As a lover of all things citrus, it really should be a crime how long it took me to discover cherry limeade. Seriously? Can it get better than that? Thanks to the wonder that is Pinterest I was able to recreate a cherry limeade cupcake.

For this recipe you will need the following:

• A box of white or vanilla cake mix
• 2-3 whole limes
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup melted butter (do not use margarine!)
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter-softened
• 10 oz jar whole maraschino cherries
• 1 can of frozen limeade or margarita concentrate
• green foil cupcake liners (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, mix melted butter, eggs, water and cake mix. Add the zest of 1 lime and mix well. Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes at 350. Since this batter is designed to be a little thicker, I ended up getting 21 out of this batch instead of the usual 24. Keep that in mind if you are making these for a specific number of people.

As your cupcakes bake, in a small mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of powdered sugar and limeade concentrate. Whisk until sugar completely dissolves.

Once your cupcakes have completely cooled, using a fork create 2-3 small tears into the top of the cupcake.

Using a spoon, drizzle a small amount of your limeade syrup into each hole. The syrup will absorb into the cupcake for a subtle lime taste. Use as much syrup as your taste buds prefer.

For your icing, it will be MUCH easier with a stand mixer, but if you do not have one, in a large bowl add your softened unsalted butter. Cream until smooth. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar until it reaches a smooth consistency. Alternate about 3-4 tbls of the maraschino cherry juice and 1 cup of sugar, creaming after each. I ended up using the entire jar of juice to get that nice cherry flavor. If you want your icing a little less pink and a little more red, throw in a drop or 2 of red food coloring. The cupcakes pictured do not have any additional coloring.

For a final touch, your whole lime that you did not use for zest, slice into thin circles. You are going to cut small triangles, almost as you would for a drink garnish.

For a little added bonus, I sprinkled some clear sugar crystals on the limes.

Ice your cupcakes with an open star tip, add the lime and a cherry and voila! Cherry limeade cupcakes are ready to eat.

A little fun fact...sometimes it pays to move home during college. I had a replacement mixer when I finally killed the motor in my mom's. I feel that 25 years of use is totally worth money.

Happy Baking!

I have always adored butterflies for some reason. When I was in elementary school our class made a butterfly garden outside of the library. We all had so much fun planting seeds and come spring, there were butterflies every where. When I came across the Hello Cupcake butterflies, I knew I had to make. Thankfully my only other butterfly appreciating friend recently had a birthday and gave me a the perfect opportunity to make my butterflies.

For this batch you will need:

• 1 box of your favorite cupcake flavor (I used fudge marble but really anything goes)
• 1 jar white icing
• 2 colored bags candy melts (I used pink and purple but you can use any color you like)
• 2 cocoa bags of candy melts (I used dark for purple and regular cocoa for the pink)
• white sugar crystals or nonpareils (optional)
• green food coloring
• flowered cupcake wrappers (optional)

Now just so you are prepared, working with candy melts can be rather…tedious. It’s time consuming and you really do need to stay dedicated to the task. Now if you ever have the option, try to buy melting chocolate from a chocolate shop. There is an amazing little shot near my house that has amazing supplies and chocolates. They can answer all of your questions and give you some tips. The chocolate is a little more expensive than the candy melts you get in store, but the quality is definitely worth it.

Use a large tray like a cutting board or a cookie sheet, depending on how much room you have in your freezer. On a sheet of paper draw a simple outline of a butterfly (where the wings are not connected). If you have the “Hello Cupcake” book series, they awesomely printed the outlines for you to trace. Put the sheet of paper on your tray and cover completely with a large sheet of wax paper.

Melt the candies according to the bags instructions. Once the chocolate is melted, you are definitely going to want to use a bottle to pour instead of a plastic bag. I got these for $1 each at my local grocery store. I kept the bottles in warm water in a small sauce pan when not in use. This will keep the candy warm without burning it.

Once the candy is in a liquid consistency, trace your outline with the interior color first. Be sure to completely and evenly fill in the butterfly. Trace the outside of you butterfly in the chocolate. At this point, add your sugar crystals or nonpareils to give them a little detail.

Carefully and evenly place the tray into the freezer. Let the candy set for 5-10 minutes until completely solid. If you move the candy before it sets it will break and you’ll need to start over. This is where the time consuming comes into play.

Once your butterflies are complete, color your icing a “spring” green color to make the butterflies look more bright and vibrant. Place the wings into the cupcake at an inward angle as if the butterfly is resting on top.

I found these awesome little cupcake holders at a craft store. You can find them online for pretty much any reason to have a cupcake.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors and patterns with this one. Besides no two butterflies look exactly the same right? Happy baking!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate really do lead the short list of perfect pairings. For this cupcake installment, I decided to really go for classic comfort food. And trust me, these will definitely cure your cravings.

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 Box chocolate cake mix (or your favorite recipe). I used triple chocolate because I wanted an over-abundance of flavors.
• ¼ cup butter (softened)
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• cupcake liners
• mini peanut butter cups (optional)
• Reece’s sprinkles (optional)

The icing recipe I used is supa delicious! It’s a little sweet with all of the confectioners sugar so I’m giving you a fair warning now.

To add a little more fun, I baked my cupcakes into these adorable cupcake liners. I actually found these hidden in the spice aisle at my local grocery store, not the baking aisle. Another great place to find patterned liners is craft stores. They always have great baking accessories and how to books so check them out for some creative ideas.

For your icing, in a large bowl beat the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Since I was using a hand mixer, I ran into a little trouble with the beaters getting clogged with the peanut butter. Just keep a small spatula or spoon near by. Slowly mix in about half of the confectioners sugar and half of the cream. Mix until fully incorporated. Slowing begin adding the remainder of the sugar, alternating with the cream. Continue adding the sugar and cream until you reach the right consistency.

Once your cupcakes are completely cooled, using a butter knife, add a heavy dollop of icing onto your cupcake. (I told you these are comfort food, don’t be afraid to go a little overboard). Using your knife to get a smooth, rounded finish with icing. I added a little something extra with the Reece’s icecream toppers and a mini peanut butter cup.

I made this batch for less than $20, and that includes the splurge on the candy, toppers and liners. Of course I need to give credit to my baking assistants. They made sure the peanut butter was safe for consumption.