Cosmic Delight.

I am really not a very creative person. I am good at taking something, and making it mine, and replicating ideas that are out there. But to come up with something, just out of the blue? Not so much. After about three, maybe four if I am feeling generous, new cupcakes, I ran out of things to make. I am talking new ideas, not the same delicious treats you see in all the cupcakeries. What do you do when you run out of ideas? Well, I decided I should get the input from the people who actually eat the cupcakes. (Another post on that in the future, about how I rarely eat cupcakes, or anything I make for that matter...)

The input I am getting is pretty great. Actually, every time I walk in with some cupcakes, I get "Hey, how about...?" It is fantastic, and that is where the Cosmic Delight comes in. A request came in from Taste Cadet D, for a cupcake made like a Lil' Debbie Star Crunch snack. This seemed like a great idea, especially since it was a childhood favorite of mine. Apparently, as a child, I thought I was Lil' Debbie, and would drop everything to go watch my commercials. This dream must have stuck, as making cupcakes is a favorite hobby, 30 years later.

The recipe itself has been waiting for me, in my handy book I carry everywhere. In fact, I have been holding the ingredients for a couple of weeks, but as D was on vacation, I thought it only fair to wait and make her creation when she was actually there. ;) I have even eaten a couple of Star Crunch snacks, for research purposes, of course! (Can I just point out that these snacks are a lot sweeter than I remember?)

The cake, I decided, needed to be a brown sugar cupcake. The recipe for this was pretty simple, until I thought I knew best and tried to bake it at 325 degrees rather than my usual 350. I don't advise this, in fact, I highly discourage this. Stick with what works, and reference this picture if you think changing your traditional temperature is a good idea.

My second attempt worked much better. Amazing what a proper oven temperature can do!

The second step was to layer in the delicious caramel. All I can say is yum.

Finally, that awesome out layer, where you get delicious chocolate and fun texture. I melted some chocolate into a thick ganache, and added crisp rice cereal. And Voila! Cosmic Delight Cupcakes.

Check back soon for the recipe, once I know it actually tastes good!!

Root Beer Float Recipe

A few days ago (okay, a week or so ;) ) I posted about my new favorite hobby of turning drinks into cupcakes. The Root Beer Floats were amazing, if I do say so myself! (And it wasn't just me, really.) I heard things like, "This tastes like a root beer float!" and "The frosting is just like vanilla ice cream!" I could go on, but don't want to seem too proud...



My whole point in revisiting this post, besides to brag, was to share the recipe. This one is definitely too good to be selfish with. It will also definitely be part of my menu in my somedayinthedistantfutureFrostedbyDebbie Cupcakery. :)



Absolute deliciousness!

Root Beer Float Cupcakes
makes 26-28 cupcakes
Bake at 350 degrees

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup soy milk + 1 tsp vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp root beer concentrate

Directions:
Whisk dry ingredients together, set aside. Combine milk and vinegar, let sit about 5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients, whisk until frothy. Add dry to wet in 2 batches, mixing well after each to combine. Fill cupcake tins (lined) about 2/3 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes.


Very Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 1/4 cup powdered sugar
(up to) 1/4 cup Almond milk
1 1/2 tsp Tahitian vanilla, double strength

Directions:
Cream butter. Add Powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, followed by dash milk. After about 1 1/2 cups sugar, add vanilla. Continue alternating sugar and milk, beating well after each addition until desired consistency is reached. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.


Root Beer Drizzle

****Warning**** This was not my most successful topping. Tasted great, but never really reached drizzle consistency. I am only putting this up here in the hopes that someone can tweak it and make it work. And then tell me how.


Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1 tsp Root Beer concentrate
4 Tbsp Agave nectar
Powdered Sugar

Combine 1st three ingredients in small saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce by half. Add sugar as needed for substance. Drizzle over top of frosted cupcakes for an extra kick.