Watermelon cupcakes
I saw these Watermelon cupcakes in my Google Reader and I thought they were so cute. Like the perfect summery treat. We were going to a cookout last weekend and I immediately thought of these cupcakes. I wanted to be able to pipe the frosting, so I opted not to flavor them with watermelon. I also didn’t think chocolate and watermelon really go together… So I guess mine are just watermelon look-alike cupcakes.
I made the same chocolate chip cupcakes that I made for the 4th of July, but this time I used mini chips and added some pink and red food coloring to the batter. For the frosting, I made my favorite buttercream. I actually made two shades of green that I wanted to swirl together. The swirling didn’t go as planned, so really all you can see is dark green frosting, not the lighter lime green frosting. Everyone enjoyed the summery (looking) cupcakes. 
Chocolate Chip cupcakes – adapted from Vanilla cupcakes from Crazy Delicious – original recipe from Martha Stewart – makes 24
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips + 1 Tbsp flour (toss to coat chocolate chips)
Few drops pink and red food coloring
Mix the dry ingredients
Add butter
Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla
Add wet ingredients 1/3 at a time to the dry ingredients
Stir in food coloring and chocolate chips – be sure to coat the chips with flour so they don’t all sink to the bottom while baking
Bake for 17-22 minutes at 325 degrees or until a toothpick comes out clean
Vanilla and Buttercream
2 sticks butter
7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk – I used whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Few drops green and yellow food coloring
Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl
Add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined. Add food coloring until desired color is reached.
Add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (not too stiff so that its hard to pipe)
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
How awesome that you were on Leno! Are we allowed to ask what you were on for? I love your list and am raising two hands to vote for the Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake. I made it last fall (http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2008/10/11/brownie-mosaic-cheesecake/) and it is simply to die for. You won’t be sorry!!
Um yeah, totally meant Letterman. ::slaps forehead:: I’m sleepy 😉
What a cool blog event! I wish I had known about it before today, so I could participate. Is it a monthly thing? If so, I’m definitely in next time!
Michelle – I was the co-captain of a Rube Goldberg team (think of the game mouse trap but on a HUGE scale) in college. In 2003, Purdue won the national competition and they got us on the Letterman show. I was the “spokesperson” for the team and we had our machine on stage. It was an awesome experience. I’ve been trying to find pictures, but that was pre-digital camera for me so I can’t find any…
Annie – I believe it is a monthly event. I think she started it in May…
Thanks for the link to my site! I hope you try out the Chocolate Goat Cheese Truffles if you are a goat cheese fan. They were so delish.
yay for the best bookmarks ever! we have similar taste i guess bc i got some great ideas from this post and i’ve done some on your list. two quick notes on these bookmarks:
1) do the bagels at smitten kitchen. the cinna. raisin rock and it’s so rewarding to spend that much time and yield awesome results. i’m a new baker and it wasn’t very hard to do. definitely add the maple syrup or molasses to the water when you boil the bagels. dole makes plump raisins and they rock.
2) billy’s cupcakes will be your answer to vanilla cupcakes forever! i had issues with overflow so i’d reduce the baking powder from 3t (=1T) to 2.5 tsp.
Thanks for the tips Sweetie
OMG thanks for the shout-out!!! 🙂 where the HECK have i been!?? i’ve seen your facebook status updates and i never realized they were from YOUR blog!!! they are awesome! i’m SO proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! talk soon!!! love, WALKER
ps: i have some pics, i’ll get them scanned. 🙂