It was a great Birthday Weekend … with Cupcakes … and Avocados
Angel Food Cake (in the video) from scratch is so much better than the store-bought version. Make your own and see for yourself!
If you’d rather skip my helpful tips, tricks, essential cooking information, and delicious similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this recipe – simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card. It’s right there with a pretty bright yellow background.
Ain’t no party like a birthday party
Saturday night we had a block party in the rain, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better! The kids ran through the puddles, danced in the rain, and were drenched at some points.
The bounce house had to be deflated at one point because it looked like it was going to blow away. But, it got blown right back up as soon as the wind died down.
The streamers were soaked and soggy. Everyone had jackets on. It was so much fun. It was beautiful.
This tasty looking cupcake is actually not edible; it’s for the bath!
Happy times
The people at the block party were great. Nice people who laughed and joked; they played with balloons and streamers. They played with a toy dinosaur.
Every time I stopped and listened there was the laughter and chatting of people genuinely having a great time. No cares. No worries. Nothing dragging you down. Just a fun time. It was so nice.
What better gift for someone with guacarexia than home-grown avocados? Thanks Kathy!
We served Mexican Food!
There was lots of Mexican food (I’m still stuffed!). The taco bar was fabulous.
The food all tasted so good and the options seemed endless – chicken tacos, beef tacos, nachos, cheese enchiladas, guacamole (of course!), cheese, salsa (that salsa was REALLY good – maybe I’ll have to work on some sort of recipe for something similar; yummy yummy), and all the fixin’s.
And birthday cake with sparklers!
Of course, there was traditional delicious birthday cake – white cake with whipped cream and strawberries.
Instead of candles we had sparklers. That was great fun!
One sparkler for each birthday girl, and a sparkler for each of the birthday girl’s kids.
Real sparklers that looked fantastic. One was shaped like a heart; one was a star. The sparklers came from a cute little store called Heavenly Hostess.
Birthday Weekend … with Cupcakes
I decided that I wanted to make special birthday cupcakes for my friend.
So, I made two different kinds – Lemon Coconut minis with lemon-cream cheese frosting & chocolate cream cheese filled cupcakes.
They got great reviews from the other guests. The tastes were both really good.
The lemon ones were light and airy with a nice lemony tartness. I made the lemon cupcakes in a mini size so that you could have just a bite or two and feel happy inside without feeling stuffed.
And the chocolate ones were rich and creamy. And, these cupcakes aren’t bad for you – low in fat and high in taste.
Fun times
We stayed up late, laughing with friends and family. Joking. Talking. Eating too much. And, perhaps a drink or two were consumed. It was great.
Thanks especially to my husband for doing all that work. Thanks to my friend for having a birthday around the same time as me.
Birthday nachos
The next day, Dan took me for birthday nachos at my favorite Mexican place (yummy, more Mexican food!). Then we went for a walk on the beach. What a great day. What a great weekend! I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful life.
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Birthday Weekend … with Cupcakes
Coconut lemon mini cupcakes with lemon cream cheese frosting
Mini Lemon Coconut Cupcakes Recipe
Lemon Coconut Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat just until combined. Fold in coconut.
- Fill paper-lined muffin cups or mini silicone cupcake molds three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 10-22 minutes (range is due to the difference in sizes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Video
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese not low-fat or whipped, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lightly packed finely grated lemon zest
- 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add the butter and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- On low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Increase the speed to high and beat for just a few seconds, until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. Don't over beat or you may thin the frosting.
Notes
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Ingredients
- Non-stick cooking spray
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups sugar divided use
- salt divided use
- 1 large egg
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons light flavored vegetable oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Spray the liners with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1 ½ cups sugar, ¾ teaspoons salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla, and until smooth.
- Fill each baking cup with two tablespoons of the cake batter, and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake until the edges are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.
Notes
Visiting & pinned your chocolate cream cheese cupcake! Can’t wait to try it!! I am a new follower & found you via CHT Pinterest Hop 😉 Stop by sometime, the doors always open.
Just pinned these cupcakes – they look amazing!
Thanks Justine! I shared your pretty Green Grilled Cheese at “What a Girl Eats” Pay it Forward Party. Then I saw it in my FB feed from 365. Hee hee! I guess it’s that kind of day! 🙂