Big Lebowski Cupcakes

I made these specifically for my nephew because it was his 21^st bday and he likes The Big Lebowski. If you’ve seen the movie you know what flavor these are – White Russians. I googled a few recipes and ended up using this one. They were so good and tasted exactly like White Russians.

Here's the link to where I found the recipe: http://www.bakedperfection.com/2011/01/white-russian-cupcakes.html

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 large egg and 1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/8 cup Vodka

1/4 cup Kahlua, divided (Plus a little more if needed)

 

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.

 

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl or in a stand mixer, beat together the sugar and butter until combined. Add egg and egg white, one at a time. Then add the vanilla, Vodka, and 1/8 cup of Kahlua. Gradually add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, ending with the flour mixture.

 

Bake 17 -20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcakes comes out clean. While the cupcakes are still warm, brush the tops with the remaining 1/8 cup Kahlua. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Frosting

 

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

3 - 4 tablespoons Kahlua

Steps:
Beat butter until creamy. Add salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add Kahlua 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. (I added more Kahlua until the flavor was just right)

For the decorations I cut straws and put one in each and I had to ask my sister for advice on how to make a bowling ball and bowling pin.

Bowling balls – malted milk balls and Bowling pins – white (vanilla) tootsie rolls and I used frosting ink for the dots and stripes.

My sister used to make all kinds of fun cakes so I knew she would have excellent ideas on what to use. She said to use tootsie rolls because they are easy to shape into whatever you need and if you buy them in the bulk candy isle you can pick out only the colors you need. I’m so glad I asked her because the bowling pins turned out so good.

I know its been awhile since I've posted. I've been baking and cooking lots- just find it hard to get on the computer at home after staring at one all day at work. I'll try to get a few posts up this week. I have LOTS and LOTS to post about.

 

Spaghetti and Meatball Cake

We had August birthday weekend this past Saturday at the cabin. There are five of us in our family that have August birthdays so we always have a weekend (or now a day) to celebrate. I was bringing the cake and dessert so I asked my niece what kind of cake she wanted. She said something fun like the burger cake I made for the May and June birthdays (the non-bday weekend). So I decided to make this spaghetti and meatball cake. It is really fun looking and super easy to make!

I first saw this recipe on Food Network.com and then saw it start popping up all over. I made a practice cake and brought it to work and everyone loved it so I was ready to make it for Birthday Weekend!

Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Devil's Food --- Duncan Hines is my favorite cake mix brand, there is just something about it that is better than the others)
• whatever is listed on cake mix box
• 1 container vanilla frosting (again, I used Duncan Hines)
• a few drops of yellow food coloring
• about a 1/4 cup of strawberry jam
• white chocolate shavings

Steps:
Make cake in two 8 inch round pans according to directions on box.

Let cool and throw one cake into a bowl.

 

Eat some to make sure it tastes ok--yummmm, yup its good. Crumble it up.

Make a few cake balls as the meatballs -- I made five. If you need to add a few tablespoons of water to help you form the balls. I rolled each ball in crumbs so they would have a more meatball texture to them. Then I put them in the fridge until I needed them-- just to make sure they would stay firm.

Once the other 8in cake is cool frost with all except about a quarter of the frosting. Add a few drops of yellow food coloring to the remaining frosting and mix well. Pipe this onto the cake to look like spaghetti. I don't have a real pipe bag so I just use a Ziploc bag with a very small corner snipped off.

Now top with the meatballs, spoon some strawberry jam around them and shave some white chocolate all over the cake (like Parmesan cheese). Done! See easiest cake ever and it looks like you spent all day making it. Its delicious too!

The other dessert I brought to birthday weekend was Big Lebowski cupcakes-- check back later to read that recipe. Yum!