Holy Baking, Batman...They're Junior Mint Valentine Cupcakes!

These are Double Chocolate Junior Mint cupcakes with pink mint frosting...ready to be eaten on Valentine's Day 2011!

Don't you love love songs...especially on Valentine's Day...one of my favs is by Celine Dion...Because You Loved Me...

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

Happy Valentine's Day, Batman!

CQ and Layla

Holy Baking, Batman...They're Junior Mint Valentine Cupcakes!

These are Double Chocolate Junior Mint cupcakes with pink mint frosting...ready to be eaten on Valentine's Day 2011!

Don't you love love songs...especially on Valentine's Day...one of my favs is by Celine Dion...Because You Loved Me...

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

Happy Valentine's Day, Batman!

CQ and Layla

The Absolutely Best Chocolate Reese's Cup Peanut Butter Cupcakes You'll Ever Eat!!

Notice the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on the bottom!

The BEST!

Okay, Kids...here is the recipe:

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1-1/3 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package REESE�S Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcakes cups with paper liners sprayed with PAM. Place one Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures on the bottom of each paper liner.

Then, place the cake mix, cocoa powder, peanut butter, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend for 30 seconds on low, then increase speed to medium for 1 minute and 30 seconds. 

Spoon 1/3 cup of batter on top of each miniature peanut butter cup. 

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Check them after 15 minutes. They may take 17 minutes, depending on your oven temperature.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (room temp)

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)

1 tsp vanilla

8 tbsp milk (may need a little more or less)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup peanut butter (creamy)

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Then, decorate your cupcakes!

The Absolutely Best Chocolate Reese's Cup Peanut Butter Cupcakes You'll Ever Eat!!

Notice the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup on the bottom!

The BEST!

Okay, Kids...here is the recipe:

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix

2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1-1/3 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package REESE�S Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcakes cups with paper liners sprayed with PAM. Place one Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures on the bottom of each paper liner.

Then, place the cake mix, cocoa powder, peanut butter, water, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend for 30 seconds on low, then increase speed to medium for 1 minute and 30 seconds. 

Spoon 1/3 cup of batter on top of each miniature peanut butter cup. 

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. Check them after 15 minutes. They may take 17 minutes, depending on your oven temperature.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (room temp)

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)

1 tsp vanilla

8 tbsp milk (may need a little more or less)

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup peanut butter (creamy)

Put all ingredients into a bowl and mix with a hand mixer. Then, decorate your cupcakes!

How About Some Easy Thanksgiving Cupcakes!

These are butternut squash cupcakes with sage frosting! They are very moist and taste awesome!

They are made using a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Premium Cake Mix!

Here is the recipe that makes 24 cupcakes:

Ingredients:

For cake:

--1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Premium Cake Mix
--1 large butternut squash

For frosting:

--1 bunch of sage

--3 tablespoons of water

--3 tablespoons of granulated sugar

--12 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)

--1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

--1 cup of eggnog (or milk, if you prefer)

3-4 cups of powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. Peel, quarter and remove seeds from butternut squash. Place in a large sauce pan covered with water and bring to a boil until squash is tender. Put the pieces in a food processor or blender, then set aside for a while.


Make cake mix as directed on package. When cooled, fold the butternut squash into the cake mix. Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Frosting directions:

Chop up the sage so that it's in very fine pieces. Heat the sugar and water in a small sauce pan under medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add the sage to the sugar water mixture and heat  over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to let cool.

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy...about 2 minutes.

Stir the sage syrup into the butter and cream cheese mixture. Add the eggnog or milk to the mixture.

Finally, add the powered sugar a little at a time to the mixture until you have the mixture you want.

Now, frost your cupcakes...you will receive very happy praises from your Thanksgiving guests!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

CQ and Layla

How About Some Easy Thanksgiving Cupcakes!

These are butternut squash cupcakes with sage frosting! They are very moist and taste awesome!

They are made using a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Premium Cake Mix!

Here is the recipe that makes 24 cupcakes:

Ingredients:

For cake:

--1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice Premium Cake Mix
--1 large butternut squash

For frosting:

--1 bunch of sage

--3 tablespoons of water

--3 tablespoons of granulated sugar

--12 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature)

--1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

--1 cup of eggnog (or milk, if you prefer)

3-4 cups of powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. Peel, quarter and remove seeds from butternut squash. Place in a large sauce pan covered with water and bring to a boil until squash is tender. Put the pieces in a food processor or blender, then set aside for a while.


Make cake mix as directed on package. When cooled, fold the butternut squash into the cake mix. Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 12-15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


Frosting directions:

Chop up the sage so that it's in very fine pieces. Heat the sugar and water in a small sauce pan under medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add the sage to the sugar water mixture and heat  over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to let cool.

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy...about 2 minutes.

Stir the sage syrup into the butter and cream cheese mixture. Add the eggnog or milk to the mixture.

Finally, add the powered sugar a little at a time to the mixture until you have the mixture you want.

Now, frost your cupcakes...you will receive very happy praises from your Thanksgiving guests!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

CQ and Layla

It's a Rocky Road, Cupcake!

End of summer...vacations are over...what better way than to celebrate with Rocky Road Cupcakes from the Cake Doctor's Cupcakes! book?

While my folks never had a trailer like this one, we did have this type of station wagon when I was a kid...and we did go on vacation in it...I remember one time we traveled all the way across the country!

Hope you are all having a great start to fall. Time to think about pumpkin cupcakes...maybe?

Have a great week...CQ and Layla!

It's a Rocky Road, Cupcake!

End of summer...vacations are over...what better way than to celebrate with Rocky Road Cupcakes from the Cake Doctor's Cupcakes! book?

While my folks never had a trailer like this one, we did have this type of station wagon when I was a kid...and we did go on vacation in it...I remember one time we traveled all the way across the country!

Hope you are all having a great start to fall. Time to think about pumpkin cupcakes...maybe?

Have a great week...CQ and Layla!

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This: Cake Dreams is a Little Taste of Heaven!

Layla admires the Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting 

Cupcake from Cake Dreams!

Have you ever had people you know tell you that you should go someplace...that it's really great, the best, etc? Well, several people who know the Queen have asked her if she'd been to Cake Dreams in Rockville, MD. The answer was always not yet...they only opened last January...I'm just sayin'...The fact is CQ hardly ever buys cupcakes.

So, when CQ pulled into the parking lot last Friday night to pick up dinner from Bombay Bistro, she realized she was right there...right there at Cake Dream and they were open until 7:00! CQ was in luck and she was lookin' to purchase six cupcakes to try out...and share with her readers!

CQ opened the door and there was a guy behind the counter...who turned out to be Michelle's (the cake and cupcake creator) husband, Kevin. CQ mentioned to him that she baked cupcakes and had a blog. He asked CQ what the name of her blog was...when she said 52 Cupcakes, Kevin said "We were wondering when you'd come in!"

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake

Then CQ met Michelle. She was awesome!

Vanilla Lemon (CQ's fav!)

Okay...now on to the cupcakes CQ and her entourage of four divvied up: Chocolate with Peanut Butter Frosting, Sweet Chocolate with Sweet Vanilla Frosting, Carrot with Vanilla Frosting, Yellow with Lemon Frosting (CQ's Fav), Chocolate with Raspberry Frosting, and Yellow Caramel!

The over-the-top reviews are in...here are some of the comments: Each and every one of the cupcakes that were bought were eaten (what else??), there were sighs of contentment all around, the flavors were deep when they needed to be (see Chocolate Peanut Butter), and light where needed (see Vanilla Caramel)...one a scale of from 1 to 10, with 10 being the BEST!, CQ and her band of cupcake eaters concluded that the Cake Dreams cupcakes were some of the most excellent cupcakes they have ever bought! Hooray for Cake Dreams. The royal "We" will be visiting them again soon.

Now, get in your car and go visit them! Tell them that the Cupcake Queen sent you! This is the address: 90 W. Montgomery Ave, Rockville, MD.

You might want to follow them on Facebook...(sometimes they give FB fans one free cupcake).

Have a great week...remember to Rock On!

CQ and Layla

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This: Cake Dreams is a Little Taste of Heaven!

Layla admires the Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting 

Cupcake from Cake Dreams!

Have you ever had people you know tell you that you should go someplace...that it's really great, the best, etc? Well, several people who know the Queen have asked her if she'd been to Cake Dreams in Rockville, MD. The answer was always not yet...they only opened last January...I'm just sayin'...The fact is CQ hardly ever buys cupcakes.

So, when CQ pulled into the parking lot last Friday night to pick up dinner from Bombay Bistro, she realized she was right there...right there at Cake Dream and they were open until 7:00! CQ was in luck and she was lookin' to purchase six cupcakes to try out...and share with her readers!

CQ opened the door and there was a guy behind the counter...who turned out to be Michelle's (the cake and cupcake creator) husband, Kevin. CQ mentioned to him that she baked cupcakes and had a blog. He asked CQ what the name of her blog was...when she said 52 Cupcakes, Kevin said "We were wondering when you'd come in!"

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake

Then CQ met Michelle. She was awesome!

Vanilla Lemon (CQ's fav!)

Okay...now on to the cupcakes CQ and her entourage of four divvied up: Chocolate with Peanut Butter Frosting, Sweet Chocolate with Sweet Vanilla Frosting, Carrot with Vanilla Frosting, Yellow with Lemon Frosting (CQ's Fav), Chocolate with Raspberry Frosting, and Yellow Caramel!

The over-the-top reviews are in...here are some of the comments: Each and every one of the cupcakes that were bought were eaten (what else??), there were sighs of contentment all around, the flavors were deep when they needed to be (see Chocolate Peanut Butter), and light where needed (see Vanilla Caramel)...one a scale of from 1 to 10, with 10 being the BEST!, CQ and her band of cupcake eaters concluded that the Cake Dreams cupcakes were some of the most excellent cupcakes they have ever bought! Hooray for Cake Dreams. The royal "We" will be visiting them again soon.

Now, get in your car and go visit them! Tell them that the Cupcake Queen sent you! This is the address: 90 W. Montgomery Ave, Rockville, MD.

You might want to follow them on Facebook...(sometimes they give FB fans one free cupcake).

Have a great week...remember to Rock On!

CQ and Layla

New CPCK CO Design: Wear Your Cupcake Love!!

Proudly proclaim your love of cupckes...Check out this t-shirt and my other "Cupcake Wearables" at here!

New CPCK CO Design: Wear Your Cupcake Love!!

Proudly proclaim your love of cupckes...Check out this t-shirt and my other "Cupcake Wearables" at here!

OMG! The I Love Cupcake Shoes!

The shoes are made by KEDS! Here's where you can buy them online: Zappos. Aren't they adorable!
I must have them! CQ

OMG! The I Love Cupcake Shoes!

The shoes are made by KEDS! Here's where you can buy them online: Zappos. Aren't they adorable!
I must have them! CQ

Marie's "Fancy Pants" Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Chips

Late last week...in our mailbox I found some very nice  presents from our lovely neighbor, Marie, who lives down the street. Twenty-four cupcakes liners...what I'm calling "fancy pants" cupcake liners (by Wilton)...pink, they are! And, very cute cupcake ribbons!

These cupcakes are vanilla with white chocolate chips topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and/or dark chocolate frosting.

Layla was wishing that a few crumbs would fall on the floor!

The chocolate ones were especially good!

I will definitely use the "fancy pants" cupcake liners again...they are so much fun!

Layla and I hope that you all have a great week!

Next week, a review of a new baking food scale!

CQ and Layla

Marie's "Fancy Pants" Vanilla Cupcakes with White Chocolate Chips

Late last week...in our mailbox I found some very nice  presents from our lovely neighbor, Marie, who lives down the street. Twenty-four cupcakes liners...what I'm calling "fancy pants" cupcake liners (by Wilton)...pink, they are! And, very cute cupcake ribbons!

These cupcakes are vanilla with white chocolate chips topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and/or dark chocolate frosting.

Layla was wishing that a few crumbs would fall on the floor!

The chocolate ones were especially good!

I will definitely use the "fancy pants" cupcake liners again...they are so much fun!

Layla and I hope that you all have a great week!

Next week, a review of a new baking food scale!

CQ and Layla