1 ¾ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

1 lemon, zested and squeezed

1 ¼ cup milk

3 cups sifted cake flour (¾ cup all-purpose flour+ 2 Tbls. Corn starch= 1 cup cake flour)

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line pan with liners

2.      in a medium bowl sift cake flour, baking powder and salt

3.      in a small bowl combine lemon zest, juice, and milk

4.      in a large bowl cream butter, add sugar until smooth

5.      Mix in vanilla, add eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl

6.      Beginning and ending with flour, add the four and milk mixture alternating on low speed. Scrape sides an mix only until incorporated.

7.      Fill liners ¾ full

8.      Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

9.      Leave pan to cool for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before filling and frosting

Sweet lemon butter cream

½ cup butter (1 stick) room temperature

1 lb. sifted powdered sugar (approx. 4 cups)

1-2 Tbls milk

1 lemon zested and squeezed

½ tsp. vanilla

1.      Combine juice and zest of lemon and milk in a small bowl. Set aside

2.      Sift powdered sugar. Set aside

3.      In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy.

4.      Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.

5.      Starting and ending with powdered sugar, alternately add powdered sugar and milk mixture until desired consistency is achieved.

apple cinnimon cupcakes

I’ve been apple crazy lately, and have been craving everything apples. It’s the season for apple desserts. I made apple pie for thanksgiving and wanted more. After browsing food blogs I found a delicious looking cupcake from javacupcake.com apple cinnamon. Yum, the perfect duo. After I took to cupcakes out of the oven I went to make the filling, finding that I was so anxious to make these cupcakes that I fudged the recipe a bit. It asks for ½ cup butter and silly I added 2 sticks of butter. I also had forgotten to add the cinnamon in the batter. Oops! But low and be hold they turned out amazing anyways. Next time I’ll calm down and focus. Not something I do best, may I remind you but, I’ll try. The end product was delicious and apple infused. But I wanted a little more apple flavor so ill add twice as much apples to the batter next time.

Apple Cinnamon Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk (you could use apple juice too)
1/2 cup chopped apples

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars.
3. One at a time, mix in the eggs. Add the vanilla then beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
4. Sift into the batter the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix by hand about 5-6 strokes.
5. Add the milk and mix only until all the flour and milk are incorporated.
6. Gently fold in the apples. Do not over mix!
7. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Leave in pan for 3-4 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling
1 large apple, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp milk mixed with 1 heaping tbsp corn starch

1. In a medium pan, melt the butter on medium-high heat.
2. Add the apples, sugars and vanilla and stir. Cook until bubbling, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the milk + cornstarch mixture and bring to a bubble. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thickens.
4. Remove from heat and continue to stir for about 1 minute.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. Fill cupcakes and reserve remaining apple mixture for buttercream.

Apple Cinnamon Buttercream

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening

1 lb powdered sugar, sifted

2-3 tbsp heavy cream

remaining apple mixture

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1. Cream together the butter and shortening.
2. Add about 1/2 the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Add 1-2 tbsp cream and mix until combined.
4. Add all of the remaining apple mixture, cinnamon and salt. Mix until smooth.
5. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
6. Add enough cream until you get the consistency you desire.
7. Scrape sides of bowl and mix on high for 1 minute.
8. Frost cupcakes and drizzle your favorite caramel sauce over frosting.

Assembly

1. Core the center of your cupcakes out.
2. Fill with apple filling.
3. Top with apple cinnamon buttercream.
4. Drizzle with your favorite caramel syrup.