Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I am thrilled to welcome Krista back to Escape With Dollycas!
True Confessions of a Cupcakeaholic
I am in withdrawal. Seriously. For one year, I baked and ate cupcakes. It was wonderful. Sweet, sugary decadence. It’s not that I like cupcakes. I love cupcakes!
One of my friends insists the cake part is just a holder for the frosting. I beg to differ. The cake has to be as good as the frosting it supports. Naturally, this required the baking of many, many batches to get the recipes just right.
If you watch Cupcake Wars you probably know that cupcakes aren’t just iced little cakes. You can fill them! So, of course I had to do that. Strawberry cupcakes with fresh mashed strawberries inside them, chocolate coconut cupcakes with coconut marshmallow fluff inside, and lemon meringue cupcakes with a sweet lemon filling that’s a lot like a lemon curd. Oh, yum! And I had to taste test them all. I had to! It wouldn’t do to turn out a cupcake recipe that wasn’t up to my standards. Right?
Can we talk about gaining weight? You’re soooo right. Let’s not go there.Did I mention that I also made lasagna cupcakes? Such fun and surprisingly good. I may never make a big pan of lasagna again.
So where are all these cupcake recipes? In The Diva Frosts a Cupcake!
Can I choose a favorite? It’s very close. I love them all. But these Applesauce Spice Cupcakes are remarkably easy to make and very good. Maybe they’re my favorites. Maybe I should bake a batch of them right now to be sure . . .
Applesauce Spice Cupcakes
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of cloves
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup regular sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
1/2 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350 and place cupcake papers in pan.
Use a fork to mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter with the sugars. Add the egg and beat. Add the applesauce and beat. Beat in the flour mixture until smooth.
Fill cupcake papers a little over 1/2 full. Bake 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Caramel Frosting
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter (room temperature)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar
Place first four ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. (I use a Pyrex 2-cup measure.) Microwave in short bursts from 20-50 seconds, stirring each time until it bubbles up and is hot. Set aside to cool. Must be completely cool to make the frosting. After it cools substantially, I place it in the fridge for 1/2 hour while the butter comes to room temperature.
Beat the butter well, scraping the sides and beating again. Add the cream and the cool caramel mixture and beat. Add the vanilla and beat. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.
Meet The Author
Like her characters, Krista Davis has a soft spot for cats, dogs, and cupcakes. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with three dogs and two cats. The Diva Frosts a Cupcake
Krista blogs at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen and Killer Characters.
Visit Krista at her website and keep up with her at:
The Diva Frosts a Cupcake
(A Domestic Diva Mystery)
7th in Series
Cozy Mystery
A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
The Berkley Publishing Group (June 4, 2013)
Published by Penguin Group
Cover Illustration by Teresa Fasolino
Cover Design by Diana Kolsky
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0425258132
E-Book File Size: 692 KB
ASIN: B009KUXNYG
‘
Revenge is sweet…
Nina Norwood has cooked up a wonderful fundraiser, Cupcakes and Pupcakes, to benefit the local animal shelter. Bakeries and pet orientated businesses will be selling goodies with all the profits going to help animal in need. Plus there will be a fancy dinner and each course served is a cupcake. Sofie is happy to help her best friend with anything she needs, whether it be manning the pet adoption tent or helping count the votes for the best cupcake.
They never imagined it would create a Cupcake War. It all starts when the partners of Sugar Baby Bakery split and the leaving partner opens her own cupcakery right across the street from the original store. But the new Sugar Mama Bakery is the least of their worries when the remaining employee of Sugar Baby is found dead and the former partners are the number one suspects.
Now it’s time for Sophie to sift through the clues and figure out who really frosted the cupcake baker…
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I love these characters and they sure get themselves into some tight situations in this installment. In addition to the murder, there is a very special cupcake missing, a problem with ingredients, a missing dog, the rival bakers feuding, and I can’t forget to mention a new hunky lawyer has come to Old Town.
Krista Davis has baked up a story that enjoy from the first bite to the last, I mean first word to the last. That is my only “complaint” about this book – the food so deliciously described – in addition to the delicious cupcakes Sofie serves up meals that will make your mouth water and your stomach growl. This book could be bad for our waistlines 🙂 Because of this story my daughter is baking cupcakes as I write this and copying down all the recipes in the back of the book, even the ones for pupcakes.
Marvelously plotted. I didn’t figure out the killer until it was revealed, but made perfect sense. A touch of romantic tension, just the right amount of humor, a feline named Moochie and a canine named Daisy, all set in a town the reader will want to visit again and again.
You can’t go wrong with a Domestic Diva Mystery! The whole series is terrific! They are a perfect escape!
Would you like to win a copy of this wonderful book?
Thanks to the people at Penguin
I have 2 copies to giveaway!!
PLUS KRISTA SENT ME SOME COOL SWAG TO INCLUDE!!!
U.S. and CANADIAN RESIDENTS
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.
Leave a comment for Krista for 5 Bonus Entries !
If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End June 26, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST
Winners Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winners Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I havent’t had a chance to start this series yet but it sounds really good.
I love this series, would love to win this one.
Oh YUM. I’m drooling on the keyboard! I have to try these cupcakes. Dee
Would love to win this book, thanks for the giveaway. I’m a big cupcake fan
Makes me want to leave work, go back home and cook some cupcakes!!! Can not wait to read this book!
Looking forward to reading the book…. 🙂
Krista, congrats on the continued success of this series, one I really enjoy! The applesauce cupcake looks pretty easy and delicious! Thanks for the chance to win and visiting Dollycas’ today!
Your blog post always make me hungry…smile. Congrats on this great series. Love a good cozy mystery and know I will enjoy reading this one. Thanks for thinking of us with the contest.
I love this series! The applesauce spice cupcakes sound divine – even without the caramel frosting. Thanks.
Those cupcakes are divine. Don'[t enter me as I have the book, and looking forward to enjoying the cupcakes vicariously, through reading !
This just sounds like a delicious read, how can you go wrong when there are cupcakes involved!
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
I just love this series! I laugh, chuckle, and smile throughout each one!
Thank you for the review, it sounds like a fun read.
Hi Krista,
I am a big fan of the Diva series, and though I only own 3 of them I’ve read the complete series minus Cupcake. I loved the review and hope the series continues for a long time.
How much fun to have to make a test all those recipes!!
The Diva does it again! Send some cupcakes my way, Ms. Davis!
This has become my favorite series. Can’t wait for the next one!
Sounds good! The cupcakes do too!
I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Krista, your books look…delicious! And those recipes are to die for! Well, hopefully not! I will have to start your series and see what I’ve been missing.
I love this series – I am thinking about rereading the entire set again ths summer. After a few books I sometimes do that to make sure I remember all of the details of the series and remember how the characters have grown.
I think the strawberry cupcake may be my favorite, especially with fresh strawberry season almost here! My Sam would love the liver pupcakes too! I love that this book features a fundraiser for animals!
I think I must be the only person in the whole world who has never eaten a cupcake
Great reading and great eating.
I have been in love with cupcakes since they started doing creative fillings and flavors, etc. Thanks for combining two of my fave things–cupcakes and mysteries:) The recipe looks good but the the ICING looks AWESOME!!
Cupcakes are delightful as is this book. Lovely.
Wonderful post and photos which are delectable.
Love this series! I have printed out the recipes and am looking forward to trying them.
Great post sounds like a wonderful read.
I love this series! =)
Wonderful review — cant wait to read this one!
Oh, what delicious cupcakes~ Cannot wait to try the recipe! 🙂 Thank you so much, Lori for hosting Krista and this delightful giveaway! The Diva Frosts a Cupcake is on my TBR List and I am so looking forward to it ~ beautiful cover! Love the series!!! Happy Reading and Writing~ Cheers~ Elizabeth MacGregor
Krista I have been your fan since the first book. Thank you for doing one about cupcakes as a cook love to try your recipes at home. 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway!
A cozy mystery and cupcakes—a super combo.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I would love to try the recipe! Sounds fantastic!
What a fun series, thank you for the chance to this book.
Sounds like a great cozy mystery . Cant wait to read it . Would love to win .
Love the sound of the book
The applesauce spice cupcakes sound delicious! This is a book on my TBR list. Great recipe and I really loved reading this post.
I love cupcakes they help with portion control. I gained five pounds after hip surgery so I am trying to be good and I sm the only one in the house that eould eat them. I would love to just bake for a year. This book sounds great.
I really enjoy this series and look forward to this next book. My daughter is a pastry chef and has been using me as her cupcake guinea pig…a job which I love!
Congratulations on your new book! This series sounds great. Love mysteries involving food and will be putting this book on my TBR list. Thanks for the applesauce spice cupcake recipe and the giveaway.
I look forward to trying your recipe and reading your book.
Fun post! A year of cupcakes sounds like a sweet dream. 🙂
I love this series~
I love these mysteries. They are delicious to read, and I usually end up baking something while reading them.
Krista, thank you for the cupcake recipe! And also for appearing on Lori’s blog. I haven’t come across your series before, but I’ll be keeping an eye out for it now!
Obviously I’m missing out on something tasty, since I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any books in this series. I’m certainly putting it on my TBR list and I will have to try this recipe. It sounds wonderful!
This is one of my very favorite series. I can’t wait to find out if Sophie and Wolf are done for good.
I love this. An excuse to make cupcakes and settle in with good chocolatey cupcakes and a large glass of milk while I have me time reading a good book.
I love the Diva series!