Buttercream Bakers

Christy is getting married!!

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 01:58:00 +0000

by Cindy

As you may have noticed, there has not been very much blogging going on here on the Buttercream Bakers Blog. Everyone seems to be so busy, and we're getting ready for Christy's wedding, which is just days away. I've added some pictures from the two showers that were given for her this last weekend. We're sorry for the lag in posts and hopefully we will get back to it soon.

The first shower was given by Christy's soon to be mother-in-law, Paula, and 3 of her good friends. The Kentucky Derby theme was so much fun and everyone dressed up and wore hats. The food was so beautiful and presented so perfectly. They served cupcakes in the shape of a wedding dress, cheese and crackers, mini pecan pies, chocolate turtle candy, fruit, nuts and the list goes on. Red velvet cupcakes in individual boxes were given away as party favors. There were red roses everywhere along with horse statues. It was so much fun dressing up like we were at the Derby - it was almost like being there. I could feel the love flowing out of Paula that day. She is such a sweet woman. Her son, Ismail, is a lucky guy to have such a loving mother.

The second shower was given by my girl friends. They are

6 of the most creative and wonderful people that I know.

We all take turns having parties during the year, and they all

do such a great jobs at hosting. These girls have been such a

blessing to me, and as Christy wrote on Facebook, she feels

blessed by them also.

I made the engagement ring cake,

so at least one thing was made by one of the

Butter Cream Bakers. ha ha The fruit was put on swizzle sticks

like a kabob, and it was such a cute idea. Chicken salad was

served on crescents and there was a seven layer salad. Cherry

tomatoes were cut in half with a small ball of mozzarella cheese

in the middle. It was drizzled with something that was so good.

I can't forget the pink punch that was served. The cute glasses

were garnished with fruit and there was a little alcohol involved

in the making of it too. We do have fun.

It was such a great weekend and everyone was so wonderful by

gifting the bride to be and her soon to be husband.

Christy better get all of the new bake ware and cookware

out and get to work making something delicious.

She has many new toys to play with in the kitchen.

This is Christy with my mom (the original baker) and me.

Next I'll be making the wedding and groom's cake as I did

for Sarah for her wedding. It's such an exciting time!!

Busy busy!!

Italian Cream Cake (from a mix)

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:33:00 +0000

by Cindy

Well it's another snow day in Indiana. It's a perfect day to stay in and bake something wonderful. I've been think about making an Italian Cream Cake for a while now but just never got around to it. I made a homemade Italian Cream Cake many years ago and remember that I didn't like the results. It called for whipping the egg whites and folding them into the batter. I remember the cake was very delicate but almost fell apart when I tried to ice it. I decided to find a recipe that used a cake mix so that I didn't have to do all of the folding. I played with a couple of recipes and came up with this recipe. I thought the cake tasted great. It was soft and delicate and held together. I loved the pecan crunch in the cake, and who doesn't love cream cheese icing? Adding toasted coconut and chopped pecans on the top of the icing, made a very pretty presentation.

Italian Cream Cake (from a mix)

1 box white cake mix

1 box instant french vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/3 cup buttermilk

about 1/4 cup coconut milk

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

2/3 cup pecans or walnuts

Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. When adding the buttermilk add the coconut milk to the buttermilk so that it measures 1/2 cup.

Blend on low and then mix on medium for 2 minutes. Add coconut and pecans and blend together. Batter will be thick. Spoon batter into a flour sprayed prepared 9 x 13 pan or into prepared cupcake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cupcakes require less cooking time so start checking them after about 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Icing

1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

4 cups of powdered sugar

1 t vanilla extract

coconut and pecans

Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. On low speed, add powder sugar a little at a time until desired consistency is achieved. Add 1 vanilla extract.

Jam Cake with Caramel Icing

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 18:43:00 +0000

by Cindy

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....I think so anyway. I am loving being busy and preparing for gatherings and potlucks. My girl friends came over last night for a dinner party and cookie exchange. It was great fun and the cookies were fantastic. Everyone put a special effort into their cookies, and we now have cookies to share with family and friends.

I'll be getting ready next Monday for a potluck at my office and having the United Methodist Women from Clay over to my house for dinner and Christmas devotional time. I have a wonderful group of new friends here and also special old friends from Kentucky. It reminds me of the Girl Scout song, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." I love my new friends and the old ones as well. They have helped me through some difficult times and enriched my life. Thanks to all of you.

I was getting ready to make this next recipe for Sarah and Christy's Kentucky grandparents, but Mimi fell yesterday and had to have surgery for a broken hip. I'm kind of in limbo about when to make this for them, because I don't know what or where they will be for the next few weeks. It's one of their favorite cakes, and I've been making it for them for Christmas many years. It's a little time consuming but not really that difficult. There are short cut cake recipes that use cake mixes with special additions, but this is the from scratch recipe that I've used. I'm still a strong believer that it's all about the icing, so if your short of time, take the cake short cut.

This cake is super moist because of the blackberry jam, and the caramel icing is just the right flavor to complement the cake. I think the trickiest part is the icing, because it takes patience to wait until it is firm enough to spread on the cake. This is where pecans can be added to hide any imperfections. Perfect in no time.

Jam Cake

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 t allspice

1 t nutmeg

1 t cinnamon

1 t cocoa

2 cups buttermilk

2 t baking soda

2 cups blackberry jam

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup raisins

Cream sugar and butter, add eggs and mix well. Mix together buttermilk and baking soda. Add flour, which has been sifted with the spices, alternately with the buttermilk mixture, ending with the buttermilk. Add jam, nuts and raisins. Pour into 3 - 9 inch cakes pans, which have been either greased and floured or sprayed with Baker's Secret (flour/oil spray). I have also added wax paper to the bottoms of the cake pans and sprayed that also. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or more. It never really looks quite done all the way in the center of the cake, because if you cook it too long, the outside gets too done. Remove the cakes after 5 - 7 minutes and let cool on racks. I used to make two of this recipe to make 3 - 2 layer cakes. I only make a 2 layer cake and use the excess cake mix for cupcakes. These will have a shorter cooking time but will have to be watched closely.

Caramel Icing

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter; add brown sugar. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes; add milk. Continue to stir. Let mixture come to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar. Ice the cake when consistency is thickened from cooling. Garnish with pecans.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 14:00:00 +0000

by Cindy

The days are quickly counting down to Christmas. There are so any things to get done. I've only gotten a few gifts bought and I still have a lot of baking to do. I was snowed in this weekend, so I decided to start my baking. After a quick and slick run to the closest grocery store, I made my favorite Christmas family recipe, Chocolate Sherry Dream Bars, and my favorite cake, Red Velvet Cake. I love baking at Christmas because of all the wonderful memories I have of baking with my mom and with my girls. Of course, I also love these recipes because they taste so good.

I'm always looking for a great cheesecake recipe, so I made a new cheesecake recipe for the church Christmas dinner. It was a White Chocolate Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping. It was smooth and had a nice light white chocolate flavor. The strawberry sauce topped it off nicely.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

Cookie Crust

1 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter, softened

dash of vanilla

1 egg, slightly beaten (just part of this)

Cheesecake

4 pkg (8 oz each), softened

1/2 cup plus 2 T sugar

1 T all-purpose flour

1 t vanilla extract

4 eggs, lightly beaten

8 oz white baking chocolate, melted and cooled

Strawberry Sauce

1/2 cup sugar

2 T cornstarch

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries

Red food coloring, optional

1. In a small bowl, combine flour and sugar. Add the butter then vanilla and about half of the egg mixture (add small amounts of the egg mixture until the mixture forms a ball.) Spread the mixture in the bottom of a spring board pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until slightly brown. Cool.

2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs and yolks; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in white chocolate. Pour over cooled crust. Place pan on a baking sheet.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until center is just set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

4. For sauce, in a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Add strawberries. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in a few drops of food coloring if desired. Cool.

5. Spread strawberry sauce over top of cheesecake. Refrigerate overnight. Yields 12 servings.

recipe adapted from

Taste of Home

Deep & Dark Ganache Chocolate Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 16:24:00 +0000

by Cindy

Last week I mentioned that I was wanting to make a decadent chocolate cake, so since this is a wild card week, meaning we can make anything we want, I made, OMG-oh so good, Deep & Dark Ganache Chocolate Cake. It tasted as good as I had imagined. The icing is made of bittersweet chocolate and even though I prefer milk chocolate, I still loved this cake. It was moist and rich with a strong chocolate flavor. The pecans on the outside add a nice crunch to it.

I will confess something here, I can do many, many things, pretty well, but I am not great at anything. Of course, I wanted my cake to look as perfect as the one in the picture of the Taste of Home Magazine recipe, so to compensate for my imperfections, I just improvised a little. That is why I added the pecans to the sides of the cake. The cake looked good without the pecans, but not as good as the Taste of Home photo. By adding the pecans to the outside of the cake, all of my imperfections were covered up, and it tasted even better.

Deep & Dark Ganache Chocolate Cake

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee

4 eggs

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup canola oil, or vegetable oil

2 t vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup baking cocoa

2 t baking soda

3/4 t baking powder

1 1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Ganache Frosting

16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chips or chopped

2 cups heavy whipping cream

5 t light corn syrup

1. Line bottom of three greased 8 inch square baking pans with parchment paper, grease or spray with non stick spray.

2. Place chocolate in a small bowl. Pour hot coffee over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth. Cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed until lemon-colored. Gradually add the sugar, oil, vanilla and chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. In another bowl, mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.

4. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.

5. For Ganache Frosting, place chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring whipping cream and corn syrup just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; stir with a whisk until smooth.

6. Let stand at room temperature to cool and thicken slightly, at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Mixture will be very soft, but will thicken when spread onto cake).

7. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1/3 cup ganache.

Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Add pecans to the sides for added crunch. Yield: 24 servings.

Two-Layered Deep & Dark Ganache Cake and Cupcakes

Prepare cake as directed, using twelve paper-lined muffin cups and 2 greased and parchment lined 8-in square baking pans. Fill muffin cups three-fourths full; bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Divide remaining batter between prepared cake pans. Reduce oven setting to 325 degrees; bake cake layers as directed. Yield: One 2 layered cake and one dozen cupcakes (24 servings).

I used 1 tablespoon of frosting for each cupcake and after icing the cake had a lot of left over frosting, so feel free to use more on the inside layer and the top and sides.

I also had to bake the cake layers a little longer. If this happens, just add extra time on a timer and check the cakes after the added time until done.

recipe adapted from

Taste of Home

Deep & Dark Ganache Cake

Pastime Photography 1 Hour Photo Shoot Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 23:44:00 +0000

Marie of Pastime Photography in Louisville, KY has partnered with us to offer one of our readers a 1 hour photo shoot along with a cd of all the edited photographs! She is an amazing photographer and a blast to work with! Sarah loved the pictures Marie took of Caroline, when Caroline was just two weeks old. The photo shoot will be available in the Louiville, KY area.

Here are a few examples of her work:

One winner will be drawn randomly using the Rafflecopter application below on Monday, November 25, 2013. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 16:11:00 +0000

by Cindy

Well Halloween is behind us and the next family holiday will be here before we know it. Everyone is making their travel, cooking, and eating arrangements for the big day. I'm getting excited. It's been a year since we have all been together, and I am looking forward to having who ever will attend. I'm bless with a wonderful family and will be thankful for all who attend (and of course, those that don't). Since Sarah is vacationing and on a break, Christy and I decided to make something with cinnamon this week. I almost caved in and made a decadent chocolate cake, but I prevailed and stayed on course. That chocolate cake is on my list though, so be watching for it.

I found this recipe on the Kenergy website. They share customer recipes and this one sounded really good. These cake squares have a hint of pumpkin flavor and are very rich, moist and gooey. It's kind of like a dump cake, because I just dumped almost all of the ingredients in the mixing bowl. It's super easy and is done from beginning to end in about an hour.

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

3.4 oz box vanilla instant pudding mix

1/2 cup sour cream

15 oz. can pumpkin

1 stick butter (8 T)

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 t ground cinnamon

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 - 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (start with 1/4 c and add small amounts until desired consistency is acquired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray jelly roll pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding mix, sour cream, and pumpkin in mixing bowl. Beat well to combine about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly.

Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 40 - 50 seconds, depending you microwave strength. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing until combined.

Drizzle mixture evenly over the cake. Take a knife and run it through to make swirls.

Bake cake for 35 - 45 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into squares. Refrigerate.

adapted from

Kenergycorp.com

shared by Sharla Austin-Darnell from the

picky-palate.com

Pumpkin Shaped Cake Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Thu, 31 Oct 2013 20:58:00 +0000

By Christy

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Halloween has been pretty quiet for me this year. No costume, most likley no trick or treaters (I only got 2 last year), and it has been ugly and rainy in Nashville ALL day today. It almost feels as if Hallween didn't really happen this year which makes me sad because I LOVE halloween and getting all dressed up and going to costume parties! But it definitley feels like fall and this tutorial is the perfect fall addition to your baking list. It is a super easy, semi homeade pumpkin shaped cake. How impressive would this look on your table at Thanksgiving, your next church dinner, book club, etc? Also, if you need a last minute halloween idea this pumpkin would look great if you iced a jack-o-latern face on it to take this dessert to the next level of fun and festive.

Here is how to make a pumpkin shaped cake.

What's needed:

1 to 2 Cake mixes and all ingredients required

2 bundt cake pans

2 to 3 cups of icing

Food coloring

1 snickers bar

Step 1: You will need to make 2 bundt cakes of the same size. Depending on the size of your bundt cake pans, you may need to make up to two batches of cake mix. I had two small, 6 inch bundt pans, and 1 cake mix easily did the trick. I actually chose a spice cake... it seemed fitting for a cake shaped like a pumpkin. Bake bundt cakes as directed and let cool.

Step 2: The way these cakes are assembled to look like a pumpkin is by placing two bundt cakes, with the bottoms facing each other, together. Most likely your bundt cakes didn't rise evenly resulting in a rounded portion of what is normally the bottom of a bundt cake. Normally since this is the bottom of the cake, it doesn't really matter that this portion isn't flat but since we will be butting the bottoms of the cakes together, we need to the cakes to fit together evenly. This will ensure the pumpkin's shape is more uniform. Therefore, with a cerated knife, cut the rounded area off the cake making the bottom completley flat.

Step 3: Make Icing, I made my all time favorite cream cheese icing which paired well with the spice cake. Then dye the icing the color of your choice.

Step 4: Place first cake, pretty side down, onto a serving plate. I filled the hole in the very center of the cake with scraps made from leveling the cakes. I then topped the cake with a generous portion of icing. Take the other bundt cake, flat side down, and place it on top of the other bundt cake while lining up the cakes so the lines match.

Step 5: Take remaining icing and ice the whole cake. I made the stokes going downwards instead of side to side to make it look more like the natural lines that run down a pumpkin. I again filled the well in the middle of the bundt cake with cake scraps and iced over it.

Step 6: Take a snicker bar and cut it in half or a little large (depending on the size of your cake) at an angle to represent the stump. Stick the snickers into the center of the top. I stuck the chocolate end into the cake exposing the end with nuts and filling. I thought that extra detail made it look more like a stump that had been cut, just like on a real pumpkin.

Please check out our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for life changing products!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 18:43:00 +0000

by Cindy

Halloween is tomorrow and all the little ghost and goblins will be going door to door for their treats. My girlfriends and I had a party at one of our houses Saturday night, and I had so much fun dressing up. I went as a pirate. I borrowed the costume from Christy - thanks Christy - and bought a hat and sword to go with the costume. It was fun dressing up and being with the girls and a few other guests.

For the party, I decided to make mini pumpkin cupcakes. The pumpkin flavor is just right because of all of the spices that are added. The cream cheese icing has pumpkin in it too, so even the icing tastes like pumpkin. They were the perfect bite sized dessert for a finger food menu and very delicious.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 t baking powder

2 t ground cinnamon

1 1/2 t ground cloves

1 t ground allspice

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

2 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 recipe Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and arrange rack in the middle. Line 2 (12-well) muffin pans or mini muffin pans with paper liners. Coat the liners with non stick spray: set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Set aside.

3. Mix the sugar and oil in a bowl and beat on medium until sugar is incorporated, about 1 minute, scrapping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 1 1/2 minutes total mixing time. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the pumpkin. Beat until just combined, about 30 seconds, again scrapping down the sided of the bowl.

5. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture, and beat until completely incorporated, about 1 minute.

6. Fill the muffin liners 3/4 of the way. Bake for 12 minutes then rotate the pans and bake another 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. For mini cupcakes, bake them for about 12-13 minutes or until tooth pick comes out.

7. Cool on a wire rack about 5 minutes and then remove them from the pans to completely cool. Frost with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

6 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 t ground cinnamon

1/4 t ground nutmeg

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 T butter (1 stick) at room temperature

1/3 cup pumpkin (not pie filling)

1. Whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Mix together the cream cheese and butter on medium until smooth, about 1 minute.

3. Add the pumpkin and beat until blended.

4. Slowly and on low add the powdered sugar until the desired consistency is acquired. If it's too soft, add more powdered sugar.

recipe adapted from

chow.com

Rodan + Fields Giveaway Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 20:21:00 +0000

Congratulations to Melanie M. for winning the amazing Rodan + Fields Hand Treatment Regimen!

We appreciate all of the entries from our readers! Also, a big THANK YOU to Caryn for giving away such an awesome product to our readers!! Don't forget to check out Caryn's site for all of her wonderful products! Keep your eye out for more giveaways in the next few weeks!

Sincerely,
The Buttercream Bakers

Please check out our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for life changing products!

Chocolate Dipped Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cobwebs

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 03:01:00 +0000

By Sarah

Cupcakes are my favorite kind of desserts to bake. Compared to making a detailed cake, cupcakes are relatively quick to make and decorate. They are also so much easier to serve and I feel less guilty when I eat 1 or 2 cupcakes. Because they are pretty quick to whip up, I like to experiment with different flavors and decorating techniques.

Last year, I came across a picture of a cake on Pinterest that looked like it had spider webs on it. I thought it was so cool and I've been waiting for Halloween to come around so I could try it. But making a cake takes too long, so I decided I would try it on a cupcake. However, I thought it would look a little funny drizzling the melted marshmallow on a plain cupcake, I decided it would look much better if the cupcake was dipped in chocolate first!! You can tell I love everything chocolate dipped since I made chocolate dipped apples last week. I did tweak my tempered chocolate recipe though! I like this one the best because while the chocolate got hard, it was still soft enough to cut through easily.

As for these techniques, they were super easy! The hardest part of tempering the chocolate was having the patience to let it cool down before dipping the cupcakes. Making the cob webs were also super fun and easy, but very messy! The cobwebs would be a lot of fun for kids!

Chocolate Dipped Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cobwebs

24 iced cupcakes

1 box melting vanilla chocolate

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 bag mini marshmallows

24 spider rings

1. Make your favorite cupcake and buttercream icing. Ice the cupcakes really high, using about 1/2 cup of icing on each cupcake.

2. Place completed cupcakes in refrigerator to chill while tempering the chocolate. Combine chocolate and oil in a small saucepan set over a medium saucepan of simmering water. Don't let the water get too hot and boil because the chocolate will overheat. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer into a small, but deep bowl and let chocolate cool for 15-20 minutes.

3. Once the chocolate is cool to the touch, dip a cupcake into the chocolate by holding the cupcake by it's bottom. Let the excess chocolate drip off and then transfer to a cookie sheet. Place cupcakes in the refrigerator to speed up the setting process.

4. In the meantime, take 1 bag of mini marshmallows and put in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until the marshmallows are completely melted and continue to stir until it is cool to the touch. It take about 5 minutes.

Before

After

After microwaved for 30 seconds

5. Remove cupcakes from the refrigerator once the chocolate has hardened. Using two fingers & two hands, string the melted marshmallow all over the cupcakes. Decorate as desired. I stuck a plastic spider ring into the cupcake as the final touch or you could use Christy's spider technique she posted last week and pipe it on the cupcake!

Here are few pics of the finished cupcakes!

Please check out our our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Spider Chocolate Chip Cookies Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 16:16:00 +0000

By Christy

Trick or treat!!!!I love this time of year! I love a great reason to dress up in costume, clearly from writing a baking blog, I love a good Treat, and if you know me personally you know I LOVE a good Trick! lol I love little pranks and scaring people. It's actually a daily challenge for me to jump out and scare Big Cat! LOL If you are like me and love being a prankster I will let you in on my favorite "Trick".... While driving down the road, and there is no one behind you, wait until your passenger is not paying attention to the road or your driving...SLAM on your breaks and SCREAM like you're about to hit something!

This is kind of evil but if you need a good laugh it is certain to make you cry in laughter when the passenger gets so scared. Just make sure you see their facial expression. It will be priceless. (Also, be prepared for your passenger to possibly punch you in the arm after. haha) But if you are short on cash but love a good haunted house this time of year, tide yourself over with this prank because it is pretty equivalent in the fun factor but much friendlier on the budget!

Now on to the "treat" part of Halloween. Our Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe has been a hit for years! This year I decided to give our cookie recipe a costume to wear for your next Halloween party!

This is a tutorial on how to make A Chocolate Chip Cookie covered in chocolate spiders.

Step 1:
Buy premade cookie dough or make a homemade chocolate chip cookie recipe. I whipped up the best ever chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Step 2: Portion out your cookies on a silpat or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Before putting the cookies in the oven, add chocolate chips to the top of the cookie to represent the "bodies" of the spider. Make sure the point of the chocolate chip goes into the cookie and the flat side is facing outwards. I preferred the cookies that had 1 to 2 spiders on them. Then bake cookies as directed by the recipe you use.

Before chocolate chips were added to top

Adding Chocolate Chips to represent the "bodies" of the spiders

Step 3: While cookies are cooling, you will need to temper chocolate that will be used to decorate the cookies with. If you don't have a double boiler you can easily temper chocolate using 2 sauce pans of 2 slightly different sizes. In the larger of the two saucepans add a few inches of water. Then put the smaller pan on top resting in the water and add the chocolate chips to the top pan. Turn the heat on high (turn down once water starts to boil). Stir chocolate chips constantly until they are melted and immediately take off heat. This method will slowly melt the chocolate in the top pan ensuring you don't burn or over heat the chocolate. (please ignore how dirty my stove top is in the below pictures, so embarrassing!!)

Step 4: Let chocolate sit 10 minutes to cool. In the meantime, prep your decorating utensils. I used a disposable icing bag, coupler, and the #1 tip from Wilton. If you don't have these, use a zip lock bag and cut the tip of 1 corner off. Make sure the corner you cut is a SUPER tiny hole because you will need a pretty fine tip line to make these look real. Fill bag up with melted chocolate.

Step 5: Create the spiders. Please look at the picture below for each step of the spider. This step includes putting a dot connected to the chocolate chip to represent the spider's head and adding 8 legs (4 to each side). To get a good idea of the shapes I felt looked the most realistic refer to the picture below.

Step 5: Let sit until chocolate is hardened or chill in the refrigerator until hardened. Serve!

Please check out our our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Candy Corn Peanut Mallow Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 21:48:00 +0000

by Cindy

I love fall - the red and yellow leaves, the pumpkins, and all the kids dressed up in Halloween costumes. I love the cooler weather. I love waking up in bed in the morning and being toasty warm. I love this time of the year because all of the great family holidays are coming up.

I got a little taste of Halloween last weekend when I went to visit Sarah and her family. The grand kids dressed up in their costumes, and we went to the zoo for trick or treat. Of course, they were adorable. I don't usually get to see them in person with their costumes on, so it was a treat for me.

My friend, Karen, told me about this recipe and I had to have it. It's perfect for a Halloween treat, with the candy corn as the star ingredient. It tastes very much like a Payday candy bar. It's super quick and easy and no baking involved. I took some to work today and they have disappeared. I think a ghost must have eaten them. lol

Candy Corn Peanut Mallow Bars

2 cups peanuts, divided

1 1/2 cups candy corn, divided

1 bag peanut butter chips

4 T butter

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (10 oz) bag mini marshmallows

1. Spread 1 1/2 cup peanuts and 1/2 cup candy corn on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.

2. In a small saucepan, melt peanut butter chips and butter over medium heat. Stirring frequently. After it is melted, add the sweetened condensed milk.

3. Put marshmallows in a large bowl. Add melted peanut chip mixture and combine until marshmallows are coated. Drop spoon fulls of the mixture over the top of the peanut and candy corn in the pan and gently spread it out evenly.

4. Sprinkle the rest of the peanuts and candy corn over the marshmallow mixture. Press into the marshmallow mixture. Try cutting them but if they are too sticky, they can be refrigerated and then cut. I found them very hard to cut when I took them out of the refrigerator. I had to use a lot of pressure with my cutting utensil. If they had been taken out of the refrigerator for about 10 minutes, I think they would have been easier to cut.

recipe adapted from

julieseatsandtreats.com

Rodan & Fields Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 11:55:00 +0000

Caryn, our 4 tiered cake sponsor of the month, has graciously offered to giveaway a Rodan and Fields Hand Treatment Regimen to one of our sweet loving readers!

Caryn also shared a little secret with me about an upcoming special. Their best selling AMP MD System is coming back for a FLASH SALE for Preferred Customers (PCs) at the end of the month. The time to buy is now because it won't be available to the general public until 2014!! Also, right now Caryn is refunding the one time fee of $19.95 to become a PC! It's a win-win!!

We will announce the winner here on Sunday, October 27! Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Caramel Chocolate Candy Covered Apples

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 02:34:00 +0000

By Sarah

A few years ago, way before kids, my husband and I went to the St. James Court Art Show in Louisville. I don't get to go every year and I was disappointed that I didn't get to go a few weeks ago. This festival is amazing and if you are ever in the Louisville area when it's going on, you have to go! This art show was first started in 1957 to help raise money for the Saint James Court Association as well to bring local artists and residents together. In 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, & 2011 the St. James Court Art Show was voted best art show in the nation. According to their site, they now have nearly 750 exhibitors and more than 300,000 attendees!

Anyway, Nick and I found ourselves walking the streets of artists and vendors amazed at all of the talent that surrounded us. I looked through hundreds of paintings, browsed handfuls of homemade necklaces and earrings, yet I didn't fall in love with anything. Finally, we turned the corner and I saw it! I had to have it! It was perfect for me! What was it, you say? A caramel, chocolate, & candy covered apple of course!!! Yes, out of the entire art fair, the only thing Nick and I bought was a dessert! It looked so delicious with all the yummy goodness drizzled all over it and it tasted event better than it looked.

Since that day I have always thought about recreating my souvenir, so what better time than apple week at BCB! I have to admit, this dessert was a little more work than I expected. I decided to take a short cut and not make homemade caramel, so I melted caramel candies instead. That process took longer than I expected because it is so easy to let it get too hot and burn. Another surprise was that the entire 11 oz bag of caramels only covered 4 large granny smith apples. Making this dessert is also somewhat messy. However, I was impressed with the way the apples looked when they were done and I think they would make excellent gifts dressed up in a little bag! Also, they tasted even better than I remember!

Ingredients:

11 oz bag of caramels
16 oz of vanilla melting chocolate
candy of your choice (heath bar crumbs, candy corn, nuts, m&m's, etc.)
kabob skewers (trimmed to the length of your preference)
4 large granny smith apples
parchment paper

1. Clean apples and trim stems off. Stick skewers through the top and push half way into the apple. Chill apples in refrigerator while melting the caramel.

2. Unwrap all of the caramels and put in sauce pan. Put over light - medium heat and stir frequently. Be careful not to let it get too hot because caramel will burn easily. Once it is melted you are ready to cover your apples.
3. One at a time, roll the apples in the hot caramel sauce. Once it is completely covered, place on parchment paper. The caramel will not take long to set.
4. Once you have covered all of your apples with caramel it is time to melt the chocolate. Temper the chocolate in a saucepan sitting in simmering water. This will keep the chocolate from getting too hot and boiling. Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted entirely.
5. Once it is melted, remove from heat and let sit for 10-12 minutes. Then dip apples into the chocolate covering it entirely. After the apples are covered in chocolate, let them sit for a couple of minutes and next roll in candy to cover. Once all apples are covered in chocolate and candy, place them back in the refrigerator to let the chocolate harden up.

6. Pour the remaining melted chocolate in a Wilton disposable icing bag. After a few minutes, take the apples out of the refrigerator and drizzle the melted chocolate all over the apples and decorate as desired. Finally, place them back into the refrigerator to let the drizzles harden up. In about 10 minutes the apples are all done and ready to devour!! Enjoy!

Caramel, Chocolate & Nut

Caramel & Chocolate

Caramel, Chocolate, and Candy Corn

Caramel, Chocolate, & Heath Bar bits

Please check out our our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Apple Sheet

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 19:47:00 +0000

by Cindy

The West Side Nut Club Fall Festival was this week and I heard that it is the second largest festival after Mardi Gras. I can believe it. I went with a friend last night and the place was so crowded we kept bumping into people. There are so many booths that you can eat almost anything that anyone has ever even thought about - fried Pepsi, corn fritters, giant tenderloin sandwiches, chicken & dumplings, and much more. I went down for lunch today too and had apple cobbler with a scoop of ice cream.

This recipe reminds me of the apple cobbler but is not as thick, and is just as good or better than what I had down there today. My friend, Debie, is a really good cook and is always sending food back with her kids when they go back home. Debie gave me this recipe and so I tried it for the blog. It's not difficult and only a little tricky rolling out the crust. The crust is very elastic and pliable. If there is a hole, it can be patched and fixed.

Warm a piece of this up and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it's even better. Thanks Debie for sharing.

Apple Sheet

3 cups flour

1/2 t salt

1 1/4 cups shortening

1 egg yolk and enough milk to equal 3/4 cup

1 cup rice crispies rolled out/crushed

7-10 apples, enough to cover dough, peeled and sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1 t cinnamon

Add salt to flour then cut in shortening.

Add the egg yolk mixture and mix until it forms a ball.

Split dough in half. Roll out one half and place on bottom and up the sides of a jelly roll pan.

Place crushed rice crispies on top of bottom crust (to absorb some of the moisture from the apples). Mix apples with sugar and cinnamon and place apple mixture on top of the rice crispies.

Roll out the other half of dough and place on top. Pinch edges all around.

Bake at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Mix 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2 T water adding a tablespoon at a time until the right consistency is acquired. Drizzle over the top of cooled apple sheet.

recipe from my friend Debie

Thanks Debie - we're loving this for breakfast at the office this morning.

Apple Blondies

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 12:30:00 +0000

By Christy

This week feels like the official first week of fall in Nashville. The leaves have started to change, the wind has a chill, went to a Titan's football game, and….. I busted out some sweat pants and a sweat shirt for the first time last weekend. (nothing says fall or winter like a good pair of sweat pants! lol)

Big Cat and I at the Titan's Game

I also made my first fall-esque recipe this week too! In the Summer I always go for berries and melons and as soon as fall hits I always seem to bake with apples and pumpkins. Not just because berries and melons have started making their way off shelves and/or the prices have gone up but because apples and pumpkins are "fall" to me and I love embracing the season change. One of my favorite guilty pleasures for fall is walking into the grocery store and I am welcomed by the newly arrived cinnamon brooms at the entrance. That's when I know fall has arrived and they arrived at Kroger this past week!

What signifies "fall" to you? I know Sarah is thinking Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte. lol But, I hope all of you all are just as excited as me for fall and all the upcoming holidays too!

This week I baked Apple Blondies. Its a soft, brown sugar cake with chunks of apples in it, topped with a caramel icing. Think of it as a revamped version of caramel apples! Its moist, sweet and rich. I served them this week when I got to work and all of them were gone by mid morning because I think they paired a little too well with our morning cups of coffee. :) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Cake:

2/3 cup softened butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large Granny Smith Apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup English toffee bits

Frosting:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. On low, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in chopped apples and toffee bits until evenly distributed.

Spray 9x13 baking pan with Bakers Joy. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until set in the middle. Let cool.

In the meantime, prepare the icing. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and milk and bring mixture to a boil.

Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk in powdered sugar until well combined.

Spread over top of Blondie's. Sprinkle icing with additional toffee bits. Let cool and set prior to cutting into bars.

Please check out our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Inspired by Cookies and Cups

Hulless Caramel Corn

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 03:27:00 +0000

By Christy

Last weekend a group of friends and I hit up the Nashville's Southern Ground Music and Food Festival. We got to see some amazing artists and also got to eat some tasty treats. One of my favorite treats I tried was Country Pop.

Country Pop is a caramel coated hulless popcorn or corn puff. It was sooo good! It was sweet, and salty, and crunchy… and I instantly challenged myself to recreate this tasty treat. Plus I paid a hefty $6 bucks for a small bag and knew that I could make a huge batch for probably less than the small bag even cost… and I was right! My version, 'Christy Pop' exceeded my expectations! I really love the sweet and salty combination and this popcorn is hulless which gives it another advantage! You can eat as much as you want and wont need to floss when you are finished. lol

WARNING: This sweet treat is dangerous because once you start eating it, you CAN'T stop! You could even take this Caramel corn to the next level by adding nuts, M&Ms, or chocolate chips…. or both or all three! :)

Ingredients:

1 bag of buttered puffed corn (I used Chester's)

12 large Marshmallows

1 stick of Butter

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup

1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Once butter is melted add brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, and marshmallows. Stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour the puff corn into a large bowl. Pour mixture over puff corn and stir thoroughly. Let cool on parchment paper. Store in air tight container or serve.

ENJOY!

Inspired by Saving 4 Six

Please check out our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

We owe a very big THANK YOU to all of our awesome sponsors!!

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 02:43:00 +0000

1. If you ever have a skin care question or you are looking for some amazing skin care products, Caryn can help you out!!

Twitter @CCHammond

Facebook for business: https://www.facebook.com/caryn.hammond.7

Website: http://cchammond.myRandF.com

Email: caryn.hammond@gmail.com

2. Thank you Heather, from To The Moon and Back Boutique, for giving two embroidered onesies away to our readers! We appreciate your generosity! Please be sure to check out her site! Her designs are super cute!!

3. Also, a BIG THANK YOU! to Thistledown Fabrics for being our first ever sponsor!!! If you are looking for some cute fabric this is the place to start! I saw some chicken fabric that my mom would love!!!

If you have any interest in being our sponsor, please contact us or visit our sponsor page for more info!

S'mores Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Icing

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 03:04:00 +0000

By: Sarah

Marshmallows are something we always have in my house. My son LOVES them. His favorite ones to eat are the mini marshmallows. If I let him he would eat them by the handful. My husband's favorite marshmallow treat is marshmallow fluff right out of the jar on graham crackers. When we first started dating he introduced me to this delicacy and I have to admit, it's quite yummy.

This week when I ran into Kroger to pick up yet another refill of formula and diapers, I took my regular trip down the baking aisle just to browse and I came across a new marshmallow dessert! Did you now they now sell S'more's cupcake kits? I did not! I was intrigued! "Challenge accepted!" I said to myself while standing in the aisle drooling. The picture on the box looked pretty, but I was imagining my S'more dessert to be totally different. So that is how I decided I would create a S'mores cupcake.

I'm normally a Pillsbury Cake Mix kinda girl, but Betty Crocker's Super Moist Triple Chocolate cake mix won me over because of the name. It sounded perfect for the melted chocolate like taste you get in a real S'more that I was looking for. I also grabbed a bag of chocolate chips and some graham crackers. In the back of my mind I was thinking about Martha Stewart's Marshmallow Frosting recipe that I had stumbled across just a few days before and how it would be the perfect topping. Once I was at home and the kids were asleep, I was ready to experiment!

I have to admit, I fell in love with the final product. For experimental purposes, I made a few cupcakes with and without the graham cracker crumb crust. However, I think between the icing and the crust, this combination with the chocolate is what makes this cupcake extraordinary! As for the graham cracker chunks I mixed into the cupcake, it looked cool in the cupcakes, but could easily be left out.

My co-worker, Blair, gives this recipe a Thumbs Up! She suggested a marshmallow fluff filling!

I took them to work with me to let my favorite "taste testers" try them out and they claim they are my best yet! One of my co-workers, Julie, thought she loved my Oreo cupcakes the best, but now she said she wasn't too sure. She told me that now her top 4 are the S'mores, Oreo, Cookie Dough, and Hummingbird cupcakes. There is no higher compliment to a baker than an empty container to take home!! I was pretty impressed with how these cupcakes disappeared 1 and sometimes 2 at a time ;)

S'mores Cupcakes

Inspired by Smore's Cupcake Kit in Kroger....

Graham Cracker Crust

I made my crust for the bottom of the cupcakes just like Honey Maid suggests making pie crusts. Each cupcake only needs about 1-2 tablespoons of the crust depending on your preference. My crust was about a 1/4 inch thick, which left plenty of room for the cupcake mix.

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons melted better

1. Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter together.

2. Place a tablespoon or 2 of the mix in the bottom of a cupcake liner.

3. Use a spoon to flatten and make the crust compact by pushing the crumbs down in the liner.

Cupcake

Betty Crocker Super Moist Triple Chocolate Cake Mix (or your favorite chocolate cake recipe)

1 cup chocoate chips

3 cups graham cracker chunks (large crumbs) - optional

1. Make the recipe according to the back of the box.

2. Add chocolate chips and graham cracker chunks and mix until blended.

3. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake according to the box recipe.

4. When done, remove cupcakes form oven and let cool.

Marshmallow Icing

by Martha Stewart.com

8 egg whites

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Place egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set over a saucepan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved and whites are warm to the touch, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Transfer bowl to electric mixer using the whisk attachment. Beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until stiff, glossy peaks form, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add vanilla, and mix until combined. Use immediately.

Ice the Cupcakes

1. Once the cupcakes are cool it is time to ice them. I used a Wilton disposable piping bag with tip 4B.
2. Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow icing. Be careful not to light the cupcake liner on fire. One of mine did!

3. Enjoy!

Store these cupcakes in an airtight container and eat within 2 days for optimum freshness.

Please check out our our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 15:26:00 +0000

by Cindy

Of course when I start looking for a recipe, I always look for something that includes my favorite ingredient - chocolate. I saw this recipe on the Taste of Home page and thought it would be good to try. It has a couple of steps but it's not difficult at all. I think that I would like the brownie layer to be thicker, so the next time I make these, I will use a 9 x 13 inch pan instead of the 15 x 10 inch pan. To be different, I might leave out the rice crispy cereal in the top chocolate layer. There could be several variations of this recipe. It's fun to change up things. The brownie layer is moist and soft with the gooey marshmallow middle. The top layer has a rich chocolate taste with the crunch of the cereal. It's a special brownie bar and would be a hit for a any event. I've been sharing them with some of the men at work and they keep coming back for more.

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour

3 T baking cocoa

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Topping:

1 1/3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

2 T butter

2 cups Rice Krispies

1. In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. Spread in a greased 15 x 10 inch baking pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until set.

4. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer or until melted. Place pan on a wire rack. Using a knife dipped in water, quickly spread marshmallows evenly over the top. Cool completely.

5. For the top layer, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; stir in Rice Krispies. Spread over bars immediately. Chill until set. Store in the refrigerator.

36 servings

Nutrition Facts:-Added by System Jul 24--> 1 serving (1 each) equals 194 calories, 11 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 30 mg cholesterol, 143 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

recipe adapted from

TasteofHome.com

Please check out our our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

To the Moon and Back Boutique Giveaway Winners!!

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 18:19:00 +0000

And the winners of an adorable, embroidered onesie from To the Moon and Back Boutique, are....

Crystal B. and Marie M.!

Thank you to everyone who entered and we appreciate your support!! We look forward to making giveaways a regular event here at BCB!

Awesome Baby Shower Websites To Help You Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 21:50:00 +0000

Planning a baby shower is a lot of fun, but there are a lot of decisions to make. For instance, you get to pick a theme, games, food, location, etc. At times it can be a little overwhelming because there are so many options. I've listed several helpful sites below to help your with your shower planning.

We have no affiliations with the sites listed above.

Here are a few of our past posts that you might find helpful!

Baby Rattle Cupcakes
Owl & Onesies Sugar Cookies
Cookies in a Jar - Party Favors

What is your favorite baby shower website?

Please check out our our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Cream Cheese Mints

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sun, 29 Sep 2013 18:34:00 +0000

by Cindy

I've heard that it was easy to make mints like Libs Candy, so I gave it a try over the weekend. Almost any shower that I have attended served nuts and Libs Candy mints, and so if you're giving a wedding or baby shower, these mints would be great to serve. The baby shower that I attended today had yellow homemade mints and they tasted just like mine. They aren't difficult and don't take too long to make. I put a small amount of the mints in little blue sacks for a take home gift to show another way that they could be served. I had a little difficulty in finding peppermint oil, so the place to buy it is Hobby Lobby in the candy making section. Michaels probably sells it too, but I didn't find it at the several grocery stores that I went to.

Cream Cheese Mints

8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 T butter, softened

3/4 t pure peppermint oil (NOT mint extract)

2 lbs powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 t vanilla extract

3 drops food coloring or paste, whatever color you are wanting

Combine the cream cheese and butter.

Add the peppermint and vanilla, and then add the powdered sugar about 1/3 cup at a time until the consistency is like play dough. You don't want it so stiff that it's hard to squeeze out of

the piping bag.

Put in a pastry bag and using decorative tips, make equal size mints. Let set 1 hour or put in the refrigerator. After they are chilled, they are easy to handle and put into little gift sacks or on a tray.

recipe seen on Facebook
from Sherry's Skinny Friends

Please check out our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!

Baby Rattle Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Buttercream Bakers) — Sat, 28 Sep 2013 13:30:00 +0000

By Christy

I'm in that time in my life when it's seems like wedding season never ends. First it was my friends from college that started getting hitched and now I have 4 good friends from Nashville that are engaged….5 including myself! So I am no stranger to showers, especially wedding showers! I know that once all these weddings start to fade into history that "baby" season will just be around the corner and thanks to this week's theme on Bcb I'll be prepared to make some super cute treats for baby showers!

This week I made baby rattle cupcakes. What's so great about these is you can decorate them in lots of different ways, in all different types of colors to match your baby shower theme. They were super easy and over the last few years I have discovered cupcakes are always a hit at parties and showers! Also, I wanted to say thank you to the reason we had "baking for baby shower" week on BCB site- To The Moon And Back Boutique. Thanks to this Esty site we will be giving away 2 free onsies to some of our fans. Don't forget to sign up to win!

This is not a recipe but a tutorial on how to decorate Baby Rattle Cupcakes

Step 1: Bake whatever flavor of cupcake you desire

Vanilla Cupcakes

Step 2: Make Icing. My favorite is Magnolia Bakery's vanilla buttercream icing.

Step 3: Using food coloring, dye 3/4th of your icing the base color you want the cupcake to be. (I chose yellow). Use the remaining icing to dye the colors you want to use to decorate the rattles.

Step 4: Ice each cupcake with a generous portion of icing. I used a metal wilton angled spatula to easily spread the icing onto the top of each cupcake

Step 5: After the icing on the cupcake has gotten firm (about 5 to 10 minutes) take a paper towel and lay it flat on the icing. Using your fingers, gently smooth the icing below the paper towel by rubbing your fingers across the paper towel smoothing the icing below. My favorite type of paper towels to use are Viva because they are completely smooth, but for these I only had normal towels with a texture and they still did a good job.

Before on the right, after smoothing with a paper towel on the left

Step 6: Using a coupler, icing bag and Wilton's tip #22, make a slight U shape squiggle across the center of the cupcake. Make sure to incorporate the slight U shape to make the illusion that the cupcake is round like a baby rattle.

I use Wilton's Disposable Icing bags with couplers

Wilton Tip #22

Step 7: Using tip 107 and another shade of icing add "flowers". A flower is made by squeezing the icing bag with a firm amount of pressure until a small circle of icing is formed and then release pressure. Don't worry if the icing leaves a point… once the "flowers" have slightly hardened, use your finger tip to push in the points.

Wilton Tip #107

With slight pressure, push in the "points" on the flowers

Step 8: Using a circle tip, I used tip #5, make the center of the flowers with a very small dot of icing.

Wilton Tip #5

Step 9: Taking lollipop sticks add a ribbon or bow to the end. If you are worried about them falling off a little hot glue will do the trick below each bow. Push the undecorated end of the lollipop into the side of each cupcake to represent the handle to the rattle.

Please check out our sponsor, Caryn Hammond, of Rodan + Fields Dermatologist's amazing site for amazing products!