Peanut Butter Buttercream..... Heaven?

For many years I was a "no frosting" kinda girl. The one that scraped the icing off of birthday cakes, and disliked cupcakes b/c it's so much frosting.....but not anymore! That was before I knew about frostings that didn't come in a betty crocker can, or that Wal-mart bakeries use basically ALL powdered sugar and shortening... ick. Now that I've expanded my baking tastes buds, frostings are my favorite part of cupcakes. This PB buttercream may be my favorite of them all. It's light, fluffy, creamy, and somehow makes PB not taste just like a huge glob of PB, but instead, taste like a bite of...well, heaven. If you've got PB, powdered sugar, butter (lots of butter) , vanilla, and some heavy cream....you've got PB buttercream! So you try it, and tell me if you don't think it tastes like heaven! :)

                                                         YUM!!!!!!!!

3 sticks of butter, baby! 

Chocolate Cupcake with Callebaut White chocolate buttercream

It looks a little plain, but I like simple cupcakes like this. However, it was for a lady with a lady bug themed baby shower..so it got covered in shiny red and black sprinkles.  Didn't get to take a picture of the finished cupcake, but it was pretty! :)

Vanilla Bean Cake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream....new piping!

The Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Buttercream! 

Below, is the vanilla bean infused milk for the batter.

                                         The kitchen smelled glorious

                          This is the final cupcake! Made for a baby shower

Chocolate Cupcake, Chocolate Ganache, Peanut Butter Buttercream topped with Chocolate Shavings

This cupcake is INTENSE. It's my favorite cupcake I've made thus far and a huge step forward with my baking . I decided to splurge for good cocoa powder (it is outrageously expensive :x  ) I used droste unsweetened cocoa powder and MAN the taste is worth the extra $. I can't even explain the difference, you'd have to try it for yourself. I made these cupcakes again yesterday with a friend, using a cheaper grocery store brand, and wow, it's just....not the same. So I'm pretty happy about finding a good chocolate cake recipe. Then I made a bittersweet chocolate ganache with a 75% cocoa lindt choc baking bar and topped it with a PB buttercream and lindt chocolate shavings, which I made myself :) :) It's the first cupcake for me that came out perfectly and didn't make me re think becoming a baker , haha. 

Baking on hold....

     Well, as much as I LOVE baking..... it's gotta be put on hold for a bit.
In the meantime.... I like to look at what we baking lovers call "Cupcake Porn" lol.... i.e, martha stewarts website would be called, cupcake porn. I think it's cute and  funny :)

     I get caught up for a minimum of 45 mins each night looking at recipes, thinking of my next cupcake... and and I bookmark exciting recipes to make after my baking hiatus.  Not things I'd sell in my future bakery, as they are not my own, but def things I would enjoy eating! Or recipes I would adapt from and make my own to sell.  So I'm going to post these pictures of mouth watering desserts along with the link to the recipe...so even if I cant make them ... you might appreciate a great recipe! Just make sure to tell me how it turns out , maybe post a pic so I can look and be jealous :p



1) Blackberry Pie Bars
From: The brown eyed baker ... i LOVE her site
http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/05/24/blackberry-pie-bars/