my baking assistant

If Cher from Clueless and Gretchen Wiener from Mean Girls had a dog, it would be mine.  Don't let her sweet demeanor fool you...she is an airhead diva - minus the awesome closet.  Today we tried to go for a walk in the rain.  She tip-toed all around fussing about getting her little paws wet.  Honestly, I think she would hold her business all day if you let her.  Regardless of her tantrums, she is my baking assistant.  Always peeking around the corner...wondering if today will be the day I am making cupcakes for her.  She pines for them and is thinking up clever ways to sneak a taste of whatever I'm making.  It really makes me worried when she is too quiet.

Following our (very short) walk, my baking assistant and I made Cherry Coke cupcakes!  It is Employee Appreciation Week at work...and, seeing as they were my very first guinea pigs, I'm treating them to something special.  Also, I am crossing my fingers that this cupcake does not send them straight into the arms of Jenny Craig.  I'm pretty sure they will want to more than just one.  Probably two.  Or ten.  Actually, I'm not sure I made enough.

I used the Cherry Coke Float recipe from browneyedbaker.com for today's baking festivites.  I kept all of the recipe the same except for the frosting and glaze.  Because I had no heavy cream AND I ran out of vanilla.  You can be shocked, it's okay.  I thought I was trending toward baking supply hoarding - but obviously not. 

The batter for these cupcakes looked like a big bowl of chocolate gelato...mmmmm.  I spooned the mixture into my super duper cute hot pink polka-dot cupcake liners.  Ta-Da!  Into the oven (adjusted, of course, for my finicky non-stick pans) they went at 325 for 20 minutes.  I could just tell that they were going to be yummy and I had to focus all that excited energy into making the frosting.  As I said earlier, I ran out of almost everything I needed, so I improvised.  I used the teeeeeeeeny tiny bit of vanilla I had left, Coke, and the syrup from the cherry pie filling that goes in the cupcakes.  Please let me just tell you that it tastes JUST. LIKE. Cherry Coke.  This frosting was so flat out fab I started singing a little tune to its awsomeness.  I will spare you the words because it wasn't cool, but...I was totally singing. 

Cherry Coke Frosting

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter (the GOOD stuff, for the love) at Room Temperature

5 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp. Vanilla

3 Tbsp. Coke

2 Tbsp. Cherry Pie Filling Syrup (sans cherries, por favor)

First, whip that butter into shape.  For five minutes...and don't cheat!  That's what makes the frosting so dang good.  Then alternate between powdered sugar and the various wet ingredients (for example, in case you don't get it...sugar, vanilla, sugar, coke, sugar, coke, sugar, coke, sugar, cherry, sugar, cherry...) Mix on low speed with every addition.  When you're finished, give it a good whir to make it nice and fluffy!  Then, taste the awesome.  You might not want to share.

So my next step was taking out a tiny hole in the middle of the cupcake so that I could fill it with cherries.  I may or may not have eaten all the holes.  It is a mystery as to where they went. 

Then I frosted those cupcakes and I could not wait to take a bite.  They are ridiculously good.  I would say I've got extras, but I think I'll be sharing these with everyone I see! 

xo,
the unsolicited baker