vanilla bean & chai cupcakes |

I’ve received several requests for the recipes for some of the cupcakes I’ve featured lately so today I thought I’d share them! The Vanilla Bean & Chai Cupcake recipe is from the Lions, Tigers & Bears, Oh My baby shower and the Baby Got Bock Cupcake is the recipe I created for the Iron Cupcake: Beer competition. Baby Got Bock is a chocolate cake made with home-brewed dopplebock beer, caramel cream frosting and Heath bits – unfortunately I don’t have a real picture – so use your imaginations 🙂

Vanilla Bean & Chai Cupcakes
Chai Cupcakes
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 C butter, room temp
2 C sugar
4 eggs, room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C milk (not skim)
2/3 C chai concentrate
1 1/2 Tbsp chai spice powder OR approx. 1/2 tsp each: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, ginger, cardamom

Vanilla Bean Frosting
2 sticks butter, room temp
6-8 C powdered sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 vanilla beans
splash half & half

Sugar Cookie Leaves
1/2 tube frozen sugar cookie dough
3 C powdered sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 egg white, room temp
food coloring

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flours with a whisk and in a large measuring cup combine chai and milk. Alternately work in about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the liquid, beating well after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are beaten in. Beat in chai powder or spices and adjust with additional spice as needed to taste. Batter should be both sweet and slightly spicy. Pour batter into standard muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full and bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding vanilla and half & half slowly for moisture to achieve desired consistency. Frosting should be thick and creamy. Slit vanilla beans length-wise and use a knife to scrape out the inside and seeds, adding to frosting. Beat well and pipe onto cupcakes.

Use a leaf cookie cutter (or a small circle and pinch the ends to form leaves) on rolled out sugar cookie dough. Bake 5-7 minutes. In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Use a whisk to whip in powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add green food coloring and frost cooled cookies. Frosting hardens quickly so work fast!

“Baby Got Bock” Chocolate Caramel Beer Cupcakes
3/4 C cocoa powder
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 C flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 C dopplebock beer (stout or porter works too)
1 stick butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 C sour cream

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter, room temp
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
splash half & half
1/2 jar caramel ice cream topping
Heath bits

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and beat in vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa. Alternately work in about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the beer, beating well after each addition. Repeat until all ingredients are beaten in. Pour batter into standard muffin tins, approximately 3/4 full and bake for 20-23 minutes. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time, adding vanilla and half & half slowly. Beat in caramel and pipe onto cupcakes. Top with Heath bits.

Cupcake Tips:
Over time I’ve found that there are a few things I didn’t believe would make a difference but they do:
1. Mixing your dry and wet ingredients separately is worth the extra effort. You get a better batter consistency and more even flavor.
2. Overbaking is the fastest way to kill your cupcakes. When in doubt, always set a timer for a little less time than the recipe calls for and test with a toothpick. You may have to monitor them for the next few minutes on your first batch but you’ll be able to pull them right away when the toothpick comes clean. Even a few extra minutes can dry them out.
3. Make sure your butter and cream cheese are both at room temp before you make cream cheese frosting. If you try to melt your butter (or something else) and beat it into cool cream cheese, it will get clumpy and gross.
4. Let your cupcakes cool completely before you frost. I’m talking a few hours or even over night. Otherwise you risk crumbly cake, melty frosting and a lot of frustration.

As some of you know, fellow HAP blogger Stef is pregnant with her first child. Katie and I got together to throw her a baby shower for close friends. We knew her nursery was a safari theme, so we decided to throw her a “Lions and Tigers and Bears…oh my!” themed shower.

The invitations were created by Katie and set the tone for the adorable party.

The table was set with burlap fabric and a tiger print runner, which we picked up at a fabric store and left unfinished for a rustic feel. Silverware was wrapped in a napkin and tied with coordinating ribbon.

Guests snacked on basil chicken club sandwiches, turkey and cranberry paninis, a mixed green salad and exotic fruit skewers. All food was served in wood or rustic platters and labeled with place cards also designed by Katie.

Guests enjoyed a tropical punch that was mixed with either champagne or ginger ale.

For dessert, we had Chai Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting and sugar cookie leaves.

As party favors, everyone was invited to join in the fun of a candy buffet! The ladies filled spice shaker jars with various green and brown candies to match the decor. Candies were set out in vases and apothecary jars adorned with raffia and “Lions and Tigers and Bears” theme tags that matched the invitations.