San Francisco Gold Rush Cupcakes

As you can see, the team I'll be cheering for  the San Francisco 49ers.  I am actually a Chicago Bears fan, but the Bears didn't quite make it to the Super Bowl this year.  Next Year!  However, the coach of the 49ers is Jim Harbaugh,,  was a quarterback for the Bears from 1987 to 1993, so there is a Chicago connection, and that's why I'm cheering for the 49ers.

I received an email from the Ad agency that I worked with for Oreo campaign last Fall, and they offered  McCormick Food coloring to me to promote the colors of the team I'm cheering for.  I gladly accepted. Yesterday I received via FedEx a big bottle McCormick Black and Red food colors, as well as a box of the neon food colors, and a box of the original food colors, too. If you want some party tips and recipes to show your team colors, click  here.   I used some of the McCormick Red food coloring in the Chocolate Frosting to try and match the colors of the 49ers jerseys.  There aren't any Ravens fans in our midst, so I  won't be using the McCormick Neon Food coloring to make a Baltimore Purple Twist Cupcake.  I made the San Francisco Gold Rush Cupcakes   
Go check out the new colors available from McCormick!

 I used  the Golden Vanilla Cake recipe from King Arthur Flour  to make the San Francisco Gold Rush Cupcakes instead of a box cake mix and canned frosting. I frosted the cupcakes with Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting, dusted with edible gold dust, and sprinkled with yellow sugar to complete the Red and Gold cupcake.  The cake is so moist with a wonderful vanilla flavor, frosted with a rich Chocolate Butter Cream frosting with a tint of red, and sprinkled with gold, hence San Francisco 49ers Gold Rush Cupcakes. Go 49ers!  Which team are you cheering to victory?

San Francisco Gold Rush Cupcakes inspired by McCormick

Golden Vanilla Cake Adapted from King Arthur Flour 

 Ingredients: Recipe yields 24 cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, soft
• 1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F). Line the muffin tins with papers,

1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.

2) Add the butter and beat with an electric mixer at low speed, until the mixture looks sandy.

3) Combine the milk and vanilla and add, all at once. Mix at low speed for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

4) Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.

5) With the mixer running at low speed, add 1 egg. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.

6) Repeat this procedure with the second egg. Continue adding the eggs, scraping after each addition, until all 4 are added.

7) After the last egg is added, scrape the bowl once more, then beat at medium-high speed for 30 more seconds.

8) Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full; Bake 23 to 25 minutes, or until pick inserted comes out clean.

9)  Remove cupcakes from the oven, and place on a rack to cool completely, before frosting. Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting. 1  cup, 2 sticks, butter, room temperature 1/2 cocoa 4 c. confectioner's sugar 1/4 c. milk, more or less 1. Cream butter until fluffy 2. Add cocoa and 1c. sugar to butter mixture and beat until incorporated 3. Add half of the milk and remainder of sugar and beat until incorporated. 4. Continue to add milk until you get desired consistency   *** To get the color of the San Francisco 49ers jerseys, add 1 1/2 tsp. of McCormick red food coloring to the frosting.     Dust cupcakes with edible gold dust  and yellow sprinkles.

I received free product from McCormick to use in writing this blog.  The opinions expressed here are those of the author exclusively.

l linked up my recipe to Brandie@The Country Cook's Weekend Potluck #52
 Stop by and say Hi to Brandie!