Fun With Cupcakes

When we volunteered to make cupcakes for a Halloween party, we were really venturing into the unknown. To keep with the harvest festivity, we decided to transform pumpkin chocolate chip and carrot cakes with plain cream cheese frosting into cupcakes. Here's what we learned.

- a recipe that makes a 9x13 cake makes about 30 cupcakes
- bake cupcakes for about 20-25 minutes (they're smaller so they cook faster)
- fill each cupcake about 2/3 full, or about 1/4 cup of batter per cupcake
- allow cupcakes to completely cool before frosting
- leaving cupcakes open to the air so the tops aren't too moist makes them easier to frost
- frosting for a 9x13 cake will frost all 30 cupcakes
- use about 1 tablespoon of frosting per cupcake
- while frosting, spread as little as possible for the most beautiful effect
- frosted cupcakes can be stored uncovered for about a day with no ill effects. After that they're still moist but it's harder to get the wrapper off. After more than about 28 hours ... well we can't tell you, we gave most of them away and have eaten the rest.

Crazy Cake

This recipe came from both sides of the family - the only difference is Grandma Loertscher used cloves in hers.

3 c flour
2 c sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/3 c cocoa
1/2 tsp cloves
3/4 c oil
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 c cold water

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients until well mixed. Make a round impression in the middle and add liquid ingredients. Whisk together until batter is smooth and has small bubbles. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 °F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with very small crumbs attached.

Note: use a hand whisk for this recipe (not an electric mixer). The bubbles make this light and airy, and mixing it by hand makes the best bubbles.

Carrot Cake

Helen Averett

1 c oil
2 c sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
3 c finely grated carrots

With an electric mixer, mix oil and sugar until well combined. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add cinnamon and vanilla and mix well. Add baking soda and flour and mix, scraping down the sides of the bow as necessary. Add carrots and mix until carrots are evenly distributed. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake at 350 °F for 50 minutes. (Top may look not quite set, but if a toothpick comes out clean it's done.) Let cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Cake

by Sharon Kofford, from KSL-TV's noon news cooking segment quite a few years ago

2 c sugar
1 c oil
4 eggs
2 c flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c pumpkin
1 c chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Beat eggs, oil, and sugar together. Mix with flour, soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Stir in chocolate chips or nuts if using. Bake in an ungreased bundt pan at 350°F for 1 hr or a 9x13 pan for 50-55 minutes. Let cool completely (remove from pan if using a bundt pan). Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Whip Cream Cake (Sour Cream Cake)

Credit goes to Aaron's grandma, Helen Averett. She made birthday cakes for Aaron and his siblings when they were younger.

This is Aaron's all-time favorite dessert. It is super easy to put together and absolutely delicous.

3 eggs
1 1/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c whipping cream*
1/4 c cold water

Use an electric mixer to beat eggs and sugar at high speed until thick and lemon-colored. Add vanilla. Add soda, baking powder, and 1 cup of flour, mixing well. Mix together cream and water and add to batter. Stir to combine. Add the rest of the flour and combine well. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Use a rubber spatula to cut through the batter several times in each direction to release air pockets.

Bake at 375 °F for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool, then frost with chocolate cream cheese frosting.

*Grandma used old (soured) whipping cream, but we use the fresh stuff. (I can't taste a difference.) You can also use sour cream, but it makes the cake a little less moist.

Cream Cheese Frosting

No Whip Cream Cake would be complete without chocolate cream cheese frosting. Again, credit to Helen Averett.

1/2 stick butter
1/2 bar cream cheese
1 lb powdered sugar
cocoa to taste (about 1/4 c) for chocolate frosting

Beat together until smooth. Will frost a 9x13 cake generously.
And just leave out the cocoa for a plain cream cheese frosting (especially good for carrot cake and pumpkin cake).

Mom and Dad Loertscher like to make a double recipe and use the rest to spread on graham crackers.