Wednesday, May 18, 2011

White Russian Cupcakes

When I was in my early twenties my girlfriends and I would go out dancing every weekend at a club called South Street.  It was always such a good time. It was our favorite way to unwind after a stressful week of dealing with brokers. Some of my favorite memories are of dancing until the wee hours of the morning. My drink of choice back then was a White Russian. Now that I am older, wiser, married and a stepmom, dancing into the wee hours of the morning is no longer an option. Fortunately these cupcakes are a happy substitution.

For the Cupcakes
1 package yellow cake mix
Vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2cup vegetable oil
¾ cup vanilla almond milk*
4 large eggs
¼ cup Kahlua
¼ cup vodka
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Glaze
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
¼ cup Kahlua

For frosting
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
3 teaspoon Kahlua
Pinch salt
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream


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Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line cupcake cups with liners.
Add cake mix, pudding mix, vegetable oil, milk eggs, Kahlua, vodka and vanilla extract to a large bowl.


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Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.
Mix on med for 2 minutes, scraping sides occasionally.**


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Bake for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until golden. If you stick a toothpick in the center it should out clean.

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While the cupcakes are baking work on the glaze.

Combine butter, sugar, water, and Kahlua in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

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While cupcakes are still warm, use a toothpick to poke holes in each of the cupcakes.  Depending on how strong of a Kahlua taste you prefer, you can either brush the glase on lightly or you can drizzle the glaze on to each cupcake.

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Let cupcakes cool completely.

Now lets work on the frosting.
I don't have a standing mixer (yet), so I just used a hand mixer with a whisk attachment.
Add sugar and butter to a bowl. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

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Add Kahlua and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream or Kahlua if needed for spreading consistency

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This is what happened when I turned back for a minute.

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Frost the cupcakes.

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* I drink vanilla almond milk, but you can use any milk you have on hand.
**I think the secret to a good cake is to not under or over mix. I actually set the timer when I mix the batter.

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