Valentine Rose Cupcakes ~ Tutorial

Want an easy but really impressive dessert for Valentine’s Day?

No joke, just a few hours prep the night before and these can totally be on your candle lit table the next evening.  You know, between you and your Valentine… *gush.*

Heck, buy the cupcakes and you’ve saved yourself a step.

Although, I do recommend trying these or these or even these if you really want to impress the socks off someone.  See?  This is getting risque already….

I’ve added a picture tutorial to show you how simple this really is.

All you need is some coloured fondant (for best results mix with a little gumpaste), 3 piping tips or circle cutters (different sizes), and a ball tool.  You don’t even really need the ball tool.  Remember here , when I showed you how to make rose petals with just your hands and some parchment?

1.  Gather all of your supplies.  Colour and roll out your fondant nice and thin.

2.  Cut out your circles.  You will need about 6 of each size.

3.  Using your ball tool, or fingers, thin out the petals as much as possible.  Try to create some ruffles or movement.

4.  Let your petals dry out over night on a flower former.  Or, use a dish covered in foil like I did here.

5.  The next day, begin with the largest petals and start layering on your cupcake.  Try to do some overlapping.

6. Voila!   Aren’t you pleased with yourself?

You could make a few large roses and then add some ribbon roses on the rest.

Happy Valentine’s Day friends!

Glazed Yeast Doughnuts

There are few desserts that I can eat 7 or 8 of in one sitting.

Seven cupcakes?  I’d do my best, but nah…

Eight scoops of ice cream?  Nope…

Seven pieces of pie?  No way!!

Seven or eight warm homemade glazed doughnuts?

*Gulp*  Ten.  Easily.

No kidding.  These are a sweet, light, fluffy, circle of joy.  Warm out of the fryer and then dipped in a vanilla or chocolate glaze.    Gets me every time.    I make a large batch for the family to enjoy and then immediately box up the rest to give away.  You can’t keep this stuff just lying around.

It’s lethal.

This is a perfect Sunday morning activity to do with the whole family.   We fried some with holes and some without.  No filling needed.

We dipped.

We double dipped.

We, errr… triple dipped too.

See the pink ones below?  Just a dab of coloured gel in the your glaze.  Easy peasy.

Do you share my love of the doughnut?  I can’t wait to hear about it!!

Glazed Yeast Doughnut

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pkg (8 grams) – instant yeast, quick rise
•  3 tbsp honey (I use creamed honey)
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk, heated to 115 degrees
• 3 egg yolks
• enough oil for frying

1.  Mix cake flour, salt, yeast, honey and shortening in a large bowl.   Slowly add the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.  Add one cup of the all-purpose flour and the egg yolks.  Add another cup of all-purpose flour and mix just until combined.  The dough will be sticky.  Dump the dough onto a counter and knead for 8 minutes adding just enough flour to allow you to knead without it sticking to the counter (add as little as possible).    The dough ball will be very soft and moist.

2.  Place the dough back in the bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour (overnight is good too!!).

3.  Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface (to about 1/2″ thickness).  Cut out with a doughnut cutter or use a biscuit cutter.  I used a 2″ biscuit cutter and an icing tip for the hole.

4.  Let doughnuts rise on a flour dusted parchment lined baking sheet (cover them up with a towel!).  Once doubled in size (about 1/2 an hour), they are ready to fry in oil heated to 350 degrees!  Fry on each side for approx.     1 1/2 minutes per side.  No more!  Drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet.

Glaze while still warm.

Vanilla Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2-4 tbsp warm milk – just enough to make the glaze pouring consistency

1.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl and dip the warm doughnuts in.

*for the chocolate, I used the same glaze above but added 3-4 tbsp of dark cocoa powder

Chocolate Love

I have to tell you right off that I think I may have discovered the best chocolate frosting ever this week-end….

***squeal!!***

Like, if I could marry a frosting this would be the one.

If I could bathe in a frosting this would be the one.

Don`t judge me… this stuff is so darn chocolatey and rich and delicious.  Ruffled on top of a moist dark chocolate cake.   With a fresh and sweet strawberries on top?

You know you want it….

I thought I would give this recipe a whirl because my usual chocolate frosting just isn’t fudgey and chocolatey enough for me sometimes.  This is melted Belgian chocolate and cocoa whipped together with icing sugar and butter.

You had me at melted Belgian chocolate…..

I swirled some on top of my cupcakes and used some to make little tiny trifle cups.  These are just plastic wine cups that I layered with a cupcake, some icing and some diced berries.  Perfect to bring out to the patio after dinner.

Make it.  Then e-mail me right away and tell me that without a doubt this is the best chocolate and cupcake combo you have ever had.  Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

*adapted from What The Fruitcake?

Makes 24 cupcakes

3/4 cup strong hot coffee

3/4 cup dark cocoa

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups brown sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp mayonnaise, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners

1.  Whisk together coffee and cocoa in a small bowl and set aside.  Sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder in another small bowl and set aside.  Measure out buttermilk and mix with vanilla extract and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and salt.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating each egg in thoroughly and scraping the side of the bowl before adding the next egg.  Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until combined.  Add 1/2 of the buttermilk and mix until combined.  Repeat, ending with the last of the flour mixture.  Add the cocoa and coffee mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.  Fold in mayonnaise.

3.  Divide equally into prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 16-18 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow to cool thoroughly on wire racks before frosting.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

•                                         1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
•                                         2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
•                                         3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
•                                         1/4 teaspoon salt
•                                         1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi sweet chocolate, melted and cooled (I used Callebaut Bittersweet)

 1.   Combine cocoa and the boiling water, stirring until cocoa has dissolved.   Beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add melted and cooled chocolate, beating until combined and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the cocoa mixture.

This icing can be stored in the fridge for about a week.  Bring to room temperature and beat until smooth again.

Hot Milk Cupcakes

I’m almost embarrassed to be telling you what kind of cupcakes I made.  I looked back on my previous posts and realized the last few have all been lemon flavoured.

Must be spring.  Must be related to my hopes for some warm sunny weather and spring blossoms.  I’m ready for it.

It seems to be taking its sweet time.

It really doesn’t matter what the flavour of icing is for these cupcakes, the cake is the real star here.   This is a recipe for old-fashioned Hot Milk Cake.    The texture is similar to a sponge cake, but not quite as dense and much more moist.  Just as it sounds, it’s the addition of a hot milk mixture right at the end of the recipe that makes these  so wonderful.  I added a vanilla bean to the milk as it was heating.  It gives it a little extra sweetness.

Can you see my cake looking on in the distance?  It has a creamy lemon curd filling and just a swirl of lemon buttercream on top.  I had enough batter for 20 cupcakes and a 6 inch cake.

I couldn’t resist the sugar dogwood for decoration.  This cupcake here, is the one I have received the most emails and comments about.  Ever.  It’s just gorgeous.  These are a smaller version of the dogwood that I purchased on-line.   The simple addition of a blossom can take a little cake to a whole new level.

Wouldn’t these be gorgeous in a big beautiful bakery box for mom on Mother’s Day?

*adapted from Taste of Home

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• one vanilla bean split and scraped
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
• 10 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cubed

1.  In a large bowl, beat eggs on high-speed for 5 minutes (don’t skimp on this step!) until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy and increased in volume. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to batter just until combined.

2. In a small saucepan, heat milk, vanilla bean, seeds and butter just until butter is melted and mixture begins to bubble slightly at the side of the pan. Remove vanilla bean.  Gradually add milk to batter, a few tablespoons at a time; beat just until combined

3.  Pour into greased and floured 6 inch pan and 20 lined muffin cups.  You can also use a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees until cake springs back when touched.   For the 6 inch pan approx 30 minutes, cupcakes approx 17 minutes and 9 x 13 pan approx 40 minutes.

4.  Top with icing, berries and cream or dust lightly with powdered sugar.  Enjoy.

Valentine Cake Pops

This morning I had to make some mini chocolate cupcakes for an event.  I had a few dozen left over, that I usually leave un-iced for a lunch box treat.

On a whim, I thought, what if I use my left over minis and give Cake Pops a whirl?

I have really good whims sometimes…..

Cake Pops are the infamous creation of Bakerella.  She’s had an amazing year and has captured the world over with her Cake Pop creations.

I gotta say, she’s a pretty smart lady, cause these taste really good and look awesome.

These were fun and so incredibly easy.  And, they fit right in with my promise of Valentine’s Day posts for the next few weeks.

Wouldn’t these be great at a class party?  A girl’s night out?  Wrapped up with a sweet saying and some ribbon?

Lovely.

The um, unfortunate part is that I can’t actually give you a recipe.  I can only tell you what I did.

I took about 12 left over cooled mini chocolate cupcakes and crumbled them up in a bowl.  Then I used approximately 3 tablespoons of left over chocolate icing and mixed that all together until I had a nice dough ball.  I rolled them up and put them on parchment and in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up a bit.

Next, I melted some chocolate and dipped my candy sticks into it and then into the cake ball.  I left them in the fridge for a good hour to get nice and firm.

See?

I used Candy Melts to dip my cake balls when they were firm.  Keep some in the fridge while you are working so they are nice and cold when you need them.

Decorate with sprinkles, sparkles, jimmies, coloured Candy Melts, whatever you have on hand!  I found these super cute printables from Mommy By Day…Crafter By Night  and attached them to my candy sticks.

If you want a full recipe, that will yield 48 or more…look here.

I hope you give these a whirl when you have left over cake!

Small Batch Chocolate Vanilla Bean Latte Cupcakes

Remember a while ago when I said I would post a recipe for small batch cupcakes?

Please forgive me but I forgot….

And, I forgot that I forgot until this week-end when I decided to make them again for this post…

See, I am constantly searching on Pinterest looking for cake stands and baking inspiration.  Man there are some creative people out there!  There are ruffle shirts and scarves, ruffle cakes, ruffle dresses and gowns, you name it!

I decided that if you can make a ruffle flower out of a t-shirt in less than 10 minutes, surely I could follow the same instructions and make one out of fondant!

I think it turned out pretty cute and overall was really easy.  Like no brainer kind of easy.  So I needed a small batch of cupcakes just to show you how it turned out.  The instructions I followed are here from A Bit of Sunshine.  What a cute site!

I used it to garnish a Chocolate Cupcake with some Vanilla Bean Latte Swiss Meringue Buttercream.   I have yet to find a Swiss Meringue Buttercream that I don’t like.  It’s smooth and creamy and full of flavour.  It’s that simple.  The cupcakes are surprisingly moist for such a small batch and had gorgeous rounded tops!  Perfect, when you just need a nibble of something sweet.

Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes

*from Small Batch Baking, from Debby Maugans Nakos

yield 4 standard size cupcakes

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp buttermilk, room temp
• 1 large egg, room temp
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line four muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Combine the buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a small bowl, and whisk to mix. Gradually pour the melted butter into the buttermilk mixture, whisking constantly.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-size mixing bowl, and then whisk to blend well. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk mixture and whisk just until the dry ingredients are moistened.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared liners and until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 16 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Frost with Vanilla Bean Latte Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Vanilla Bean Latte Swiss Meringue Buttercream

*note: this will make approx 2 1/2 cups of frosting.  You will have extra!

• 1 cup unsalted butter cubed, at room temperature
• 3 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 vanilla bean split with seeds scraped out
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp of instant espresso powder dissolved in 2 tsp water

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with two inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 150 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium until whites have increased in volume and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes!).

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add vanilla flavouring, vanilla seeds, a pinch of salt and espresso and beat until combined.  Use immediately.

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

It has been a very hectic few days around here!  Christmas Eve and Christmas morning bliss, followed by family dinners and some post-Christmas Day shopping.  I’m completely exhausted and looking forward to laying low for a few days.  But first!  I did want to share some of the yummy things that have made their way out of the SweetRevelations kitchen in the past few days!

This past Friday was the last day of school for my children before Christmas break.  This was the first year that I sent a box of baked goods for their teachers.  I know, big surprise, it was cupcakes.

But, in my defense, baking is a way for me to express to others that I care about them, that I’m thankful for the things that they do, that I appreciate all of the “extra’s” that the teaching staff do for the students!

Well, and doesn’t a gourmet cupcake say all of those things?

Something rich and decadent with a minty frosting?  Ok, maybe not, but a few minutes with a yummy moist piece of cake and some peace and quiet sure doesn’t hurt on the last day before Christmas break.

I love the contrast of these cupcakes.  Dark Chocolate cake (gosh I’m so predictable) and creamy Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream.  Just a hint of peppermint.  And I thought, to keep these somewhat elegant and classy looking (ahem..like the teachers at our school…), I would use some chocolate coated peppermint sticks as a garnish.  These smelled so wonderful and tasted like a classic winter mint chocolate.

First, make some of these Dark Chocolate Cupcakes, without the added espresso powder.  Then, top with some Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream (below).

Peppermint Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with two inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 150 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium speed until whites have increased in volume, are thick and glossy and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes!).

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add vanilla flavouring, a pinch of salt and peppermint and beat until combined.  Add food colouring if desired.  Use immediately.

Garnish with a chocolate covered peppermint stick.

Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Nutmeg Frosting and A Lesson

The Holiday Season is fast approaching and SweetRevelations has been busy busy!  I’m really excited to share that we will be featured in a new Magazine called Elegant Impressions.  It’s based out of New York, the launch date is January 2012 and word has it our Chocolate Roses are on the front cover!!   What an amazing way for us to start the new year.  Blogging has opened so many doors for us in 2011 and I can only wait with anticipation for what 2012 has to offer!

All that aside, I learned a valuable lesson this morning!  I always bake my goodies really early in the morning and I do all of my prep the night before.  I always (as I’m sure many bakers do) leave out extra butter and extra eggs, just in case.   Phew!  Good thing because this morning I woke up super early to pop some gingerbread cupcakes in the oven.  A huge surprise when I opened the oven door and my cakes had fallen really badly.  Like not presentable badly.  It was a new recipe and I didn’t have time to make it again.  So, thank goodness for the extra eggs and butter at room temperature, I did a quick mix of some Apple Spiced Cupcakes and I was good to go.  This is a new recipe that I tried from My Cake School and they are really yummy eaten without icing too!

Topped off with some Cinnamon Nutmeg Swiss Meringue Buttercream, royal icing decorations and some fondant (recipe here)  snowman these are pretty darn cute.   The royal icing tree’s are made out of many different snowflakes I made a few nights before.  So simple to make, but so delicate, make double what you need as they will break!

I do BELIEVE in the magic of the season…don’t you?

What a great display for the dessert table during the holidays.  Many thanks to The Celebration Shoppe for being so speedy in sending me the BELIEVE Cupcake Printables.  I love them.

Spiced Apple Cupcakes

*My Cake School Recipe

• 1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2c. canola oil
• 2 c. sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1 c. applesauce
• 3 c.  bleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 c. grated apple
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line muffin tins.

1.   In a small bowl, sift the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Add oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and applesauce.  Then, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.  Mix in the apples, nuts and lemon.

2.  Fill liners 2/3 full and bake for 22 minutes or until cake tester inserted comes out clean.  Immediately cool on wire racks.

5.  Pipe with Cinnamon Nutmeg Swiss Meringue Buttercream and garnish with a snowflake!

Cinnamon Nutmeg Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 5 egg whites
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 cups of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• pinch of salt
• cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

1.  Fill a saucepan (large enough to fit your mixing bowl just a few inches) with two inches of water.  Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low so water continues to simmer.

2.  In your stand mixer bowl, hand whisk the egg whites and the sugar just until combined.  Place over simmering pot and whisk for approx 4 mins until the egg whites are hot (about 150 degrees).  The sugar should be dissolved by this time as well.  Place bowl on stand mixer and attach the whisk attachment.  Whisk on medium speed until whites have increased in volume, are thick and glossy and the outside of the bowl is just slightly warm to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes!).

3.  Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment.  Beat on low-speed until mixture is completely cooled.  Increase speed to medium and add butter pieces one at a time.  Scrape the bowl and continue to beat until buttercream is glossy, smooth and thick.  It may separate at first, but continue beating and it will emulsify.  Add vanilla flavouring, a pinch of salt and cinnamon and nutmeg (to taste) and beat until combined.  Use immediately.

Royal Icing for Snowflakes

*there are many templates for snowflakes on-line

• 4 cups sifted icing sugar
• 7 tbsp warm water
• 4 tbsp meringue powder

1.  Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form.  Icing should be thick but still easy to pipe.  I used a Wilton #3  round tip and piped them on to parchment paper.  They need at least 24 hours to dry.  Dust with pearl dust if desired.

Mini Dark Chocolate Pound Cakes

I’m pretty sure if you’ve been following my blog you’ve noticed that I kinda have a thing for rich dark chocolate desserts.  Decadent, rich, chocolate desserts of any kind.

Remember these, these and oh the memories…. this?

Well today I made these….

Just a little treat for my mom who is celebrating her birthday today.  I could bake till the cows come home and that would still not be present enough for my mom, but a yummy Dark Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Ganache drizzle and a Vanilla Peppermint Glaze sure is a start!

She is a great listener, cheer leader, doctor, counsellor…..

She is a ‘warm cookies just out of the oven’ kind of person.

She is a ‘take less so someone can have more’ kind of person.

She is a ‘buy 20 chocolate easter bunnies, even for the grown-ups, because  they are still her children’, kind of person.

Well she sure gave me an appreciation of all things sweet in the kitchen.  And all things sweet about being a good mom.  And all things sweet about living a good life.  Well done mom, sit back and relax.

Have a piece of cake.

Dark Chocolate Pound Cake

*adapted from Jacques Torres’ A Year In Chocolate

*double this recipe to use in a large bundt pan

• 5 large egg yolks, room temp
• 3 whole eggs, room temp
• 1 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 350°

Lightly grease 5 mini bundt pans

1.  In a small bowl whisk together all of the eggs and yolks until combined.  Set aside.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder.  Set aside.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter, sugar and sugar until very pale and increased in volume (this can take up to 10 minutes!).  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and beat into mixture.

3.  Reduce mixer speed to med-low and add 1/3 of the eggs then 1/3 of the flour mixture.  Continue alternating the eggs and flour ending with the flour.  Beat the batter until smooth.

4.  Scrape the batter into prepared pans and bake for approx 20 minutes.  Be sure to check regularly after 16 minutes so cakes aren’t dry.  Invert cakes on wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup quality Belgian bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

1.  Combine the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Heat the cream through gently just until it starts to bubble and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes.   Stir slowly until the chocolate melts and the ganache becomes smooth and glossy.  Drizzle over cooled cakes.

Peppermint Glaze

• 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp unsalted butter softened
• few drops of peppermint oil
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp milk

1.  Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Spoon on top of chocolate ganache.

*Garnish with crushed candy canes.

Mini Cinnamon and White Chocolate Cupcakes and Frosting For The Cause

I’m so thrilled to be sharing today’s post with you!

It’s my first guest post over at Frosting For the Cause and I’m just tickled about it.  The site is an inspiring year-long collaboration from bakers all over the United States and Canada.  It is completely dedicated to raising awareness of women’s cancers, while sharing some amazing recipes and personal stories.   This site was developed by Paula Kelly-Bourque, also known as the Vanilla Bean Baker, who really is an example of what a compassionate soul is.

Today is SweetRevelations day, and I chose to make these Mini Cinnamon and White Chocolate Cupcakes.  I make gourmet cupcakes for people all the time and I was so nervous about delivering these to some pretty amazing ladies who were participating in the After Breast Cancer Luncheon in my community.    Please head on over to Frosting for the Cause to check out my recipe and my personal story.

I also wanted to send some thanks to Najwa over at Delicious Shots.  She put together a beautiful virtual Christmas Magazine full of beautiful recipes and DIY projects.   I am so excited to have one of my posts featured on this very creative piece!  Please take a moment to check it out, a SweetRevelations creation is featured on page nine!