Perfect Birthday Cupcakes -- Funetti Cupcakes

I think I am all about cupcakes... I love cupcakes for any occasion.  Love them for birthdays - maybe for the portion control?   Ah, who am I kidding, the kids always want "just one more..."
For the family birthday, in addition to the Lemon Meringue Cupcakes, I thought the kids would like these -- Funetti Cupcakes! 

These I used the same cupcake recipe as the Lemon Meringue Cupcakes for the base...

Started by creaming the butter and sugar.

Adding the eggs one at a time.

Lemon and Vanilla.

Dry ingredients and milk - adding them alternating 3 times starting and ending with flour.

Then add the the sprinkles (jimmies) - these are multi colour brights, but they can be any colour.  Your choice!

It makes the batter look fun!!

Fill prepared muffin tin, bake and cool.

 

Ice with butter cream icing - colouring the icing of your choice.   

I guess I forgot to add a picture of the inside of the cupcake -- it's full of colourful polkadots.  Very pretty!

Recipe:

Vanilla Cupcakes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup confetti sprinkles "jimmies"

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the jimmies.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting. If you want to pipe the frosting, I like to use a large Wilton 1M star decorating tip. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are made, but they can be covered and stored for a few days.

Recipe Sourced:  Joy of Baking

Idea Sourced: Take A Megabite

Local (Ottawa and Chelsea) Birthday Party Venues for Kids

Birthday season for me is coming up...  As I did with Summer Day Camps I thought I would pile a listing of "out of the house" birthday Party Venues.

I find it such a stress having them at home...  Especially when they (the kids) don't want to do the same thing as the others (or birthday kid) and then proceed to go upstairs and downstairs and outside - how does one deal with that?   Last year I happily relied on the parents who decided to stay and helped out...

So here it goes,  a listing for me.  And if it helps you too, that's awesome!

Crafty
Paint your own ceramics Gotta Paint in Westboro.
Make your own jewelry at Sassy Bead  two locations - in the Market and in the Glebe.
Build A Bear at Bayshore Shopping Centre.
Create pottery at Mud Pies Pottery in Wakefield.
Sparkle Spa (located in Chelsea) comes to you.

Sporty
Test your climbing skills at Clip N' Climb in Hull.
Go bowling at Anik Bowling in Hull.
Play at Tubes and Jujubes in Hull.
Hang in the trees at Camp Fortune's Ariel Park in Chelsea.
Mini Putt in Chelsea at DunnD's
Play indoors at Cosmic Adventures in Ottawa

Museums
Museum of Civilization in Hull.
The Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa - they even do sleepovers!
Have a party at the Experimental Farm in Ottawa.
Visit the vintage planes at the Aviation Museum in Ottawa.

Educational
Ray's Reptiles will come to your home or you can go there.
Same with Radical Science - in your home or you go there.

And of course there is all the movie theatres, swimming pools and arenas.

So after all this, I still don't think its going to help me with planning my two upcoming birthdays.  I sure hope it helps you!

Carrot Cupcakes

Being my birthday weekend I offered to make birthday carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing.  Mmmmm, who can say no to that?

Just like my birthday, these cupcakes were amazing!!

But first, to back track a little, I baked these at 9PM on a Friday night after being sick all week...  I didn't have the energy to decorate them until the next morning where I had all of 3 mins to get everything done before I ran out the door.  That being said, they were still amazing.

 Start by grating 8 large carrots (this is where a food processor comes in handy!)

 In the bowl of a stand mixer, add oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

 Mix until it looks perfect - or until mixed.

 Add the dry ingredients - mix until combined.

Dump all the carrots into the mix and the raisins too.

 Mix until the carrot and raisins are all over.

 Next, using a scooper (I used a plain old spoon and made a giant mess - again, it was late and I was tired) divide batter into 2 prepared cupcake pans.

Make some cream cheese icing and ENJOY!

Recipe:

8 carrots, grated

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)  my family does not like nuts, so I don't use them...

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Peel and grate carrots, set aside.

In a stand-up mixer, mix sugar, oil eggs and vanilla.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt just until combined.

Add carrots and raisins - mix well.

For Cakes -- Put into 2 round baking pans - oiled and floured.  Bake for 34-40 mins

For Cup Cakes -- Put into 2 muffin pans (either oiled and floured or use cup cake wrappers).  Bake for 25-30 mins

** this recipe was hand written in my "recipe book"  since 1998.  I realize the directions are not as detailed as they should, but it works for me.  And since is has been in my "recipe book" I can not source where I found the original recipe, other than my Mom found it in a magazine to make for my Sisters wedding way back in 1998...

Decorate with Cream Cheese icing

8oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

3 cups icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla

In mixer, cream butter and cream cheese.   Add icing sugar and vanilla, mix until smooth.  Place in piping bag for cupcakes.

Birthday Weekend!

It was my birthday weekend and what a wonderful weekend it was!!   We were busy with family and friends (and hockey).
Last night after a beautiful dinner, my family surprised me with cards.

 They brought them to the table.   Nothing better than hand made cards!!!

 They did it themselves!   They were so proud!

And of course, it made me so proud!

Then came a cake!   As I said before, he cooks but doesn't bake.   That's ok, he brought home a cake.

 Chocolate, my favourite - from the local bakery.

 Candles going....

And gone!   

Birthday weekend over for yet another year.

Thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes.

Birthday Card for a girly 8 year old

I love making cards!   Doesn't matter what kind, I'm not picky


Here is a birthday card that will be given away this weekend -- very simple and plain...

Stamps: SU Crazy for Cupcakes
Paper:  SU Real Red, Whisper White, Black  & Celebrations DSP
Other: SU Markers, SU Crystal Effects


Then at the last minute, I decided that it was to plain and simple, not girly enough for the party.   I took the same design, changed the colours and this is what I came up with.  (sorry about the lighting... its amazing how fast the light changes)

Stamps: SU Crazy for Cupcakes

Paper:  SU Pretty in Pink, Very Vanilla, Early Espresso  & Valentines paper from 2010 spring mini (can't remember the name)

Other: SU Markers, SU Crystal Effects

I am not a Stampin Up rep, I do however, love their products!