2/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbs ground coffee
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
2/3 cup melted vanilla ice cream (you could also use coffee or mocha ice cream)
1/4 cup kahlua
1/4 cup bailey’s irish cream
chocolate, for shaving on top (optional)
12 chocolate-covered espresso beans (optional)
irish cream whipped cream frosting (recipe below)

whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda & coffee in a bowl.

beat butter & sugar in a lg bowl for 1 minute until light & fluffy.

beat eggs, ice cream, kahlua & baileys into the butter/sugar mixture until blended.

fold in flour mixture.

fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

bake at 350° for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

top with baileys irish cream whipped cream. shaved chocolate and a chocolate-covered espresso bean.

makes 12 cupcakes

BAILEYS IRISH CREAM WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

2 cups heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbs baileys irish cream

whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.

mix in sugar & baileys irish cream until just combined.

NOTE: you may want to double this recipe if you like gobs of frosting.

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup finely chopped carrots (about 1 large carrot) – this is easiest to do in a food processor
1 cup overripe banana (about 2 bananas), mashed
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 medium lemon
1 cup apples (whatever kind you prefer), peeled & rough-chopped
cinnamon cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

in a med bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda & baking powder.

in a lg bowl, mix honey, sugar, carrots, bananas, butter, eggs, vanilla & lemon zest until well combined.

add flour a little bit at a time, mixing until just combined.

fold in apples.

fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (add more to taste)
2-3 cups 10x sugar (to desired consistency)

mix cream cheese & butter well.

add vanilla & cinnamon.

add 10x sugar.

makes about 14 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup browm sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 1/2 cups apples, roughly chopped & loosely packed (you can chop more finely if you desire)

in a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda & ginger.

beat butter & sugars in a lg bowl until light & fluffy.

beat in eggs, sour cream & lemon extract until blended.

mix in flour mixture.

fold in apples.

divide batter evenly among 12 cupcake liners (they will be filled almost all the way to the top).

bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

makes 12 cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grenadine

in a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder & baking soda. set aside.

in another medium bowl, beat butter & sugar until light & fluffy.

beat eggs, milk & grenadine into the butter/sugar mixture until blended.

fold in flour mixture.

fill cupcake liners all the way to the top.

bake at 350° for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

SHIRLEY TEMPLE GLAZE

1/2 cup 10x sugar
2 tbs grenadine
1/4 tsp lemon extract
red food coloring (optional)
maraschino cherries (optional)

mix 10x sugar, grenadine & lemon extract.

optionally add red food coloring a few drops at a time until you love the color.

spread on cooled cupcakes.

optionally, just before serving, top cupcakes with maraschino cherries.

makes 12 cupcakes