Food Fight
(Cupcakes)

Chocolate Blueberry w/ Blueberry Frosting

vs

Chocolate Grape w/ Grape Frosting

  

 

          

                      

    

Verdict: Success*

Neighbor-worthy*

This post is a perfect follow-up to my last "yay me" post.  The idea was great, the fun was there, but I needed to amend a piece afterward into making a success (for one little piece that ended up a lil too much), essentially taking me down a peg.

I've been challenging my "cheater" mentality a lot lately with making things from scratch-it's part of my growth.  I used to be a "cheater" that was all about cutting the corner and saving time but this weekend was definitely an exception.  To be honest, I've been super lonely lately 'cause my partner has been traveling and I miss him to the Nth degree.  His job is so important to him and he is the hardest worker with the most dedicated worth ethic of any one I know. I accept his absent hrs whilst putting 100% support behind him and try to apply the same dedication and focus he possesses into my own side projects.  Making cupcakes obviously pales in comparison but he has always said "If you're going to do something, DO something".  So ONE of the things to put my all into is this blog...

I have a lot of plates spinning (a common thing for any successful Type A(DD) personality), and have been trying to turn everything up a few degrees (see what I did there?) while keeping them in constant motion.  So, this weekend I thought I would challenge myself to, well, myself.  I did dueling recipes and one did most certainly come ahead of the other.  One also fell short (or actually way, way past of) what I had hoped for but has an obvious solution that is noted in green for you.

For the post, I infused different flavors into "regular" chocolate cupcakes and doing the same to my first attempt at making Decorator Icing.  These are my own takes on recipes but you will even note "tweaks" to myself.  Who won in their quest to mate best with Chocolate, Grape or Blueberry.....?

Ingredients:

Cupcakes (2dozen):

2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup hot water**

2/3 cups unsweetened baking cocoa

3/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

+ **from Grape Kool-Aid (made with 2 packets) for Grape Cupcakes

+ **plus 1 handful/2 oz blueberries crushed with a fork for Blueberry Cupcakes

Decorator Icing:

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt (plus 1/8 teaspoon for Grape)

4 cups powdered sugar

2-4 tablesppons milk

+ 1 packet Grape Kool-Aid *1/4 packet Grape Kool-Aid for Grape)

+ plus 1 handful/2 oz blueberries crushed with a fork for Blueberry.

Pre-heat oven to 350° and place your baking cups into your cupcake pan.

For cupcakes, mix flour, baking soda, powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Mix in your water mixture (BB or G) with the cocoa in another bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, beat your shortening with a hand mixer on Medium speed for 30 secs and gradually add sugar a little bit at a time.  Beat for 2 minutes when all sugar has been added (remember to scrape the bowl as you go along).  From here, add the eggs one at a time while beating still.  Add your vanilla and lower your speed to Low and add your flour and cocoa mixture alternatively (flour, cocoa, flour, cocoa, flour) until blended.  Add your batter to your cups equally and bake for 22 minutes.

For icing, beat butter and shortening in a bowl with a hand mixer on Medium speed.  Add vanilla and salt.  Lower speed to Low and add powdered sugar little by little.  Add your milk slowly, while beating, and eye texture before putting in too much.  Add in your Kool-Aid or Blueberries and mix with a spoon.

Allow cakes to cool and prepare to ice.  prepare your pastry bag with a decorative (I have no idea what it is called: the jagged looking one that isn't too big).  Stuff your bag with your icing and squeeze out in a circular motion upon your cupcakes.  Add a berry for the Blueberry cupcakes.

Notes:

Ok, these were both good but I think anything each pales vs my last entry.  That's okay though.  Not my best but pretty good. 

The Blueberry Cupcakes were the victor here.

**My mistake was that I overdid the grape flavor with the icing.  It came out WAY too sweet so, as marked in green, I cut it by 2/3rd for my instructions for others.

I still have some room for improvement in my decorative art which I am totally looking forward to.  I have many tips to look forward to play with.

Tweaks:

*I changed my own initial aim and reduced the amount of Kool-Aid in the recipe.

(Further notes: Did you know there is no caffeine in Kool-Aid??? Thank goodness the sugar you need to add doesn't negate that!)

Desserts?  (I'm going through a phase.)  Send them to me: theManicCheater@gmail.com