The Cakes

One reason I'm diggin this blog is because it is going to help me document my road to becoming a cooking master! .....yeah right.... but it will at least help me keep track of the recipes I like. So I'll start with cupcakes:

Mountain Dew Cupcakes.

The Dew and I, we're buds. However, I was wary about putting the nectar into cakes... I thought it was a little extreme. But, Brooke and I found it a worthy challenge. Despite the ridicule and the disgusted looks that we got, they turned out pretty good i think. Will even liked them... and that means it was a success.

Cake:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup Mountain Dew
• 1/4 cup of lemon and lime juice (juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime)
• zest from 1 lemon and 2 limes (separate into 2 piles, one for buttercream)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Beat butter on medium for 30 seconds. 2. Add sugar and lemon, lime zest. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. 3. Add eggs one at a time, Scrape sides of bowl in between additions 4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add to mixer bowl. Turn on low for 5 seconds. 5. Add the Mountain Dew, lemon/lime juice, and lemon extract . Mix to combine. 5. Scoop into cupcake papers about two-thirds full. 6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Frosting:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons Mountain Dew
• Juices from half of 1 lemon and half of 1 lime
• Lemon and lime zest (rest of zest from cupcake recipe. Or zest from half of 1 lemon and 1 whole lime)
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• Neon green food coloring (yellow and blue if you dont have green)

1. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment

2. Beat butter at medium-high speed until creamy

3. Add half of the sugar, turn mixer on low for 5 seconds.

4. Add the Mountain Dew, zest, and lemon extract . Beat until combined.

5. Add food coloring to the desired color.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I knew these would be good as soon as I saw the recipe... and I was right. I've been craving more of these ever since we made them. The cake is absolutely fabulous and the frosting has just the right amount of pink lemonade taste... Oh my, so good.

Cake:

· 1 package white cake mix

· 1 small package vanilla instant pudding

· 3 Tbsp sweetened pink lemonade drink mix (like Country Time Pink Lemonade mix)

· 1 cup sour cream

· 2 tsp lemon zest

· 3/4 cup water

· 3/4 cup oil

· 4 whites eggs (save the yolks for tomorrows recipe)

· 6 drops of pink food coloring

Frosting:

· 1 cup butter, softened

· 1 cup shortening

· 1/2 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

· 2 tablespoons milk

· 2 teaspoons vanilla

· Zest from 1 lemon

· 2 pound package or 7 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

· 3 drops of pink food coloring

1. In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, pudding mix, and drink mix together. Add sour cream, lemon zest, water, oil, and egg whites to the dry mix. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Use a strong mixer, this batter is thick.

2. Scoop batter into 24 lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cupcakes don’t look wet and a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting the cupcakes.

3. Prepare the frosting by creaming butter, shortening, and lemon zest together. Then add lemonade concentrate, milk and vanilla with a mixer. Beat until smooth. Then gradually add the sugar, mixing well until light and fluffy. Beat in the food coloring.

4. Pipe frosting onto the cupcakes.

p.s. please forgive the ill-formated changing text fonts throughout this post... i'm a bit embarrassed, but don't care enough to fix it all.