It's that time of year again... GRADUATION!

Looking for someone to make your star graduate something divine & sweet?!  Well look no further let ~elc~ do your Cupcakes today!  We have many different awesome flavors to choose from.  And whether your son or daughter is graduating from kindergarten, elementary school or middle school, there are plenty of ways to get your cupcakes to match the graduation theme.  First, you should determine what type of cupcakes to purchase for the graduation party.  Usually, vanilla or chocolate cupcakes should suffice for younger children but are also great for the teenagers & popular among adults as well!  However, you may wish to pick up a variety of different flavored cupcakes so everyone is satisfied.  When purchasing the cupcakes, make sure to ask for small graduation items placed on them to enhance the look of the cupcakes!  One of the most popular ways to decorate graduation cupcakes are miniature graduation caps.  Toothpicks are placed under the caps so it appears that the caps are being thrown into the air.
Don't be afraid to ask for different colors and styles too!  For instance, if your child's school colors are maroon and white, why not ask for maroon and white frosting for the cupcakes?  If you would like to forgo the miniature graduation caps, then consider asking for a miniature star added to the cupcake to symbolize your “star graduate.”  Or--even multiple stars on the cupcake to symbolize the graduates' accomplishments.

Did somebody say Banana Cream Pie?

Banana Cream Pie Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 2 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 t baking powder
• ¼ t baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 ½ tablespoons vanilla bean paste
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ½ cup milk

1. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda; set aside. Place butter, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl and  beat on medium high speed until mixture becomes light and fluffy. Add in salt and beat until combined. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until combined.
2. Turn off mixer. Combine sour cream and milk until smooth.  Using a sturdy spatula or a wooden spoon, add in sour cream mixture and flour mixture, alternating in thirds. Fold in each rotation, beginning with the sour cream and ending with the flour mixture, mixing each rotation until just combined.
3. Fill cupcake liner two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.


Banana Cream Pie Filling

• 2 small bananas
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup corn starch
• ½ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼ salt

Place all ingredients in food processor bowl or blender and process to combine. Pour mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture starts to bubble, making sure to constantly whisk. Continue to cook mixture until it thickens, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Homemade Whipped Cream

Take your mixing bowl and beaters and chill them in the freezer for 12 min. I also have another bowl which I add ice and put this underneith to keep as cold as possible while whipping the cream in the bowl on top.

You need to use Heavy Whipping Cream for this NOT half and half.

1 cup of heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoon of powder sugar (You can add more to taste).

1. pour the whipping cream in the bowl, then the vanilla and the sugar
2. Start beating on medium speed until to starts to froth
3. Then move it up to high speed
4. Stop and take the beaters out and see if it has soft peaks

Now you know how to make home made whipping cream. What I love to do is to add flavors to the whipping cream. Like Chocolate add 2 table spoons of cocoa, or add 1 tablespoon of you favorite liqueur like rum--even banana or raspberry extract.  You can even add fresh squeezed lemon for a zest flavor!

Carrots 'N' Cake by Christina Haupert

Let them eat cake! From one of the most popular blogs on the internet comes an innovative, even fun way to diet. Carrots 'N' Cake is all about eating your carrots…and savoring your cupcake, too.
  For some people, losing weight means restrictive dieting, obsessive calorie counting, and constant hunger. Not Tina Haupert! She learned that it didn't have to be that way. Tina shows how to drop the pounds and keep them off by adopting eating habits that are healthy, balanced, and above all, livable. She serves up easy-to-follow fitness routines, food tips, and her most popular feature: Cookie Friday.

TINA TELLS HOW TO:
Hang with your friends on a Friday night without packing on the alcohol pounds
Navigate buffet tables at parties
Handle the holidays painlessly
And more!