Hello Cupcake!

          Photo Credit: Food Network

I recently read that the cupcake may be returned to it's humble beginning by doughnuts or Caneles (think Bordeaux, France). I don't know...I just don't think so. It can't be.
Tell that to Kevin VanDeraa - Owner, Operator of http://www.cup-cake.com/, the most recent winner of Food Network's Cupcake Wars, http://www.foodnetwork.com/cupcake-wars/index.html. Truth be told I am very pro-cupcake & a huge fan of the show so my opinion is very biased. Everything mini is here to stay. Cupcakes aren't going anywhere. And that makes me happy.  I dare you to go and check out Kevins wares and not smile. http://www.cup-cake.com/

Photo Credit: Kevin VanDeraa



A winning recipe ~ Toodee Fruity Blueberry Cheese Cake

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients
½ cup graham cracker crumbs
1.5 oz melted butter
1/1/2 tablespoons sugar

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Toss ingredients together and place a heaping teaspoon in the bottom of each of 12 cupcake liners in the pan. Tap down with the back of a whisk to make a hard flat surface in the bottom of the cupcake liner.

Bake 5 min at 350

Cheesecake Batter Ingredients
4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
dash of salt
½ egg
½ cup fresh blueberries

In a medium mixing bowl cream together the cream cheese, salt and the sugar, when all lumps are gone add the egg and mix to fully incorporate. Fold in the blueberries using a rubber spatula and set aside

Pound Cake Batter Ingredients
6.5 oz all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
11.5 oz sugar
3 eggs
4oz sour cream
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt – set aside. Cream together butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time scraping down between additions. Alternately add the sour cream and dry ingredients in three batches ending with the dry. Add the vanilla and mix to fully incorporate.

Baking
Fill the baking cups with the graham cracker crust about ½ way with the pound cake batter. With a teaspoon make a well in the middle of the thick batter. Spoon about a teaspoon of cheesecake batter into the well. Place into oven and bake until the top of the cupcake begins to turn brown and the cake portion feels firm to the finger. Remove and cool completely.

Lightened Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
2 oz. butter at room temperature
3 oz. 10 x confectioners sugar
blue food color
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy whipping cream

Cream together cream cheese and butter scraping down and ensuring there are no lumps. Add the confectioners sugar and blue food color and mix to fully incorporate. Set aside
Make a whipped cream with the vanilla and heavy whipping cream.

Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture

Decorations
2 oz White fondant
1 oz Black fondant
egg white

Roll out both fondants to 1/8 inch thick. Cut large ovals from the white fondant and small circles (pupils) from the black fondant. Affix the pupils to the eyes – make 24, 2 per cupcake.

Assembly
With a round pastry tip using a circular motion frost the cupcakes with the blue frosting. Affix the eyes in the center.

Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 40 min

If you give it a try, send your pictures. I will post the results.