Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Happy Kentucky Derby Day! I made 2 dozen cupcakes to celebrate this grand event. Too bad it is gloomy in Kentucky Derby land but that won't damper the excitement of the day. Which horse is your favorite? I don't have one in mind but I do enjoy watching it. I hope the weather improves out there. 

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

For this recipe, I used Pillsbury Moist Supreme Devil's Food Premium Cake Mix, and 1 container each of Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy Dark Chocolate and Duncan Hines Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting. If you have more time you can use your favorite cake and frosting recipe. When time is short this is a great alternative that tastes great. For other Kentucky Derby recipes, check out my Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies; Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie and Kentucky Butter Cake.

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes 

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes

Kentucky Derby Cupcakes; love the candy decorations

I found some cute edible decorations online of a cowboy hat, horse head, horse shoe and also some cupcake picks with a horse head and horse shoe design. These were fun to put together. I let the frosted cupcakes set overnight in the fridge in a cupcake container. This morning, I added the decorations gently pressing down on the frosting.

Love the designs

Cool cowboy cake and horse edible decorations

Horse and horse shoe cupcake pick design

I had 2 cupcakes for breakfast and the devils' food cake is moist and very rich from the dark chocolate frosting. The tang from the whipped cream cheese frosting balances the sweetness of the cupcake. 

Some of the edible decoration and cupcake picks

Cupcakes cooled and ready for frosting

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

Last year I baked a Kentucky Butter Cake and we loved it. I saw Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies on the Cookies and Cups blog via Pinterest and wanted to try the recipe. It tastes just like the cake version. The cookies are moist, tender and melt in your mouth, and the glaze is divine. I ate 2 right after I glazed the cookies while the cookies were still warm. The only things I adapted in the recipe is using unsalted instead of salted butter, and increasing the salt from 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. I urge you to try this recipe. See recipe and directions below. Enjoy the Kentucky Derby and if you are there live, lucky you!

Yield: 2 Dozen Cookies

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup Granulated Sugar

3 cups All Purpose Flour (I use King Arthur)

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 cup, 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed; about 1-2 minutes.

Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

Pouring the glaze over the warm cookies

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula.

Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

Scrape sides of bowl once again.

Turn mixer to low speed and slowly add the flour mixture and mix until dough is formed.

Using an ice cream scoop take dough and roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 14 minutes. Do not over bake.

My cookies baked in 14 minutes.

Start checking the cookies after 11 minutes since oven temps vary and adjust baking time accordingly. The cookies should be slightly golden.

Pouring the glaze over the warm cookies

Glazed cookies!

Glaze
Ingredients
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1 tablespoon Water

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Powdered Sugar sprinkled over the glaze; look at this yumminess

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan over low-medium heat.

Stir until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from heat and let set to thicken for 5 minutes.

Stir.

Use a tablespoon and pour over each cookie while it is warm.

Sprinkle a dusting of Powdered Sugar if desired.

For the Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies recipe visit, Cookies and Cups:
https://cookiesandcups.com/kentucky-butter-cake-cookies/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky Butter Cake

Kentucky Butter Cake with Butter Rum Sauce

I love watching the Kentucky Derby and I thought this cake would be a great recipe to try. This was the first time I baked with rum flavoring. I used rum before but I really like the taste of rum flavoring. I am happy I baked this cake. The cake is rich, moist and dense, and the rum flavoring is just right. What takes this cake over the top with yumminess is the Butter Rum Sauce, which is drizzled all over the cake while it is warm. This Butter Rum Cake pairs perfectly with coffee and tea. See Recipe below. 

Slice of Kentucky Butter Cake with Butter Rum Sauce

Ingredients
3 cup King Arthur All Purpose Flour

2 cups Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 cup, 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened

2 teaspoons Rum Flavoring (I used McCormick)

1 cup Buttermilk

Kentucky Butter Cake just removed from the oven

Directions
Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray bundt pan liberally with Non-Stick Baking Spray. I use Wilton Bake Easy! Non-Stick Spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer on medium speed combine butter, sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and rum flavoring until incorporated.

Turn mixer to low speed, and slowly add flour mixture until incorporated.

Pour batter in prepared bundt pan.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. My cake baked in 1 hour.

Kentucky Butter Cake with Butter Rum Sauce

I suggest you start checking it at the 45 minute mark as oven temperatures vary.

Place cake on wire rack and wait 30 to 35 minutes before inverting.

Take a knife and carefully move it around the edges of the cake.

Take cake platter and place over bundt cake and carefully invert.

Tap all around the cake and release bundt pan slowly.

Butter Rum Sauce
Ingredients
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

1/3 cup Unsalted Butter

3 tablespoons Water

2 teaspoons Rum Flavoring

The sauce drips to the center bottom as well

Directions
Using a small sauce pan on low heat combine all the ingredients and cook until fully melted.

Do not boil.

Pour over the cake while the cake is still warm.

Kentucky Butter Cake recipe from The Country Cook:
http://www.thecountrycook.net/kentucky-butter-cake-with-rum-saucethe/

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

This Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie is a traditional dessert for Kentucky Derby day which is today! This pie is made with walnuts or pecans. The pie is rich, decadent, and full of chocolate chips, nuts, and bourbon. It tastes like a large chocolate chip cookie mixed with pecan pie. I wanted to call this recipe Kentucky Derby Pie, but the name Derby-Pie is a registered trademark of Kern's Kitchen, which registered the name in 1968. 

Close-up slice of Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

Ingredients
1 Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crust or your favorite Pie Crust recipe

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 cup King Arthur All Purpose Flour

2 Large Eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1/2 cup, 1 stick Unsalted Butter, melted

1 cup Pecans, chopped

1 cup Semisweet Chocolate Morsels

2 tablespoons Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Close-up of Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

Pretty slice of Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a small sauce pan on low heat melt the butter. Set aside to cool.

Beat eggs in a small bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together sugar, flour, and salt.

Add in the melted butter and stir with spatula until incorporated.

Pie just taken out of the oven

Close-up of pie goodness

Add beaten eggs, bourbon, and vanilla extract and stir with spatula until incorporated.

With a spatula gently fold in chopped pecans and chocolate morsels.

Pour mixture into the frozen deep dish pie crust.

Place pie in the center of a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until pie is set and toothpick inserted comes out clean, and the crust is slightly browned. My pie baked in 1 hour.

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Pure Vanilla Extract and Chocolate Morsels

Pie on baking sheet and ready to go in the oven

Check pie after 20 minutes and if crust has browned, cover it with a pie shield or with strips of aluminum foil so it does not burn.

When the pie is done remove it from the oven and place on wire rack to cool completely, and serve when ready.

Visit Atta Girl Says for the Kentucky Derby Pie Recipe:
http://www.attagirlsays.com/2015/05/01/kentucky-derby-pie-recipe/

For further information about Kern's Kitchen Derby-Pie Chocolate Nut Pie, visit:
http://www.derbypie.com/

Check out my recipe for Bourbon Pecan Pie:
https://twofrys.blogspot.com/2012/11/bourbon-pecan-pie.html

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys