elegant white cake with fluffy chocolate frosting

My grandfather loves to eat. It’s one of his cardinal passions. He’s been such a good sport over the last few weeks, going to the hospital, sitting home with me during my sickness. Luckily for him, I love to bake, and everyone needs a cake made for them once in a while. This recipe is a tested winner. The cake is moist like you would not believe, and the frosting is truly decadent- a perfect compliment to the subtle flavor of the base. Mmm.

whipped maple butter

You see that cupcake up there? Yeah, up there. That one. It’s beautiful, fresh out of the oven, still steaming. But it needs something. And that something is a homemade whipped maple butter topping. This may be the easiest thing you’ve ever made in the kitchen. It’s the perfect alternative to a thick, overly-rich frosting or buttercream. And it’s so versatile! It tastes great on both the maple and the applesauce spice cupcakes that I cooked up this morning. The best part is that you can transfer it to your fridge to use again and again…or as long as it lasts!

applesauce spice cupcakes

These were my second baking adventure of the morning. I was looking for something to compliment the sweet maple taste of my first batch of cupcakes, and what better than nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves? As soon as I broke one of these babies open, the deep smell of spices filled up the kitchen. Mmmm.

maple cupcake madness

I woke up this morning craving cupcakes, so I decided to sample two different tastes: maple and applesauce spice. But, instead of doing a heavy frosting, I whipped up some homemade maple butter as a rich, moist treat.

First, the maple. These babies are lovely. They are fluffy and light but with just enough maple flavor to set them apart from regular yellow cupcakes. Keep reading.

blueberry filled cookies

Now these were winners. Made with freshly-picked blueberries, these sandwich wonders were to die for. Recipe incoming!

ginger molasses cupcakes

Huge success with a modified version of Martha’s Ginger Molasses cupcakes. Great texture and a true-to-tradition gingerbread taste. Recipe details after the jump.