Get'cha Fall Freak On

...Ahh the scents of maple, pumpkin, cinnamon, and spice are in the air...if that doesn't DO IT for you I don't what will.  Welcome to AUTUMN folks!  As much as I dislike the increasingly cold temperatures, I'm trying to enjoy the brisk fall air and beautiful changing colors as much as possible before the winter kill ;)

With that said, I thought it was time to break out my favorite flavor of the season...PUMPKIN!! The Naughty Lil' Cupcake is whipping up a bangin' pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting if you're looking for a sugar fix, and our new signature pumpkin-cranberry streusel muffin if you're looking for something to enjoy with your hot apple cider at the local pumpkin patch (come on, really...if fall doesn't make you feel all giddy and warm inside then there is seriously something wrong).

The only problem is, these lil' guys need a signature Naughty Lil' Cupcake moniker.  SO: Whoever can come up with the cheekiest name for our Pumpkin cupcake and/or muffin, will receive a free dozen!!!!

Leave your suggestions on the NLC Facebook wall and you could be the winner!

 

Happy 50th Anniversary!

The Naughty Lil' Cupcake were happy to contribute the dessert to help celebrate a very special 50th Wedding Anniversary this past weekend!  See pics below for our yummy take on red velvet, carrot, and vanilla cakes...not to mention our special chocolate-beet cake with ooey gooey marshmallow buttercream, topped off with white chocolate 50's to mark this very momentous occasion!

Cheers!

Gettin' It In...

Got a craving?  Indulge with The Naughty Lil' Cupcake today!  

Looks like these guys have been gettin' their Naughty on:

"I need more Body Shots.  I want a diet of only Body Shots."  - Jason S. on our Limoncello-glazed lemon muffin (aka the Body Shot)

"High end bakery quality!" - Mike G. on our blueberry muffin (aka Blue Balls)



Get it on with The Naughty Lil' Cupcake - peep our flavors if you're not already familiar!

HAPPY ENDING - Who doesn't like a happy ending? Get yours in with our finger-lickin' chocolate cake filled with a tart raspberry center and topped off with a smooth milk chocolate buttercream frosting


PINK  PUSSY(CAT) – This powerful force will keep you coming back for more. Surprises are plentiful in this mysterious creation of strawberry cake with a strawberry jam buttercream frosting


THE FLUFFER -- You'll get all the stimulation you need just by looking at this melt-in-your-mouth chocolate beet cake topped with marshmallow buttercream frosting.  It's enough to get anyone excited.


SLUT MUFFIN – It looks innocent from the outside, but after one bite you’ll be craving an entire mouthful in no time. Indulge in this curious creation of sweet strawberry-chunk cake, with a cheesecake center and drizzled with white chocolate.


BODY SHOT -- It's a party in your mouth with this zingy lemon cake, doused in a Limoncello spiked glaze. Eat enough of these and you'll be dancing on the bar in no time.


BOOTY CALL - Jonesing for some late night lovin? Get your fix with this lusciously moist chocolate fudge brownie with rich cream cheese swirls.  It will please your palette all night long.


MISSIONARY STYLE - Vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting may sound plain, but this tried and true combo is sure to please you when nothing else can. (also available with our milk chocolate or strawberry jam buttercream)


THE RABBIT - Pleasure yourself with our moist carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.  What?  It's good for you!

BLUE BALLS - Not getting the satisfaction you desire?  Our decadent blueberry muffin with streusel topping ought to give you the release you need.


BERRY BERRY NAUGHTY - our own lil' twist on the traditional blueberry muffin uses oats & whole wheat flour with mixed berries.  The result is not only healthy but devilishly delicious.


Orders and questions, contact naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com

Berry Berry Naughty

What's better than blueberry muffins? ...Raspberry-blackberry-blueberry muffins!  These lil' ladies are made with the same ingredients as our Blue Balls muffins but we turned up the naughty factor with mixed berries!  

Not that all of the NLC's cupcakes & muffins arent delish - but we particularly love indulging in these guilt-free lil' darlings for breakfast, dessert, and everything in between...

For ordering inquires, questions, comments contact naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com

"Happy Ending" for a Happy Birthday

How did the Naughty Lil' Cupcake celebrate Memorial Day last weekend?  By baking of course!  It was also a very special Golden birthday for a very special someone so it was a good excuse for Happy Ending and Pink Pussycat cupcakes!  Mini cupcakes are a great idea for parties because you can have as many as you'd like or just a taste :)

our Happy Ending cupcake consists of dark chocolate cake with real raspberry filling topped with milk chocolate butter cream frosting; our Pink Pussycat cupcake is strawberry cake with strawberry jam butter cream frosting *purrrrr*

A Naughty Mother's Day

We hope the special Mamas enjoyed their very own "Naughty Jar" gifts this Mother's Day - a mix of The Naughty Lil' Cupcake's own chewy oatmeal cookie mix - just add your wet ingredients, and "Voila!" your very own homemade NLC cookies :)

Know someone who needs their own Naughty Jar?  We currently offer oatmeal mix with your choice of toss-in (raisins, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, or chocolate chips).  More flavors coming soon.  Email naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com to order yours...we ship anywhere in the U.S!

xoxo

Doin' Shots with Naughty Lil' Cupcake

I hadn't made the Body Shot muffin in quite a while so I wanted to give it a go to make sure I hadn't lost my touch.  This time I mixed in some poppy seeds because lemon and poppy seeds go together like Patron and margaritas.   It would have helped if I had actually remembered to ADD the poppy seeds to the batter before baking them (doh!) but my excuse (besides being a generally forgetful person) was that I don't normally add poppy seeds - but I think they will be an excellent addition to contribute a lil' je ne sais quoi.  So...this batch just got the poppy sprinkled on top - the result was still delicious.

And, so may I officially present to you Naughty Lil' Cupcake's Body Shot muffin - featuring tart lemon-poppy seed cake dipped in a Limoncello glaze.  There you have it - guilt free, tasty-delicious body shots to enjoy whenever you please - even at the office.  Drunk girl not included.

For orders, give us a shot - er...a shout!  naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com

The Rabbit

Introducing The Naughty Lil' Cupcake's new and improved carrot cupcake with cream cheese frosting -- AKA "The Rabbit"

Springtime is here, the sun is shining, and The Rabbit is just waiting to make you happy ;)

Our Inspiration -- Hint: don't embarrass yourself at Sharper Image, just let The Rabbit make you feel better instead. Ordering inquiries: naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com

Blue Balls, Anyone?

So I was craving blueberry muffins this past weekend, and with spring in the air i thought a refreshing lemony-blueberry confection would do the trick.  But it was raining all weekend and it didn't have me in a very lemony-citrus-sunshiney-sweet mood, so I decided to go with a more cozy rustic "Sunday-at-grandma's house" variety of blueberry muffin (yeah, that's right, I used the word "rustic" to refer to a baked good, so what?).  

This one uses part whole wheat flour, oats, no butter (a small bit of canola oil instead), and some brown sugar, and the result is a snack that you don't have to feel guilty eating...but in all honesty, is there really any reason to feel shame in enjoying a delectable treat that wants nothing more than to make you happy?  Ok, i'm ranting now...but seriously this is one awesome muffin -- not too sweet, perfectly moist, and makes your heart sing.

I should note this is not an original recipe of mine, but rather a Papa specialty --my dear old grandpa who first made these muffins to help compliment a new diet after being diagnosed with diabetes - so while they're not quite vegan/gluten-free type of healthy - they are still nutritious nontheless - now stop counting calories and enjoy!

My co-workers gobbled these up and enjoyed how they were more muffin-like than sweet cake-like.

Yep - gone in minutes

Stay tuned for the recipe which I'll be posting soon...just a special lil' Easter-time treat from me to you ;)

Some Special Lil' Birthday Cupcakess

The Naughty Lil' Cupcake put a new icing recipe to the test for a very special birthday celebration last weekend and we must say...it was delightful!

Our chocolate cupcake incorporates canned beets, blended to a smooth finish in a blender, and mixed into the batter.  The result is a deliously airy and light chocolate cake - like nothing you've ever tasted!

Normally I'll top these cupcakes with a chocolate ganache (heavy cream and semi-sweet chocolate, that's it!!) but this time, we went for a light and airy frosting at the request of the birthday boy -- consisting of whipped egg whites, simple sugar syrup, and vanilla extract.  

While it's a rather simple flavor, the texture makes it interesting and it pairs really well with the chocolate cake.  As a matter of fact, we went ahead and layered the chocolate ganache AND the whipped icing for a double decadent treat!  For a final special lil' touch - top with chocolate shavings!

Sharing the frosting icing recipe below because it's quite an interesting concoction...not quite whipped cream, not quite  marshmallow.   Apparently the method itself is known as Italian meringue.  Either way...YUM!!

• 2 large egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Vanilla extract to taste (approx 1T.)

Beat egg whites with whisk attachment in stand mixer until white and frothy (but not stiff).  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, water, salt, and cream of tartar over medium heat.  Bring to a boil and continue to stir until sugar is dissolved.  Once dissolved, immediately and slowly pour sugar syrup into eggs while mixing on medium speed.  The mixture will begin to thicken.  Now add the vanilla - depending on your taste you can add more or less.  You can now turn the mixer on high - but will take a good 5-7 minutes or so for it to really get a nice spreadable consistency with soft peaks. 

***DROOL***

We have a winner!

Ok...said margartia cupcake recipe from yesterday's post were bangin! I did make a few tweaks to See Brooke Cook's recipe, and they turned out great!


These lil' ones are delicious and deserve to be added to the Naughty Lil' Cupcake arsenal. Therefore, they need a naughty name to become official...and therefore...I'm taking submissions. If you have a great "naughty" name that you think would be a great fit for these margarita cupcakes, email me at naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com. Whoever submits the winning name will receive a free dozen cupcakes in a flavor of their choice for their next event!

So...here are my tweaks to the recipe:

For the batter, I upped the lime juice to 3 Tablespoons and 1 Tablespoon of orange liquor (Cointreau).

For the icing, I used my traditional Naughty Lil' Cupcake buttercream and added the lime juice (again, upped to 2 Tablespoons) the tequila, and again, some Cointreu (1 Tablespoon)

I didn't have any fresh limes on hand, so I didn't include the zest, but store bought lime juice worked just as well! I do like the zest for a final garnish so I'll be sure to have some around next time I make these!

For the finishing touch of salt on top, i sprinkled them liberally with kosher salt to balance out the sweetness and it really does taste like a margarita! Yum!

Is It Cinco de Mayo Yet?

I've had my eyes on this recipe for a bit, and thought I would hold out on trying it until closer to Cinco de Mayo but i couldn't resist any longer. Now that it's March and spring seems so close, yet so far away, I thought we could all use a little taste of summer with these fun margarita cupcakes.

My inspiration comes from See Brooke Cook and i'm excited to see how they turn out!

Stay tuned folks!

COOKIES!!!!!!!

Pictures are worth 1,000 words - but I will say one: YUM.

I love these making these oatmeal cookies (my aunt's recipe) because they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Plus you can put anything in them. I LOVE white chocolate chips with craisins, but for this batch I didn't have any white chocolate chips on hand so I went for a mix of craisins and raisins. SOOOO GOOOD!



Chewy deliciousness :) Let me know if you'd like to enjoy some too! naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com for orders ;)

"These f*ckers are delicious"

As I've said before I'm not a super sweet tooth...but I am in love with the new and improved Pink Pussycat recipe. Sprinkle a bit of shaved chocolate on top and voila. My "secret" taste tester agreed with my assessment ("yeah...they are f*ckin delicious...") If you missed out on seducing your secret Valentine this year (or yourself for that matter) you can get the Pink Pussycat all year round for when you feel the urge ;)

They're naughty even without icing :)

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Valentine's Day Is For (Cupcake) Lovers

Ahh, Valentine's Day...chocolates, roses, & teddy bears, oh my! I could give in to my cynical senses about the hoopla surrounding this day, but the warm & fuzzy side of me has to admit how the thought of adorable lil' cupcakes all dressed up in pinks and reds has got me in the spirit of doing something special for February 14th.

And so...drum roll...introducing...The Naughty Lil' Cupcake's brand new flavors for V-Day! Whether you want to surprise a special someone or just feel like gorging on a dozen cupcakes yourself (no judgment)...we are here to make your Valentine's Day a delectable one :) Take a look see...

Cupcakes

"Spank Me" - Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting

"Dream Cream" - Vanilla Cake filled with Marshmallow Cream

"Pink Pussycat" - Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Jam Buttercream Frosting

Also as a new twist, a Valentine's Day Cookie Special: Mini Sugar Cookie Sandwiches! These lil' guys are Valentine-shaped cut outs with your choice of vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate buttercream frosting inside.

As always, our everyday flavors are also available to suit your fancy (as listed on our official website and Facebook page). Please place your order 5 business days in advance and feel free to ask about any special requests you may have! naughtylilcupcake@gmail.com

Besos!

Dream Cream: Round 2

It's been a couple weeks, but alas...we have a winner, folks! I can't deny the deliciousness that is CREAM FILLING. I went a lil' overboard and just went ahead and iced the entire cupcake with the cream, as well as filling the inside...Y-U-M-M-Y.

I opted for a filling that incorporates Marshmallow Fluff (the good ol' stuff in the jar), butter, a bit of confectioner's sugar, and a splash of vanilla, rather than whipping egg whites into oblivion. I don't usually take shortcuts when it comes to my recipes...I like everything to be as fresh and made-from-scratch as possible, but I can't deny how yummy the cream turned out using it, not to mention how simple it was to make.

As I've said before, I'm not much of a sweet tooth, but I definitely chowed down on this one. Can't wait for you all to enjoy it!

Now that'll make you dream cream ;)

Caught in the act...

This guy likes em... ;)

Dream Cream: Round 1

And so it begins! I'm excited to be turning over a new leaf and blogging about my adventures in cupcaking with the folks out there, rather than wallowing in my own miseries alone (i.e spending hours of my day trying out a new recipe, only to witness it end in disaster) and even better, my successes! There's no greater feeling than finally baking that perfect batch of cupakes/muffins/cookies, or whipping up the perfect combination of buttercream.

Sometimes I get lucky and a recipe gets it just right on the first attempt...but more often than not it takes quite a few tries to reach the Holy Baking Trinity: Flavor, Texture, and Physical Appearance. Yes...the cupcake world is quite vain.

But anyway, tonight marked my first attempt at developing my latest cupcake, Dream Cream. I knew I wanted it to be something fluffy, vanilla, white, creamy, and generally heavenly.

All I had to do for the cake itself was tweak my Missionary Style (aka vanilla cupcake) and gave it more of a white chocolate flavor (with a staple secret ingredient) rather than a straight vanilla flavor.

And I have to say...they are DELISSSSSSH! *Cue choir of angels...ahhhhhhhhhh*

The trickier part has been deciding how to make this lil' cake the dreamy creamy delight that it's just waiting to become.

Idea #1: I could top said cupcake with a white chocolate buttercream frosting.

Now...i've never tried to mix melted chocolate into my standard buttercream frosting, so I decided to search around online to see if anyone else had any ideas. I came across a recipe for what sounded to be exactly what I was looking for so I decided to give it a whirl, and would change it up as I saw fit.

Decided to do just a small batch to test it out, and quickly decided this wasn't going to be a winner. Not enough butter, not enough chocolate..and too much sugar. Regardless...decided to see it through just to see how it ended up.

Overall, the texture was a little too grainy than it was smooth, and was way too sweet. But alas, the idea of white chocolate buttercream or some sort of white chocolate topping is still too attractive to abandon, so the journey continues to find that perfect combination.

Hey, I tried.

Idea #2: Fill said cupcake with marshmallow filling.

I love cream filled treats. As a kid, i was a little too fond of Swiss Cake Rolls and Twinkies, so as an adult i think it's only fair that I develop one that at least doesn't have high fructose corn syrup and enough preservatives to withstand a nuclear bomb.

My only issue with homemade marshmallow cream is the use of raw egg whites in ready-to-eat food. So I think I'll try this with either pasteurized egg whites (downside...could get expensive) or something I didn't know existed until yesterday: powdered egg whites (shelf stable = yay!) - needless to say i'm pretty excited to try this out!

So, stay tuned to see how the next attempts turn out. Who knows...maybe the winning batch of white chocolate buttercream and the marshmallow filling will each be so yummy that I just have to use them both! Now THAT sounds like some Dream Cream.

2012 Mission / DREAM CREAM

Hello friends! Welcome to 2012 and all that awaits us! The mission of The Naughty Lil' Cupcake this year is the following. Over the next year I'll be developing a new cupcake every month or bi-monthly depending on our level of inspiration and luck in the kitchen. I'll either start with a name and make a cupcake to fill that name, or I'll develop a cupcake and name it accordingly.

For example, for Jan/Feb I'll be creating and perfecting a cupcake named "Dream Cream." Shout out to Taylor for the musical inspiration :) I have yet to decide what flavors will go into this one...but as you can imagine...it will be dreamy and creamy ;)

Stay tuned for more blogs about my process and pictures too!