Thursday, January 16, 2014

vanilla bean pound cake heart cupcakes




I love simple baking and crafting projects that I can do with my little ones . . . and you can't get much easier than making pound cake. There are few ingredients, and its preparation is simple . . . a great recipe to make with kids.

So for this sweet adventure, we baked pound cake cupcakes instead of a traditional pound cake loaf . . . and used heart cut-outs and powdered sugar to decorate our Valentine-inspired treats.

And for an extra special treat, I added vanilla beans to the batter instead of pure vanilla extract. There's something magical about the aroma of fresh vanilla beans AND hundreds of brown specs suspended in creamy white cake. Dreamy!  




a decorating tip . . .
Crease the paper heart so that it stays in place (see above photo).
You can also use the tip of your finger to hold in in place while you shake the powder sugar.
~  and  ~
Because our goal when baking with kids is to have fun AND keep the mess to a minimum, 
I highly recommend sprinkling the powdered sugar over a large plate or baking sheet 
to help contain the creative mess (big smile!).




Vanilla Bean Sour Cream Pound Cake
heart cupcakes
1 ½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
½ cup sour cream




Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add vanilla bean seeds to the butter/sugar mixture and mix to incorporate.
Continue mixing and add eggs, one at a time. Add the sour cream and mix well.
Slowly add the flour mixture, and beat just until combined. Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into cupcake liners, about ¾ full, and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and remove them from the pan.
Sprinkle with powder sugar or sanding sugar . . . Serve with fresh berries and enjoy!


~ one of my Sweethearts enjoying her creation ~


Because our goal is to have fun AND keep the mess to a minimum, 
I highly recommend sprinkling the powdered sugar over a large plate or baking sheet 
to help contain the creative mess (big smile!).






LET'S STAY in touch!










39 comments:

  1. These have my name all over them! They are also so beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Yvonne!
      So happy that you came by!
      I hope you're having a great week,
      Suzanne

      Delete
  2. These are so cute and sweet :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Winnie!
      So happy you came by.
      Have a great week,
      Suzanne

      Delete
  3. These look beautiful and sound even better! Just pinned so I can try them later!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So happy you came by, Denise!
      It's a fun and simple activity for you to do with your kids. Hope you come back and tell me about it :0)
      Have a great week,
      Suzanne

      Delete
  4. Love this decorating idea!

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  5. This are so cute, I love the heart on top! And they look so yummy! I am doing a giveaway today and would love if you would stop by and check it out! http://www.thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com/

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  6. Ohhh I love the hearts on top! So sweet! :)

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  7. So simple and yet soooo lovely. They really prove that sometimes things don't have to be complicated to be beautiful. Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julia!
      So happy that you came by and left this comment, because I couldn't agree more. I hope you keep in touch.
      Have a beautiful week!
      Suzanne

      Delete
  8. Love these cupcakes.
    Debi and Charly @ Adorned From Above

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  9. SUPER cute! i love the idea with the powdered sugar. adorable. http://www.handmadeintheheartland.com

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  10. So pretty---and probably delicious!

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  11. what a sweet and perfect treat
    for Valentine's Day
    or any special day

    would love for you to share
    at Fridays Unfolded this week!

    Alison
    Nancherrow

    ReplyDelete
  12. So sweet! Thanks so much for sharing at Silver Pennies Sundays. x

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  13. What a pretty idea with the powdered sugar. I've done this before with cocoa but powdered sugar is even better because it is delicious on its own! I'm stopping by from Best of the Weekend (#121 & 123)
    -Lauren @ imperfectandfabulous.blogspot.com

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  14. These look so sweet and I bet they are delicious too!

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  15. Yummy and I love the fun way you created the heart on top! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  16. Super cute!!! I love how effective the icing sugar is here. Pinning now! Thanks for sharing :)

    Hannah ♫
    Sew Lah Tea Dough

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  17. Hi Suzanne! I just love pound cake and these are just beautiful! Thank you so much for joining us and sharing at Best of the Weekend - pinned! Hope you have a happy Tuesday and a wonderful week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cindy,
      So happy that you came by!
      It's great having fun and easy recipes in your baking routine, and this is one of them :0)
      Have a beautiful week,
      Suzanne

      Delete
  18. I love this idea and your tip! I would love to have you hop over and share with us at Tell Me About It Tuesday! (http://www.sweetsillysara.com/2014/01/tell-me-about-it-tuesday-3.html)

    ReplyDelete
  19. These are so adorable and look delicious too! I would love it if you linked up to The Makers, http://upcycledtreasures.com/2014/01/the-makers-link-party-2/

    ~Katie @ Upcycled Treasures

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for coming by and extending the invite, Katie!
      Have a great week,
      Suzanne

      Delete
  20. These are so pretty! My children would love these on Valentine's Day:)

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  21. This is marvelously sweet! I am honored that you shared at Home and Garden Thursday!
    Kathy

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  22. Those look delicious, definitely want to try your recipe!

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  23. Divine, delish and so pretty too. Perfect! So happy to have you sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop. Your participation helps to make it so much fun . Big Hugs ♥

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  24. This recipe looks like a keeper...I love a good vanilla pound cake and they are so cute. Thanks for sharing on the Thursday blog hop!

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  25. This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing..stopping by via the Hop!

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  26. Simply IN LOVE with these beauties!!! hugs...

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  27. These look almost too cute to eat! But I'm sure they're delicious! Thanks so much for linking up to Frugal Crafty Home Blog Hop! I'll be featuring this post at our next party on Sunday night at 8PM Central time!

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  28. Those are just precious. I might have to try my hand at making them for my son's classroom party. If you're interested in sharing some more yummy recipes, I run a Blog Hop on Fridays. You can enter this hop up until next Thursday at noon. We need more more food posts. They're my favorites :-)

    ReplyDelete
  29. can you substitute vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean. and if so how much vanilla extract?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mandy!
      Thanks so much for coming by!
      If you don't have vanilla beans, then add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract in its place.
      I hope you enjoy!
      Have a great weekend,
      Suzanne

      Delete

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