Lemon Overkill Cupcakes

I sort of threw together a cupcake from a few different recipes to create my Lemon Overkill Cupcake. I made the cake and frosting from here and got the idea for the lemon curd filling from here. The cake was absolutely awesome - dense and moist - so I wouldn't change anything about that. The frosting was a little *off* for me (we came to the conclusion that it was probs heavy on the butter), so I'll try a different kind next time. The filling wasn't overkill, I didn't think, and next time I may even get really adventurous and make it myself instead of being a lazy slore and buying it. ;)

Naked cupcakes:Filled with lemon curd:
Finished product:

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

I used the basic vanilla chai cupcake recipe from here. Their frosting looked a little complicated, so I made a basic vanilla frosting instead, according to my mother-in-law's nonrecipe:

~2tbsp. butter, softened

~1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

~1 tsp. vanilla extract

~2-3tbsp. milk

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla until they vaguely resemble Dip 'n Dots. Add milk 1 tbsp. at a time until a good spreadable consistency.

They turned out pretty well. Just be careful not to overbake like I did, or they get a little dry. (Oops.)

Hubs and I both thought they tasted great, though I thought it tasted more like chai than he did. I would definitely try it again ... and try not to screw it up this time. ::blush::

Key Lime Cupcakes

For tonight's Cupcakes & Cocktails Trial Run, I made Key Lime Cupcakes, from this recipe.

Unfrosted/naked cupcake





















Frosted/yumcake



















Everyone in my house agreed this was a hit, but next time I'd add more lime juice to the batter, and absolutely add some to the frosting. I think I would also tinker with omitting the sweetened condensed milk as I felt it was unnecessary.

Welcome!

So, Bri and I had this crazy idea on Skype one day -- what if we had a virtual cupcake party? Well, some people don't like to bake (gasp), so we decided to make it a cupcake and cocktail party. The goal is to bake your recipe of cupcakes, or make your mixed drink, and then post the recipe and a photo (if you can) here and share your critique. We will have a group text Skype chat as a virtual "tasting party," where we each take turns describing what we liked / didn't like about our recipes, and then we'll have open talk time for a bit.

Hopefully this is a fun way for us to bond and "hang out" while making and sharing tasty recipes.