Baby Food Cupcakes

Baby food cupcakes had some people grossed out, but I'm not sure why. Baby food cupcakes are just cupcakes made with baby food (which is simply mashed up fruits and/or vegetables). I'm sure I'll be making a bunch of these once our baby arrives. However, the baby food cupcakes in this post were not made by me.

For our baby shower, our friends asked that anyone who was up for the challenge make and bring baby food cupcakes. It was a fun change to eat some cupcakes that I didn't make. I don't have all of the recipes, but maybe some of the cupcake bakers will post the recipes in the comments. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until I start making and using baby food to see some recipes posted on this blog (I'm due in August and I hear that babies don't eat food at birth, so it will be a while).

Here are the baby food cupcakes*:

Carrot cupcakes with custard and cream cheese frosting

Baby sized banana and strawberry cupcakes

Banana, peach, raspberry cupcakes

Carrot, applesauce, and apricot cupcakes with whipped cream frosting

*J. Pollack Photography (the dad-to-be) was not working the event with his professional gear. He wants it pointed out that these photos were taken on our little point and shoot.

Pickle and Ice Cream Cupcakes

Update: These pickle and ice cream cupcakes were featured in People magazine and on FOX 2 news!!


Yes, that's me! While you might think my belly is just big from eating so many cupcakes, that is not the case! I'm having a baby! To answer the questions that I've been asked a million times:

• Yes, we are going to find out the sex - that will be in March.
• No, we don't care either way, as long as it's healthy.
• I'm due on Aug. 8.
  
• No, I haven't had morning sickness. However, my stomach does feel weird most of the time and I have a constant request in to Jonathan to press on my stomach - hard.
  
• Yes, I have cleared with my OB that this will not hurt the baby.
• No, I have not had any weird food cravings.

Despite my lack of cravings, I simply couldn't announce my pregnancy here on Cupcake Project without making pickle and ice cream cupcakes. I like pickles and I like ice cream, but I fully expected these cupcakes to taste NASTY!

Did the Pregnant Lady (Me) Like The Pickle and Ice Cream Cupcakes?



Shockingly, I really liked the pickle and ice cream cupcakes. The cupcakes themselves tasted like a pickle in cake form. The prominent flavor was definitely dill and they were somewhat eggy like a dill quiche - not very sweet. If you like dill and you like pickles or you have a pregnant woman in your life who has a good sense of humor, you might consider making these cupcakes.

But, my favorite part of eating these cupcakes was actually dipping the pickle in the ice cream and sucking it off. I couldn't believe that I liked that combination of flavors. Weird! Do pregnant women like pickles and ice cream because they are phallic? Do I realize that my grandma reads this?

Pickle Cupcake Recipe

Makes 8 cupcakes

• 1 C flour
  
• 3/4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/2 t ground dill
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t onion powder
  
• 6 T butter, room temperature
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 C sour cream
• 1/3 C dill pickle juice (the liquid from the pickle jar)
  
• 1/3 C finely chopped dill pickles

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, dill, salt, and onion powder in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs and sour cream until blended.
4. Alternately fold in flour mixture and pickle juice, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. Fold in the chopped pickles.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
7. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

The Ice Cream

I topped the cupcake with vanilla ice cream. Can anyone think of a flavor that would go better with pickle? The topic had never come up for me before and I figured vanilla would be a safe bet.

Baby Shower Cupcakes: Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Macadamia Nut Butter Frosting

What Makes My Cupcakes Baby Shower Cupcakes?

• The baby shower cupcakes used an ingredient that is often found in baby food - bananas.
• The baby shower cupcakes are mini cupcakes - baby-sized.
• The baby shower cupcakes are topped with baby talk candy by Wilton (conversation hearts with baby shower themed words on them).

The Baby Shower Themed Non-Broadcast Talk Show

Last Sunday, I was a guest on St. Louis' only live non-broadcast talk show, "Free Candy" (I'm the one on the right). Free Candy is held in a coffee shop, complete with hosts, a theme song, a rotating band, and local guests. Why the name? They give out free candy at the shows!

I was brought on the show because one of the hosts, Amanda (on the left), is a fan of this blog and wanted to interview me about it. She is also pregnant, hence the baby shower themed cupcakes.

Note: You can't get information about future shows on their website. It's totally out of date. You can, however, contact Amanda via the Free Candy site to get on their mailing list.

Interview Number Two

This was my second time being interviewed about Cupcake Project. The first was by a student who was writing a paper about the popularity of cupcakes.

It was also the second time I'd been interviewed on Free Candy. The first time, I was talking about my now defunct group, Zipit Events - St. Louis' only silent happy hour. I've still got the website, but the event listed on May 25th was May 25th of many years ago. You never know when I might want to have a Zipit reunion.

Jonathan's been on Free Candy too. He was crowned as the banana king due to his passion for bananas.

More About the Show, Plus Photos

Like I said, the show was not broadcast or recorded so you can't watch it. However, J. Pollack Photography was on the scene. Type in code "FreeCandyMay42008" on his site to see all the pics. The other guest on the show was Sylvester Brown, St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist.

After the break, cupcake reviews and the recipe!

You Were Interviewed, La Dee Da, Tell Me More About the Cupcakes

The cupcakes were banana chocolate cupcakes with macadamia nut butter frosting. They were inspired by a Vere chocolate bar.

I don't like to make more cupcakes until my old ones are all gone. Usually after cupcakes have been sitting around for a few days, I'm happy to be rid of them. These cupcakes, however, I'll miss. They were the perfect mid-morning snack. They were not very sweet, extremely moist, and I even made some that were very lightly frosted especially for me. I don't like eating lots of frosting even if I love the frosting.

What Did The Pregnant Lady Think of the Cupcakes?

I made Amanda a special mama cupcake. It was full-sized among all the minis and in a Wilton silly feet cupcake holder. Her look in the picture is not of disgust at the cupcake flavor, it's in confusion as to how to eat the cupcake in the silly feet. When she tried to get at the cupcake, the whole top came off. Does anyone know of a good way to eat a cupcake in the silly feet without using a fork?

I got an email from Amanda after the event saying: "They truly were magically delicious. Mmmm, macadamia nut: totally the right call." Another friend told me the frosting was heavenly. I like those words! Overall, they were a hit!

What Did Bride and Groom 2.0 Think?

Groom 2.0 has been asking me to make a banana, chocolate, and peanut butter cupcake. Since I don't like peanut butter, this is the closest he's going to get. Both he and Bride 2.0 said that they couldn't taste the banana flavor in these cupcakes. It should be noted that they were the ONLY ones who couldn't taste the banana. These cupcakes had a STRONG banana flavor. Finally, Groom 1.0 pointed out the banana flavor was akin to that of banana bread. Suddenly, Couple 2.0 could taste it.

Fresh bananas do taste different than cooked bananas. I had just assumed a baked banana flavor was what they were going for. I may try another variation that involves chocolate chips (a stronger chocolate flavor), banana pudding (more of a fresh banana flavor) and cashew butter (Groom 2.0 said he'd prefer that over macadamia nut butter). Cashew butter is cheaper and I can buy it already made at Whole Foods so that's fine by me.

The Chocolate Banana Cupcake Recipe

For the chocolate banana cupcake recipe I used the easy banana cupcake recipe from my Grandma and added chocolate.

Makes 18 regular cupcakes or 36 mini cupcakes

• 1 stick butter
• 1 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 1 t baking soda
• 2 C flour
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 8 oz dark chocolate, melted

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs, sour cream, flour, and baking soda.
3. Add vanilla and mashed bananas.
4. Stir in melted chocolate.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
6. Bake for 20 min at 350 degrees or 10 minutes for minis.

The Macadamia Nut Butter Frosting Recipe

I used the same Allrecipes nut butter recipe that I used on my apricot cupcakes with almond butter frosting. I just subbed macadamia nut butter for almond butter. This recipe would be great with any nut butter.

• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 1 C macadamia nut butter (check out my instructions on how to make nut butters)
• 3 T milk, or as needed
• 2 C confectioners' sugar

1. Place the butter and macadamia nut butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
2. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when the frosting starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable.
3. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Another Cupcake Project Baby Shower Cupcake

Looking for another baby shower cupcake idea? Try my Guava Chiffon Baby Shower Cupcakes.

Guava Chiffon Baby Shower Cupcakes: Great Only if You Like Guava

This weekend I was tasked with making tropical themed baby shower cupcakes. I could have made my margarita cupcakes, but I don't repeat flavors and the baby shower cupcakes were no exception.

Back in February, I got an email from reader Joe asking if I had a recipe for guava cupcakes.

I am a big fan of your blog! I tried out the Super Bowl cupcakes (Beer & Cheddar) using a special local microbrew that can only be found in Hawaii - a coconut porter beer by the Maui Brewing Company. But I digress...

Speaking of Hawaii, I was wondering if you had any good cupcake recipes(or ideas) for some kind of guava based cupcake. I was thinking a guava cupcake with coconut frosting and a pineapple chunk on top. Would something like this even be feasible?

First of all, I want some of that coconut porter. Joe says it's so good that it has ruined all other beers for him. I did not have a guava cupcake recipe, but I told him I would get to it. The tropical baby shower seemed like the perfect time to try out guava cupcakes!
How were the Guava Chiffon Baby Shower Cupcakes?
My main experience with guava is the form of guava paste. One of my good friends introduced me to eating guava paste with Mexican cheese as a snack. Damn is that good!
Guava juice, as it turns out, tastes nothing like guava paste. The guava juice flavor in the cupcake tasted sort of like a combination of a bunch of fruits that you might find in a cheap mixed fruit cup. I didn't like the flavor. I especially didn't like the flavor after the lifesaver candy dissolved in the cupcake, creating a lifesaver-guava blend. If you like the flavor of guava, fruit cups, or lifesavers, you may like these more than I.
But what did the guests think?
Bride 2.0 said that it was in the top 25% of the cupcakes she had tried. Not bad.
Groom 2.0 wasn't at the shower but he tasted one on a later date. He reported back that he enjoyed the texture of the cake and the frosting, just not the guava flavor. The good news is that this cake can be made with any fruit juice flavor.
The person being showered thought my Passover flourless chocolate cupcakes were the best cupcakes she had ever had in her life. There was no hope of these comparing. However, she did say they were a great, light summery cupcake.
Another pregnant guest said that she always loves the frosting on my cupcakes and these were no exception.
My Mother-In-Law wasn't at the shower either, but I always save one for her. She said, "Another winner... These were spring-y but with robust flavor. Also incredibly cute."
Several guests had two cupcakes - you know I monitor these things!
While the general consensus was positive, I'd love to see how this cupcake went over in a crowd of people who really like the flavor of guava. I bet they would be a hit!
The Guava Chiffon Baby Shower Cupcake Recipe

I got the recipe for the guava chiffon cupcakes from Honolulu Star Bulletin. It is a cake recipe which I converted to cupcakes. I am reprinting with my notes below.

Makes 28 cupcakes

Batter

• 2 3/4 C flour
• 2/3 C sugar
• 4 t baking powder
• 1 t vegetable oil
• 1/2 C water
• 3/4 C guava juice concentrate (thawed, undiluted)
• 5 egg yolks slightly beaten
• 1 t vanilla
• (the original recipe calls for adding 2-3 drops of red food coloring - I didn't see the need to dye the cake red.)

Meringue

• 7 egg whites
• 1/2 t cream of tartar
• 1/2 C sugar

1. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. Add oil, water, guava concentrate, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat with a spoon until mixture is smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until stiff.
4. Gently fold the batter into the meringue until barely mixed.
5. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Guava Chiffon Frosting Recipe

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 C sugar
• 3/4 C guava juice concentrate (thawed, undiluted)
• 1 C whipping cream
• 1/4 t vanilla

1. Beat egg yolks and sugar.
2. Add guava concentrate.
3. Place in saucepan and cook over low-to-medium heat until thick about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, bring to room temperature, and place in the fridge to chill.
5. Whip cream until soft peak form and add vanilla.
6. Fold cream mixture into guava mixture.

Making Babies on the Baby Shower Cupcakes

The guava chiffon frosting is the perfect color for a Caucasian baby. I set a small bit aside to color for the pacifier and spread the rest to make the baby's face.
I used gel frosting to draw the babies' faces and hair and then piped a bit of the colored frosting on top for the pacifier and shoved in a lifesaver candy for the handle part.
Each baby looked a bit different - just like in real life.
I can't claim to have come up with the lifesaver pacifier concept on my own. I saw it on Coolest Birthday Cakes. The ones that are featured there by Brooke S. use chocolate for the face and a candy melt for the pacifier.

Final Recipe Notes

1. Eat these right away. As I alluded to earlier, the lifesaver will melt after it has been in the cupcake for a while. This makes it look like a creepy Halloween baby, not a cute baby shower baby.
   
2. The cake recipe on Star Bulletin also featured a recipe for a guava topping. I actually made the guava topping as well but opted not to use it. It is really tasty and might make for a good cupcake filling. It was a bit runny to put on top of a cupcake.