Week 5, March 1

Cupcakes might just be my favorite item to make. Don't get me wrong, I do love variety, and mixing things up keeps me from getting bored. Still, cupcakes offer a myriad of flavor opportunities, and it's so fun just to think them up, let alone assemble them and watch people enjoy my creations!

This week CSB members will sample six different cupcakes. Flavors are:

~S'Mores: Chocolate cake, homemade marshmallow topping, homemade graham cracker decoration

~Mocha Almond Fudge: Chocolate cake, espresso buttercream, fudge drizzle, sliced almonds

~Chocolate-Caramel: Chocolate cake, caramel filling, smooth ganache, smoked sea salt

~Candy Bar: Vanilla cake, whipped ganache, caramel drizzle, peanuts

~Lemon-Ginger: Lemon cake, scented with ginger syrup (making it very moist), lemon-ginger buttercream, candied ginger garnish

~Cherry-Vanilla: Vanilla cake, cherry cream cheese icing (organic Bing cherries, organic cream cheese)

Cupcakes will keep two or three days in a covered container (your bakery box will be fine). If you don't consume the Cherry-Vanilla right away, it should be refrigerated since it has cream cheese in the icing. The other cupcakes are best left at room temperature, however.

Cupcakes freeze exceptionally well. I often make enough to have leftovers, just so we can pull a few out of the freezer for an impromptu picnic dessert. Freeze the cupcake(s) unwrapped. Once it's frozen solid, wrap it (individually) in plastic wrap. Store wrapped cupcakes in a sealed bag in the freezer until needed. Unfilled varieties take 45 minutes-1 hour to defrost, and filled ones take slightly longer. Leave them in the plastic wrap until defrosted!

S'Mores, Cherry-Vanilla, & Lemon-Ginger

Chocolate-Caramel, Candy Bar, & Mocha Almond Fudge