Spumoni Cupcakes

San Francisco. 1995. Old Spaghetti Factory. Sales Training. Large group of friends. There is a first time for everything, including a single serving of complimentary "Spumoni" ice cream. After my carbohydrate infused meal, the polite and patient server asked me what my choice of dessert would be...Chocolate or Spumoni ice cream, he asked. I replied with a "Spumoni who?" being it the first time I'd ever heard that such a word existed. He stood there with a sly grin on his face as if he were thinking "how could anyone not know Spumoni". He then described what this funny and mysterious word consisted of. Cherry, pistachio and almond flavors all layered into a creamy cool goodness. Well, must I say more? I will never forget the flavors my palate danced to on that cool summer San Francisco night.

My spumoni flavored cupcake inspiration- see recipe below.

Who says milk only goes with cookies? Enjoy a cold glass of milk for a well balanced dessert.

Cake and frosting recipe created by Michelle S.N. Sasamoto
http://www.blogger.com/www.favoritesbymichelle.blogspot.com

Shelly's Spumoni Cupcake
1 box white cake mix-follow cake mix
instructions, eggs, oil and water may vary
(I prefer Duncan Hines)
1 box pistachio pudding
1 jar 8 oz. Marachino Cherries in syrup
(divided and save juice)
1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts (reserve 1/4 cup
for sprinkles)
1 teas. cherry extract
1 teas. almond or pistachio extract
1 teas. vanilla extract
pink, green and yellow gel paste or food
coloring
18 cupcake liners
2 cupcake pans (makes 18 cupcakes)

Champs Cherry Butter Cream Frosting
1 cup butter (room
temperature)
1 cup shortening
2 teas. juice of marachino
cherries
1 teas. cherry extract
3.5 cups confectioner's
sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 cup chopped marachino
cherries
Cake Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Follow cake mix instructions, in seperate bowls-divide cake mix into 3
equal parts.

Step 2
Cherry flavored cake
batter-add 1 teas. cherry extract and 2-3 drops of pink gel paste, mix lightly
until colors blend.

Pistachio flavored cake
batter-add 1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts, 1 teas. almond or pistachio extract
and 2-3 drops of green gel paste, mix lightly until colors blend.

Vanilla flavored cake
batter-add 1 teas. vanialla extract and 1 drop yellow gel paste, mix lightly
until colors blend.

Step 3
Line cupcake pan with
liners, In a layering effect-scoop about 1.5 tablespoons of each batter and
layer on top of each other. Pink, yellow and green on top.

Step 4
Bake as directed on box
and cool completely. Set aside.

Frosting Preparation
In a large mixing bowl
cream together butter and shortening.
Add 2 teas. marachino cherry juice, cherry extract and 1/4 chopped
marachino cherries-mix on low speed until blended, add 3.5 cups of powdered
sugar and mix on lowspeed until you get a creamy consistency.
Decorating Cupackes
Using a star tip, fill pastry bag 3/4 full.
Pipe frosting starting from the outside of the cupcake until you fill
the middle, lift piping bag straight up and squeeze more icing as you lift to
give it a high peak. Sprinkle with
remaining chopped pistachio and top with hald a marachino cherry.

Enjoy and please share recipe success and challenges.

Much Sweet Love,

Michelle