Fundraiser Cupcakes for Doberman Pincher SOS

It has been for ever since I have had time to work/play on my blog.  I apologize to my followers for not staying true to the site and updating regularly.  Between the Fourth of July weekend and other organizational requirements I have been swamped.  Fourth of July was a picnic/party at the house featuring coconut chicken kabobs, rubbed/BBQ’ed pork and devilled eggs.  Those recipes will have to follow someday soon.  BTW the party culminated with me catching a three foot rattlesnake, which was not harmed and released later farther from civilization, but I digress.  One of the things keeping me away from the blog has been our work with a dog rescue, Doberman Pincher SOS.  Dawn and I are board members and the official fund raisers for the rescue.  Therefore we ended up helping to cater and organize the fundraiser at a local winery, Souza Family Vineyard, in Tehachapi, California.  So today’s post is dedicated to that event.  I made about four dozen cupcakes with an alcohol theme: Margarita, Coconut Rum, and Chocolate Port Cupcakes.  Hopefully I can find a picture or two to post but I need to get something out there soon, people are clamoring for these recipes.  The cupcakes were sold as part of the fundraiser and were a hit.  BTW checkout the Souza family Winery link embedded in my blog.

First, I am posting the Margarita Cupcake which the recipe for the cupcakes and frosting were given to me by a friend.  I am sure there is an owner out there somewhere that deserves original credit but I just don’t know who.

Margarita Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

·        1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

·        1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

·        1/4 tsp salt

·        1/2 cup unsalted butter(room temp)

·        1 cup sugar

·        2 eggs (room temp)

·        Zest and juice of 1 1/2 limes (or you can use bottled)

·        2 Tblsp Tequila

·        1/4 tsp vanilla

·        1/2 cup buttermilk

Cupcake Preparation:

Pre heat oven to 325, line muffin tins with paper liners.

In medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, & salt - set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until pale, light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mix thoroughly. Add lime zest, juice, vanilla, & tequila. Mix all together until well combined (if it looks curdled at this point don't worry - it will come back together).

Add dry mix in 3 batches alternating with buttermilk until just incorporated.

Divide into tins & bake approx. 25 minutes or til just golden - rotate pan

1/2 through for even baking.

When slightly cool brush tops with more tequila and remove the cupcakes from the pan.

Margarita Butter Cream Frosting Ingredients:

·        1 cup butter

·        2 3/4 cup powdered sugar

·        1 Tblsp lime juice

·        2 tblsp tequila

·        pinch coarse salt

Margarita Butter Cream Frosting Preparation:

Whip butter and gradually add powdered sugar. Add remaining ingredients until fluffy. If too soft add more sugar 1 Tblsp at a time (especially if you use more tequila).

Put into pastry bag (or not) and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Garnish with lime zest and course sea salt top with small lime wedge.

Next are the Chocolate Cupcakes with chocolate port frosting.  The cupcake recipe is from Cupcake reipes.com (http://www.cupcakerecipes.com/chocolaterecipe.htm).  Now the frosting is more my own concoction.

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate
 

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine all ingredients into large mixing bowl.  Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, and scrape bowl.  Mix at high speed for 3 minutes.

Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Frost when chocolate cupcakes are completely cool.

Chocolate Port Frosting

Ingredients:

·        1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips, plus ¼ cup of finely chopped chocolate chips

·        ½ cup butter, softened

·        2 cups confectioners’ sugar

·        ½ tsp vanilla

·        Approximately ¼ cup port wine (NOTE: the chocolate is very overbearing and a strong port is recommended)

Preparation:

Melt Chocolate chips over water bath.

Whip butter and gradually add powdered sugar. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and port until fluffy. If too soft or runny add more sugar 1 Tblsp at a time (especially if you use too much port, but I don’t see how that is possible.

Put into pastry bag (or not) and pipe onto cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with the chopped chips.

Lastly I made a vanilla cupcake with a coconut rum frosting.  Again the cupcake recipe came from cupcake recipe.com.

Vanilla cupcake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites from large eggs
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and vanilla  in a large mixing bowl.  Mix at low speed for 2 minutes.  Scrape bowl.  Add egg whites and mix at high speed until fluffy and smooth, approximately 2 minutes.

Fill liners 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter.  Do not overfill.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pans then remove from pan, and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Frost and decorate your vanilla cupcakes as desired.

Coconut-Rum Frosting

Coconut Butter Cream Frosting Ingredients:

·        1 cup butter

·        2 3/4 cup powdered sugar

·        ½ tsp vanilla

·        ¼ cup Malibu Coconut Rum

·        Garnish with coconut

Coconut Rum Butter Cream Frosting Preparation:

Whip butter and gradually add powdered sugar. Add vanilla and rum until fluffy. If too soft or runny add more sugar 1 Tblsp at a time (especially if you too much rum).

Put into pastry bag (or not) and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Garnish with coconut