Bourbon Spice Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for cupcakes, using water, oil and eggs and adding 2 tablespoons of the bourbon. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and mascarpone cheese with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until smooth. Add remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon; beat until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes; sprinkle evenly with nutmeg.

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 18 cups of two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cayenne, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
• Combine the milk and bourbon in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk-bourbon mixture in 2 additions. Beat the batter until smooth. Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• For the buttercream frosting: Combine the confectioners' sugar, butter and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until mostly incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth. Adjust the consistency with milk as desired. Add a drop or two of blue food coloring to the frosting and mix until the desired color is achieved, adding more drops if needed.
• For decorating: Roll the yellow gum paste very thin (about 1/8 inch thick or thinner). Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut 12 rounds from the gum paste.
• Elevate a wooden dowel or thin-handled wooden spoon on 2 cans or paper cups with notches cut to hold in place. Drape the gum paste rounds over the dowel to dry and form taco shells, about 30 minutes.
• Fill a pastry bag fitted with a leaf tip (no. 113) with the blue buttercream frosting. Starting in the center of each of 12 cupcakes, while spinning the cupcake, pipe the frosting on a flat angle to the top of the cupcake, moving the bag slightly up and down to form a ruffle. Cover the top of each cupcake completely with frosting.
• Add the coconut to a small bowl with a few drops of green food coloring. Stir with a fork to distribute the food coloring, adding additional coloring until the desired lettuce color is reached. Snip the red gummy candy into small pieces using kitchen shears to form the tomato salsa. Crumble one of the remaining cupcakes to fine crumbs to form the taco meat.
• Assemble the tacos by layering each taco shell with some cupcake crumbs, green coconut and red gummy tomatoes. Finish by grating white chocolate over the top of each for a cheese effect. Place one taco on top of each frosted cupcake.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Make cake batter as directed on box, using cake mix, water, oil, bourbon, eggs and vanilla. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (about two-thirds full).
• Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, for filling, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave whipping cream uncovered on High 1 minute 30 seconds or until boiling. Stir in remaining filling ingredients until chocolate is melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave on High an additional 15 to 30 seconds until mixture can be stirred smooth. Cover; refrigerate about 60 minutes or until spreading consistency.
• For frosting, in large bowl, beat marshmallow creme, 1 cup butter and the vodka with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Beat in powdered sugar until fluffy. If necessary, beat additional powdered sugar until pipping consistency.
• To assemble, cut tops off each cupcake horizontally. Spread about 1 tablespoon filling onto bottom of each cupcake; add cupcake top. Pipe frosting on cupcake tops. Just before serving, drizzle each cupcake with 1/2 teaspoon coffee liqueur.