Sweet Peas and Cherry Cupcakes

Spring is here, yippee!

We are in Daylight Savings Time when it stays lighter longer...

and Sweet Peas are in bloom!!!

I picked up Sweet Peas at the Farmers' Market this morning.

I got more compliments as I was walking with them

and I told each person they had to smell them as I let them. 

Not only are Sweet Peas gorgeous but Sweet Peas smell amazing.

They are my favorite flowers.  Can you tell?

It was something my grandmother and I planted each year. 

She liked to plant her seeds early September in the So-Cal desert

but I liked to wait until the end of September (sometimes October!)

on the Coast, otherwise mine bloomed in February - too early 

for spring. Seeing these Sweet Peas made me very happy.

I had plans to make cherry cupcakes and these Sweet Peas

colors tied right into the color-scheme - perfectly.

 I found this recipe for a Cherry Flower Power Cake and

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting on the Better Homes and 

Gardens website here.  Both the cake and the frosting

get their flavor and color from maraschino cherry juice.

I decorated them with fondant flowers, cut-out 

and painted with edible luster dust.  Check back here in 

another day or two and I will show you what I used

to make these fondant flowers.

I decided to pipe my frosting using a large star 

tip, making it look like ice cream on an ice cream cone.

I could taste the maraschino cherry juice in both the

cake and the frosting and it is a nice flavor surprise!

Here is their recipe.  Remember, I made cupcakes instead of the cake

and used fondant instead of their Candy Clay.

Cherry Flower Power Cake

Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

Makes 24 servings.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)

6 egg whites

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 recipe Cherry Frosting

1 recipe Candy Clay (optional)

Directions

1. Allow butter and egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 mins. Meanwhile, grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with butter; line bottom of pan with parchment. Grease paper. flour pan with all-purpose flour; set aside. In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In 2-cup glass measuring cup, combine buttermilk and cherry juice; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 35 degrees F. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, vanilla, and almond extract; beat until combined.  Add egg whites a little at a time, beating well after each addition  Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beating on low after each addition until combined.

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 mins. or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 mins. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Cherry-Almond Butter Frosting

Courtesy Better Homes and Gardens

Yield: 4 1/2 cups.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

8 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice or milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Additional maraschino cherry juice

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, beat softened butter with mixer on medium until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups of the powdered sugar. Slowly beat in cherry juice or milk and almond extract. Gradually beat in remaining powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in additional juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach spreading consistency.

Tip: If milk is used instead of cherry juice, use red food coloring to tint the frosting pink.

Happy Spring, Happy Easter, and Enjoy!

This week I will be joining

Seasonal Sunday

Thank you for visiting!

Fondly,

Karen