I made two kinds of cupcakes for the party, Glazed Jelly Doughnuts and these Red, White and Blue Velvet!

These cupcakes, according to my husband, taste just like sugar cookies.  Personally… I think they’re better.  They were moist, full of flavor and really quite delicious!!!

I topped these cupcakes with an Almond Cream Cheese frosting and a cupcake star. The stars on top are made from a few extra cupcakes that  I cut into slices and used a star cookie cutter to cut out stars.  Really so simple but such a great effect!

Not gonna lie… they were a HUGE hit!

JavaCupcake’s Red, White and Blue Velvet Cupcakes
Inspired by Sprinkle Bakes
Makes 2 dozen
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tbsp dark blue GEL food coloring
1/2 tsp violet GEL food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Prepare cupcake pan with liners.
2. With a mixer, cream the sugar and butter, beating until light and fluffy – at least 3-4 minutes.
3. While that is mixing, in another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
4. In a small measuring cup that pours, mix together the buttermilk and vanilla.  Set aside.
5. One at a time, add the eggs to the sugar/butter.  Mix well after each egg and scrape the sides of the bowl.
6. Mix cocoa and food colorings together to form a paste, and then add to sugar mixture.  Using a scraper/spatula mix until the batter is one uniform color.
7. In three batches, add the flour to the batter.  Between each addition, add half the buttermilk.  Mix until until combined.
8. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to batter.  Mix only until combined.
9. Scoop batter into liners 2/3 full.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  (The batter is THICK and really needs this much time!)
11. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Almond Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 8oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk or heavy cream
1 tsp almond extract

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
2. One cup at a time, add the sifted powdered sugar.
3. Add the almond extract and combine.
4. As needed add the milk until you get your desired consistency.  You may not need the entire amount.

Here’s what I came up with…

A football field made from 10×14 cake boards covered in astroturf paper and custom endzones and 50 yard line logo
Custom handmade toppers/picks
Green and gold foil liners
Yard line cupcakes topped with a football pick
Green and yellow swirled cupcakes
Green and yellow sugar crystals lined cupcakes with hand piped birthday message

The recipe I’ve used for these cupcakes I’ve made before… but this time, I spiced things up a bit with the milk and vanilla.  I really think that steeping the milk in the vanilla bean and adding it warm to the batter and buttercream make such a HUGE difference in the outcome!!!  So here’s the updated recipe for you!

JavaCupcake’s White Velvet Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Makes approx. 24 cupcakes

1 cup skim milk
¼ cup sour cream
½ teaspoon pure vanilla
1 vanilla bean

12 tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
4 liquid oz of egg whites (approx 3 jumbo or 4 large egg whites)

3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup skim milk

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line cupcake pans with liners.
2. Prep vanilla bean by scoring the bean down one side and scraping the inside of the bean out. In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup milk, sour cream, vanilla, vanilla bean and inside scrapings.  Cook on medium high heat until the milk starts to steam and bubbles begin to form around the outer edge of the milk, whisking occasionally.  Remove from heat immediately and let cool for 5-10 minutes.  You want warm but not scalding hot milk.  Remove the vanilla bean shell before adding to the batter.
3. In a large bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder and salt and mix together to blend.  Set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs and mix on high just until they start to whip up like frosting.  You want them to be light, but not too whipped.
6. In thirds, slowly add the flour mixture.  In between each addition, slowly add half the milk/vanilla mixture.  Begin and end with the flour. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and thoroughly incorporate (without over mixing) the batter with each addition.
7. By hand, fold in remaining ¼ cup milk.
8. Fill each cupcake liner using an ice cream scoop with batter, about 2/3 full.
9. Bake 15-18 minutes.  After 10 minutes of baking, rotate pan 180 degrees to ensure even baking.
10. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing to a wire wrack to cool completely.

JavaCupcake’s Vanilla Bean Buttercream

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 lbs (approx 6 cups) sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 vanilla bean
1/2 tsp pure vanilla

1. Using the same procedure in the batter recipe above, prepare the milk and the vanilla.  (Don’t add sour cream to this mixture and use only 1/2 cup milk.)  Set milk aside to cool.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until soft and fluffy. About 3 minutes.
3. One cup at a time, add the sifted powdered sugar, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
4. After the 2nd cup, add a few table spoons of milk.  Continue adding a little more milk after each addition of sugar until all the sugar and milk are in the butter.
5. Mix on high for 2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 2 more minutes on high.
6. If your buttercream is too soft, put it in the freezer for 5-7 minutes before piping onto your cupcakes.

JavaCupcake’s Black Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Makes approx 12-14 cupcakes

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons black food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Turn mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and black food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into a paper lined cupcake baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them of a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, cold
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract (not in the recipe, but I added it)

Beat the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.

Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Do not over-beat as the frosting can quickly become runny.

How to make a pumpkin out of frosting

Supplies
Large round tip + piping bag
Pretzel sticks
Green decorating icing (small tube you can get in the baking isle at the grocery store)
Orange frosting (I used cream cheese frosting above and tinted it orange with food coloring)

Technique

1. Attach the large round tip to your pastry bag and fill with orange frosting.
2. Pipe a tall/wide mound of frosting onto your cupcake.
3. Break a pretzel stick in half and place in the top of the frosting until about 2/3 cm is showing.
4. With the green decorators icing, pipe on the vine in a curly q pattern.
5. Enjoy!

So moist, so full of flavor and topped with a cream cheese frosting that is to die for, these Red Velvet cupcakes are definitely ones for the recipe book!

Made from a recipe found on Joy the Baker’s website, these Red Velvet cupcakes are super easy to put together!  The cocoa and vinegar add such a unique flavor to the cake which allows the cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting to explode with flavor!

Plus, Joy the Baker said they were her favorite! So I knew they HAD to be good!!

Red Velvet Cupcakes
Recipe from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Makes approx 12-14 cupcakes

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Turn mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into a paper lined cupcake baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them of a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, cold
scant 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract(not in the recipe, but I added it)

Beat the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.

Add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.

Do not over-beat as the frosting can quickly become runny.

Notice anything different about these little cuties?  Yup… they are TALL!!  I used this pan I found at IKEA and the liners that go with the pan!  I seriously think the Swedes are on to something here!

I started looking on Etsy to find some liners which would match perfectly for my niece and found turquoise with green polka dot liners.  I mean really, it’s like they were made just for her! So super cute!! I ordered them and they arrived the morning I was baking the cupcakes.  Well….. unfortunately, the company I ordered them from sent me the wrong liners.

<-the ones I wanted

Apparently, she had two liners with the same name and sent me the other ones.  Needless to say, I wasn’t very happy and I didn’t have time to search out a local store potentially an hour away just for new liners.  So, I made do with these and wrote an email to the company I bought them from.  (Who didn’t really offer much help other than a discount on a future order.  It’s not like these things are that expensive, so a discount?? lol no, I’m good. Thanks)

After I got over that little fiasco, it was time to make the cupcakes and they turned out amazing!  Made a special pedestal for my niece to hold one perfect cupcake just for her and she was thrilled with it.  I told her that she’ll be able to put the pedestal on her dresser next to her jewelry box and keep her special rings and necklaces and such on them.

I also created several pedestals with some fun things I found at thrift stores.  A couple of them even matched the cupcakes perfectly!

And finally…. the birthday girl with her cupcake and pedestal!

Emily was so happy with these cupcakes and loved everything about them!  Everyone at the party gave me rave reviews and some even said they were the best cupcakes they’ve ever tasted! YAY me!!!  I got two referrals and hopefully they’ll turn into orders!

I got this awesome new camera, so I was able to document the process of making these cupcakes!

These are the goodies I used to make these cupcakes.  Wilton cupcake liners, pink sugar dust, and a Wilton #6B star tip.

First, preheat oven to 350F and fill two 12-hole cupcake trays with cupcake wrappers. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine egg whites, vanilla and 1/4 cup milk and mix with a whisk.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and mix together to blend. Add the butter and remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed (high if using a hand mixer) for 1.5 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and milk mixture in three equal parts, beating for 20 seconds between additions.

So, in true JavaCupcake style… I totally made an oooooppsie.  The batter didn’t look as pretty as the above picture at first.

Fill each cupcake liner 1/2 – 2/3 full with batter.

Bake 15-17 minutes. After 10 minutes of baking, rotate pan 180 degrees to ensure even baking. Remove when air bubbles just being to pop on top and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.  Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then place on a cooling rack.

Let cool completely before filling and frosting. I chose to use my favorite raspberry jam to fill the cupcakes with.

To fill the cupcakes, I used this technique I found on BakingBites.com.

Using a Wilton #6B star tip, I frosted the cupcakes in a circular pattern.  I immediately dusted the top with the pink sugar dust.

After the buttercream had a few hours to set and slightly harden, I topped them with an upside down fresh raspberry.

And here they are… all finished and ready to deliver!

I met Tracy and her Grandmother at the restaurant and they were over the moon with these cupcakes! Grandma was a delight and it was such a pleasure to make these goodies for her birthday!