Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

After a few crazy days of Fourth of July festivities, I am ready to get back into my normal summer routine. Don't get me wrong, the Fourth of July is my favorite holiday (it even tops Christmas), and I thoroughly enjoyed 4 days of picnics, fireworks, and fun time with family and friends. However, it seems like the holiday gets drawn out when it falls during the work week because my family had a full agenda for the entire long weekend.

When attending a picnic or a potluck, deciding what to bring is usually a no-brainer when I am home...dessert! I never turn down the opportunity to try a new  recipe that I have been eyeing on Pinterest. These cupcakes were a cake/frosting/garnish combination that I thought up myself, and after bringing them to two different parties, I can say they were a hit! The frosting does not have an overwhelming orange flavor, but it does add a little extra tang to the cream cheese frosting. The candied blueberries on top were easy to make, and they help make these cupcakes the star of any dessert table!

RED VELVET CUPCAKES
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup butter
1 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. red gel food coloring
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and red gel food coloring. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the rest of the ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared mini muffin tins.

Bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes before removing from pan.

Recipe from Design Bake Run

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 tbsp. butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tbsp. orange juice
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together. Gradually add orange juice and powdered sugar until desired consistency is achieved.

CANDIED BLUEBERRIES
Egg whites
Blueberries

Lightly brush the clean and dry blueberries with egg whites. Roll in granulated sugar. Allow to dry before garnishing cupcakes.

Yields 48 mini cupcakes

Enjoy!
Bridget

Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Do you remember my Caramel Peanut Butter Cupcakes? Well I haven't been able to get over how good the  peanut butter frosting was. I am not even a huge peanut butter fan, but this peanut butter frosting is my new favorite recipe! It's sweet, salty, peanut butter deliciousness. So when I signed up to make mini chocolate cupcakes for an event at my church, I couldn't resist making another batch of this frosting to top the mini cupcakes. These mini chocolate peanut butter cupcakes are dangerously good. Enough said.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
printable recipe
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
4 tbsp. Cocoa powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and cocoa powder until completely combined.

Add sugar and beat well. 

Add eggs and vanilla.

Add baking powder and half of flour.

Add buttermilk and combine.

Add remaining flour and mix until combined.

Fill lined mini cupcake tins 2/3 full. (I put the batter into a gallon sized plastic bag, cut the tip of the bag off, and pipe the batter into the cupcake tins.) Do not overfill the cupcake tins!

Bake for 12 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
6 tbsp. butter (room temperature)
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Milk to achieve desired consistency (about 1/2 cup)

Cream butter and peanut butter.

Add vanilla and salt.

Gradually add powdered sugar by 1/2 cup, alternating with splash of milk until desired consistency is achieved.

Frost cooled cupcakes.

Melt baking chocolate to drizzle on the top of cupcakes. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. 

yields 5 dozen mini frosted cupcakes

Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Mini Cupcakes

This is the fourth and final cupcake in my mini cupcake series from my 500 Cupcakes book. 

CUPCAKES

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

10 crushed Oreo cookies

FROSTING

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter

Pinch of Salt

10 chopped Oreos

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the cupcake ingredients, folding in the chopped Oreos last.

Bake in mini muffin tin for 13 minutes.

Combine all of the frosting ingredients except for the Oreos and frost when cooled. Sprinkle the crushed Oreos on top of the completed cupcake.

White Chocolate Strawberry Mini Cupcakes

This is the third cupcake in my mini cupcake series from the 500 Cupcakes book.

CUPCAKES
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1.2 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1 tsp. strawberry extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

FROSTING
1 cup cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. butter
3-5 chopped fresh strawberries
White Chocolate Chip garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the butter, sugar, eggs, and strawberry extract. Add the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Bake for 13 minutes in mini muffin pan.

Combine all of the frosting ingredients. The strawberries should be finely chopped. When you add them to the frosting, mix on high to help make the strawberry pieces even smaller.

Frost when completely cooled and top with a white chocolate chip.

Makes 36 mini cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Mint Mini Cupcakes

This is the second cupcake in the mini cupcake series from my new 500 Cupcakes book.

CUPCAKES
1 1/2 cups cake flour
4 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 tsp. mint extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FROSTING
2 sticks butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. mint extract
Green icing coloring
Mini Chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder and stir well. In a seperate bowl, cream the butter and sugar before adding the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in the mint extract and chocolate chips.

Bake in greased mini muffin tins for 13 minuts.

Combine all of the frosting ingredients leaving the mini chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the completed cupcake.

Key Lime Mini Cupcakes

I was excited to buy the recipe book 500 Cupcakes . When I look for recipe books one of my only requirements is a photograph for every recipe in the book. Nothing is worse than going into a baking project without being able to visualize the final product. I usually end up modifying the decorating techniques to alter the final look of the dessert, but a photograph is a good jumping off point. I was so excited to use this new cupcake book that I decided to make a series of four different mini cupcake recipes. The first cupcake is a Key Lime Cupcake. Key Lime Pie is one of my favorite desserts, and this little cupcake was just as good as the traditional pie. I have never made meringue icing before, and was surprised by how well it turned out and how easy it was. Enjoy!

CUPCAKES
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

FILLING
1/3 cup squeezed key lime juice
14 oz. can condensed milk

MERINGUE
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl, then add to the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, cake flour, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk.

Bake for 13 minutes.

Mix the filling ingredients together. When the cupcakes are cool, use a knife to remove part of the center and add the filling.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees.

Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the sugar and beat for a minute. Continue this pattern until all of the sugar has been added.

Frost the cupcakes with the meringue. Place back in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes or just until the meringue has started to turn golden brown.

Makes 36 mini cupcakes