cook like james

A friend of mine called this morning and said she was having 12 people over for dinner and having brisket and potato pancakes. She sounded a tad overwhelmed and I thought that the least I could do is make some festive cupcakes to celebrate Hanukkah.  I rarely use cake mixes but given the late hour I decided to spruce up a plain white mix. Cake mixes usually work pretty well and are nearly foolproof and when you make your own frosting, they’re a first cousin to homemade. (The Hanukkah sprinkles are from Surfas in Cuvler City, CA (click here - Surfas Culinary District) or online at The Baker's Kitchen (http://www.thebakerskitchen.net) 

Download Fast and East Blue and White Velvet Hanukkah Cupcakes recipe

1 package (18.25 ounces) Duncan Hines White Cake Mix

1 cup sour cream

½ cup milk                         

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 large eggs

3-4 drops blue food coloring (more if needed)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners and spray lightly with non stick cooking spray.  Set the pans aside.

2. Place the cake mix, sour cream, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat two minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined.

4. Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, place batter into 12 of the cupcake papers.

5. Add blue food coloring to remaining batter and mix to combine.  Spoon remaining batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.

6. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Easy Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

The buttercream frosting can be made ahead and refrigerated; if refrigerated, however, it must stand at room temperature to soften before use. If using a hand-held mixer, increase mixing times significantly (at least 50 percent).   

20 tablespoons (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 ½ cups Confectioners' sugar (10 ounces)

1/8 teaspoon table salt 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 tablespoons heavy cream 

1. In standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Sift confectioners' sugar into mixer bowl and add salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds; scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.