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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Seedling Cupcakes

After mentioning these cakes in the previous post, I had many requests for a recipe and instructions. Fear not, these cupcakes are quite simple and are a little taste of spring when there's a sub-freezing windchill outside! The cakes are also perfect for a spring or summer birthday, and would be fun for your pint-sized guests to "plant" themselves. 


Here's what you need:

1. 4-ounce canning jars (I used Ball's quilted jelly jars). They usually run about $10 per dozen depending on where you purchase them. That might sound expensive if you need 24, but remember you can reuse them endlessly. 

2. Your favorite cake recipe. I used my chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting recipe.

3. Butter or non-stick cooking spray, to grease the jars.

4. A jelly roll pan or cookie sheet.

5. Chocolate cookies or wafers. I used Newman's Own Organics Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - YUM!

6. A toothpick, or something similar, to help you "plant" your seedlings.

7. Edible herbs or flowers. I chose mint since my options were limited last winter when I baked the cakes. A variety of herbs or flowers would be awesome, especially in the summer when you have so many choices.

8. Popsicle sticks, optional. The sticks allow you to personalize the cakes and make them look more like seedlings. I wrote "Happy" and "Birthday" on mine. Writing the recipient's birthdate as you would a planting date would look cute as well.

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Lavender Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream

Each passing year, I like to try something new for my birthday treat. In 2012, I made these insanely sweet banana cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting and caramel drizzle (which also win the Longest Name award). In 2013, I used my green thumb in the kitchen to bake these adorable "seedling" cakes in canning jars (which are sadly still on the long list of treats to blog about).
Birthday 2013

The inspiration for this year's birthday cupcake started early; four months ago to be exact. On the very last day of August, I enjoyed a lovely lavender lemon cupcake from High Point Cafe in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. I knew then and there that I would have to adapt this cupcake for my birthday. If you have been keeping up with me in the kitchen, you know it's been the year of lavender.

Cupcake courtesy of High Point Cafe