Ultimate Party Guide for the BCS National Championship

Southern Living

Use our party guide for the BCS showdown where the University of Alabama takes on LSU in New Orleans on January 9, 2012.

Your party guide to the BCS Southern showdown. Find game-day menus, appetizers, and more.
Your party guide to the BCS Southern showdown. Find game-day menus, appetizers, and more.


Alabama Trunk-Gate Menu
Devour the Tigers with this million-dollar menu featuring barbecue, deviled eggs, and Crimson Cupcakes.
The Million Dollar Bama Sandwich
Dixie's Football Pride Spicy-Sweet Deviled Eggs
Pennant Sugar Cookies

Crimson Cupcakes
YIELD: Makes 2 dozen
HANDS-ON:25 Minutes
TOTAL:2 Hours, 18 Minutes
COURSE: Cakes/Frostings, Desserts

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter, softened

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • White Chocolate-Amaretto Frosting

  • Handmade Pennants

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Stir in food coloring and vanilla until blended.

2. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt. Stir together buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. (Mixture will bubble.) Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Place 24 paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans; spoon batter into cups, filling three-fourths full.

3. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from pans to wire racks, and let cool completely (about 45 minutes).

4. Pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish, if desired.


LSU Tail-Gate Menu
Devour the Tide with this Cajun menu featuring Muffulettas, Hurricane Punch, and Purple and Gold Cupcakes.
"Muffle the Tide" Mini Muffulettas
Elephant Ringers with Rolled-Over Rémoulade Sauce
Hurricane Punch-Out

Love Purple Live Gold Cupcakes
YIELD: 24 cupcakes
COURSE: Cakes/Frostings, Cupcakes, Desserts

Ingredients

  • CUPCAKES:

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened

  • 1 cup shortening

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 4 large eggs

  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

  • Paper baking cups

  • Vegetable cooking spray

  • Vanilla Bean Frosting:

  • 1 cup butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup whipping cream

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 2 (16-oz.) packages powdered sugar

  • 2 drops electric purple food coloring

  • Toppings:

  • Yellow sanding sugar

Preparation

Prepare Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in extracts.

Place paper baking cups in 2 (12-cup) muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full.

Bake at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 45 minutes).

Prepare Frosting: Beat first 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy. Remove and reserve 1 1/2 cups frosting for cupcake filling. Stir food coloring into remaining frosting until blended.

Insert the end of a wooden spoon or dowel into the center of each cupcake to make a hole. Spoon 1 1/2 cups reserved frosting into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole. Pipe a generous amount of frosting into each cupcake.

Spoon purple frosting into a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Snip 1 corner of bag to make a hole. Pipe frosting on cupcakes; sprinkle with yellow sanding sugar.



January 2012
January 2012

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