Last week I completed my first order: a dozen marble cupcakes and a dozen lemon cupcakes for a boy's birthday party. Making cupcakes for someone who was paying me money for them was a little more stressful than making cupcakes for the family or for the office. For my first order, they were far from perfect, but they were also freaking delicious.
I made a few extra so I could taste test, and potentially mess up with frosting experiments. I tried a new recipe for the chocolate marble cupcakes. When I saw hot fudge listed as an ingredient, I knew it was a match made in heaven. Hot fudge in the cupcake and the frosting. Hallelujiah! This is the best chocolate marble recipe I've ever come across. (Marble is my dad's favorite kind of cake, so I've tested quite a few versions.) It was easy and delicious. Marble is always fun because you get to swirl chocolate and vanilla together. The best of both worlds.
The lemon cupcakes were a repeat recipe from the Mother's Day cupcake bouquet. I added a bit of lemon juice to the frosting and dusted the tops with lemon zest for a little extra zazzle. I also brushed the tops of the cupcakes with lemon syrup, a mixture of lemon juice and sugar, before frosting them. This added just a little more touch of lemon and sweetness. These cupcakes are very fluffy. The lemon zest in the cupcakes is the most important part that gives it a rich lemon flavor. My first customer: Justine and her mom tried one of each cupcake before her nephew's party, and she gave me a good review! Justine said they were delicious, which is all a baker can hope for.
The first cupcake order was successful! Next week will be a true test: 100 Dr. Suess cupcakes for a baby shower... Bring it on!
Chocolate Marble Cupcakes
Makes 24
- 2 1/3 c. flour
- 1t. baking soda
- 1t. salt
- 1/2t. baking powder
- 1 1/2c. sugar
- 1/2c. butter
- 1c. sour cream
- 3/4c. milk
- 2 eggs
- 1/2c. hot fudge ice cream topping
Frosting
- 4c. powdered sugar
- 1/2c. butter
- 1/4c. hot fudge ice cream topping
- 2T. milk
- Chocolate sprinkles, if desired
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside.
Combine sugar and 1/2c. butter in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add sour cream, milk and eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed until well mixed.
Place 1 1/2 cups of batter into small bowl; stil in 1/2 cup hot fudge topping.
Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with plain batter; top with 1T. chocolate batter. Use a toothpick to swirl in chocolate batter.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
Combine all frosting ingredients in large bowl; beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Frost cooled cupcakes. Top with decorator sprinkles, if desired.
Lemon Cupcakes
Makes 12
- 1/2c. butter
- 1c. sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2t. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2c. flour
- 2t. baking powder
- 1/2t. salt
- 1/2c. milk
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream
- 1c. butter
- 3-4c. powdered sugar
- 1/4c. heavy cream
- 2t. vanilla extract
- 1/4t. salt
- additional lemon zest for decoration
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-count muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until everything is combined, about 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, toss together flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in 3 additions, stirring by hand after each addition. Batter will be thick. Add milk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix until just combined, do not overmix.
Pour batter evenly into 12 cupcake liners. Bake for about 20 minutes.
To make frosting, beat softened butter about 3-4 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla and salt. Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if mixture is too thick. Add more salt if frosting is too sweet.
