Watermelon Cupcakes Completed!

I experimented with Minute Maid Watermelon juice a few weeks ago (see Watermelon Cupcakes), but completed the ultimate batch a few days ago. I followed the recipe on the box except instead of using water I substituted the watermelon juice. The batter will stay a creamy white color, then scoop about a cup of batter into a small dish and set it to the side. I then added hot pink food coloring and silver thick sprinkles (at the time I was unable to find black thick sprinkles). See batter below! 

Then place batter into the baking cups. Once all batter is gone, filling almost 3/4 full, I went back to the batter I set aside. In my previous tries for the watermelon cupcakes I used bright green for the icing color. I felt like it was giving me a gross slim color. So, for the batter I used regular green.

With the green batter I placed a small spoonful of the green batter on top of the pink batter. 

Make sure you to use spoon to spread green all around top. Bake in the oven just as the directions say to. 

For the icing I was inspired from my pina colada recipe. 

8 oz. cream cheese (directly from fridge)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Green food coloring
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or milk
*Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.
*Add vanilla extract, lemon extract, food coloring, and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
*Slowly add the heavy cream or rum.
*Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
*Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

The watermelon cupcake by itself doesn't have a lot of flavor, but adding that little bit of lemon extract to the cupcake really gives it a pop! I have also learned that the butter mixes better after being left out for two hours when room temperature is 75 degrees. 

Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes: instead of water use the strawberry daiquiri mix. I didn't add any alcohol to this mix because they are for a baby shower. Finished project will be posted soon, still deciding what icing to make. 

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Pina Colada!! Follow the directions on the box, except instead of water use 6 ounces of pineapple juice and 2 ounces of coconut rum!

For the icing I followed a recipe from: http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/08/pina-colada-cupcakes-recipe.html. Since I was  taking them to work I didn't add the rum to the icing, instead used coconut extract. 

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

(this is just a slight variation on my Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, but I’ll add it to this page as well, so it’s easy to find)
8 oz. cream cheese (directly from fridge)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (always use pure vanilla extract if possible)
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract (you may want to start with just 1 teaspoon of coconut extract, you can always add more, but you can’t take it out!)
4 cups powdered confectioners sugar
1 Tablespoon heavy cream, heavy whipping cream or milk
*Place butter in a large mixing bowl and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and blend until well combined, about 30 seconds.
*Add vanilla extract, coconut extract and powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) and blend on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and beat until it begins to get fluffy.
*Slowly add the heavy cream or rum.
*Beat until fluffy, about 1 minute.
*Use at once or keep refrigerated. (This frosting will keep well in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need to re-beat it for the best texture.)

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Watermelon Cupcakes

Watermelon Cupcakes!! Follow the directions on the box, except use the Minute Maid Watermelon juice instead of water. Add pink food color. After mixed add the sprinkles to act like the seeds!