Shirley Temple Cupcakes

Are you sick of cupcakes yet? I'm not!

I've had Shirley Temples on the brain lately, if you hadn't noticed based on my post last Friday. For today's cupcake, I decided to make Shirley Temple inspired cupcakes. These are fun, and a definite kid pleaser. You can go all out and make them actually look like a Shirley Temple drink by baking them in little glass cups and adding details (like a straw).
Or you can go simple, and make them into regular cupcakes.
Either way, the cupcakes are made with a lemony white cake batter--half of which is mixed with a packet of red gelatin (I used strawberry flavored). You put globs of each color of batter into cups,
and then swirl them together a bit with a spoon,
and then bake them.
Then you add some frosting, a "cherry" (piece of red candy), and a straw to complete the look.

Shirley Temple Cupcakes
Makes 30 cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. shortening or butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cups buttermilk*
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 package (4-oz.) Strawberry/Cherry/Raspberry Flavor Gelatin

1. Grease and lightly flour thirty 2 1/2" muffin cups or line with paper liners. Set aside.

2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening, butter, or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat till well combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each. Add dry mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Stir in lemon zest.

4. Pour half of the batter into medium bowl. Add dry gelatin mix; stir until well blended. Spoon half of the white batter and half of the pink batter, side-by-side, into each prepared pan. Swirl batters together using a teaspoon.

5. Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 to 25 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

6. Cool thoroughly and then frost with frosting of choice.

* If you don't have buttermilk on hand, substitute sour milk in the same amount. For each cup of sour milk needed, place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid; stir. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using it in a recipe.

** To make them look like a Shirley Temple drink, bake the cupcakes in small glasses and style the frosting to look like whipped cream (use a star tip). Add a straw and a piece of red candy (like a red M&M) to look like a cherry.

*** You'll get a slightly whiter came if use shortening instead of butter or margarine to prepare this cake.

Butter Cream Icing

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
4 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup water

In large mixer bowl, combine butter, shortening, and powdered sugar; beat until very creamy. Add lemon juice and vanilla; mix until well blended. Add water and mix until very light.




















P.S. Flop on over to my genius cohort in crime to see what she has cooked up for you today (Ok, I'll cheat and give you a hint. Lean in close so I can whisper: cupcake tags and shrinky dinks!!! Shhhhhh, you didn't hear it from me!) Speaking of genius, LollyChops is responsible for all of the recipe cards you've been seeing this week--aren't they awesome?