Dexter Season Premiere Cupcakes + Giveaway

ENTER THE DEXTER GIVEAWAY! YOU COULD WIN SEASON 1 OF DEXTER ON DVD! SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW!

It's a big week my friends. I can hardly contain my excitement over the impending season 5 premiere of my favorite show on TV, Dexter. For those of you who watch, you understand my anticipation and anxiety over how this season will pick up after the amazingness and finale shocker of season 4.

my homemade Dexter logo that I made out of cake decorating gel

In honor of Dexter and its wonderfulness, I whipped up a batch of Dexter-themed cupcakes to celebrate my favorite serial killer and his moonlighting habits. When I devised my plan for these tasty little treats, admittedly I had no idea how ultimately delicious they'd turn out. Light and sweet white cake filled with tart cherry jam and topped with the smoothest, lightest buttercream icing ever make this the perfect dessert to celebrate the premiere, and would even make a great party food should you be watching with a group! Oh, and did I mention that we also have sweet giveaway to boot for all you fans and burgeoning fans? Read more on that below.

As every fan of the show knows, Dex not only spends his nights hunting down his prey vigilante-style, but he takes a little momento from his victims - a microscope specimen slide containing a single drop of blood. And if that doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, perhaps knowing that Dex lovingly stores and hides these in a cute little box, keeping them near so he feels safe might. Anyhow, to capture the justaposition of Dexter's moonlighting habits and daytime job as a blood spatter analyst, I thought cherry filled vanilla cupcakes would be the proper tribute. Oh and a little blood spatter just to tie it all together.

GIVEAWAY
So in honor of Dexter, TAA is giving away 1 copy of Dexter Season 1 on DVD! It's gripping, brilliantly written and will make you squirm with delight and anticipation. To enter, please answer the following question in the comments:

What is your favorite TV show and why?

The giveaway will end on Thursday, 9/23 at noon and the winner will be picked at random and announced on Friday morning. We all know mine is Dexter due to the genius storylines and brilliance of Michael C. Hall.

Good luck!

So back to these amazing cupcakes. Do you want to know how to make them? Good, because I'm gonna tell you. It might seem like it's difficult, but it's just a lot of simple steps - I promise!

Dexter Cherry Vanilla Cupcakes
For the cake:
*Adapted from Softasilk box
1/2 C vegetable shortening
3 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
2 1/4 C cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 C milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
cherry jam, I used d'arbo all natural sour cherry jam

For the frosting:
*Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
5 tbsp flour
1 C sugar
1 C milk
1 C butter (2 sticks, at room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tube Wilton red sparkle gel (Shaun found this for me at Target - isn't he the best?)

Special equipment:
Microscope specimen plates
I got a pack of 70 for $5 at Home Science Tools online.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare muffin tins with baking cups. Beat together the shortening and cream cheese. I did this in my stand mixer. Once combined, gradually beat in the granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Next, beat in 1 egg at a time. In a separate bowl, mix together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. It is imperative to use the elusive cake flower or these cute little cakes will be deader than a Trinity victim. (Note: I used Swan's Down brand which is sold in a box, not a paper bag like most flour). Stir this into the cream cheese mixture, alternating with the milk and vanilla. Pour into muffin cups and bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. This should yield 24 cupcakes, though I overfilled mine and only got 22 along with some giant cupcake tops!

To fill the cakes:
For the filling, I went with a tart cherry jam. After all, it doesn't get more gory and bloodlike that this:

Doesn't it just scream Dexter? I know it's proper to use an icing tip dug in through the top of the cupcakes to fill them, but it just wasn't working for me. So to get 'er done, I used a little cheese spreader to cut a square out of the center of the cake.

I then used the same spreader to fill in the holes with cherry jam. You know, kind of like spackling.

Oh and you get bonus pieces of cake which Shaun, Kim and I thoroughly enjoyed before the finished product.

Yum! and you can see how I attempted the icing tip filling process, but unsuccessfully

To make the frosting:

In a saucepan, pour in the milk and whisk in the flour over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens into a roux. Stir in the vanilla and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the cooled roux and beat until combined. The icing will look like whipped cream and taste silky and wonderful, knocking any other buttercreams off your 'best of' list. Frost the cupcakes generously, which will cover up the hole you made for the cherry filling.

To Dexterfy them:
Place a small dollop of the red gel in between two microscope plates.

Meanwhile on a small plate, mix a bit of gel and a tiny bit of water to loosen it up and make it spatter-appropriate. With a small silicon brush, go Bob Ross on your cupcake and give it a good splatter by loading up your brush and whipping furiously at the top of the cupcake. Bonus for getting it on your white plate too! Very authentic. Unfortunately I can't take credit for this genius move as Shaun is the one who came up with the idea. Many hours of Bob Ross-watching really paid off :). Oh, and you might want to do this in the sink so as not to get red gel mixture all over your kitchen. Insert the microscope plate into the cupcake and voila! A beautiful Dexter cupcake that's not only authentic but absolutely delicious to boot!

Now that's what I call a Dark Passenger. And there you have it. A pretty delicious and delightful way to celebrate my favorite show. So what do you think? Have you ever made a dish inspired by a favorite show or movie?

And don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY to win season 1 of Dexter on DVD! Just answer me this:

What is your favorite TV show and why?

DISCLAIMER: Hey everyone! Thanks for commenting and entering the contest! Please, though, don't post spoilers to any of the shows mentioned, including Dexter! Not everyone has seen them, so we don't want anyone to miss out by finding out the endings! I have edited (and will remove) any comments that include spoilers. Thanks!

Butter Lane: Putting the Butter Back in Buttercream

It's Spring Dinner Party part 3, and today we're talking dessert. Luckily, I wasn't in charge of dessert this time, since I was busy cooking up other things, like hearty beef brisket. And after my mom explained her desire to test out Butter Lane Bakery, Kimmi and I decided it was a no-brainer...Dessert from Butter Lane it would be! A sweet little bakery in the East Village, Butter Lane prides itself on being the cupcake for adults. It solidifies its adult status as a Butter Lane cupcake is made with pure ingredients, like real butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla bean and real cocoa and the end result is nothing short of heavenly. Oh, and yes, that is in fact popcorn on the caramel cupcake....say it with me...'mmmmm'.

With mouth-watering flavors like banana, espresso, caramel, classic vanilla bean, chocolate and more, you pretty much can't go wrong at Butter Lane. The cake is airy and a bit crumbly (nothing like the decandently fudgy Irish Car Bomb cupcakes), the frosting is smooth and buttery. So buttery in fact, that they really put the butter back in buttercream. When faced with a super sugary laden Magnolia Bakery cupcake, it feels as though I'm just eating straight sugar. But not the Butter Lane frosting. In perhaps a real tribute to its name, the frosting is actually refreshingly buttery (ever think you'd hear the words refreshing & butter together?) with a hint of sweetness...and it's silky smooth to boot. No individual sugar granules here, and I'm not complaining. I mean, really, see those little vanilla bean specs? Yum!
And the sweet packaging is really just the icing on the cake, so to speak. It's reminiscent of my recent penchant for basic craft paper wrapping with twine to tie it all together (the exact way that I wrapped birthday gifts for this very evening). With a simple black stamp of Butter Lane gracing the packaging, it doesn't get more rustic, organic, and classic than this.

So that's Butter Lane. And while Magnolia got me through my NYU years, I guess Butter Lane really is for grown ups. What do you think? Have you tried Butter Lane? Do you like a super sugary buttercream, or more of a silky smooth kind?

Psst...can't get enough cupcake love? Check out Baked by Melissa, Key Lime in the Coconut Cupcakes, Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes, Soutine, and Baba Booey's Peanutastic Cupcakes...

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

We're starting Monday on a sweet note. Though I skipped the Hoboken St. Patty's Day festivities on Saturday (a tradition that I have partaken in during the past years but just wasn't feeling it this year), I was, however, feeling inspired by (what else?) the food. And while I wouldn't typically tout the Irish for having top of the line cuisine, I will get behind their beer and their bread. This week, despite my non-Irish background (don't let the freckles fool you), I'm giving into my love of all things green with some St. Patty's Day inspired treats. First up? Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes. I know, it's not PC...but who walks into a bar asking for a shot of Jameson and Bailey's dropped into a pint of Guinness without referencing it as a Car Bomb? No one I know. So that being said, let's get down to business. When I devised the concept for these cupcakes, I honestly wasn't sure how they'd taste. But the end result? Nothing short of light, heavenly chocolate cake and creamy frosting with just a hint of, "what's that flavor I'm tasting? It's fabulous!"

I know, it seems weird to use so much liquor in a dessert, but trust me on this. The Guinness makes the chocolate sing, akin to adding coffee to your chocolate. It doesn't taste like coffee or beer, just makes the chocolate...well, more chocolatey...and in turn, more delectable. The Irish cream in the frosting doesn't overpower the cream cheesey, sugary goodness...it just gives a hint of Irish cream, which brings the whole cupcake flavor together. Let's get down to the deets...

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
*Adapted from smitten kitchen
1 cup Guinness
2 sticks unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs

2/3 C sour cream (don't skimp and use low-fat. Go big or go home)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring Guinness and both sticks of butter to a simmer. Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Note: when you add the cocoa powder, the mixture will foam up, so stand back. Turn off heat and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat eggs and sour cream until combined. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture to the eggs and sour cream and beat just to combine. Note: You will want to add the warm liquid in slowly, and make sure it's cooled slightly. Otherwise, you'll have scrambled eggs in your batter. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on low speed to combine, but not completely. With a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until completely combined. This is a light and airy batter so folding is a must. Line muffin tin with paper or foil liners. Fill about 3/4 of the way with batter (I use a big ladle for the perfect pour). Bake 17-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Whiskey glaze (optional)
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 C water
1/2 C Irish whiskey (like Jameson)
1 C sugar
Sanding sugar or sprinkles

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add sugar, water and whiskey. Bring to a boil and stir constantly for five minutes. Once cupcakes have cooled, dip tops into whisky mixture and roll in sanding sugar. Note: The glaze is not necessary to enjoy these cupcakes. It gives an extra kick of liquor and in the spirit of the Irish, I included it. But, these cupcakes are simply delish with or without it. When I made my batch, I did half glazed, half unglazed.

Irish Cream Frosting
aka the best frosting you'll ever eat
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
2 C confectioner's sugar (or more to taste)
2 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream (if you want to keep this alcohol-free, try it with Irish cream coffee creamer)

In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until mixed and fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar, one at a time, fully incorporating with each addition. Add 1-2 tbsp of Bailey's (to taste) and mix until incorporated.

So there you have it. A fun St. Patty's Day cupcake recipe. So what do you think? Do you eat any fun treats around the holiday?

Psst...stay tuned for St. Patty's Day treats part two, where I share a recipe for the best Irish Soda Bread you could imagine. And if you're just itching for more cupcake recipes, check out this, this, this and this.