Today's post is filled to the brim with many good things!
Mother's day is not far away, so I've teamed up with my friends at Fair Trade USA (along with some other talented bloggers) to bring you a virtual Mother's Day brunch. Who says you can't have cupcakes for brunch? These breakfast-inspired cakes have a little bit of everything: crunchy toasted corn flakes, smooth vanilla buttercream, soft yellow cake and a shot of cereal milk that gets injected right in the middle. It's not just a cupcake, it's an experience!
(The bubble pipettes can be found here.
Aren't they just the cutest?)
In addition to cupcakes for brunch, there's also a great giveaway involving some of the best products around. I buy Fair Trade whenever possible, not only because the products add quality to my baking, but also because it positively impacts the lives of Fair Trade workers. There are a great number of women who work for Fair Trade companies, including moms who are working to provide better lives for their families. This virtual brunch is our way of honoring them.
All of these products will go to one lucky reader!
To enter, just leave a comment telling me which of the edible goodies you'd use in your baking. I loved using the Fair Trade Ceylon cinnamon (known as "true cinnamon") in the toasted cornflake cupcakes. Here's a list of all the goodies, edible and otherwise.
BarkThins snacking chocolates
Lake Champlain drinking chocolate
Numi gold turmeric tea
Whole Food Market ceylon cinnamon
Traditional Medicinals green tea
Nutriva coconut oil
Wholesome! agave syrup
Just Love coffee
Unreal coconut candy
Cascadian Farm soft baked squares
Vosges Haut-Chocolat chocolate bars
Simple Truth green tea
Arrowhead Mills coconut flour
Near East quinoa
Eco Lips lip balm
prAna tote bag
I'd like you to meet just one mom whose life has been improved by her relationship with Fair Trade. This is Elvia Almachi, an inspirational flower worker and member of Agrogana in Ecuador. Her story follows.
Elvia has been working at Agrogana for 12 years and is currently a production line field supervisor. She has been part of the Fair Trade committee in the past and has two daughters, aged 9 and 12. Elvia and her husband Luis Alberto Villegas, also an Agrogana employee, are two of only five employees to participate on the weekend adult school program paid by the Fair Trade prize. They are both currently studying an equivalent to high school degrees. "Before I worked in a different local flower company and they exploited us. Even while I was pregnant! Once I came here, I could tell the difference was huge. We would like for everyone in Ecuador who works in the flower industry to have the same great benefits we do here. Please continue to believe in us. There are many of us who need to continue improving our quality of life through the Fair Trade prize. It is through these Fair Trade flowers that hundreds of families, like mine, continually improve our lives."
I certainly hope you'll give the cupcakes a try - if not for brunch, then whenever you have a craving for a crunchy sweet treat. The corn flakes are coated in bubbling brown sugar, butter and cinnamon and then toasted to crispy perfection. It's one of the most crave-worthy cupcake toppings I've ever had!
One more thing - the participating Fair Trade Month bloggers are having a friendly Recipe Rally pinning competition. Check out our Pinterest Board to find new delicious recipes, and pin your favorites!
Toasted Corn Flakes Cupcakes with Cereal Milk Pipettes
Yields 22 cupcakes
Author: Heather Baird
Cereal milk
1 1/3 cup whole milk (or skim, or 2%, whatever you prefer)
1 cup corn flakes cereal
22 cupcake pipettes
Yellow cupcakes
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Toasted corn flakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups corn flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the cereal milk: Combine the two ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and let stand while you prepare the cupcakes.
Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two muffin tins with 22 paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Sift together in a large bowl, the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.
Fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the toasted corn flakes: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir; raise heat to medium-high. Stir occasionally. When mixture begins to bubble add the corn flakes salt and cinnamon. Mix ingredients together using a spatula. Fry topping for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and spread mixture on a large baking sheet to cool completely, 30 minutes.
Make the vanilla buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream softened butter and powdered sugar together. Add the vanilla extract; beat again until the frosting is thick and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again briefly. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star decorator tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Top each freshly frosted cupcake with a handful of toasted corn flakes.
Sieve the cereal milk into a medium bowl, pressing the corn flakes with the back of a spoon to remove all of the cereal milk. You should have about 1 cup of cereal milk after sieving. Fill the cupcake pipettes with cereal milk. Store them on a small tray in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve the cupcakes. Insert the pipettes upright into the cupcakes before serving. Squeeze the cereal milk in the pipette into the cupcake before eating.
Yields 22 cupcakes
Author: Heather Baird
Cereal milk
1 1/3 cup whole milk (or skim, or 2%, whatever you prefer)
1 cup corn flakes cereal
22 cupcake pipettes
Yellow cupcakes
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
Toasted corn flakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups corn flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Vanilla buttercream
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the cereal milk: Combine the two ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and let stand while you prepare the cupcakes.
Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two muffin tins with 22 paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Sift together in a large bowl, the flour, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.
Fill the cups 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool 5 minutes in the pans, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the toasted corn flakes: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir; raise heat to medium-high. Stir occasionally. When mixture begins to bubble add the corn flakes salt and cinnamon. Mix ingredients together using a spatula. Fry topping for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove from heat and spread mixture on a large baking sheet to cool completely, 30 minutes.
Make the vanilla buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream softened butter and powdered sugar together. Add the vanilla extract; beat again until the frosting is thick and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again briefly. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large star decorator tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
Top each freshly frosted cupcake with a handful of toasted corn flakes.
Sieve the cereal milk into a medium bowl, pressing the corn flakes with the back of a spoon to remove all of the cereal milk. You should have about 1 cup of cereal milk after sieving. Fill the cupcake pipettes with cereal milk. Store them on a small tray in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve the cupcakes. Insert the pipettes upright into the cupcakes before serving. Squeeze the cereal milk in the pipette into the cupcake before eating.
what a crazy beautiful cupcake!
ReplyDeletei'd use the coconut oil most often probably, as i'm vegan but love to bake!
coconut desserts are the best!
I would love to use the coconut flour to bake up yummy muffins!
ReplyDeleteI'd use them all, but I would especially like to try baking with agave syrup for the first time.
ReplyDeleteWhat creative, delicious, beautiful cupcakes, Heather! And a wonderful post. I enjoyed reading about Elvia. As for all the fabulous goodies, I'd take some of that amazing Vosgues chocolate and make some knock-out chocolate chip cookies. : )
ReplyDeleteI would definitely use the cinnamon, but I've always wanted to try coconut oil or coffee. Your cupcakes look delicious - I love the bubble pipettes!
ReplyDeleteI would be interesting in trying out the coconut flour. I would definitely use that cinnamon though.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try the Just Love Coffee (for baking and drinking)!
ReplyDeleteI only use fair trade chocolate, so it's always nice to have a little around in case I get the urge to make some cookies! I'm also a huge tea fan, so that turmeric tea looks very interesting!
ReplyDeleteCoconut oil! In fact, I have some sitting on my counter right now from when I made my youngest's birthday cake the other day! (:
ReplyDeleteThese are crazy cute! I love the idea. Does this mean I can have cake for breakfast..?
ReplyDeleteI would use the coffee in my dark chocolate cake.
ReplyDeleteI would love to try the coconut flour!
ReplyDeleteI'd use the agave in a peach yogurt smoothie I just saw today.. the coconut oil in a granola I've seen--and the flakes--oh yum. The cinnamon also looks incredible. This would catapult my baking experience into the stratosphere! <3 heatherguzha(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteThe coconut flour of course!
ReplyDeleteI've always been interested in trying coconut flour!
ReplyDeleteCereal? Well...that's my breakfast sorter! ;)
ReplyDeleteI would use the coconut flour, agave syrup and chocolates to make a gluten free treat for my finals week for my daughter at college!
ReplyDeleteI'll use the Vosges Haut-Chocolat to make cookies.
ReplyDeleteThe nutrive coconut oil for sure
ReplyDeleteThe coconut oil for me, I've never tried it before.
ReplyDeleteI want to try making tea infused shortbread (earl grey is my first challenge), and I bet the turmeric tea would make amazing shortbread.
ReplyDeleteProbably the coconut flour!
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling a coconut-banana bread made with coconut flour and coconut oil :)
I would use it all but especially the Blue Agave Syrup, the Coconut flower, coconut oil, coffee and (not baking related) but I would love that chapstick!
ReplyDeleteI'd use the Agave Syrup
ReplyDeleteI'd use the Agave syrup.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous cupcakes!
ReplyDeleteI would use the Just Love coffee to infuse a chocolate cake. Thanks for the opportunity!
I would definitely use the agave! I love the flavor and find it goes well a ton of recipes...yum!
ReplyDeleteSo creative! I would die for that coconut flour and coconut candy! I'm imagining all the things I could make yuuuum
ReplyDeleteThe coconut flour and candy sound so delicious!! Creative cupcakes!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful cupcakes! I had never seen the pipettes before, so cute....I would love to make goodies with the Ceylon Cinnamon and the Coconut Flour! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI not only love the idea of using toasted corn flakes but also cereal milk! I'm excited to give this a try, they sound amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe fair trade item bake with first would be the ceylon cinnamon. I go through a lot cinnamon. I haven't tried coconut oil yet and I think it would be fun to experiment with.
I can't wait until your second book comes out!
Thanks.
I would use the coconut oil
ReplyDeleteYou are way too cute!
ReplyDeleteThe cupcakes look stunning! I love that corn flakes were used. Very unique. I'd use the Organic Blue Agave and Coconut Flour the most.
ReplyDeleteI would use the coconut oil when making cherry coconut granola
ReplyDeleteI'd use the Agave to replace sugar in my recipes. Love how simple and elegant the cupcakes turned out.
ReplyDeleteCoconut oil!!
ReplyDeletehow can i choose!! the coconut oil and coconut flour for sure...the chocolate i'd just want to eat!!
ReplyDeleteCoconut oil over here!
ReplyDeleteCeil
ReplyDeleteI would definitely use the ceylon cinnamon in toffee and banana bread!
I love the Bark Thins Snacking Chocolates!
ReplyDeleteThese cupcakes look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try these cupcakes tomorrow. I'dalso love to bake with the coconut flour
ReplyDeleteI would bake something with the cinnamon and coffee! I don't like coffee unless it tastes like coffee candy! :)
ReplyDeleteI would use the Golden Tumeric Tea in my baking. Really, I would use most of the items in my baking somehow.
ReplyDeleteI would use all of them tbh (except the non-edible products ofc), but I'd bake the most with coconut oil and coconut flour. I'd probably just eat all the bark thins (;
ReplyDeleteI would use all of them tbh (except the non-edible products ofc), but I'd bake the most with coconut oil and coconut flour. I'd probably just eat all the bark thins (;
ReplyDeleteYum! I love cereal milk anything! I think baking with the turmeric tea would be an interesting ingredient.
ReplyDeleteId love it all! but I'd definitely want to try using the avgave syrup!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to get my hands on the chocolate bars and the cinnamon. They look fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI would experiment with the tumeric tea as a flavouring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for including Elvia's story. I really enjoyed reading it :)
I like to use coconut oil in my baked goods, and I bet that cinnamon is delicious!
ReplyDeleteflgirl1987 AT yahoo DOT com
I use coconut oil now I want to try the coconut flour in my baking.
ReplyDeleteI would use the coconut flour to put an interesting twist on the thai soft cookies that grama makes
ReplyDeleteI'd love to use the agave syrup to make granola bars.
ReplyDeleteThe pipettes are a great idea and I would use the chocolate bars to bake a chocolate cake.
ReplyDeleteI buy the quinoa all the time and love it. Would enjoy trying to use the blue agave.
ReplyDeleteLove the cute cupcakes and the pipettes are an interesting idea.
These look absolutely amazing!!! I would definitely try the coconut flour in baking as I'm a coconut fiend haha :)
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I would do it, but I would love to figure out a way to use the Tumeric Tea - that would be amazing!
ReplyDeleteThese look amazing! I'd love to try baking with coconut flour!
ReplyDeleteCoconut oil for hard shell and the chocolate of course!!!
ReplyDeleteWow, I'd use many of those in my baking but probably the coconut flour, coconut oil, and cinnamon the most often!
ReplyDeleteI would love to use the coconut flour in my baking. I've been wanting to try it, but I haven't been able to find it at the grocery stores near me.
ReplyDeleteAll the products sound amazing! I've never tried using agave so that would be the first thing I would use!
ReplyDeleteI would use the coconut oil, as I love the flavour it adds to any baked product (especially quick breads and muffins). I may or may not also be taste testing the Unreal coconut candy throughout the process....;) These cupcakes look amazing by the way!
ReplyDeleteWhat a creative cupcake, Heather! I would be excited to try the coconut flour in some cookies.
ReplyDeleteI would probably base a cupcake off of the bark thins snacking chocolate and then use the actual snack as an edible garnish. And also eat handfuls at a time because that stuff is delicious and addictive.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! The recipe looks so yummy & I adore those pipettes! I would probably break into the chocolate & spices first, I've purchased good quality cinnamon & once you've had it you just can't go back! Good quality ingredients can truly elevate your baking (meal or snack)! I live in such a small town I have to order everything so I'm really excited about this site! Also, I've never had green tea, crazy right & coconut flour anything to keep coconut extract out of my baked goods! Also, I've been dying to make a cotton candy/fairy floss cupcake but I can't bring myself to use those candy oils-it's hard to pick just one! I can imagine staring at the box & starting several projects at once lol! Again, thank you so much for the giveaway! So excited about your new book-congrats!
ReplyDeleteI don't know why on earth I thought that said cotton candy lol awesome cause, great story.
ReplyDeleteI would use the Nutriva coconut oil.
ReplyDeleteI would use all the products but mostly the cinnamon and the coconut oil and flour and probably just eat the chocolate myself.
ReplyDeleteI would use all the products but mostly the coconut oil, flour and cinnamon and eat the chocolate for myself.
ReplyDeletethe ceylon cinnamon!
ReplyDeleteI love to bake with coconut oil and quinoa too!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I recently switched to clean eating and I bake with coconut oil pretty frequently now. Will have to look for the cinnamon the next time I'm at Whole Foods!
ReplyDeleteI'd reach for the Cinnamon, chocolate bars and coffee first! Great recipe and awesome giveaway...Thanks! jlammers002 at woh dot rr dot com.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try something with the quinoa, but I can't lie - my attention immediately went to the tea and coffee! Yum!
ReplyDeleteThe coconut flour, oil, and cinnamon would be great in zucchini bread!
ReplyDeleteI would be super tempted to make these cupcakes, but definitely the coconut flour to try some gf baking!
ReplyDeleteI love your cakes! I want to make a berry tart with that Coconut Flour to make a gluten-free crust.
ReplyDelete~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
margueritecore [at] gmail [dot] com
As I began this recipe, I had to stop a minute at the step where I was asked to sift the baking powder to the other dry ingredients. As it is posted, baking powder is not on the ingredient list at all, and especially not with an amount. Fortunately, I bake enough to punt. But I would love to know how Heather intended the ingredient to be used. Also, I found this recipe in too little time to order the pipettes (that are absolutely adorable!) -- So, I punted again! I made the 'cereal milk' and served it as a shooter. Thank you so much for your creativity, food stylist talents and skilled photography! When they're all added together, they just can't be beaten!
ReplyDeleteHi Kimberly,
DeleteThank you for pointing out the omission of baking powder. Unfortunately, I sometimes suffer from blogger-itis, which makes me blind to these omissions, no matter how many times I eyeball the recipe. The baking powder is now added to the ingredients list, thanks to you! (Yay!)
I LOVE your improvisation with the cereal milk "shooters" I think that's so SMART! I'll have to try that sometime.
I appreciate your comment more than words can say!
xo-h
I would definitely use the Organic Blue Agave and coconut oil! I can't wait to try this recipe!!
ReplyDeletei'd have to say..COCONUT OIL!! can't get enough of it! <3
ReplyDeleteThe coconut flour, agave, and chocolate would make wonderful brownies! :)
ReplyDeleteclogzilla(at)yahoo(dot)com
Your cupcakes look so good! I always use coconut oil and agave in my baking. I can't wait to use the coconut flour too.
ReplyDeleteamy [at] utry [dot] it
Was a winner chosen for this?
ReplyDeleteThis cupcakes looks really delicious.
ReplyDeleteWho was the winner?
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly, the winner was Vee Jackson from Mobile, Alabama.
Delete