Cupcake Project #10: Semi-Homemade Cupcakes

Sandra Lee of The Food Network's Semi-Homemade Cooking, is a woman after my own heart. I watch her show from time to time and love how she integrates prepared foods (like boxed cake mix) with homemade recipes. I am notorious for doing this and will often make box cake mix and then my own butter cream frosting on my cupcakes. 

When I do this, I break up the batter in three separate bowls. In the first bowl, I add lemon extract to the cake mix and yellow food coloring. In the second bowl I add a few dollops of strawberry preserves. The final bowl remains untouched and all my cuppies go into the oven. In my frosting I repeat the same steps as with the cake batter. 

Basic butter cream frosting ready to be dyed and flavored

Once my cupcakes have cooled, I also use a plastic sandwich bag to pipe my cakes (that sounds naughty!). I bag my frosting and cut the tip and go to town on the cakes (Oh Heavens! That didn't make it sound better!). Anywhoo, Sandra Lee and her guest display this process well. Have a great weekend and Happy Eating Cupcake Lovers!!