Strawberry Cupcakes - Beach Style

For Z's 3rd birthday, Kim planned a fabulous beach party! For the cupcakes, I thought it would be fun to recreate the seascape, complete with shells! I made a homemade strawberry cake, Z's requested flavor, and decorated using graham cracker crumbs as sand and homemade white chocolate shells. Take a look and then scroll down for the recipe below...

• 1 box white cake mix
• 1 box strawberry gelatin
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 10 oz. box frozen strawberries, thawed (I blended these up in the blender because I didn't know what the kids would think of biting into strawberry chunks and that's how I'll make this cake from now on!)
• 4 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 325. Beat the egg white until soft peaks form and put in the refrigerator. Place half of the strawberries plus 1 Tbsp in a bowl and add cake mix, gelatin, flour, cold water, and oil. Add in egg yolks, beating one at a time. Fold in the beaten egg whites. (I think this is what gives the cake an extra fluffiness!) Pour the batter into lined cupcake pans. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in comes out clean.  Cool before icing.

Strawberry Icing

• 5-6 cups powdered sugar
• Remaining strawberries from above
• 1 stick butter, softened
• pinch of salt

Cream butter until fluffy using a hand mixer. Add in powdered sugar and strawberries, beating until icing is the right consistency. Add just a pinch of salt, to taste. If using a food coloring, add now! Frost those cupcakes!

Recipe from Wanda DeLoach's Isn't Life Delicious cookbook

I rolled half of the cupcakes in graham cracker crumbs. To make the chocolate shells, we found the shell molds at M!chaels. I melted almond bark, chocolate chips, and red candy chips. I mixed just a tiny piece of the red candy chips with the almond bark to create a light pink. Then I went to town creating different swirls and different color combinations. It took me a few times to get just the right technique down but I think they turned out pretty cute.

Enjoy!

Dr. Pepper Chocolate Sheet Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 sticks butter
• 4 heaping Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 cup Dr. Pepper

In a saucepan, combine butter, cocoa, and Dr. Pepper. Bring to a rolling boil. While this heats, combine, flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add to saucepan and remove from heat. Carefully add eggs, vanilla and buttermilk. Mix well. Pour into a greased pan. (You can use a jellyroll size pan for a thinner cake, a 9 x 13 pan for a thicker cake or pour some into a 9 x 13 pan and the rest into a round cake pan and share with a friend! Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, make the icing.

Icing

• 1 stick butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 heaping cup cocoa powder
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, combine butter, milk and cocoa powder. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla.  Pour over partially cooled cake. The icing will be on the thin side so you probably won't be able to really spread it after you pour it on like other icings. But, it's so yummy no one will care if it doesn't look perfect!

Recipe from my wonderful mother-in-law, Jill