Look how amazing these cupcakes are! If you are looking for the cutest, most delicious novelty cupcakes for a party, you've found them!

These cupcakes use root beer as well as root beer extract. Check out the extract that I used here. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt about the combination of root beer and sweet cake, but once I tried one, I fell in love!!

These were so simple to make by sprucing up a vanilla cake mix. I love using the Betty Crocker Super Moist vanilla cake, because it already has pudding in the mix. You'd never know it's a cake mix!!

Total Time: 45 minutes
Baking Time: 15 minutes

Yield: about 18-20 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 vanilla cake mix
• 1 cup root beer
• 1 Tablespoon root beer extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1/2 Tablespoon root beer extract
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 4-5 Tablespoons root beer
• Brown food coloring, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with cupcake wrappers.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cake mix, 1 cup root beer, 1 T. root beer extract, vegetable oil and eggs. Beat on low to combine for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides. Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Fill cupcake wrappers 2/3 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Remove cupcakes from the pans and cool completely before frosting.
5. To make the frosting, combine butter, 1/2 T. root beer extract, powdered sugar and 4-5 T. root beer. Using a mixer, beat on medium until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 
6. Optional - add brown food coloring to create your desired color of frosting.
7. Using a piping bag, top your cupcakes with frosting. Add a cherry on top and half of a straw for the perfect look! Enjoy!!

Source: Butterwithasideofbread.com

Happy Saturday!!

If you haven't yet noticed, I recently launched the opening of my bakery!! I do not have a storefront location, but I've already been able to fulfill over a dozen orders for cakes, cookies, French macarons, cupcakes, and pies out of my beautiful home kitchen.

I've loved my kitchen since the moment we started designing it, and now I get to use it to put a smile on other people's faces besides my own family! Stay tuned for a mini photo shoot that I am planning, so you can check out my dream kitchen and where all of my treats are made!

A recent order that I fulfilled included a request for a s'mores cake. I am by no means a fancy cake designer, as I've never attended culinary classes, but I was SO excited with how this one turned out! So...please check out my Slice of Heaven Bakery and share my website with your friends!

The past two weeks have been such a blast! I started my semi-professional bakery that you can check out on my Slice of Heaven Bakery tab, and I also gave my website a beautiful new facelift! I've had lots of wonderful orders that included cookies, macarons, and miniature cupcakes! Seeing the joy on everyone's face as they come to pick up their delicious baked goods is what it's all about! 

If you are interested in placing an order for an upcoming event or simply because you just love yummy baked goods, I'd love to be considered!

This past week, I received an email with a request for a chocolate meringue pie! With many restaurants sadly having to close and/or having to reduce their menus, favorites like a chocolate meringue pie are no longer offered. My hope is to be able to fill that void with food that makes you happy :)

While trying out this new recipe, I learned a couple of things… The humidity definitely affects the meringue and causes it to weep a little bit. But believe me, it still tastes delicious! I also learned that it's important to allow the chocolate portion to bake prior to adding the meringue. I'm so glad I did that! It turned out amazingly and it was SO delicious!

Total Time: 45 minutes
Baking Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6-8 slices

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 9-inch pie crust
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 Tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. If using a refrigerated pie crust, allow the crust to come to room temperature. Then place the crust in a glass pie dish. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk. Cook and whisk over medium high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk 3 egg yolks in a medium bowl, and set remaining 3 egg whites in another medium bowl. Set egg whites aside. 
5. Slowly whisk small ladles of cocoa mixture into the egg yolks, to temper and bring the egg yolks to meet the temperature of the cocoa mixture. Continue adding by the ladleful until all is fully incorporated.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie crust and bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling is only slightly jiggly. 
7. Meanwhile, add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and whip using a hand mixer on medium high until soft peaks form. Add the sugar to the bowl and continue whipping on medium high until stiff peaks form. Gently top the chocolate pie with the meringue, and using a spatula, form several peaks. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the meringue is a light golden color.
8. Allow to cool completely before slicing, even though you'll want to dive right in!
9. Enjoy!!

Source: Modified from All Recipes

These are the BEST party pretzels!! For as long as I could remember, my mom would make these deliciously seasoned pretzels and I would never be able to stop eating them! If you're looking for a fun and simple snack to take to a 4th of July party this weekend, this is it!

Total Time: 10 minutes (plus time to allow dressing to soak in)

Ingredients:

• 24 oz. pretzels (I like the "Snaps" as pictured above)
• 1 pkg. Hidden Valley original ranch dressing mix
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon dill weed
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. In a measuring glass or bowl, combine ranch mix, oil, dill and garlic. Stir to break up any chunks of ranch mix.
2. In a large bowl, pour dressing over pretzels.
3. Stir frequently for several hours to coat all of the pretzels.
4. If needed, drain excess oil on paper towels.
5. Enjoy!!