Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

These simple gingerbread cupcakes are light and tender and topped with a flavorful orange buttercream frosting!

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you all enjoyed your holidays and got to spend some time relaxing with family and friends. This is my first post of 2018, one that I had hoped to have done much sooner. The holidays were so busy and this past week was absolutely nuts at work. I feel like I didn't have much time to breathe! The last few weeks I've really been reflecting on this past year and wanted to share a little bit with you. 

I had much success and many wonderful opportunities in 2017. Cooking, baking, sharing my recipes with you, connecting with and building relationships with some wonderful brands. I went on a few amazing trips and got to meet new friends and see old friends as well. If you follow me on social media then you may have seen my posts about my trip to Cleveland with the American Dairy Association Mideast back in October. It was definitely one of the highlights of my year and I had so much fun learning, playing, and eating tons of good food!

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting

These are by far some of the best chocolate cupcakes I've ever eaten! The cupcakes are so moist and tender and the frosting is rich and creamy. These decadent treats are flourless and have a secret ingredient that no one will ever believe!

Friends, I've got quite the treat for you today! Have you ever had a chocolate cupcake that just melts in your mouth? I'm talking about a cupcake that just blows your mind. Well the recipe I'm sharing today will do just that! These cupcakes are so moist and tender, like the fluffiest little things you've ever seen. They are topped with a divine caramel buttercream frosting, which just adds a whole other dimension of flavor to these light and luscious treats. These delicious little bites are also flourless, and have a secret ingredient that helps hold them together and make them healthier. Any guesses on what my secret is?

So remember a few days ago I shared a gorgeous coffee cake with you? And in that post I told you all about a meal kit challenge that I'm doing with Milk Means More. Well, these cupcakes are the result of my second "basket" of ingredients! Now if you read that post, you may remember what I had to work for my second dessert recipe. My required ingredients were butter, caramel sauce, cinnamon, and.......

Mini Maraschino Cupcakes with Cherry Frosting

These Mini Maraschino Cupcakes with Cherry Frosting are addictive little 

one-bite desserts. I guarantee you can't eat just one!

I've got a secret to share...one of my favorite indulgences are maraschino cherries. As much as I love a fresh cherry (especially a fresh Michigan cherry!) maraschinos hold a special place in my heart. Whether they're placed atop an ice cream sundae or in a special drink, I just love the sweet taste and flavor that they have.

I recently tried a jar of Dell’s Maraschino Cherries and I have to admit, they quickly became my favorite. They're crunchy and sweet and have been made in the U.S., New York to be exact, since 1948. Inspired by four generations of family ownership, Dell’s is still guided by the same family values, traditions and their passion for cherries that started over six decades ago. Their dedication and rich family history makes me love them even more!

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

These Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting are the perfect summer treat! 

Light and airy cupcakes loaded with fresh strawberries, then topped with a chocolate hazelnut frosting that's 

whipped to perfection. What could be better?

I'm a huge peanut butter lover and Peanut Butter & Co. is my absolute favorite brand. With varieties like White Chocolate Wonderful, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, and Mighty Maple, I'm sure you understand why.  You can only imagine my excitement when I heard about their new product, Chocmeister, a delicious chocolaty hazelnut spread. Chocmeister is made with 25% less sugar and more protein than the leading brand of chocolate hazelnut spreads. I recently got my hands on a jar of the Chocmeister Milk Chocolatey Hazelnut Spread and haven't looked back!

This spread is fabulous on toast, spooned over ice cream, and on fruit. Lately I've been adding a little dollop to my strawberries for an afternoon snack! As a member of the Peanut Butter & Co. Yum Squad, I was tasked with creating a fun recipe to share with you all. Since I'm a passionate baker, I knew I wanted to make a delicious dessert, which is exactly what I did. 

Pecan Pie Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#BakeInTheFun #CollectiveBias

These fun, Fall inspired cupcakes are filled with my favorite spices and topped with a deliciously sweet brown sugar frosting!

I know technically it's still summer, but the weather here in Michigan this week has been very Fall-like. Fall is definitely my favorite season - cooler temps, warm sweaters, football, the changing colors, and of course Fall baking! There is nothing quite like the aroma of cinnamon, pumpkin and nutmeg wafting throughout my house.

Every year I can hardly wait until the weather cools off just enough to start my Fall baking. And I love trying out new seasonal products that come out each year too. I'm sure you can imagine just how excited I was when I discovered that M&M's® came out with a new Pecan Pie flavor for Fall. Pecan pie, people. PECAN PIE! So of course I bought myself a bag (okay, I bought two!), and jumped into the kitchen to create something new and delicious.

Vanilla Coconut Flour Cupcakes

Celebrate the 4th with these naturally gluten free delicious vanilla cupcakes made with coconut flour!

Although summer just started, it already seems to be flying by! June is almost over and July is right around the corner, which means the 4th is close, too. Do you have any plans to celebrate? We typically have family over for a BBQ, then go somewhere later that evening to watch the fireworks show. 

My kids and I are all working hard to eat better this summer, and to get outside and be more active. We all know how much I love to bake, so I decided to develop a few dessert recipes that were on the lighter side, just a bit healthier if you will.

Banana Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting

If you're a fan of banana bread then you will love these delicious banana cupcakes 

topped with a decadent brown sugar frosting! 

Thankfully for you I have an obsession with bananas. We've discussed this before (many times actually), but I cannot wait until my bananas get brown and soft and mushy. That means it's time to make something fun. Like banana bread. Or banana waffles. Or even banana ice cream.

Or, or, or.....these cupcakes...

Chocolate Cola Cupcakes #UnbelievableMoments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
#UnbelievableMoments #CollectiveBias

I don't know about you, but we are HUGE sports fans. My whole entire family. Not only do we love to watch sports on TV, but both of my sons have played sports too. My oldest is in college now so he just plays on recreational leagues, but my youngest is in high school and plays on the football and basketball teams. I have always loved to watch them both play!

I'm sure you've heard of the big basketball tournament coming up this month, and in my house we all get pretty into it. We make brackets and try to beat each other, and we watch as many games as we can. We usually have at least one get together with friends and family as well. 

Strawberry Yogurt Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

These strawberry yogurt cupcakes are tender, moist, and delicious. Topped with a decadent strawberry cream cheese frosting, it's hard to eat just one!

As much as I love all things chocolate, sometimes it's nice to make a different type of dessert. Something with vanilla, maybe something nutty, or even a fruity dessert. I tend to make a lot of brownies and cakes, so it's good to break away from the usual. 

That's where these delicious Strawberry Yogurt Cupcakes with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting come in. A little bit decadent and naughty, but also somewhat healthy and nice. It's a two-for-one kinda deal.

Ginger Spice Cupcakes with Browned Butter Frosting

Fresh ginger and nutmeg give these decadent cupcakes the perfect amount of spice. Topped with a mouthwatering browned butter frosting, it's hard to eat just one! 

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday spent with family and friends. The last couple of weeks have been fabulous; lots of family time, movies, games, laughs, and of course, food. Oh and I can't forget football! Lots and lots of football has been watched in our house.

For our New Years Eve celebration instead of making a big meal I decided to serve several appetizers. We had a glorious spread of all of our favorites, and then I created these delicious little cupcakes for dessert. Filled with freshly grated ginger and nutmeg, the flavors were spectacular. Not overly sweet, these cupcakes melt in your mouth. And the browned butter frosting? Oh.Em.Gee. If you've never had it before, you are missing out. I've never tasted a frosting so delicious in my whole life! I'm certain I'll be spreading this on everything from now on.

Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

Brighten up any day with these light and luscious Meyer Lemon Cupcakes!

I know it's Fall and it's cold out, but when I received a bag of Meyer Lemons in my latest Door to Door Organics delivery I couldn't resist making a special summery treat. It doesn't matter the season or the temperature, we can always use something to brighten our day! Don't you agree?

These Meyer Lemon Cupcakes are light and airy and totally delicious. Make a batch for your family or friends or anyone who needs a quick pick me up. It's a simple recipe and other than the lemons, the rest of the ingredients should be in your pantry already!

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Light and fluffy cupcakes topped with a deliciously decadent espresso buttercream!

I'm sure you've all seen by now that I am competing in the Young & Hungry Blogger Challenge! Young & Hungry is a new show premiering on ABC Family on June 25th. The main character, Gabi Diamond, is an aspiring chef who lands a job working for a tech millionaire. Gabi's character is loosely based on the life of Gabi Moskowitz, the real-life food blogger behind BrokeAss Gourmet!

For the Blogger Challenge, there are 40 bloggers competing for a chance to win a mention of their blog on the show! There are six challenges spanning over two weeks and we need our family, friends and fans to vote for us in each challenge to help us win!

Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes with Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting

Ladies and gents, I really hit this one out of the park. I mean, I created a recipe that is so decadent, so delicious, I can't even stand it.

I wanted to make something special to celebrate St. Patty's Day. Last year I bought the cutest little Shamrock cupcake liners and never used them, so I wanted to come up with a tasty cupcake recipe so that I could show them off this year.

Well, I did it. And I did it well. I added coffee to my chocolate batter and it gave the cupcakes such a rich, deep flavor. And no, they don't taste like coffee! The Irish Cream flavoring is one of a kind. I can't really even describe it, but it's divine. Adding a little to both the cupcakes and the frosting is perfect.

Vanilla Crunch Cupcakes

Do you  have traditional desserts that you make each holiday season? Although I have some longtime favorites, I love trying new things and surprising my family with new desserts. 

I don't often make cupcakes for the holidays, but I came up with this recipe while trying out Swerve, a new sugar substitute. Have you heard of Swerve? Swerve is a delicious, natural sweetener that is made from ingredients derived from fruits and vegetables. Swerve contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or flavors. It is also zero-calorie, non-glycemic and safe for those living with diabetes.  

The wonderful people at Swerve sent me a box full of goodies so that I could try out their products and create some yummy recipes. I've tried Swerve in my coffee, as well as in a couple of different desserts, and I love it. You substitute it cup-for-cup and it tastes great.

You can learn more about Swerve on their website and find a location near you. The good folks at Swerve have also offered my readers a discount! Use coupon code SWITCH10 until December 31, 2013 to receive a 15% discount on your online orders!

Very Vanilla Mini Cupcakes

There are days when I need some help in the kitchen. Sometimes it's good to have shortcuts, ya' know?

Although I don't use boxed mixes very often, I do find they are nice in a pinch. Instead of measuring out all of the separate ingredients, I like tossing the mix into a bowl and being done with it in about 60 seconds.

One thing that's fun to do is to jazz up a boxed mix, which is exactly what I did here. I swapped out the vegetable oil for coconut oil (making this a bit healthier), added more vanilla, and made the most delicious and moist mini vanilla cupcakes ever.

The whole family loved these, and I will definitely be making them again.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Creamy Vanilla Frosting

I love Halloween and finally got my entire house decorated last weekend. I had some things out but not all of my goodies, so I finished it all up. I think other than Christmas, Halloween is my favorite holiday!

Since I was in the Halloween spirit I decided to make some fun cupcakes. I tweaked my peanut butter cupcake recipe a bit and they turned out so good! My kids, and parents, devoured them.