I love cocktails and cupcakes, so what could be more awesome than a cocktail cupcake?! NOTHING! Duh.
What’s even better is the baking supply company, Cakes Under the Influence, makes baking boozy cupcakes super easy with their easy-to-use kits. I got the chance to try out their nifty Entertainer Kit that has everything you’ll need (minus the alcohol) to make a set of cocktail cupcakes and display them. I wish I had had this kit last year when my boyfriend and I threw a ’60s themed cocktail party.
My kit included:
- 1 20″ x 15″ acrylic, dishwasher safe, serving tray that holds up to 12 snap on acrylic stemware
- 12 food safe silicone cupcake stands (to be used with your own cupcake baking pan)
- 12 Mini-Martini shaped aluminum molds (3 oz.)
- 24 greaseproof mini-martini shaped paper baking liners
- 12 martini shaped acrylic, dishwasher safe and reusable, serving cups
- 12 acrylic bottoms that the serving cups snap into (these are usually sold separately from the kit)
- 1 Vanilla Hi-Proof Baking Mix (also sold separately from the entertainer kit)
The kit was also supposed to come with access to the CUI Mobile app available on Apple and Android devices with access to CUI recipes and CUI Community features, but I couldn’t find the app in the Apple app store for my iPod Touch. I also don’t have any android devices, so I couldn’t use the app. Maybe others will have more luck.
The silicone cupcake stands and aluminum molds worked just fine with my cupcake baking pan. You can use the paper liners with these molds or spray them with cooking spray and use them without paper liners. I decided to try both methods and found differing results. More on that later.
Here’s a quick animation from their website that visually shows how easy it is to use the kit:
The Cakes Under the Influence company encourages you to find new ways to use their product and to create new cocktail cupcake recipes to make with their cake mix. Since I received a package of cake mix with my review kit, I decided to come up with a cocktail recipe that I didn’t see available on their website.
If you use their cake mix, all you have to do is add the ingredients of your favorite cocktail. It’s pretty darn easy. There are instructions on the back that you can follow, but I choose to modify the Manhattan Cocktail Cupcake Recipe from the CUI website to make Old Fashioned Cocktail cupcakes!
Here’s what you’ll need for the cupcakes:
Ingredients
- 1 Family size package (13.7 oz) of Vanilla Hi-proof Baking Mix
- 4 - 5 Tbsp. of club soda or water
- 1/2 c. bourbon whiskey
- 1/4 c. orange juice
- 1 Tbsp. cherry juice (either Rose's or the syrup from a maraschino cherry jar)
- 3 dashes of Angostura Aromatic Bitters
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. bourbon whiskey (or more to taste)
- A splash of cherry juice
- A splash of fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
- 1 orange
- 1 10 oz. jar of maraschino cherries
- toothpicks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Combine Vanilla Hi-Proof Baking Mix in a bowl with all the other ingredients.
- Mix for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Line molds with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. I like to use the baking spray that has oil and flour in it.
- Pour or spoon the batter into the molds.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- Cut the orange into wheels and then cut the wheels into quarters.
- Take a toothpick and add one cherry and one orange quarter to each.
- Place the garnish on top of the cupcake after you put the drizzle on it.
- In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar with all liquid ingredients. If it is too thick, thin with more of the juices or a splash of milk. (Don't use too much milk or the citrus juice may curdle it.)
- Use the rest of the orange you used for garnish for the juice.
- Drizzle on the top of each cupcake.
I tasted the batter before it was cooked, and it really did taste like an Old Fashioned. Once cooked, the strength of the flavor had subsided a little since some of the alcohol had cooked out, but I still picked up the taste of an Old Fashioned. The whiskey drizzle on the top really enhanced the cake’s taste too. The consistency of the cake was almost muffin-like and wasn’t too sweet which I liked.
The acrylic stemware snapped into the included serving tray easily and looked pretty fancy once they were all on there. If you use the bases instead of the tray, I found that the tops didn’t snap into them, but rather fit tightly. A couple didn’t fit as tightly, and fell apart when I picked them up.
Since I made some of the cupcakes in the liners and some without, I noticed they cooked differently. The cake in the liners was more perfectly round on top, and the ones without were flatter. The cakes themselves tasted the same, but that might be something to keep in mind if you want a specific look for these cupcakes.
Cakes Under the Influence has many different options so you can find the right product for your lifestyle. Don’t need a full Entertaining Kit? They have other kit options, including a 2-person package. Besides the mini martini molds and stemware, they also have margarita, champagne flutes, and shot glass shapes! If cupcakes aren’t your style, they offer large cake molds and cocktail cookie cutters as well.
These kits are great for adult parties or even a romantic night in. Like I mentioned before, I wish I had known about these when I had my cocktail party, because they would have been perfect! The best thing about this product is, except for the paper liners, it’s all reusable. Next time I throw a cocktail party, you better believe there’s going to be a set of Cake Under the Influence boozy cupcakes on the table.
Connect
Want to find out more about Cakes Under the Influence? Connect with them through any of the ways below:
- Website: http://www.cakesundertheinfluence.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CakesUnderTheInfluence
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CUIBakery
- Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/CUIbakery
- Email: info@cakesundertheinfluence.com
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Oh my gosh, how PERFECT! I’ve heard about Cakes Under the Influence, and I love what you did with their recipe…I’m not a whisky fan, but the concept of turning a classic cocktail into a not-too-sweet baked dessert is brilliant. Brilliant!
Thanks for sharing!
The cool thing about their cake mix is that you can add any combination of alcohol, so use the types of alcohol that you like. Mix vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and lime juice with the cake mix to make a Cosmopolitan cupcake, or tequila, lime juice, and triple sec to make a Margarita cupcake. There’s so many different cocktail cupcakes you can make.
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