Fourth of July Firework Cupcake
It’s explosive. It’s amazing. It heats up the whole neighborhood. No, not fireworks, it’s these Fourth of July cupcakes!
These cupcakes are absolutely so easy, it the perfect dessert for anyone to make! This cupcake recipe makes a fantastic addition to any firework extravaganza or summer barbeque.
The thing that makes these cupcakes so easy is that all you need is a pastry bag and some icing. Flags are a nice addition to these 4th of July cupcakes as well, but they’re not necessary.
Sound like fun? Okay then, let’s get started. [singlepic=86,320,240,,right]
Ingredients:
- Premade Cupcakes
- Red Royal Icing
- White Royal Icing
- Blue Royal Icing
- Flag Sticks (optional, but recommended)
Directions:
1. Start with the blue icing and fill it into a pastry bag with a “grass” decorating tip attached. Place a small dot of icing on the middle of the cupcake. [singlepic=85,160,120,,left]
2. Start in the center and move in a circular pattern around the cupcake, with the starting point of your filled pastry bag on the dot. Drag to icing from the dot all the way until the edge of the cupcake.
3. Switch to white icing and repeat step two, not dragging the icing as far this time.
4. Do the same with the red icing and when you’re done, top the cupcake with a little American flag as the topper.
Tada! There you go. Your 4th of July cupcakes are complete and with this recipe, the cupcakes may be just as popular as the fireworks! You can vary the end product of this recipe by using different cupcakes.
Try different flavors like vanilla, chocolate, marble, or dye vanilla batter red, white, or blue! The possibilities are endless so have fun mixing up a batch of 4th of July cupcakes for yourself!
Cookie with 6,000 Pounds of Chocolate
Well, it’s official… all the cows are dry and it’s all because of what happened one afternoon on a football field. It was on that fateful day that the world’s largest cookie was constructed. In order to indulge in such an enormous treat, that would require thousands of glasses of milk, but in this case it was worth the costs.
If for no other reason, this cookie helped to cut back on energy costs all around the city for one day. For one day, no one had to bake cookies in their traditional energy sucking appliance. They were being “green“.
The world’s largest cookie, chocolate chip no doubt, was 31m (102 feet) in diameter and weighted 18,000 kg (40,000 lb)! That’s one big and heavy chocolate chip cookie! Want to make a cookie like this on your own. It sounds like an “interesting” task to tackle to sasy the least. Well, if you’re up for the challenge, you’ll need… [singlepic=83,320,240,,right]
- 12,200 lbs. of Unbleached Flour
- 6,525 lbs. of Unsalted Butter
- 6,000 lbs. of Dark Chocolate Chunks
- 5,000 lbs. of Granulated Sugar
- 3,370 lbs. of Dark Brown Sugar
- 30,000 Whole Eggs
- 184 lbs. of Salt
- 79 lbs. Baking Soda
- 10 gallons of Pure Vanilla
Wow… when I first heard this story I thought, “well, I think I’ll go to the local grocery store and pick up these few items so I can get to baking.” I’ll only need a couple thousands pounds or each ingredient. (No thanks, I think I’ll just read about it!) Even beyond the fact that this cookie is huge, you have to wonder, how’d they blend all this batter and who had to clean the mixer?
My Top Secret Recipe
It’s no secret that I love baking and cooking. What is a secret is where I get my recipes from. Some of them I have acquired through my family, others come from good friends or fabulous food parties. Some I see online, try them out, and love them!
The truth is that I do have a serious weakness when it comes to recipes. I love the cookbook, The New Best Recipe by Cooks Illustrated. This cookbook is very different from other cookbooks because it teaches you instead of just giving you recipes. [singlepic=78,320,240,,right]
While yes, the book is packed full with over 1,000 recipes, but you know the story. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats forever. The cookbook is like your very own fishing instructor.
The recipes are delicious and not only do they always turn out, this book explains WHY they do turn out and the common mistakes people make which tends to turn a good recipe bad.
If you love to make brownies, but they tend to turn out hard, this book tells you why. If your cake never seems to rise evenly, this book has the reason. And yes, there is more than just dessert recipes.
You can find out how to broil fish, how to cook a whole chicken, how to pick the right pasta for a sauce, and all kinds of other fun facts! I use this book all the time and I know my cooking would not be the same without it! Pick up your copy today and get on the road to better baking!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe
Regular pound cake is definitely delicious, but what if you could take it one step further? What if you could have cream cheese pound cake? This cream cheese pound cake recipe is totally yummy and I especially love it with fresh strawberries and some cool whip! It’s so good.
If you like original pound cake then you will love this recipe even more. It’s easy to make, serves enough for a party, and stores well if you can’t finish it in one day. (Unlikely!)
You can top it with just about any fruit or topping imaginable or it’s great plain too. No matter how you slice it, this recipe takes the cake in my book!
Yield: 1 (10-inch) cake [singlepic=77,320,240,,right]
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1) Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined.
2) Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan.
3) Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
Well, that’s about it. If you doubt just how tasty this pound cake is then try it for yourself! You too, will love this cake! Go now… let’s get to baking!
Cover Up, Ladies!
I just ran across the cutest thing ever; adorable aprons! These aprons are so unique! I’m actually looking for a new apron because my old one is beginning to show its age. I thought my choices of aprons would be slim and none of them really all that appealing. Oh how wrong could I have been![singlepic=79,320,240,,right]
The three sites I found all offer something completely different in an apron. The first site is called Jillie Willie. Their aprons were super cute because they were so bright and fun! Many of them had convenient pockets while others focused on the looks- sporting meshy overlays or frilly bottoms. [singlepic=81,320,240,,left]
The second site I found was called Flirty Aprons. This site was equally as appealing because it’s aprons were a little more modern and meant to cover a larger area (in the case of a real kitchen mess)! I thought the bows on these aprons were large but gave the aprons a special little “umph”. I really liked the coordinating colors and simplicity of these aprons as well.
The third site I stumbled too was called Florence Adams. This site offered an extremely feminine apron with a little bit of a vintage style. Although, it was kind of different, I really liked the colors and old fashioned patterns.
Even if you’re not looking for an apron now, these lovely cover-ups can be bought now and put away until you’re ready. These aprons are so stylish and are not just meant to prevent the mess. In fact, you’re not going to want to wipe anything on these! I mean really, whoever invented the concept of an apron should get a great hug and a look at some of these new, fabulous options into the wonderful world of Baking. Happy Hunting!
Patriotic Pound Cake Recipe
It’s the fourth of July! There are fireworks, there are picnics, there is music, there are desser–. Oh wait, where are the desserts! Never fear, this triple layer pound cake will surely save the day.
It’s a light blend of raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries which make you want to step up like Uncle Sam and proclaim, “Pound cake, I want you!”
This pound cake recipe is great for 4th of July festivities. This cake is great for any gathering and if it’s a really large party, you can even make this cake in addition to some fun 4th of July cupcakes.
Remember, any good party is only as good as the food you fill your guests with. With this cake, people will be knocking down your door, looking for the recipe and looking for another piece or cake! [singlepic=76,320,240,,right]
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours and 20 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup cold milk
- 1 ½ cups cool whip topping; thawed and divided
- 10.75 oz. (one whole cake) frozen pound cake
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 2 cups mixed raspberries and sliced strawberries
- 1/4 cup blackberries
Directions:
1) Add milk to dry pudding mix in medium bowl. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.
2) Cut cake horizontally into three layers; brush with juice. Place bottom layer on serving plate; top with 3/4 cup of the berries, half of the pudding mixture and middle cake layer.
3) Repeat layers of berries and pudding mixture; cover with top cake layer. Top with 1/2 cup whipped topping and the remaining berries; cover loosely with foil.
4) Refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator
For 4th of July, or Jimmy’s 4th birthday, this cake is perfect. It’s better than cupcakes, it’s better than ice cream… it’s pound cake—patriotic pound cake.
Popcorn Cupcake Recipe
Movie nights, for me, are the perfect way to spend any evening, but where would a movie be with no popcorn? Well, it would just be wrong. That’s what makes these cupcakes so much fun. I found them at familyfun.com and I just love the idea. This recipe allows you to create creative little popcorn cupcakes and gives off the image of a bucket of popcorn.
I’ve found that these cupcakes are great for parties, gatherings, or a fun girl’s night in! Who would have ever thought that marshmallows could be popcorn! So go ahead, pop in a movie, pop down on the couch, and don’t worry about popping that popcorn. These popcorn cupcakes already have it all taken care of! [singlepic=82,320,240,,right]
Ingredients:
- Premade cupcakes
- White icing
- Mini marshmallows (white or pastel yellow and white)
- Yellow food coloring (optional)
- Clean paintbrush
- Scissors
- White construction paper
- Blue and red markers
Directions:
1) Frost the cupcake with white icing. To create each piece of “popcorn,” cut one mini marshmallow in half and squish the two pieces back together into a whole mini marshmallow, pinching firmly.
2) Pile the finished popcorn onto the frosted cupcake. For a buttery look, either dilute a drop of yellow food coloring in water and brush it on with a clean paintbrush or mix pastel yellow marshmallows in with the white.
3) To make the band, cut a strip of construction paper about 1 1/4 inches by 8 inches, or to fit your cupcake, and decorate as shown. If you’re creating many cupcakes, design just one band and color photocopy it. Wrap the band around the cupcake and secure with tape.
Well, that’s it. With these simple instructions and a little creativity, you too can enjoy a popcorn cupcake to accompany any movie night! This popcorn cupcake recipe is a fun twist on a traditionally salty snack!
Lemonade Sorbet Recipe
This recipe for lemon sorbet is just so tasty! It reminds me of the frozen lemonades at the baseball games or the homemade lemonade right from my kitchen. It’s light… it’s refreshing… it’s healthy!
Who would have guessed that a dessert which is so healthy… can be so good too! I make this recipe so much in the summer and all of my friends can hardly tell it’s not filled with sugar. All they know is that they’d like to see about seconds… and I can’t agree with them more!
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Freeze Time: 4 hours
Yield: 4 servings [singlepic=54,320,240,,right]
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cold water
- 1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate; thawed
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- Lemon Slices (garnish optional)
- Blueberries (garnish optional)
Directions:
1) In blender or food processor, place water, lemonade concrete and honey. Cover and blend on low speed until smooth. Pour into 8-inch square glass baking dish.
2) Freeze for about 4 hours (until firm), stirring several times to keep mixture smooth. Garnish with lemon slices and blueberries.
This recipe is a new twist on the classic glass of lemonade. Yum! What a deliciously chilly dessert! Want a fun substitute? Try using limeade concentrate instead of lemonade! It’s equally as fresh and tasty! Dig in and cool off from the summer heat with this healthy treat! Below is the nutritional value. See for yourself!
Nutritional Value:
In Each Serving…
Calories: 185 (Calories from fat: 0)
Fat: 0g (Saturated Fat: 0g)
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Carbs: 47g (Fiber: 0g)
Protein: 0g
Percent Daily Value:
Vitamin A: 0%
Vitamin C: 22%
Calcium: 0%
Iron: 2%
Gardening Cupcake Design Recipe
I love gardening. It’s a fun outlet and making things from nothing (plants from seeds, cakes from flour and eggs, etc) has always been a passion for me.
I stumbled across these cupcakes yesterday and found them to be so adorable! Although they do take more work than my usual recipes the end product just looks so creative and professional!
As much as I love gardening, these cupcakes would make a fantastic addition to any farmer’s market or bake sale. Don’t let the directions or the ingredient list scare you. [singlepic=75,320,240,,right]
These gardening cupcakes really do take the cake! It takes a while to make them, but what farmer ever planted and harvested at the same time? Give these cupcakes the patience they need and you’ll be happy you did.
Check these out in Woman’s Day magazine or on their site! (Click the blue link to be automatically directed.)
What a fun idea! For this garden scene, you’ll make….
-Radishes
-Peas
-Carrots
-Lettuce
-Signs
-Shovels
This gardening cupcake recipe will surely be a hit at the next party. Even those of you who don’t really care for gardening can benefit from these cupcakes! We all like sweets and cupcakes so what are you waiting for? Grab a shovel and dig in!
4th of July Cupcake Design
Uncle Sam wants you… but you may have to tell him to wait! These July 4th cupcakes are so good, you won’t want to miss them. These cupcakes are great for parties, Fourth of July firework shows, or just for you to enjoy! The little cakes may be red, white, and blue, but let’s face red, white, and blue are always in season!
The fun part about this holiday cupcake recipe is that it’s so versatile. For fun variations, you could try using vanilla cupcakes. Add some red or blue food coloring for additional color. [singlepic=53,320,240,,right]
Ingredients:
- 24 pre-made chocolate cupcakes
- 1/2 cup marshmallow crème
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups fresh strawberries, halved
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions:
1) Refrigerate pre-made cupcakes.
2) Place marshmallow crème in small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 10 – 20 seconds, until softened. Beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add slightly cooled marshmallow crème; continue beating until stiff peaks form.
3) Frost cooled cupcakes with whipped cream mixture up to two hours before serving. Arrange 2 strawberry halves on top of each frosted cupcake. Place 3 – 5 blueberries around the strawberry halves. Keep refrigerated until served.
You could also substitute the fruit for more variations. Strawberries could be switched out for raspberries. If you don’t like blueberries, try putting a small dollop of blue icing next to the strawberries. This ties in the red, white, and blue all together in a festive little cupcake.