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baseball caps

Take Me Out to the Ball Game . . .

It’s baseball season. The professional teams are in full swing and summer leagues are going strong. I’ve always enjoyed watching a good ball game. When my older son played in a summer league I looked forward to those lazy summer nights enjoying the beautiful weather and watching the boys play. I don’t know how many “end-of-the-season” parties I helped with over the years but, I do know that when I made Baseball Cap Cupcakes I hit a home run.

6937baseball-cap-cupcakes

It’s baseball season. The professional teams are in full swing and summer leagues are going strong. I’ve always enjoyed watching a good ball game. When my older son played in a summer league I looked forward to those lazy summer nights enjoying the beautiful weather and watching the boys play. I don’t know how many “end-of-the-season” parties I helped with over the years but, I do know that when I made Baseball Cap Cupcakes I hit a home run.

Personalizing these cupcakes makes them extra special. Decorate the caps to match your team’s colors and write teammates’ names on the brim of each cap.

The only special equipment required are custard cups which are used as the “baking pans” to provide the right shape for the caps. These are available in most grocery stores, discount stores or mass merchants. Look for them in the baking section with the glass pans and casseroles. They are inexpensive and can be used for lots of things.

To make the cupcakes, begin by heating your oven. Then grease and flour the custard cups. I placed them on a jelly-roll pan for easy transporting.

1greased-cups

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set this mixture aside to use later in the recipe. Beat the sugar and butter together until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla.

2add-egg

Reduce the mixer speed to low (this is important or you will have flour all over you and the kitchen, and yes, I have made this mistake more than once). Add the flour mixture you set aside alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition. This means to first add a little flour and beat until well mixed, then add a little milk and again beat until mixed. Repeat until all flour and milk are incorporated.

3addition-flourandmilk

By hand, stir in the mini chocolate chips. The kids love finding these little bits of chocolate in their cupcakes.

4chocolatechips

Now you are ready to divide the batter among the custard cups you already greased and floured. Leave them on the jelly-roll pan (again this just makes it easier to move all those custard cups around) and place the pan in the oven to bake.

5custardcups

Once you remove the cupcakes from the oven they need to cool for about 5 minutes before you remove them from the custard cups. Running a knife around the inside edge of the cup will help loosen them. Take care as you remove the cupcakes. Let them cool completely.

6removecups

While they’re cooling, mix up the frosting. Reserve ½ cup of the frosting before adding the food color. This reserved frosting will be used to add detail to your caps. If you’d like to add food color to this frosting, you certainly can. I just left it white. Place the reserved frosting into the pastry bag that you have fitted with a small decorator tip. Set it aside until you are ready to add the detail.

If you don’t have a pastry bag you can always use a small re-sealable plastic food bag. Place the frosting into the bag, seal it and cut off the very tip of one corner of the bag. When you gently squeeze the bag the frosting will come out the little hole. Voila! A homemade pastry bag.

7pastrybag

Now, here is where you can get creative! Divide the frosting into as many small bowls as you would like colors. I made three colors: orange, green and blue. If the cupcakes do not sit flat, you can cut off the slightly rounded tops.

8cutofftops

Frost the cupcakes, covering the entire rounded surface. Place the frosted cupcakes on a serving plate.

9frostingcupcakes

It’s time to make the brims for the caps. All you need to do is cut circles out of colored paper. I just used a custard cup to trace the circles. A fun way to make the cupcakes extra special is to use a marker to write names on the brims.

10paperpattern

Place a brim under each cupcake (slide a paper circle under each cupcake, leaving the name showing). Use the pastry bag filled with the reserved frosting to add seams to the caps. Place a candy-coated milk chocolate piece on top for the “button”.

11pipewhitestripes

Batter up! These cupcakes are as good as a grand slam (well almost)!

To view the Baseball Cap Cupcake recipe, click here. Come back after you have tried the recipe and rate and review it.

On Thursday we will feature an ever-popular recipe - tart but sweet Lemon Meringue Pie.

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