Laddu - A Gluten-Free Indian Cookie that Doesn't Require an Oven

Laddu is a gluten-free Indian cookie most commonly prepared in small balls (laddu literally means small ball in Sanskrit).  Although laddu can be spiced with anything, mine were flavored with orange, cardamom, and a touch of nutmeg and were drizzled with a chocolate coconut ganache.

Laddu are prepared differently than most American cookies.  The process begins by roasting chickpea flour with ghee or butter (use ghee if you can get it as it will give the cookies a richer flavor).  You then mix in the spices, honey for sweetness, and a touch of powdered milk.  Roll the batter into balls and you're done - no need to touch the oven.

Laddu has a Mexican wedding cookie-like texture - it's hard on the outside, but when you bite into it, it crumbles in your mouth as if you were eating a ball of refrigerated cookie dough.

Candied Orange Peel - Pub Peels

 

My candied orange peel came out all wrong.  You see, I wanted the candied orange peel to be smooth and shiny, like little sticks of orange covered in glass.  I envisioned my candied orange peel served in crystal and daintily eaten one at a time by ladies and gentlemen in cocktail attire. 

I ended up with pub peels (a term that I am proudly coining).  My pub peels are candied orange peels that are rough around the edges and more likely to be eaten by someone like me, someone who would do this while making them:

My good Twitter friend, Garrick_S says that this photo
makes me look like Homer Simpson.

Cuddrireddra - The Cookie Recipe Worth A Four Year Wait

Orange, red wine, and cinnamon come together in cuddrireddra, an Italian deep fried cookie that resembles a biscotti in texture.  Don't let the frying scare you off.  Everyone was surprised to hear that the cuddrireddra were deep fried - unlike donuts or funnel cake, they are not at all greasy.  The cuddrireddra have a respectable crunch without being rock hard and the flavor is unique but comforting at the same time - like the smell of home cooked food that sometimes fills the hallways of apartment buildings.  One taster couldn't help but remark over and over again that cuddrireddra are much better than chocolate chip cookies.  It's no surprise that she felt that way; cuddrireddra are the cookies that were worth tracking down for four years.

Don't Throw Away Your Citrus Rinds - Dry and Save Them For Recipes That Call for Zest

I can't believe the number of citrus fruit rinds that I've trashed (I'll compost one of these days) because I didn't know about this trick.

High Tea Cupcakes - Orange Cranberry Scones Baked in Teacups

These high tea cupcakes are really scones, but since I literally baked them in a cup, I decided it was legit to call them cupcakes. It's my blog, so I can do what I want.

I love that scones aren't quite as sweet as most cakes. I used to think that they were less caloric than other baked goods, but I was deceived. They are loaded with butter and cream and worth every single calorie you'll get from them!

These high tea cupcakes are made with dried cranberries and flavored with a hint of orange, but you could just as easily make them with chocolate chips, raisins, or currants. For extra pizazz, they can be topped with some jam and clotted cream.

If you don't have oven-safe teacups, you can bake the same recipe as scones (by putting balls of dough directly onto an oiled cookie sheet) or as traditional cupcakes (in cupcake tins) as shown above.

Either way, they are sure to disappear!

High Tea Cupcake Recipe


I got the recipe for these high tea cupcakes from Barefoot Contessa. I modified her scone recipe to bake in teacups. I also added some orange extract to kick up the orange flavor a bit and decreased the amount of salt (I'm not a big salt fan). Below is my modified version of her recipe.

The number of cupcakes you get depends on the size of your teacups. I only had six tea cups so I made 6 teacups and 16 normal cupcakes.

• 4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C sugar
• 2 T baking powder
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 T grated orange zest
• 3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
• 4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 C cold heavy cream
• 1/4 t orange extract
• 1 C dried cranberries

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest.
2. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas.
   
3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, and orange extract.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the wet mixture into the flour and butter mixture.
   
5. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy!
   
6. Mix the cranberries into the batter.
7. Using your hands (it's more fun this way), make balls of dough that will fill your teacups about 3/4 full. (Make sure the teacups are oven safe!)
   
8. Drop the balls of dough in the cups.
9. Place cups on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.
   

Special Thanks


Special thanks to Lori and Rob for loaning me the teacups (don't tell ... they are actually espresso cups, but close enough).

High Tea Treats

I'm excited to enter these cupcakes in Meeta's Monthly Mingle. The theme this month is High Tea Treats.

Cornmeal Cupcakes with Orange Flavor and Grand Marnier Whipped Cream

My mother-in-law just reported that these cornmeal cupcakes with orange flavor and Grand Marnier whipped cream are her favorite cupcakes so far this year. She also said that she really liked the crunch. "The crunch?" I asked. Could a crunch possibly be a good thing in a cupcake? She thought so. Personally, I wouldn't describe the cupcakes as having a crunch, but they definitely do have more of a gritty texture than normal due to the coarse blue cornmeal.

My other taster of the week, Susan, enjoyed that the cornmeal cupcakes weren't overly sweet, and she also liked the orange flavor (which she felt could be even more pronounced).

As for me, I was happy to move back to a healthier (not healthy) cupcake after the cookie dough cupcakes. I felt springy and happy after eating a cornmeal cupcake.

Cornmeal Cupcake Recipe


I got the recipe for the cornmeal cupcakes from Garrett of Vanilla Garlic. When I first started this blog, I made several of his cupcakes and they were all hits. I haven't made one in a while, but when I started looking for a blue cornmeal cupcake to go with my blue cornmeal pancakes, he had the perfect recipe (he used yellow cornmeal, but that was an easy substitution)! The best part of the recipe is its simplicity, it requires only one bowl.

Garrett's recipe is below, with my notes.

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1/2 C olive oil
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 C sugar
  
• 1/2 C dry white wine
• 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 C yellow cornmeal (I used blue cornmeal)
  
• 1 t salt
• 2 t baking powder
• Finely grated zest of one orange (I used 1/4 t orange extract instead)
  

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, sugar, and wine until smooth.
   
2. Add the other dry ingredients and the zest; whisk together gently.
3. Line cupcake tin with cupcake papers and spoon into the papers about 4/5 full.
   
4. Bake at 375 F for 22-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Grand Marnier Whipped Cream Recipe

You could top these cupcakes with any number of frostings. They might be great with an orange buttercream frosting. I opted to make a Grand Marnier whipped cream.

• 1 C heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 C Grand Marnier syrup. See my Grand Marnier syrup recipe.
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 t Grand Marnier
  

1. Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Mix in remaining ingredients.
   

Note: I added some food coloring to the whipped cream to create the middle of the flower. I typically avoid food coloring, but the flower needed some color and I decided to take the plunge.

Grand Marnier Syrup Recipe

Grand Marnier syrup is an extra special treat! I love maple, but some days you just have to switch it up.

You could pour straight-up Grand Marnier directly over anything and I would be happy, but this syrup recipe gave the orangey booze the perfect consistency to slather on my blue cornmeal and orange pancakes.

I also had just enough Grand Marnier syrup left over to make a Grand Marnier whipped cream for my upcoming cupcakes. You'll see both the Grand Marnier whipped cream and the cupcakes soon!

Grand Marnier Syrup Recipe

The Grand Marnier syrup recipe came from a recipe for Grand Marnier cake found in The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. You can find the complete cake recipe online.

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/3 C Grand Marnier

1. Heat the sugar, orange juice, and Grand Marnier until the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil.
2. Lower heat and let the mixture reduce for about five minutes.
   

Pancake Recipe Using Blue Cornmeal and Orange - Different and Delicious

Pancake recipes have been high on my tasting list recently. I haven't been posting all of the pancake recipes I've tried because this isn't a pancake blog; it's a cupcake blog. Besides that, I'm not always up for a food photo shoot at breakfast time. However, this pancake recipe for blue cornmeal pancakes made the cut!

Why Did This Pancake Recipe Make It on Cupcake Project?

• I made this pancake recipe for Taste & Create, the monthly event where food bloggers get paired with other food bloggers to try each others' recipes.
• The pancake recipe was exceptional. Don't make this recipe expecting a smooth, light, and fluffy pancake. This recipe is for the pancake lover who appreciates a dense pancake with a textured inside and a sweet, complex flavor.
• Of course, I am going to use this pancake recipe as a cupcake inspiration. You can look forward to a blue cornmeal orange cupcake.

About the Pancake Recipe

My partner for this month's Taste & Create was Grace from A Southern Grace. This is actually the second time I've been paired with Grace. The first time I made her breakfast quinoa and subsequently made quinoa cupcakes. She's got all kinds of recipes on her blog, but I suppose I'm drawn to her breakfast ones. This time, I spotted her blue cornmeal pancakes and had to give them a try. Oddly enough, she got the recipe from Katie at One Little Corner of the World during a previous Taste & Create. Katie found the recipe in the cookbook "With a Measure of Grace: The Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant". Was that a mouthful of pancakes, or what?

The Pancake Recipe and Cooking Notes


Makes 20 medium-sized pancakes. Cut the pancake recipe in in half or even quarter it if you are making them for just a couple of people, or make the whole thing and put some in the freezer for a lazy Sunday morning.

• 3 C flour
• 1 C sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 C blue cornmeal (You can use regular yellow cornmeal if that's all you've got.)
  
• 4 eggs
• 3 C milk
• 1/2 C oil (Any vegetable oil will do. I used my favorite not-too-olivey baking olive oil - Jovia Groves' 2007 Arbequina, but any olive oil will do. You can order Jovia from Extra Virgin.)
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used 1/2 t vanilla extract and 1/2 t orange extract to give the pancakes an orange flavor. I highly recommend it! If you don't have orange extract, you could use some orange zest instead.)
  
• More oil for greasing griddle (I prefer to use butter to grease, but either would work.)
  

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal.
2. In another bowl, lightly mix eggs, milk, oil, and extracts.
   
3. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine well.
4. Preheat griddle to medium-hot. A drop of water will dance over the griddle when it is ready. Grease by spreading 2 tbsp oil on it and spread around with a folded paper towel. Keep the towel around to use for the next batch of cakes. (I used a cast iron skillet since I don't own a griddle. I just dropped some butter on the skillet and swirled it around until the whole skillet was covered. I did not need to use a towel.)
   
5. Pour from a pitcher or use a ladle to make standard round cakes. Turn cakes when edges are set and small bubbles form and pop on the surface.
6. After a minute or so, peek underneath. If they look golden and pancake-like, turn out to a plate.
7. Eat right away or keep warm in the oven until you are ready to enjoy them!
   

What to Put on Your Pancakes

You can't go wrong with maple syrup on your pancakes (as long as you use the real stuff and not maple flavored crap). For an extra special treat, you might want to try making a homemade Grand Marnier syrup.

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes

These cranberry orange cupcakes were a complete multi-sensory experience. The moment I open the Tupperware containing the cranberry orange cupcakes, the aroma of orange fills the air and makes me feel like I'm back in the orange packing plant that I got to tour last week in California. Can I just say that an orange packing plant is such a happy smelling place to be?

As I move the cupcake closer to my mouth to take a bite, the more subtle smell of the ring of cranberry (it looks kind of like a ring of fire, but I keep resisting calling it that because that just isn't a good thing) tickles my nose. I can't help but take a quick lick before biting into the cupcake. Once I bite in, the texture of the nuts and cranberries in the cupcake provides a nice crunch sound and I struggle to not eat the whole thing in one big bite!

The Cranberry Orange Cupcake Recipe

I used Cranberry Orange Tango from Nutorious in this recipe. I'm giving some away this week and it's not too late to enter. However, if you can't get your hands on some, you can just as easily make the recipe using any chopped nuts and some dried cranberries.

makes 18-20 cupcakes

• 2/3 C sugar
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1 C orange juice concentrate
• 1/2 C sugar (for the orange syrup)
• 2 C flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 C butter, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C plain yogurt
  
• 4 oz of Cranberry Orange Tango or 2 oz chopped nuts of your choice and 2 oz dried cranberries

1. A few hours before you are ready to bake, combine the orange zest and the sugar in a bowl. This will let the orange flavor infuse into the sugar.
2. While you are waiting, prepare an orange syrup by bringing the orange juice concentrate and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Stir continuously until it is thoroughly combined and gets slightly thicker (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and return to room temperature.
3. With a fork, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
4. Beat butter and the sugar with grated orange zest in a large bowl for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in eggs and yogurt until blended.
6. Alternately fold in flour mixture and 2/3 cup of the orange syrup (that should be pretty much all of the syrup) in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.
7. Fold in the Cranberry Orange Tango or nuts and dried cranberries.
   
8. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
   
9. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

Cranberry Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe

The cranberry brown sugar frosting recipe did not taste very cranberry-esque, but it was the perfect compliment to the cupcake.

• 1/4 C jellied cranberry sauce (This is the kind that you may be subjected to on Turkey day that isn't nearly as good as the homemade stuff, but somehow works on a cupcake. You'll use up the rest of the can if you pipe the ring of cranberry like I did.)
• 1/4 C butter
• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 2 T milk
• 1 C powdered sugar, sifted

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter.
2. Add the cranberry sauce and brown sugar.
3. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
5. Cool to lukewarm.
6. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar. I would highly recommend sifting this powdered sugar. It's such a pain to sift, but it ensures that the frosting will be extra smooth.
7. Beat until thick enough to spread. If too thick, add a little hot water.

Putting It Together

Spread the frosting onto the cupcakes and let it harden just a bit. Then, pipe a ring of cranberry sauce around the edge of the cupcake and sprinkle on some orange zest for some added color.

Other Options

If you like the idea of a cranberry orange cupcake, you may also like:

• taking this cupcake and frosting it with orange buttercream instead.
• making mimosa cupcakes.
• making muffins instead. For those who may wonder what the difference between a cranberry orange cupcake and a cranberry orange muffin looks like, it just so happens (quite coincidentally) that How to Eat A Cupcake posted some yummy looking cranberry orange muffins yesterday.
  

Orange Cupcakes: Cupcakes Grilled in an Orange

Orange Cupcakes on the Grill? Were They Any Good?

Before you think my orange cupcakes grilled in an orange were just another kooky failed experiment, I want to say right up front that these were delicious. I made plain vanilla cupcakes but because they were grilled in the orange, they took on an orange flavor and gained a lot of moisture.

Bride 2.0 called baking in the orange "ingenious" and my friend and taster extraordinaire, Ran, said the cupcake in an orange was "the most fun I've had eating a cupcake in a while." Ran complained a bit about the texture. It was a bit different than normal because of grilling, but overall they were a hit. Bride and Groom 2.0 both preferred the vanilla cake grilled in the orange to the same cake in a normal cupcake liner. However, I am not going to be grilling cupcakes for their wedding.

Where Did I Get the Idea to Grill Orange Cupcakes in an Orange?

The idea for these orange cupcakes made in an orange came from Sylvia, a friend/reader. Sylvia left a comment on my packing peanut post saying, "I was talking to a park ranger about outdoor cooking once and he mentioned a great way to make a cupcake-like thing at a campsite -- bake a spice cake mix in a hollowed out orange over coals or fire (I can't remember which)." As soon as I saw her comment, I knew making cupcakes in an orange was in my future.

I had no plans to go camping, but I figured a grill was the second best thing.

How to Grill Cupcakes in an Orange

To grill cupcakes in an orange, you'll need the following:

• Half as many oranges as cupcakes you want to make. I bought a bag of 10 seedless navel oranges.
• Your favorite cupcake batter. I used a basic vanilla cupcake from Chockylit.
• A cupcake tin or some foil.
• A grill.

The cupcake grilling steps:

1. Cut the oranges in half and scoop out the insides. You don't have to be perfect about it. If there is some orange left in there it will just be a tasty treat at the bottom of your cupcake.
2. Fill the orange halves 3/4 full with cupcake batter.
3. Place the oranges in foil directly on the wood or coal as shown in the picture on the left or set the oranges in a cupcake tray on the grill as shown in the picture on the right. I tried both methods. I think the cupcake tray worked better but the tray got a bit charred and is a pain to clean. Use an old one if you have one.
4. Monitor the cupcakes really closely. The cooking speed will vary depending on the heat of your grill. You may also need to rotate the tray or the individual cupcakes to account for uneven heat. You know they are done when a toothpick comes out dry. It took mine about 10 minutes to cook.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

I used a vanilla cupcake recipe from Chockylit. I liked it because when the vanilla flavor mixed with the orange, the combination tasted like a creamsicle. However, you could use any recipe you like in your orange.

Here is Chockylit's recipe with my modifications and notes:

Makes 20 cupcakes.

• 3/4 C (1-1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 2/3 C vanilla sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 2/3 C flour
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 3/4 C + 2 T milk
• 1 t vanilla bean paste

1. Beat butter until softened.
2. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined.
4. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
5. Measure out the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
6. Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar and beat to combine.
   Add about a half of the milk/vanilla and beat to combine. Continue adding, alternating between dry and wet and finishing with the dry.
7. If you were to bake this in the oven, scoop batter into cupcake cups about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for about 22-25 minutes at 350 F or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Orange Frosting Recipe

I frosted the cupcakes with orange buttercream frosting. It worked perfectly!

Buttercream Frosting Recipe - Orange Frosting

This buttercream frosting recipe for orange buttercream frosting is sweet and tangy. I love how the little orange bits look in the buttercream frosting swirl. Orange buttercream frosting would be a great way to fancy up a plain vanilla cupcake. I sort of did that on my next cupcake, but with a surprising twist - stay tuned!

Orange buttercream frosting would also be great on mimosa cupcakes or with any clove cupcake.

Orange Buttercream Frosting Recipe

The orange buttercream frosting is a Cupcake Project original recipe.

• 1/2 C (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3 oz (about 1/3 C) orange marmalade (try to find one with orange bits in it)
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1 T heavy cream
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t orange extract

1. Beat butter until creamy.
2. Beat in marmalade.
3. Beat in powdered sugar.
4. Add heavy cream and extracts.
5. Taste and smile. It should frost about 12 cupcakes, depending on how much you use.

Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup: Enter Your Ice Cream Cupcakes During the Month of May

The weather is getting warm and it's time for ice cream cupcakes! We see ice cream cakes all summer at birthday parties and picnics. However, when I told people that I was making ice cream cupcakes, many of them looked at me like I was crazy. "What's that?" they asked.

An ice cream cupcake is a single serving ice cream cake!

During the month of May, I am co-hosting an Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup with Scoopalicious. Scoopalicious is a blog devoted to ice cream and this is a blog devoted to cupcakes so it seemed like the perfect match for the event!

We want you to send us your ice cream cupcakes. Post about them and be sure to include directions for others. Tell us what worked and what didn't work. Get creative. Try different flavors of ice cream and cake. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Let's take ice cream cupcakes out of the sidelines and make them a top choice for a summer dessert!

To participate:

Post on your blog about ice cream cupcakes sometime in the month of May and link back to this post somewhere in yours to spread the word about the event. Feel free to use the event logo if you'd like!

Send an email to stef at cupcakeproject dot com by May 30st with:

• Your name
• Your blog's name
• The name of your ice cream cupcakes
• A link to your post on ice cream cupcakes
• A photo of your ice cream cupcakes

I will respond to all entries. If you don't hear back from me within a couple of days of sending the email, drop me a note to make sure I got it.

Don't blog? That's ok too! Send us a little note about your ice cream cupcake along with a photo and we'll post a little something for you on our site.

Need some tips to get you started? Check out my post on ice cream cupcakes.

Mimosa Cupcakes: The Best Sunday Brunch Cupcakes

 

Mimosa cupcake update, 7/10/2010: This post is about mimosa cupcakes that I made in 2008.  They were delicious, but very dense.  Recently, I've been using a lighter orange cupcake for my mimosa cupcakes which has been a huge hit (I still use the frosting from this post and I don't use any syrup at all).  The cupcake recipe that I use is the recipe for my cranberry orange cupcakes but without the nuts.   

Mimosa cupcakes are the perfect cupcake for a Sunday brunch. Unfortunately, while Bride and Groom 2.0 initially talked about a brunch wedding, they switched their plans to a late lunch and I missed / ignored the memo.

However, as another option, according to Wikipedia, mimosas are "often served to early guests at weddings." This was news to me. Perhaps there could be pre- and post-wedding cupcakes?

What is a Mimosa?

I realized last night when presenting my mimosa cupcakes at a St. Louis Bloggers Meetup that not everyone knows what a mimosa is.

A mimosa is a drink composed of three parts champagne or other sparkling wine and two parts thoroughly chilled orange juice, traditionally served in a tall champagne flute.

What is a Mimosa Cupcake?

My mimosa cupcakes are orange cupcakes with champagne syrup drizzled inside, topped with a champagne frosting and a little orange rind.

Mimosa Cupcake Reviews

First things first, the mimosa cupcake batter was one of the best batters ever. It was one of those batters that almost seems a shame to bake because you just want to eat it all!

After baking, the cake was still tasty. Phew! It hits you with a nice splash of orange flavor. One comment everyone had was that it was particularly dense. Some said it was almost like pound cake. I enjoy dense cakes. If you are of the light and fluffy (wimpy) cake camp, these may not be for you.

The frosting on the other hand, was extremely light and had a nice, subtle champagne flavor.

Bride 2.0 thought the light frosting complimented the dense cake nicely. Groom 2.0 was bothered by the difference in lightness. I was focused on flavor and was happy with the whole thing!

The St. Louis Bloggers happily ate all the cupcakes but didn't give much in the way of opinions. Perhaps they didn't realize that all my tasters are required to give full, detailed reviews. Perhaps I didn't tell them. Bloggers, consider yourself told. Feel free to comment on this post.

Tojosan, however, did have a few things to say about the cupcake on utterz (a site where you record audio of your thoughts direct from your cell phone).

Here's another utterz Tojosan did where he had everyone say their name and their blog. It sounds a bit like a bunch of disorganized drunk people. However, it's really a bunch of people who are used to writing who don't know what to do when handed a phone.

Mimosa Cupcake Recipe

I got the mimosa cupcake recipe by making a VERY subtle modification to a recipe for cherry limeade cupcakes on Ooh You Tasty Little Things. The only change I made was to substitute orange concentrate for the limeade concentrate. I'd been wanting to try baking using a frozen concentrate for a while and was happy to find a good recipe.

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp frozen orange concentrate
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and powder and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, cream the butter until smooth then add the sugar and cream together. Once the butter and sugar are creamed add in the orange juice concentrate. Mix in one egg at a time. Add in flour mixture 1/3 at a time. When flour is thoroughly mixed, mix in the yogurt. Batter will be slightly lumpy, but should be smooth kind of like pancake batter. Divide the batter evenly into lined cupcake tins and bake for about 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Champagne Syrup

• 2 cups champagne
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Bring the champagne and powdered sugar to a boil and let them reduce about half way. Don't expect it to get thick. It will still be very liquidy when you are done. Poke holes in the cupcakes and drizzle in the syrup. Let it absorb into the cupcake and add more. Keep adding to taste.

Champagne Frosting

The problem with champagne frosting is that you have to add way too much champagne in order to get a strong champagne flavor. This ends up making your frosting runny. The last time I used champagne, I opted for a champagne glaze. This time I decided to go the artificial [insert gasp here] champagne flavor route.

I bought some champagne flavor from LorAnn Gourmet. When I opened the bottle and took a whiff, I was overwhelmed by the aroma of bubble gum. I was disgusted. My husband had to remind me over and over again that this stuff was extremely concentrated and just a few drops would smell / taste completely different then taking in the whole bottle at once. Good thing he was right. However, smell your champagne and think bubble gum, you'll be surprised at the similarities.

• 1/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz mascarpone 
• 2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar (depending upon how thick you prefer frosting)
• 8 drops of champagne flavor (use an eye dropper)

1. Mix butter and mascarpone until creamy.
2. While mixing over low speed, slowly add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, being careful not to over whip frosting.
3. Mix in the champagne flavor.

What's the Orange Stuff in the Middle of the Frosting?

The orange stuff is just a little orange zest I used for decoration to add a bit of zing.

Final Notes

In October, I won the Quirkiest Cupcake Award in the Cupcake Hero contest for my avocado lime cupcakes. In November, I co-hosted the cupcake hero contest. I haven't participated in it since then. Little things got in the way, like oh, preparing to bake for a wedding. This month, I am bake (back) in the game. The theme is liquor and this cupcake is my entry.