Stars And Stripes Cupcakes Recipes

STARS AND STRIPES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, sour cream, oil, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in cherries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, water, corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spoon over cupcakes, using back of spoon to spread. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Place 1 candy star on each cupcake as shown. Using writing tip, pipe icing in wavy stripes on each cupcake to look like flag. Store loosely covered.

STARS AND STRIPES CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set a rack in the middle level. Butter and flour a 9 by 13 by 2-inch pan.
• Beat the butter by machine with the sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in the extract. Mix the flour with the salt and baking soda and add it alternately to the batter with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down bowl and beater often during this stage of mixing.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake about 40 minutes, or until it is well risen and deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for a few minutes, then unmold and cool completely. Wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap for storage.
• For the whipped cream, combine all ingredients and whip on medium speed until stiff.
• To finish the cake, place the layer on a cardboard or platter and spread with the cream. Arrange the blueberries in the upper left corner of the cake, as on the starred field of a flag, then use the raspberries or strawberries to make the red stripes, leaving stripes of uncovered whipped cream between the stripes of berries. Chill cake until just before serving.

STARS AND STRIPES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
• Make the cupcakes: Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in the melted butter and vanilla until smooth. Reduce the mixer to low speed; beat in half of the flour mixture, the milk, then the remaining flour mixture until smooth.
• Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until smooth, then beat in the vanilla and raspberry extracts. Beat in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until creamy. Transfer half of the frosting to a separate bowl and tint red with food coloring. Put the white and red frosting in separate zip-top bags; snip a corner of each. Snip a corner of a larger zip-top bag; put both frosting bags in the larger bag and twist so that they pipe out of the snipped corner. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
• Make the candy stars: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the candy melts in a microwave-safe bowl in 45-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Transfer to a small zip-top bag and snip a small corner. Pipe twelve 2- to 3-inch stars onto the parchment, piping double or triple lines for stability. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift the stars from the parchment and insert into the frosting on each cupcake.