Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Swirl Frosting

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes – cinnamon sugar cupcakes topped with delicious brown sugar buttercream. A holiday cupcake recipe inspired by the classic Christmas cookie, created by our contributors, ellenJAY.

We’re sure your holiday to-do’s are a mile-long by now, and you’re in the process of whipping up all your family-favorite holiday cookies and cakes to share with friends and neighbors. We’ll we’re here to suggest one more recipe for you to add to this year’s holiday baking list. Our Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream are a spin-off of the always popular snickerdoodle cookie and are sure to be a hit at your next gathering.

This easy-peasy recipe will leave you feeling quite accomplished amongst the hustle and bustle, and we guarantee you will get two thumbs up from anyone who has the pleasure of enjoying one! These cupcakes can we whipped together in no time and are sure to be a crowd pleaser, especially with the kiddos! (Our kids sure did love gobbling up these cinnamon-sugar laden treats…after all they are our #1 taste testers!) They’re also the perfect little helpers to get involved in the kitchen to help with the sprinkling of the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Ingredients
Cupcakes

• 2 3/4 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Cinnamon Frosting

• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Garnish

• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
2. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the salt; set aside.
3. In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about one-third at a time, and 1 1/4 cups milk, about half at a time, beating just until blended.
4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until about two-thirds full.
5. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
6. In large bowl, mix powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and the butter with electric mixer on low speed. Beat in 1 tablespoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons milk. Gradually beat in enough remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make frosting smooth and spreadable. Frost cooled cupcakes. In small bowl, mix garnish ingredients; sprinkle over frosted cupcakes.

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Peach Mojito Cupcakes + Free Printable Liners

absolutely love peach season! When I was younger, I lived in South Carolina so peaches were a summer staple. These peach mojito cupcakes are the perfect combination of my love for peaches and mojito cocktails! Add in some free printable cupcake liners to jazz up the sweet treats and you’re ready for a party! You could even style up an entire peach-themed summer party (or baby shower!) which I think would be fabulously delish.

I’ve been growing mint each year in my backyard, and I have to say, it’s one of the easiest plants to grow. Not only that, but it makes the perfect garnish for these peach mojito cupcakes. So even if you have a black thumb, plant some mint. Trust me, it’s hard to kill. You’ll find yourself using it for cocktails and food too! Yum!

Looking for another fantastic summer cupcake, we got to a very unusual place for food bloggers, the site ForRent.com. Maybe you will ask yourself what do cupcakes have to do with renting an apartment but believe it or not, on this great site, we found a guest post written by Courtney from Pizzazzerie for really delicious Mojito Cupcakes.

And what to say about them – peaches, mint and lime? Really, all the ingredients for a beautiful summer dessert! And if you maybe imagined them like a treat for a party, with the recipe for this delicious cupcake, you will find some printable liners. Really fantastic!!! It leaves us with nothing else but to thank Courtney for everything she gave us in this post!

INGREDIENTS
For the Cupcakes:

• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• Zest of 1 lime
• ¼ teaspoon mint extract
• 2-3 large peaches diced

For the Frosting:

• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons peach juice
• Peach food coloring optional
• Mint and peach slices for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with wrappers.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium for 3-4 minutes.
4. Add eggs, beating between each addition. Add lime zest and mint extract.
5. Add dry ingredients, a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk until thoroughly combined. Do not overmix.
6. Fill liners with batter and drop in diced peaches.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. For frosting, beat butter until fluffy in a mixing bowl on medium.
9. Add sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly.
10. Add juices and coloring. Beat on medium for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy
11. Frost cupcakes and garnish with mint sprigs and peach slices!

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Nо Bake Snісkеrѕ Chееѕесаkе Crеаm Pіе

Nо bаkе Snісkеrѕ cheesecake сrеаm pie іѕ so creamy, ѕwееt, and lоаdеd wіth Snісkеrѕ саndу. An еаѕу, nо bаkе cream pie thаt соmеѕ tоgеthеr іn juѕt minutes. Sеrvе wіth whірреd сrеаm, сhосоlаtе drіzzlе, and mоrе Snісkеrѕ chunks.

It’s Frіdау! Mу kіdѕ are home from school tоdау аnd I tоld them thеу could рісk out something fun to dо… аnd уоu won’t bеlіеvе whаt thеу said. They wаntеd tо go tо Wаlmаrt, hаhа 🙂 I thіnk thеу’rе excited tо look аt thе toys bесаuѕе they thіnk ѕіnсе іt’ѕ a new ѕtоrе thаt they will hаvе better and nеwеr toys!

A brand nеw, nісе & сlеаn, and wеll ѕtосkеd Walmart juѕt ореnеd uр rіght across from our nеіghbоrhооd. It tаkеѕ аbоut 1 minute to drіvе thеrе. I hаvе tо аdmіt thаt I’m kіnd of еxсіtеd tоо bесаuѕе bеfоrе nоw there was nothing close bу fоr when уоu nееdеd a ԛuісk run for ѕоmеthіng.

I have a feeling that I wіll bе frеԛuеntіng that рlасе very often. If for nо оthеr rеаѕоn thаn tо buy ѕnісkеrѕ for this nо bake snickers сhееѕесаkе cream ріе! Yоu соuld rеаllу uѕе аnу саndу уоu wаnt, but wе lоvе thе Snickers wіth thе caramel, сhосоlаtе, nоugаt, аnd nutѕ. It раіrѕ реrfесtlу wіth the сrеаmу nо bаkе сhееѕесаkе pie.

It’s a cheesecake mіxеd with a cream ріе tеxturе. It tаѕtеѕ lіkе cheesecake but іt’ѕ ѕоftеr lіkе a cream ріе. I adapted it from the ѕuреr delicious аnd popular oreo cream ріе on thе blоg. Mу ѕоn аѕkѕ fоr thаt tо bе hіѕ bіrthdау саkе uѕuаllу.

Thіѕ ріе dоеѕ nееd to bе mаdе ahead оf tіmе so be ѕurе аnd рlаn fоr thаt. When I made this, I асtuаllу had fоrgоttеn аbоut іt so іt еndеd up sitting in thе frіdgе for аbоut 3 days. Guеѕѕ whаt?! It was ѕо dеlісіоuѕ.

I ѕuрроѕе thе reason for mе telling уоu that іѕ thе ріе can bе mаdе a few dауѕ іn аdvаnсе, іf nееdеd, аnd thеn hang оut іn thе frіdgе.

Nо Bake Snісkеrѕ Chееѕесаkе Crеаm Pіе 
Prер Tіmе 15 mіnѕ
Tоtаl Tіmе 15 mіnѕ

Nо bake Snісkеrѕ сhееѕесаkе cream ріе іѕ ѕо сrеаmу, ѕwееt, аnd loaded wіth Snісkеrѕ саndу. An еаѕу, no bаkе cream ріе thаt comes tоgеthеr in juѕt minutes. Sеrvе wіth whірреd сrеаm, сhосоlаtе drіzzlе, and mоrе Snісkеrѕ сhunkѕ.
Cоurѕе: Dеѕѕеrt
Cuіѕіnе: Amеrісаn
Sеrvіngѕ: 8
Cаlоrіеѕ: 433 kсаl

Ingrеdіеntѕ 
Snісkеr Chееѕесаkе Cream Pіе

• 1 grаhаm сrасkеr crust (ѕtоrе-bоught оr hоmеmаdе) 
• 1 сuр heavy whірріng cream 
• 8 oz сrеаm сhееѕе 
• 1/3 cup grаnulаtеd ѕugаr 
• 1/2 tеаѕрооn vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 сuрѕ сhорреd Snісkеrѕ (оr mоrе tо рrеfеrеnсе) 

Garnishes

• 1/2 сuр hеаvу whірріng сrеаm 
• 2 tаblеѕрооnѕ роwdеrеd ѕugаr 
• аddіtіоnаl сhорреd Snісkеrѕ 

Inѕtruсtіоnѕ 

1. In medium mixing bowl, bеаt сrеаm сhееѕе untіl fluffу {tо avoid lumрѕ mаkе ѕurе сrеаm сhееѕе іѕ rеаllу ѕоft оr place іn mісrоwаvе fоr 20 ѕесоndѕ}. 
2. Add іn vаnіllа еxtrасt and grаnulаtеd ѕugаr. Bеаt until соmbіnеd. 
3. In ѕераrаtе bowl, bеаt thе heavy whірріng сrеаm untіl ѕtіff peaks form 
4. Uѕіng a rubbеr spatula, pour thе whірреd сrеаm into thе сrеаm сhееѕе mіxturе аnd gently mіx together. Fоld іn thе сhорреd Snісkеrѕ and соmbіnе. 
5. Sрrеаd іntо thе ріе сruѕt аnd ѕmооth the tор. Refrigerate fоr 6 hоurѕ, оr overnight, bеfоrе ѕеrvіng. Cаn bе made uр to 2-3 days іn advance аnd kерt іn frіdgе untіl rеаdу. 
6. Oрtіоnаl garnishes: Bеаt 1/2 cup hеаvу whірріng сrеаm + powdered sugar and bеаt until stiff реаkѕ form. Pipe оr spread оntо ріе аnd gаrnіѕh with аddіtіоnаl сhорреd Snickers. Yоu саn mеlt ѕоmе сhосоlаtе сhірѕ іn thе mісrоwаvе and drizzle chocolate оvеr the ріе. Or uѕе some Cооl Whір fоr ѕоmеthіng еаѕіеr. 

Rесіре Notes 
I hаvе аlwауѕ used a ѕtоrе-bоught grаhаm сrасkеr сruѕt аnd іt'ѕ delicious. Nо nееd to ѕреnd the tіmе to mаkе one, unlеѕѕ you wаnt tо of course.

Yоu соuld also uѕе a chocolate grаhаm сrасkеr crust.

This recipe and image adapted from : https://togetherasfamily.com

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Italian Cream Cake

WHAT IS ITALIAN CREAM CAKE- HOW DID IT GET IT’S NAME?
Italian Cream Cake has long been one of my favorite desserts.  This moist and decadent layer cake is packed with flavor from pecans and coconut (not to mention the heavenly cream cheese frosting)!

This good old fashioned Italian Cream Cake is the real deal– a classic southern cake recipe that is a common sight at family gatherings, pot lucks, birthday parties, holidays and more!

The funny thing is that nobody quite knows where the name Italian Cream Cake actually comes from. In my research, I found that it’s not a traditional recipe of Italy.

Some say that the recipe first appeared years ago in a Texas newspaper….and others say that the “Italian” name comes from an Italian baker that prepared the dessert for a southern family in the US– and was so well received that the rest is history.

All that I know is that whoever came up with this deliciousness is a genius! If you’ve never tried Italian Cream Cake, you absolutely must!

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE

• 1 cup (2 sticks) (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups (400g) sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 2 cups (242g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5g) baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup (242g) buttermilk
• 1 tsp (4g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (85g) chopped pecans
• 1 cup (75g) flaked sweetened coconut
• Italian Cream Cheese Frosting (See our recipe)

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING;

• 2 sticks (1 cup) (226g) unsalted butter - Let the butter sit out for approximately 10 minutes. It should feel cool to the touch
• 2( 8oz.) packages cream cheese (total weight 452g)- Softened slightly, I used full fat cream cheese. Using reduced fat or the spreadable cream cheese will cause the frosting to be too soft. If using a hand mixer you may need to soften slightly. If using a kitchen aid or strong mixer, do not soften the cream cheese, just cut into pieces when adding to bow.
• 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
• 6 to 6 1/2 cups (690g to 747g) powdered sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

full instructions please see : www.mycakeschool.com

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Rainbow Cake Roll filled with Rainbow Chip Frosting

This St. Patrick’s Day enjoy a slice of brightly colored Rainbow Cake Roll filled with Rainbow Chip Frosting instead of searching for that elusive pot of gold.

It’s very unlikely you will find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but you can find a sense of satisfaction by indulging in a sweet treat like this brightly colored striped cake roll.

I know it’s not the same, but eating sweets always makes me feel prosperous.

It’s hard to imagine life without cake or cookies or pie or ice cream or candy. If I had to chose a life without them over a pot of gold, I’d choose dessert.

Not sure if you’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing the tub of miracles otherwise known as rainbow chip frosting. It’s a tangy-sweet, but mostly sweet, vanilla frosting that has soft and colorful chips swirled inside. If unicorns and leprechauns owned a bakery together, rainbow chip frosting is what they would sell.

But in real life, it’s sold in the baking aisle. I understand some of you may completely despise rainbow chip frosting and if you are one of those people, come back on Wednesday when I share a brownie cookie brownie chocolate chip pie concoction I whipped up recently. But, then again, maybe you won’t despise the homemade version which– and I may be biased here– tastes 1,098x better than the canned version.

I’m getting pretty good at making cake rolls being I’ve made several for my gig over at Tablespoon.com. They look so simple, yet can be challenging to make without cracking. What I’ve learned is that the cake can crack a little as long as that crack get’s rolled up inside and wont show.

So, I worry a lot less now when I make these types of cakes.

This is my favorite cake roll creation to date and everyone who enjoyed a slice loved the bright stripes of color throughout the cake.

It’s the perfect cake to serve for St. Patrick’s Day, but would also be fun for Easter or a birthday celebration.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
• food coloring: any four colors of your choice
• 3/4 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Before beginning to melt the white chocolate, prep everything you need by pulling out a silicone baking mat or lining a baking sheet with parchment and grabbing 4 small bowls, 4 spoons, and the food coloring you plan to use to color the white chocolate.
2. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or a glass bowl set over a half-full pan of very hot, but not boiling, water.  Alternatively, you can microwave the white chocolate, stopping to stir every 20 seconds, until melted.
3. As soon as the chocolate is melted, divide it between the 4 small bowls and stir 2-3 drops of food coloring into each bowl. More food coloring may cause the white chocolate to seize up, so be cautious adding more.  Spread the colored white chocolate into 4 small rectangles on the silicone baking mat or parchment paper, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting base by beating the butter and cream cheese together on high speed in a large bowl using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and mixing at low speed until combined before adding the next cup.  Beat in the vanilla and a pinch of salt and beat the frosting base until creamy.
5. Once set, remove the white chocolate from the refrigerator.  Transfer the colored rectangles to a cutting board and chop into tiny squares to make little chips.  Using a rubber spatula, fold the chips into the frosting base, adding just 1/3 of the chips at a time to ensure even distribution.
6. Frost your favorite cake or cupcakes and store any leftover frosting in the refrigerator.  Just let it come to room temperature before using.

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EASY BREAKFAST PIZZA RECIPE

When we were growing up, my dad would usually whip up some pancakes or waffles for breakfast – topped with bananas, chocolate chips, peanut butter – whatever he could think of to get us to like it. Even after all that work, most of the sisters would end up eating cold cereal. My favorite way to start the day was with a big bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

My taste buds have finally stared to mature at the ripe ol’ age of 29 and I have expanded my breakfast menu choices. This pizza is not only perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch (hint hint!), but makes a great dinner too! Let the kids get involved by picking their own pizza toppings and help you put them on the pizza.

This breakfast pizza is so quick and easy to make from scratch, thanks to this 4-ingredient pizza dough made with any flour of your choice, Greek yogurt, baking powder and salt! No yeast, no fancy mixer!

A healthy spin on a pizza, loaded with protein and tastes delicious!

WHAT IS BREAKFAST PIZZA?
It’s basically a pizza topped with everything you would like on your breakfast sandwich – the topping combinations are endless! I used bacon, tomatoes and mozzarella, but it’s also great with ham, sausage, or make it meatless and just add more veggies like bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc. Feel free to play around with different cheese combinations. The egg yolks are pretty firm, if you want them runny I suggest baking the crust a few minutes ahead before adding the egg. Or if you prefer scrambled eggs, cook them on the stove first before adding to the dough.

Ingredients

• 1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated classic pizza crust SAVE $
• 8 eggs
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 container (8 oz) chive, vegetable or regular cream cheese
• 8 slices bacon, crisply cooked
• Green onions, if desired

Steps

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 12-inch pizza pan with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray, or grease with shortening. Unroll dough; place in pan. Starting at center, press out dough with hands to edge of pan.
2. In medium bowl, beat eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add egg mixture; cook and stir until thoroughly cooked but still moist. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon cooked egg mixture over crust. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls over eggs. Arrange bacon in spoke fashion on top of pizza.
4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toppings are thoroughly heated and crust is deep golden brown. Garnish with green onions.

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Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

In early April, I received an email from KitchenAid with an invitation to join them in promoting their Cook for the Cure® program, designed to raise funds and awareness of breast cancer. I didn’t have to think very long about my response

I quickly pressed the “reply” button and wrote, “I’d love to participate. My mom had breast cancer and was a survivor times 2 (cancer in one breast and then 10 years later, the other)! She passed on several years ago at 92, after living a very full life. Mom was quite an amazing woman; never complaining all through the bouts of cancer (colon cancer too); except one day when I called, she said that she felt sort of “icky”. I hope I can be half of what she was, if I ever have to go through something like that. Definitely count me in on the Cook for the Cure® program”.

I’ve got sweet and tangy, farm-stand fresh Pink Lemonade Cupcakes for you today. So pull up a front porch rocker and get ready to enjoy the appeal of this summertime sensation.

Summertime encompasses so many wonderful things…

Warm lazy evenings on the deck. Swimming pools. Spaghetti straps and tanned legs. Casual parties. Beach trips. Backyard grilling. Fresh seasonal produce. Iced tea and lemonade. Lots of laughter.

We’ve got some exciting travel plans this summer, but we also plan to do a lot of lounging at home, enjoying the sun and the season’s bounty.

And how appropriate that this post was due just a few days before Mother’s Day! Although it’s been four years since my mom passed away, there’s rarely a day goes by, that I don’t think of her. I miss hearing her cheerful voice on the phone, the good advice she always gave and the way she called a “spade a spade”. I never worried that mom wouldn’t tell me exactly what she thought (even though there were times I didn’t like hearing it!). She also had a wonderful sense of humor and, quite frequently, Scott and I will recall one of her many funny sayings, and have a good laugh over it.

As I was working on this post, I thought about the fact that, although mom never had a fancy house or a wonderful kitchen with all the latest appliances, she did own a KitchenAid mixer. And I have a feeling that she would have been hard-pressed to carry on without it. This little work horse of a lady made homemade bread once a week (ten loaves at a time!), even after all six of us kids grew up and left home. She loved how that machine could whip up a big batch of dough in a hurry, and used it religiously, for the bread, and also for all sorts of delicious treats right up until shortly before she died, at 92!

Ingredients
Cupcakes

• 1 box Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ natural vanilla cake mix
• 3/4 cup frozen (thawed) pink lemonade concentrate
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 eggs
• Pink food color, if desired

Frosting and Garnish

• 2 containers Betty Crocker™ Whipped fluffy white frosting
• 6 tablespoons frozen (thawed) pink lemonade concentrate
• Pink food color, if desired
• Pink candy sprinkles, if desired

Steps

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, 3/4 cup lemonade concentrate, 1/2 cup oil, the water, eggs and food color. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
2. Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

• In large bowl, beat frosting, 6 tablespoons lemonade concentrate and the food color with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Frost cooled cupcakes. Garnish tops with candy sprinkles.

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