It’s that wonderful time of the year. The cold is finally gone, and Spring has sprung its beauty on us. I have a porch full of flowers and herbs. I have no idea why something so little makes me so happy but maybe it’s that empty nest syndrome. When you go from having four kids in the house to having no kids in the house you just must grow something. I am waiting on my kiddos to show up for breakfast. I still feed them, and it still makes me happy. I have moved into a different place in my life now. Building a business and working on my career, my focus has changed from entertaining children at a loud noisy sleepover to girl’s nights and having grown up dinner parties where I can use my good dishes. I love this new phase of my life, but I love better when the babies come home especially when they bring the grandbabies. Mom’s never stop being mom’s and maybe that is why Mother’s Day is in Spring. Everything is experiencing rebirth and growth.

I came up with this recipe because now that my “babies” are grown things have changed in a new fun way. We are all grownups now. These cupcakes are something I would serve at a bridal shower or book club. They are the perfect thing to bring to a brunch. They are so pretty and look so elegant, but they have that wow that comes from the edible garnish that looks like stained glass on top to the alcohol in the center filling that adds a depth of flavor you don’t expect from a cupcake. The flavors blend so well with the mild citrus flavor in the frosting and the fruitiness of the wine. Citrus and wine pair beautifully (think Sangria). The sweetness is cut just a little because the jelly is not overly sweet, so the frosting brings a mellowness to the table that makes it just perfect for celebrating any occasion, but I think my favorite occasion is celebrating being a mom.

Yield 24

Author Deena White

Prep time

30 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

50 Min

Candied Citrus

Ingredients

Candied Citrus (use lemon, orange, tangerine or lime your choice) Ingredients

Equal parts sugar and water. I used one cup of each and 2 tangerines. You can do more if you would like to make a batch and save some for later.
Slice citrus, about 3 mm slices is best... thicker takes more time to dry but it is entirely your preference.
1 extra fruit for zesting.
Granulated sugar for coating

Citrus Infused Frosting Ingredients

2 cans of frosting (we used vanilla)
3 TBSP of citrus simple syrup
Citrus zest
Confectioner's sugar
1 frosting piping bag and a tip of your choice (If you don't have one a Ziploc bag and a knife will work)

Mother's Day Grown Up Cupcakes Ingredients

1 box or white or chocolate cake of your choosing
Eggs per the box's instructions
Oil per the box's instructions
Water per the box's instructions
Candied citrus sliced cut in half
Sweet Life Jelly Company's Chardonnay Jelly for white cake, or Sweet Life Jelly Company's Merlot Jelly for chocolate cake
Cupcake papers
2 12-cup cupcake pans

Instructions

Candied Citrus Instructions

Boil citrus slices for 2 minutes. This helps pull any bitterness from the white part out of your fruit. Immediately put in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.
Mix your sugar and water and zest with a whisk and put on medium heat until brought to a boil. Boil gently (please be careful sugar burns are dangerous) until mixture begins to thicken.
Add citrus slices and stir gently to coat. Let slices simmer for about an hour stirring every 15 minutes until they become translucent. They won’t become completely clear but will start looking like stained glass.
Remove from the syrup (reserve syrup!) and place on a wire cooling rack. Put a cooking sheet with some parchment paper underneath to catch the sugar and make clean up easy. Let dry for about 24 hours. Roll the still tacky slices in granulated sugar to coat.
Store what you don’t use in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. These are great to serve on a baked good or on the side of your favorite cocktail. Simple but elegant addition to any dinner plate or Charcuterie board. They make a beautiful statement and taste delicious!

Citrus Infused Frosting Instructions

2 containers of vanilla frosting. You can make your own and how amazing would that be? I am not an accomplished baker, so I chose store bought.
Mix your Frosting with 3 tablespoons of reserved syrup from candied citrus and zest.
Your frosting will become a little looser but if you refrigerate it while the cupcakes cool it will stiffen back up or you can add a little confectioner sugar to get desired constancy.
You should have a light flavoring of the citrus but if you would like more add some fresh zest to the frosting to kick up the flavor.

Mother's Day Grow Up Cupcakes Instructions

Preheat the oven to the cake box's instructed temperature.
Follow the instructions for preparing the cake batter.
Place a cupcake paper in each spot in the tin.
Use a scoop to fill the cupcake liners to about 2/3rd of the way full.
Bake the cupcakes for the cake box's instructed time.
The cakes will be done if you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
Let your cupcakes cool for a few minutes in the tin and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool down further until they are cool enough to decorate.
Use the backend of a decorating tip to press a hole in the cupcake or use a knife to cut a hole in the cupcake be careful not to cut all the way down to the bottom so the cupcake keeps some stability.
Use a about a half teaspoon of Sweet Life Jelly Company's Jelly to fill the hole in the cupcake. You want the jelly close to the top of the cupcake.
Insert your piping back with the tip into a glass and fold the end over the glass.
Pour the frosting into the piping bag.
Start frosting by filling in the jelly opening and work your way outward to the edges of your cupcake.
Once all the cupcakes have been frosted place a half of a candied fruit on top.
Arrange on a platter and serve!