Casey’s Cupcakes—Cupcake Wars Recipes
(Courtesy of Casey’s Cupcakes)

LAVENDER CAKE CUPCAKE (Cupcake Wars Winning recipe)
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 8 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 ounces sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 25 drops lavender liquid herbal extract
• 1/4 teaspoon star anise extract
• 3 drops purple food color gel
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• Lavender Buttercream, recipe follows
• 48 rice paper feathers, for garnish (see Cook’s Note)
• 24 fresh edible lavender flower petals, for garnish
• 24 large candy pearls, for garnish
• Edible glitter

Directions:
Cook’s Note: To make the rice paper feathers, cut out a 2 by 1-inch piece of rice paper. Take each piece and individually cut a tear drop shape. Fray the edges of the tear drop. Sheets of rice paper can be found at specialty food stores.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
Combine the flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and add vanilla extract. Measure the milk and half-and-half into a third bowl. In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides using a spatula. Turn the mixer on first speed, add the sugar, and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and incorporate completely. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the wet. You will start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix the batter until smooth and no lumps are present. Add the extracts and food coloring gel. Mix well using a spatula until all the color is incorporated completely.
Fill the cupcake liners using a 2-ounce scoop. Spray the cupcake pan with the cooking spray this is done after the liners are filled. Bake until golden brown and fluffy, 17 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.

To assemble: Place a round time #809 into a large piping bag. Fill with Lavender Buttercream and generously pipe onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 2 rice paper feathers, 1 small fresh lavender petals, and 1 large pearl. Sprinkle with edible glitter.
This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Lavender Buttercream:
• 4 pounds butter, softened
• 8 ounces high ratio shortening (recommended: Sweetex)
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 3/4 teaspoon anise extract
• 4 tablespoons cherry liqueur
• 1 tablespoons vodka
• 20 drops lavender oil (recommended: Herb Farm)
• 3 to 4 drops purple food color gel
In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening together. On first speed, add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl in 3 parts. Let each part incorporate into the butter mixture before adding the next. After adding all the sugar, put the mixer on the fourth (highest) speed and mix for 8 to 10 minutes. The buttercream will begin to gain volume and look white and fluffy. Once you bring the buttercream to full volume, add the extracts, liqueur, vodka, and lavender oil and incorporate completely. Add purple food color to desired shade.
Cook’s Note: The longer you let it mix, the more volume you will have. If the buttercream is airy and shows a lot of holes, add a small amount of warm water and mix well.

WHITE RUSSIAN CUPCAKE :
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 8 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 ounces sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 ounce coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
• 1 tablespoon mocha paste
• Irish Cream Filling (recipe follows)
• 12 ounces Irish Buttercream (recipe follows)
• Small chocolate pearls (recommended: Verona)
• Chocolate cigarettes
• Gold dust
• Vodka

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
Combine the cake flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in 1 medium bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and add the vanilla extract. Measure the milk and half-and-half into a third bowl. In a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a spatula. Turn the mixer on first speed, add the sugar, and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and incorporate completely. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the wet. You will start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix the coffee liqueur and mocha paste into the batter until smooth and no lumps are present.

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, scoop 2 ounces of batter into the cupcake liners. Bake for 18 minutes. Insert a skewer into the cupcake, if it comes out clean they are ready to be removed from the oven. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Scoop out the center of the cooled cupcakes with a melon baller. Fill a piping bag with Irish Cream Filling and cut a small hole at the end of the bag to allow the filling to be piped into the hollowed out center of cupcake. Fill all the cupcakes with about 1/2 ounce of filling.

To assemble: Place a round tip # 809 into a large piping bag. Fill the piping bag with Irish Buttercream. Generously pipe about 1 ounce buttercream onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 4 or 5 small chocolate pearls and a chocolate cigarette. Mix equal parts gold dust with vodka to make an edible gold paint. Using a small round brush, paint the ends of the chocolate cigarettes. The edible paint will dry leaving behind the gold dust.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Irish Buttercream:
• 4 pounds butter, softened
• 8 ounces high ratio shortening (recommended: Sweetex)
• 8 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 4 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon extract
• 1 tablespoon mocha paste
• 4 tablespoons cherry liqueur
• 2 ounces Irish liqueur (recommended: Bailey’s Irish Cream)
• 1 1/2 ounces coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
• 1 tablespoon vodka

In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and shortening together. On first speed, add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl in 3 parts. Let each part incorporate into the butter mixture before adding the next. After adding all the sugar, put the mixer on the fourth (highest) speed and mix for 8 to 10 minutes. The buttercream will begin to gain volume and look white and fluffy. Once you bring the buttercream to full volume, add the extracts and the mocha paste. Lastly, add the liqueurs and vodka and incorporate completely.

Cook’s Note: The longer you let it mix, the more volume you will have. If the buttercream is airy and shows a lot of holes, add a small amount of warm water and mix well.

Irish Cream Filling:
• 8 ounces heavy cream
• 4 ounces Irish liqueur (recommended: Bailey’s Irish Cream)
In a 5-quart mixer with the paddle attachment, add the heavy cream and whip to full volume. Add the Irish liqueur and, on first speed, fold in the liqueur until completely incorporated.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY CUPCAKE:
Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 8 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 5 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 ounces sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 cup maraschino cherries
• 4 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
• 2 cups mini white chocolate chips
• 1 3/4 pounds Casey’s Buttercream, recipe follows
• 140 large pearls, for garnish
• 28 maraschino cherries, for garnish
• Edible glitter, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
Combine the cake flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in 1 medium bowl. Crack the eggs into a second bowl and add the vanilla extract. Measure the milk and half-and-half into a third bowl. In a 5-quart mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides using a spatula. Turn the mixer on first speed, add the sugar, and mix until fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time. Scrape down the bowl. Add sour cream and mayonnaise and incorporate completely. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with wet. You will start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix the batter until smooth and no lumps are present.

De-stem the maraschino cherries and squeeze out the excess liquid. Using a food processor, mince the cherries using the pulse button. Do not over process. Add the minced cherries, cherry juice, and white chocolate chips to the batter. Incorporate the ingredients completely using a spatula. Fill the cupcake liners using a 2-ounce scoop. Bake until golden brown and light and fluffy, 17 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before decorating.

To assemble: Place a round tip # 809 into a large piping bag. Fill the piping bag with Casey’s Buttercream and generously pipe onto each cupcake. Garnish each cupcake with 1 maraschino cherry and 5 large pearls. Finish by sprinkling edible glitter over the tops of the cupcakes.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.