I'M BACK! AND BAKING WITH A VENGENCE - BEWARE OF THE EMOTIONAL BAKER!

I don't even know where to begin! I can't believe it has been almost 6 months since my last post.  I am definately back and back to blogging with a vengance about my cupcake adventures!

Just recently Tony and I went to London (for the weekend).  It was awesome.  First class will definately spoil you!  During our visit we found a cupcake shop called Hummingbird Bakery that I had read about in a travel magazine.  Unfortunately the shop was closed.  We did taste some cupcakes across the street at a coffee shop, but they were not even worthy of a blog mention.

Last week the temperature in West Texas reached triple digits for the 3rd week in a row.  With the help of my daughter we put up our little above ground pool to cool off.  When the pool was filled and ready to go, we invited another friend over for some summertime fun! Lizzie and Baily were foolin around and flipped the George Washington hair doos! Now who hasn't done that back in the day!!! Which reminded me of other nostalgic things during my summers as a kid.


Summertime George Washingtons!

How about the endless commercials of Bill Cosby and his pudding pops (do they even make them anymore?).  How about the summer picinics with Jello Poke Cakes? That memory inspired me to make my first cupcake in about 6 months.  A vanilla cupcake poked with strawberry jello!

Vanilla Cupcake poked with Strawberry Jello topped with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I baked a basic Vanilla Cream Cupcake Cake:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 T vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325.  Mix sugar, oil, and sour cream.  Add eggs one at at time beating till mixed before adding next one.  Add vanilla.   In seperate bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, whisk until mixed.  Slowly add dry ingredients to the wet  mixture.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cupcakes are baking make a batch of Jello Strawberry jello according to package directions.
After the cupcakes are done and cooled, poke holes in the cupcakes with a toothpick (around 10 holes per cupcake).  Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the cupcakes with the jello mixture.  Saturating each cupcake with jello.  Place cupcakes in refrigerator until cold.  Top cupcakes with favorite buttercream frosting and add garnishes.