The Pina Colada Song Cupcake

You know the song. Everyone knows the song... Let's all sing along

If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
If you're not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain.
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.
You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape.

while eating this delicacy:


These are absolutely freaking awesome. I made them for the Iron Cupcake: Earth challenge. This month's secret ingredient is Soda Pop - or if you're from the Deep South "Coke".

My particular poison is Mountain Dew. It's like kryptonite for my diet. SRSLY. But Dew and Cupcake? That's better than Jack and Coke.

The recipe:

• 10 ounces of Pineapple Supreme cake mix by Duncan Hines
• 1 ounce of French Vanilla Instant Pudding mix. <--- HAS to be instant.
• 2 eggs beaten within an inch of their lives
• 1/2 cup of veg. oil
• 150 mililiters of Mountain Dew (roughly 2/3 cup give or take)

Beat the eggs until they scream for mercy but not until they're stiff. Dump everything else on top of the eggs and mix until well blended. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into them comes out clean.

About 7 minutes before the cupcakes come out of the oven, make the topping. And put a pot of water on to boil. You'll use this water in a bain marie type of thingy so make sure that your bowl/pan you're going to use to mix the topping in will fit down inside it while it's bubbling. I used a rice tureen inside a soup pot. I only wish it had been a smidge deeper (the tureen).

Since we're in a tropical mood and we like Pina Coladas, we're making an alcohol-based topping. You'll need:

• 1 cup of white wine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons Captain Morgan spiced rum

Place all of these in a deep metal bowl and blend until the mixture lightens in color. At this point the cupcakes should be ready to come out of the oven. Place the bowl of sauce into the bubbling pot, take the cuppies out of the oven and set aside. While the cuppies cool, use your hand mixer and blend the sauce over the water until it's smooth and hot.

The sauce is not like frosting. You've got a couple of choices for how to serve it. For tableside presentation, put the sauce in a bowl and spoon over the cuppies (de-papered) as they are served. For that extra special touch, add a teeny orchid on the side. For storing, up-end the cuppies into the sauce so that the top is evenly coated then set aside to cool.

Personally, I heart the silicone cupcake molds because you can pop the cuppies right out and on to a plate. So my family ate the first batch with the spooned-over-the-top sauce. The second round we used the dip-n-serve method. They tasted equally delish either way.

Now for the good stuff:

I'm competing to win Fabulous Prizes from the following lovely sponsors of Iron Cupcake: Earth. Make sure you vote for me at No One Puts Cupcake In The Corner starting April 29th @ 8pm! Voting ends May 4th at Noon. Remember that if you want to get in on the action, you can go to Iron Cupcake:Earth.

The April ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:

•A creation by FRUITFLYPIE, www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=16748
•a pair of cupcake earrings from LOTS OF SPRINKLES at www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6057281.
•a sweet surprise from Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Cupcakery, www.acupcakery.com/

•PLUS, IronCupcake:Earth can not forget our good friend, CAKESPY, www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5243382, who is now going to be doing a piece for our winner each month until further notice - sweet!

Corporate prize providers:

HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS, http://www.fiestaproducts.com/

HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, blog.hellocupcakebook.com

JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com/

TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com/

a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM www.upwithcupcakes.com/.

Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers, http://www.1800flowers.com/ .