I think the thing I hate most about baking, cooking, or any other kind of craft or project for that matter is clean-up. I tell you, I can turn over drawers to find a spatula, I can rummage through cupboards for sugar and spices, and I really let loose when it comes to finding just the right icing tip or cute cupcake liners. I really have no problem making a mess. It's the end of the project that gets me. The looking around the kitchen thinking "Where is my husband, because there is no way I could have made this mess" part that makes me swear I'll never take on a project like that again.

I knew then when I found some of these tools for creating cupcakes though, the mess at the end wouldn't seem half bad. They even tackle two of the most annoying parts for me when it comes to making cupcakes: Filling the liners without filling your countertops with a polka-dotted pattern, and a mess-free icing trick that is just pure genius.

Tool #1

The first item Megan and I actually found at Walmart in the midst of gathering our groceries for the salted caramel chocolate cupcakes we made. The picture below is not the exact one we found (because ours came with a spreader too) but it is pretty close! The cup measures the perfect amount of batter, and the pour spout on the side ensures a mess free batter pouring process. At $2.98 we loved the price just as much!

Tool #2

I am pretty sure the reason why I am always so turned off by icing is because it is so darn frustrating to try and stuff all that frosting into the bag, and then have to wash it over and over to get all of it out. The answer to that? Saran wrap. See below for the best video tutorial on mess-free frosting. It is brilliant...and it works!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QxE-pnqmsE0]

Have any other mess saving tips or tricks?

I'd love to hear them!

With a bowling tournament entertaining the men this weekend, Megan and I made the most of our time in the kitchen preparing for a girls night... and what better way to spend the day then creating cupcakes?

I knew once I saw this recipe over on The Dainty Vegetarian these salted carmel chocolate cupcakes were a must, and I think the best part of these salty sweet cakes was the frosting. Oh..my..word...if you don't like the idea of the cakes themselves, you at least have to make this topping. It tastes almost identical to grandma's famous homemade caramels...unless your grandma makes terrible caramels...then it doesn't taste like that at all.

See below for the recipe and a few modifications!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes

What you’ll need:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder (hersheys is good and easy to find in your baking aisle)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup milk (try not to make it non-fat, it won’t be as rich as if you use whole or part skim)

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (imitation vanilla is just not as good)

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs, room temp

1 cup hot black coffee (yes, you can use flavored coffees if you like)

6 oz. or a half a bag of chocolate chips

What you’ll do:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line your cupcake tin with liners. In a large bowl sift the flour and cocoa. Add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix the milk, vanilla, sugar, oil, and eggs with a hand mixer or in a kitchen aid. When it’s all combined, add the coffee and mix well. Right after add the dry ingredients bowl and mix thoroughly. The batter will be on the thinner side. Stir in the chocolate chips and fill the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 9 minutes or until you can press on them and your finger bounces back. DO NOT OVER BAKE!!!! They will lose their moistness very quickly if you over bake them!

Since the batter turns out pretty thin the chocolate chips end up sinking to the bottom. It might be better to either drop them in after the batter is distributed, or melt the chips and stir in. The hot coffee you'll be adding already does this a bit for you, so you're half way there anyhow!

Here's where it got a little tricky. Her directions say to cook the cakes for 9 minutes only. I think by the time it was said and done these babies sat in the oven for 23 minutes! These darn cakes just wouldn't cook, but they turned out really moist and smelled phenomenal.

Frosting:

1 stick butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream (if all you can find is whipping cream, that’s fine too)

1 tbsp. vanilla

1 (16 oz.) box of powdered sugar

What you'll do:

In a small pot on medium heat melt the butter and add the brown sugar.Stir frequently until it is smooth and not grainy. Remove from the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and stir. Beat with an electric mixer; gradually add in the powdered sugar. Frosting should be thick, but if it’s too thick you can add a little more heavy cream.