Spring Birthdays

As happens, a lot of the birthdays of friends and family fall into the months between April and June. Lots of frisky between July and September. I present three different cupcakes: Cherry Cola Cupcakes (the remake),  Jasmine Cupcakes with Raspberry and Honey, and Limoncello Float Cupcakes.

A couple of notes:
-The cherry cola cupcakes I had made sometime last year, I couldn't stand because of how oily they came out. This time around, I replaced the oil with butter. I was much happier with the consistency.
-The Jasmine cupcakes gave me a chance to use this delicious raspberry vinegar I had bought at a local food and wine festival last August. There were no raspberries at the store, so I replace the berry on top with blackberries.
-I did not have enough time to make the ice cream for the limoncello float cupcakes.

Jasmine Cupcake with Raspberry and Honey

Cherry Coke Cupcake

Limoncello Float Cupcake (Ben &  Jerry's Lemon Cookie Ice Cream)

Limoncello Float Cupcake (Vanilla Ice Cream)

Limoncello Float Cupcake with a Happy Mother

Valentine's Day

This Valentine's Day, I decided to try a classic red velvet from a cookbook I got for my dad a couple years ago (The Complete Southern Cookbook)... I'm always so nervous about cupcakes tasting like food dye that I never put enough in to give it that vibrant red color... I rely on the chemical reaction between acid and buttermilk to bring out a red color from the anthocyanins in the chocolate. Does anyone have any tips for not over coloring your baked goods? Especially red velvet cakes?