Candy Bomb Cupcakes

So, unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, or aren't on Facebook, or actually have a life, you have heard of the game Candy Crush Saga.  In a nutshell, it's a puzzle game played via your phone or Facebook in which you use combinations of colored candies to clear the board and advance levels.

Those of you who know me well, know that I'm really not a video game person.  When my children try to talk to me about games they play, I'm pretty sure my eyes glaze over.  Even when I was a kid myself, in the 80's, at the height of the video arcade days, I did not enjoy playing these games.  I did enjoy GOING to the arcade, but I'm sure that was more about the boys to be found in these establishments and less about the games.  Our family does have a Wii system and I can count on two fingers the number of times I've actually played it in the three plus years it has been in our home.  So, to sum up...me...not a game person.

Then it happened.  About 5 weeks ago I sprained my ankle while running.  For the first couple of weeks I had quite a bit of down time while trying to heal.  I read, watched some tv, and Facebooked from my phone.  I kept seeing my friends playing this Candy Crush game and I kept getting requests to play.  I will admit that in the past, I was one of those people who got quite annoyed by all the Farmville, etc., requests that I would get on Facebook.  But, as I was spending time on the couch, being bored, trying to keep from eating plates of brownies...I caved.  I downloaded the app, just to check it out.  That was about 3 weeks ago.  And I'm a goner.  Sucked in to the Candy Crush game playing world.  I don't know why it's so addicting, but it is.  The colorful game boards, the sounds of the candy being crushed.  It's really fun!!

So, when my friend, Caroline, sent me a link to this blog post, and asked me...no, BEGGED me, to make Candy Bomb cupcakes, well, of course I had to.  (Actually, I should mention that the candy bomb is THE candy you want in Candy Crush Saga.  It is made by getting 5 of the same candies in a row and it obliterates every candy of the same color that you pair it with.)  This is what I ended up with....

I think they are so stinkin' adorable!   I don't know about you, but I think sprinkles are a ton of fun anyway.  And when you cover your cupcake in them, it's even more fun.  So, go bake your favorite cupcakes (I made  minis), put a blob of your favorite frosting on top (I used a large round  piping tip to put a heap o' frosting on mine) and then roll 'em around like crazy in your favorite sprinkles.  Super fun.

And on a final note, just a brief PSA from me to you:  Stay away from Candy Crush Saga.  It's highly addictive and a major time suck.  I'm fairly certain I need an intervention followed by a 12-step program.  For real.  LOL!

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes and Christmas Cheer...

I have really been having a difficult time getting into the Christmas mood this year.  I don't know if it's because it seems like it came up sooo fast, or because I have been really busy and getting my house all Christmasy is seeming like another chore I need to complete, or possibly because it is STILL SO STINKIN' WARM HERE!!  I'm thinking it's a combination of these things.  At any rate, I needed to get myself into the mood and quick.  So I made some Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes!   Peppermint mocha lattes from Starbucks just scream Christmas to me, so why not a cupcake version?  Besides, food always makes things better anyway, right?

I have had the idea for these cupcakes on my mind since last Christmas, but never got around to putting it together.  If you love mint and chocolate together, then this is the cupcake for you.  The cake is so chocolatey and minty,with a hint of coffee, topped with vanilla butter cream frosting, chocolate ganache, and crushed candy canes.  You could even put a bit of peppermint extract into the frosting, if you so desired, but I thought it was perfect without.  And I noticed that after a day or two, the crushed candy canes kind of became melty and the mint flavor seeped into the frosting, which didn't look as pretty anymore, but sure did taste good!

And guess what?  After treating myself to one bite (ok, a little more than that) along with a mug of hot cocoa (ok, it was a glass of wine)....I was in the Christmas spirit!  I finished decorating my house, we put the Christmas lights up, and I can't wait to get on with the rest of the season.  Now, I'm not guaranteeing you will have this result, but if you are having some trouble getting into the holiday mood, bake these!  It's worth a shot, right?

P.S.  I did not get around to taking some nice pictures of these cupcakes, so you will have to settle for the one I took with my phone...sorry.  :)

Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes

Cupcake
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and warm
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp instant coffee crystals (I used Starbucks Via)
1/2 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips

Instructions:
Combine the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat for a minute or so on medium speed. In another bowl, combine the flour, coffee crystals, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture, combine and beat for about 20-30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the hot coffee, and beat for another 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth.  Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Watch them carefully, and check them around the 16 minute mark.  I have found this recipe to be one that has a very fine line between done and overdone!  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes in the pan.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter,  at room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3-4 Tbsp whipping cream or milk

Instructions:
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.  Add 4 cups of powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, and beat well.  Add the vanilla and incorporate.  Add the whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until reaching your desired consistency.  Frost cupcakes your favorite way and decorate as desired.  I drizzled them with chocolate ganache and crushed candy canes.

Banana Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream!

Oh my goodness!!!!  Seriously, has it been over 2 months since I last posted a cupcake recipe???  I had all these lofty plans about all of the wonderful things I was going to bake and tell you all about over the summer.  Where in the world did the time go?  And then school started, and well....I don't have to tell you guys how busy life gets.

Now, don't get me wrong....I baked like a crazy girl, all summer long.  (The "crazy" part being that I regularly turned my oven on while it was a million degrees outside here in Phoenix!)  I will probably eventually get around to posting some of those things, but I think right now I'm going to start fresh and  tell you about these tasty cupcakes I made last week.....

I think I might be in love with these cupcakes.  Which is kind of funny because, frankly, I don't love bananas. I only kind of like them.  But lately I have been finding myself craving them every now and then. Maybe it's because I sort of accidentally discovered how good they taste frozen, with a little bit of chocolate syrup drizzled over them.  Maybe I have a vitamin deficiency that can only be satisfied with bananas.  Maybe it's because my mom has been bringing us so many bananas that I had to start freezing them so they wouldn't go bad (hence how I found out the frozen chocolate thing).*   I don't know.  But, what I do know, is that I had a hankering to make a banana cupcake.  And I knew that peanut butter and chocolate had to somehow figure in. And the result was this......

Super moist banana cake with ridiculously peanut buttery buttercream frosting, topped with a chunk of Reese's cup, and drizzled with chocolate ganache.  The frosting is really rich and the cake is like banana bread in cupcake form, so the two balance each other out.  Like I said before, I think I'm in love with this cupcake, and I think you will be, too.  You need to make these immediately....you know you want to.


Banana Cupcakes
{makes about 12}

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 large bananas, very ripe, mashed
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg yolk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and vanilla with the mashed bananas.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and yolk and beat until well blended.  Add the flour and sour cream/banana/vanilla mixture alternately, beginning and ending with the flour.  Beat each addition until just blended.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 -3/4 full.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes.  Allow to cool in pans for about 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

{Source:  Bon Appetit}


Peanut Butter Buttercream

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the peanut butter and butter together until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and beat well.  Add the milk and beat until creamy.  You can add more milk or powdered sugar to reach your desired consistency.  Frost and decorate the cupcakes your favorite way!

* Just a little side note regarding bananas... I have found that if you peel a bunch of bananas, place them in freezer bags, and freeze, they work great for so many things...from banana smoothies to an afternoon snack drizzled with chocolate syrup!

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Frosting....

Wow!  Just the name alone is a mouthful!  I suppose I could have come up with something that told the story in fewer words, but I just couldn't think of anything that accurately described all of the flavors in this cupcake.  So, Chocolate Brownie Cupcake with Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Frosting is what it is to me.  You can call it whatever you want.  lol

Let's start with the whole mocha cappuccino hazelnut part.  I learned about this crazy stuff made by Jif from a blog I love called Love From The Oven.  She always knows about the most amazing products!  So, when I actually came face to face with this sin-in-a-jar at Target last week, my mind was swirling with ideas of ways to use it.  The most obvious way, for me, anyway, was frosting.

Who comes up with these ideas??  Geniuses.  That's who.

And, what better flavor of cupcake to put this frosting on than chocolate.  A chocolate cupcake with actual coffee in the batter.  Oh, and brownies.  IN the cupcake. (This is another fun trick I learned over at Love From The Oven.  You really should go check her out.  She's awesome.  And in Phoenix.  Which makes her even more awesome.  Only truly hard core bakers turn their ovens on in Phoenix in the summer!)

I put all of these fun things together and ended up with this....

I just love the color of the frosting.  So pretty.  And I finished them off with chocolate mocha beans and chocolate cigars.  I just love little touches like that, don't you?  Of course, now that it is all said and done, and all of the cupcakes are eaten, I realize that I didn't take a picture of the brownie bottom.  :(   You will just have to use your imagination.  And you will want to run, not walk, yourself over to Target and buy some Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread so you can make these cupcakes!

Do you think Jif would use me for a commercial?  ;)

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

You will need:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix, prepared as directed.*
1 batch of your favorite chocolate cupcakes.  I used this one.**

Preheat your oven.  Line your cupcake tins with paper liners.  Prepare your brownie batter and your cupcake batter.  Put a dollop of brownie batter (I used about a tablespoon or so) in the bottom of each paper liner.  Fill liners with cupcake batter and bake as directed.  Allow the cupcakes to completely cool before frosting.

Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
3-4 T Jif Mocha Cappuccino Hazelnut Spread (depending on your taste)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
milk or heavy whipping cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy (about 4 or 5 minutes).  Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides as you go.  Add the vanilla and the hazelnut spread.  I recommend adding the spread a tablespoon at a time until you achieve a flavor you like.  I thought it was pretty strong tasting.  Then add the milk or whipping cream, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.  Frost the cupcakes however you like!


* I put the left over brownie batter in a pan and baked it so none would go to waste.  Can't let that happen!  AND I used some left over peanut butter frosting on the top of those brownies, which was a stroke of genius in and of itself.  But that's another story for another day.  :)
**  I halved the chocolate cake recipe so I only had a dozen cupcakes.

Watermelon Cupcakes

In keeping with the summer theme I started Monday with the Pink Lemonade Cupcakes, today I'm going to share Watermelon Cupcakes!  Remember I said the other day that very few things say "summer" like lemonade?  Well, watermelon most definitely falls into that "very few things" category...wouldn't you say?

When I first made these cupcakes a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't sure they had quite the watermelon flavor that I was looking for.  I kind of toyed around with the idea of adding watermelon extract (which is expensive and hard to find, by the way), or maybe even adding some watermelon Kool-Aid mix.  Just to give it an extra punch of flavor.

However, when the Buttercream Dreams taste testers (aka: husband and children) gave their opinions, 3 out of 4 thought that they tasted just right.  Now, to be completely forthright, the fourth tester deemed them to be "a little bit of disgusting."  But, I will add that she also thought my chocolate cupcakes were "too chocolatey" (is that even possible?) and she dips her broccoli into ketsup.  I really didn't have any problem disregarding her opinion on the watermelon cupcake.  :)  So, the cake recipe remains as I found it here: From Apples 2 Zucchini.

The watermelon flavor is very mild and the cupcakes are moist.  Topped off with a sweet buttercream frosting with just a hint of watermelon flavor makes them perfect!  I also tossed a handful of mini-chocolate chips into the batter to look like seeds and sprinkled a few on top of the cupcakes.  I thought they turned out terribly cute.  If you love watermelon and all of it's summeriness (is that a word?), I really hope you will try these!  And if you decide to add some watermelon extract, you can find it here: where to order watermelon extract if you can't find it in a store.  :)

Watermelon Cupcakes
{makes about 12}

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup watermelon juice*

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.  Sift the the dry ingredients together in a bowl.  Set aside.
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
3.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4.  Add the watermelon juice and mix until well incorporated.  At this point you could also add a drop or two of pink or red food coloring.
5.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a rack before frosting.

* I obtained my watermelon juice by cutting up a fresh watermelon and pureeing in my mixer.  Then I put the puree into a strainer to get the juice.

{source of cupcake recipe: From Apples 2 Zucchini

Watermelon Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 Tbsp watermelon juice

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy.  Add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, and continue to beat until smooth.  Add the watermelon juice, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until reaching your desired consistancy.  If you need to , add a little bit of milk or heavy whipping cream.   Frost the cupcakes your favorite way!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

There are few things that say "summer" like lemonade does.  It just sounds so cool and refreshing.  Especially this summer, when it seems like so many places around the country are just sweltering hot.  My kids love pink lemonade.  They would drink gallons of it a day if I would let them.  So, when my friend, Gina, mentioned to me that she had seen a recipe for pink lemonade cupcakes on Pinterest....well, you know I had to go check it out!

I actually went through several recipes on the internet and just couldn't find one that sounded like what I wanted to do.  Then finally, I found it.  On a previously unknown to me blog called Let Them Eat Cake.  I thought her recipe sounded great and the pictures looked so pretty.

The first time I attempted the recipe we had just returned home from a trip up to Pinetop, Arizona with the family.  The whole ride home I was going over in my head how awesome they were going to be.  Well, that wasn't to be the case.  They were tough and a little bit sticky.  The toughness due to over mixing probably, and the stickiness due a last minute decision to brush the tops of the cupcakes with some left over pink lemonade concentrate.  I thought it would amp up the flavor, but alas, it only made them sticky.  Oh, well...you never know until you try, right?!  But, I took them to potluck at church the next day, anyway!  And that night I tried it again!  (Those of you who know me best are thinking, "Yep.  That sounds about right.")

Second time around....much better!  Soft and moist, non-sticky cupcakes with a great pink lemonade flavor, and really yummy pink lemonade buttercream frosting.  So good.  So summery.  So necessary for you to make.  Soon.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes
{makes about 24}

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 egg whites
3/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk
lemon zest
Red or pink food coloring ( I used Americolor Electric Pink)

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line your cupcakes tins with paper liners.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until blended.  Set aside.
2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar, oil, egg whites, pink lemonade concentrate, lemon zest, and vanilla until well combined.
3. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.  Add about 1/2 of the buttermilk and mix until combined.
4.  Continue to alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk and mix until combined well.  Don't over mix (remember those tough cupcakes!).
5.  Add 1-2 drops of food coloring and mix.
6.  Fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 full of batter and bake for 15-18 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool in pans for about 5 minutes.  Remove from pans to completely cool on a rack before frosting.

Pink Lemonade Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
6T pink lemonade concentrate
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
red or pink food coloring

Directions

Beat the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy.  Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat well, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.  Add vanilla and lemonade concentrate, mix combined.  Add 1-2 drops of food coloring and continue to beat until smooth.  Fill a pastry bag, fitted with your favorite decorating tip, and pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.  I also decorated my cupcakes with a piece of Sour Patch Watermelon candy  and a cute pink straw from Bake It Pretty!


{source of recipe Let Them Eat Cake}

We All Scream for Ice Cream...Cone Cupcakes!

Wow....is it really the second week of July already??  Where did the time go?  I had all of these plans to post tons of recipes over the summer, but sadly, I have posted not a one since May.  On the bright side, I have been having a great summer with my kiddos, family, and many of our great friends.  Much fun in the pool, up north, and cooking out.  Summer will be over all too soon.

I have been baking, though, and do have some fun, summery recipes to share.  I'm going to start with these adorable ice cream cones cupcakes because they are simple and cute.  And let's face it.   Who wouldn't love a cupcake, baked in a cone, and decorated to look like an ice cream cone....right?

First of all, I will confess that I used a boxed yellow cake mix to make the cupcakes.  I made these on a whim one day and decided to go the easy route.  Go ahead...judge me if you must.  :)  Second, don't underestimate how few "perfect" cones there are in a box of ice cream cones.  You may have to settle for only sort of broken.  I went through 2 boxes to get 12, of what I considered to be, acceptable cones.  In retrospect, I think I may have gone overboard.  Imagine.  However, you don't want them to have holes in them or to be too broken on the sides, as the batter will spill out and bake out of those holes and cracks.

Now, I have read a couple of blogs about making these cupcakes.  The primary complaint was the risk of them toppling over on the way to the oven, or in the oven.  There is even a pan made specifically for baking ice cream cone cupcakes to eliminate this problem!  Well, since I don't have one of those super special pans, I decided to just stand my batter filled cones up in my mini cupcake pans.  Genius!  I thought it worked great, but you still have to be careful.

After you have filled your cones with the batter of your choice, bake them as you normally would.  They will come out of the oven looking like this...

Fun, right?!  Now just frost them with your favorite frosting and decorate as desired.  I use vanilla butter cream piped on with the Wilton 1M tip.  Then I decorated them with sprinkles.  I was so pleased with the way they turned out!

These are really fun cupcakes to make.  My kids loved them.  I did find out, though, that they are definitely one of those make and eat in the same day cupcakes.  The cones don't hold up well if you try to store them. They absorb the moisture from the cake and wilt.  Found this out the hard way.

Oh, and one more tip....after you decorate them, they will be kinda top heavy.  Learned that the hard way, too.  :)

Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes

Finally.  I am finally posting a recipe for a totally chocolate cupcake.  And seriously...they are good.  If you are one of those people who frequently finds themselves thinking a dessert is too rich, or too sweet, or too much anything, this cupcake is so not for you.  You might as well just stop reading right now!  But, if you are like me, and adore anything rich and full of all kinds of chocolate goodness, I think you are going to love these cupcakes.

I have experimented with quite a few chocolate cake recipes and have liked many of them.  But for some reason, I just couldn't find one that tasted exactly like I wanted it to.  These cupcakes are rich and moist, and I see no reason to look any further.  These are my "go to" chocolate forever and ever.  I'm sure you are wondering, "Where, oh, where did she get this amazing recipe?!"  Well, I'm going to tell you.  It is right on the Hershey's Cocoa can.  Under my nose.  All along.  Go figure.

I followed the recipe pretty much exactly as shown on the can (or on Hershey's Kitchen) with just a couple of alterations.  I used hot coffee in place of the boiling water (I have tried it both ways and prefer the coffee) and (now, this will just be our secret) I used Ghiradelli cocoa powder.  I frosted them with a yummy chocolate buttercream (oh, yes, also from the Hershey's can), drizzled them with chocolate ganache, and topped them with dark chocolate curls.  Chocolate heaven.  I hope you love them as much as I do.

Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes
   {makes about 30}

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on low speed until combined.

In another bowl, combine the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

With the mixer on low speed , slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Add the coffee and stir to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Fill the paper liners about 2/3 full and bake for 17-20 minutes.  Cool in pans for about 5 minutes and then remove cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small bowl.  Add the cocoa and mix until combined.  Pour into the bowl of a mixer.  Alternate the powdered sugar and milk, beating well.  Add the vanilla and mix well.

{P.S.  I made two batches of the frosting to cover all 30 cupcakes.}

Chocolate Ganache Drizzle

3.5 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate squares
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Chop the chocolate finely and place in a heat proof bowl.  Heat the whipping cream in a heavy sauce pan on medium heat until it just starts to boil.  Pour cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for one minute.  Using a rubber spatula, mix the cream and chocolate until smooth.  Let the ganache sit and cool until it reaches a drizzling consistency.  You can put it in the refrigerator to speed  this process, but watch it carefully because it will get hard before you know it!  Place the cooled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip and drizzle onto the tops of the cupcakes.

Garnish the cupcakes with chocolate curls, if you would like!

Fresh Lime Cupcakes with Coconut & Lime Frosting

As anyone who knows me or follows my blog knows...I love chocolate.  That will never change (at least I don't think so!).  But,  recently I have been very inspired by the lighter flavor of citrus...orange, lemon, and lime.  There is just something so fresh and appealing about these flavors.  I want to add citrus to everything I make these days!

A couple of weeks ago, I was thumbing through a cupcake cookbook by Primrose Bakery and found a recipe for vanilla cupcakes with lime and coconut frosting.  I immediately couldn't rest until I had made some!  Now,  I wasn't really sold on the idea of vanilla cake.  I was thinking a white cake would go along with the lime/coconut combination better,  so I went with that.  The cupcake recipe I used is the same one I used for the Margarita Cupcakes, which I will be posting next week...just in time for Cinco de Mayo!  I just eliminated the tequila for this recipe.

Fresh Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
zest/juice of 2 limes
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.  Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.  Beat the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 5 minutes on medium-high.  Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the mixing bowl, starting and ending with the flour, until all the ingredients are well blended.  Give it one last good mixing.  Divide the batter into the paper liners.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting.

Lime and Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 T fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
Shredded coconut

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until creamy.  Add the powdered sugar gradually, until reaching your desired consistency.  Add the lime juice and zest and mix well.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired and then sprinkle tops with coconut.

Carrot Cupcakes...With or Without Raisins!

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting used to be my all-time favorite kind of cake.   I had a huge carrot cake for my 30th birthday party (which was way longer ago than I care to discuss), an adorable Classic Winnie-the-Pooh carrot cake for my baby shower when I was expecting Benjamin (also way longer ago than I care to discuss!), and I even thought about having a layer of our wedding cake carrot.  For some reason, I decided against the carrot wedding cake, but for the life of me can't remember what flavor I went with.  Guess that was a long time ago, too!  ANYWAY...my point is, that somewhere along the way, carrot cake took a backseat to my quest for all things chocolate (well, MOST things chocolate...also peanut butter, caramel, lemon...you get the idea).

Until now.  I had run across a few recipes for carrot cupcakes and figured I would eventually get around to making one.  And now I have.

When I started really putting some thought to doing this, I knew that I wanted to go with the carrot cake recipe of an old family friend.  Donna is the one who made that adorable Winnie-the-Pooh cake for my baby shower (and our beautiful wedding cake I can't remember the flavor of) and her recipe is super good.  Of course, the recipe was MIA when I first started looking, but I found it, tweaked the spices a bit, added some raisins (to half the batch, anyway!), and here we are!

These cupcakes have a great flavor , and topped with an orange cream cheese frosting, are "nearly perfect in every way"....to quote Mary Poppins.  :)

Carrot Cupcakes
{recipe makes about 24}

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots (about 4 medium sized carrots)
1 cup raisins soaked in water for about an hour (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cupcakes pans with paper liners.  Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until well combined.  If you choose to use raisins, you can throw them in now.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake liners.  Bake for 18-22 minutes.  Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cream together the cream cheese and butter.  Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until the frosting is smooth and creamy.  Add the orange zest and beat for another minute or so.  Frost the cooled cupcakes your favorite way!  I used a pastry bag and a Wilton 1M tip.

{FYI- my hubby said these are his favorite cupcakes so far!}

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

This is a cupcake that I have been wanting to try for a while now.  I searched through numerous recipes online to find the perfect one.  They were many to choose from!  Some were chocolate cake, some white.  Some had bits of crumbled Oreos in the cake, some a whole Oreo, and some just half an Oreo.  There were also various frosting options.  In the end, I chose to use my "go to" chocolate cupcake recipe with half an Oreo in the bottom,  and my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting with crushed Oreo tops.  Then I topped them all with a mini Oreo.

I love me some Oreos, so I think these cupcakes are spectacular.  The cake is really moist and the Oreo on the bottom is a great extra touch.  The vanilla buttercream frosting is yummy and the crushed Oreos give it a nice texture.  I recommend waiting until just before serving to add the mini Oreo to the top.  The moisture in the frosting causes the cookie to get soft if it sits in there too long.

Now I'm wondering what other cookies I could put into a cupcake.  Hmmm....

Chocolate Cupcakes
{makes 24 cupcakes}

What you need:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon hot water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line your pans with paper liners.  Place half an Oreo (bottom and cream filling) into the bottom of each liner.  Reserve the tops of the Oreos for the frosting.

In a small bowl, combine the hot water and cocoa and whisk until smooth.  In another medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk to blend.

Cook the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted, stirring occasionally.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium low speed until the mixture is cool, about 5 minutes or so.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Scrape the sides of bowl as necessary.  Mix in the vanilla and cocoa mixture until smooth.  Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix each addition just until incorporated.

Fill the prepared liners about 2/3 full with batter and bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. *   Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

*Note:  I usually start checking my cupcakes about 5 minutes before the shortest suggested baking time.  Everyone's oven is different, so it may take more or less time.

{Chocolate Cupcake recipe from Annie's Eats}

Oreo Buttercream Frosting

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Crushed Oreos
4 cups of powdered sugar
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

What to do:
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer for about 5 minutes, scraping sides as necessary. Blend in the vanilla extract.  Add in the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until smooth.  Gradually beat in the whipping cream until reaching your desired consistency.  Fold in the crushed Oreos.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip with the frosting and pipe onto cupcakes.  I used the large, round tip from Bake it Pretty.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting...

Have I ever mentioned my love/hate relationship with peanut butter?  I LOVE peanut butter.  In almost any form.  But once I start eating it, I have a very hard time stopping...this is the part I hate!  However, I'm always on the look out for yummy looking recipes that contain peanut butter.  And what could be yummier than a chocolate cupcake topped with a creamy peanut butter frosting?!

The inspiration for these cupcakes originally came from those adorable mini cupcakes they sell at Starbucks.  The first time I made them was last spring.  I hadn't made the leap to baking my cakes from scratch back then, so I used a box mix and concocted (is that right? lol) my own pb frosting recipe.  They were really good.  But this time I used my new favorite chocolate cupcake recipe from Annie's Eats, and if it's possible, they were even better than the first time!

The cupcake itself is very moist and chocolatey, while the frosting is really creamy and peanut buttery.  And, of course, topping it off with a mini Reese's cup, well...doesn't the picture just speak for itself?

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes
{makes about 24}

What you need:
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp cocoa powder *
1/2 cup plus 1Tbsp hot water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

What you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners.  Combine the hot water and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; whisk to blend.

Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.  Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium -low speed until the mixture is cool, about 5 minutes or so.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture until smooth.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three additions, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix each addition until just incorporated. 

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting

What you need:
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream or milk

What to do:
Beat the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy.  Blend in the vanilla.  Add in the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, beating until well incorporated.  Add in the milk or whipping cream, 1 Tbsp at a time, until reaching your desired consistancy.  Frost the cupcakes as desired ( I piped the frosting on using a large star tip) and top with a mini Reese's cup.

* The original recipe from Annie's Eats called for Dutch process cocoa.  I didn't have any so I just used regular Hershey's cocoa powder without any problem. :)

Cranberry Chai Cupcakes

I know that chai is really popular these days.  I have a couple of good friends who are really into chai tea and lattes, so these cupcakes jumped out at me when I saw them in my Better Homes and Gardens cupcake magazine a few months ago.  I mentally "put a pin in it", knowing that I would have to make them at some point.

I do have to confess, though, that I had never tried chai myself until recently.  Didn't even know what it tasted like!  Well, now I do, and while a chai latte is tasty...these cupcakes (in my humble opinion) are mucho better!!  And I love the recipe from BHG because it even tells you how to make your own chai spice seasoning.  Awesome! 

Cranberry Chai Cupcakes
{makes 20-24 cupcakes}

What you need:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T Chai Spice Seasoning (recipe to follow)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup chopped cranberries

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, Chai seasoning, baking powder, baking soda, and salt;  whisk to combine.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy.  Gradually add in sugar, beating until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.  Stir in chopped cranberries.

Fill liners about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool cakes in pans for about 5 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Chai Cream Cheese Frosting

What you need:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 T vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons chai spice seasoning
4 cups powdered sugar



What to do:
Beat the butter, cream cheese, and chai spice seasoning in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add in the powdered sugar gradually, beating until you reach your desired consistancy.  Frost cupcakes as desired. 

Chai Spice Seasoning
Using an electic spice grinder, small food processor, or clean coffee grinder, finely grind 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp whole cloves.  Transfer to a small bowl.  Stir in 2 tsp ground cardamom, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.  You can store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to one month

Sugared Cranberries:
Roll frozen whole cranberries in granulated sugar to coat.  Place on waxed paper; let stand until dry.

{Recipe slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens}

Irish Pubcakes...

Cupcake cocktail, anyone?  I read about these cupcakes on a couple of different blogs and knew that I had to come up with an excuse to make them.  What better excuse than dessert for a dinner party?  So, we invited several dear friends (the ones I knew would appreciate these cupcakes the most, LOL!)  grilled up some homemade pizza, had an enjoyable meal in the backyard on a lovely Arizona October evening, and ate these babies for dessert.  A good time was most definitely had by all.  And I'm finally getting around to tellling you about it!

These cupcakes were originally named after a cocktail called an "Irish Car Bomb".  I saw them on Smitten Kitchen and Brown Eyed Baker, and wow did those girls take some heat for the name!  Lots of controversy about the political correctness.  Smitten Kitchen changed the name of the recipe on her blog, but Brown Eyed Baker didn't.  I decided to call them something else all together, and took an idea from one of my Facebook friends to call them "Irish Pubcakes"....so that's what they are here!

Basically, it's a chocolate cupcake made with Guinness beer, Irish whiskey chocolate ganache filling, and Bailey's Irish Cream buttercream frosting.  Probably not appealing to everyone, but there are those of you who will think they died and went to heaven.  You know who you are.  :)

Irish Pubcakes
{Source: Smitten Kitchen}

Cupcakes:

What you need:
1 cup Guinness or other stout beer
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners,  Bring beer and butter to simmer in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.  Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Beat eggs and sour cream in bowl of an electric mixer.  Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.  Add flour and beat briefly on low speed.  Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.  Fill liners.  Bake about 17 minutes, rotating 1/2 way through baking time.  Cool completely on racks.

Ganache filling:
What you need:
8 oz dark chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 T butter, room temp
1-2 tsp Irish whiskey

What to do:
Place chocolate in heatproof bowl.  Heat heavy cream in saucepan over medium heat until simmering.  Pour over chocolate.  Allow to sit for a minute or two, and then stir until smooth.  Add butter and whiskey, stir until combined.  Let cool until thick.

Using the big end of a large pastry tip, cut a hole in the top of the cupcakes.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip with ganache.  Pipe into cupcakes.

The ganache filling

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting
What you need:

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 T Bailey's

What to do:
Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping sides occasionally.  Slowly add in powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time.  Beat until smooth.  Add Bailey's and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and shiny.  Fill a pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip and pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.



Not a great picture, but this is what the inside looks like



Here is the finished product again.  Just in case you missed it the first time.  ;)





Salted Caramel Cupcakes

I seriously cannot believe that I haven't posted a recipe since October!  This is my favorite time of the year and I should be posting recipes like a crazy woman!!  I have been baking, quite a bit actually, but just haven't seemed to find the time to sit down and write about it.  Add that to annoying internet connectivity issues as well as a problem with my camera photos not uploading, and well...you get the idea, right?  I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try to catch up with the baking I have already done or just move forward....we shall see...

ANYWAY!  SALTED CARAMEL CUPCAKES!!  Saw this recipe over at We Are Not Martha and immediately thought of my friend, Michele.  She is a fool for salted caramel, so of course I had to make these cupcakes for her.  And I'm happy to say that she loved them.  If you love that whole salty and sweet combo...yep, this is for you.

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
{source:  We are Not Martha}

Cupcakes

What you need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk

What to do:
1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
2.  Combine flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until the batter
     begins to appear fluffy.
4.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated;  add vanilla.
5.  Add the flour and buttermilk alternately, in three batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
6.  Using a large scoop, fill each muffin tin with batter (about 2/3 full) and bake for 23-25 minutes.  Allow
      cupcakes to cool completely before proceeding to next step.

Salted Caramel Filling

What you need:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp salted butter, cubed
1/4 cup heavy cream

What to do:
1.  In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt sugar and butter.  Gently whisk until the sugar begins to melt. *
2.  Incorporate the heavy cream.  The mixture will begin to foam immediately.
3.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool just a bit.
4.  Cut a small circle out of the top of each cupcake with a paring knife.  Fill with a tsp of caramel filling and
      re-top with the cupcake piece you cut out.

* In hindsight, I wish that I had taken a picture of what it looks like when it melts.  I have never made caramel before, so I was just winging it.  I kept asking Ryan, "does this look right?"  Just keep whisking.  When it melts, you will say, "oh yeah...that's right."  :)

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

What you need:
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted butter
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

What to do:
1.  In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil.  Cook, without stirring, until it starts to turn a deep brown color.
2.  Remove from the heat and add the cream and vanilla very slowly.  Mix lightly until the mixture in smooth.  Allow the caramel to cool for about 20 minutes or so.  Keep a watch on it, though, so it doesn't get so thick that you can't pour it.
3.  In a stand mixer, beat together the butters and salt until light and fluffy.  Slow the mixer down and add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar.  Beat until combined.
4.  Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl and then add in the caramel.  Mix until all of the caramel is incorporated.  Add additional powdered sugar until it is the consistancy you like.
5.  Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.  I used the large french pastry tip from Bake It Pretty. 

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes

I miss fall.  After 26+ years living in Arizona, fall...a REAL fall...is what I miss the most about living in Michigan.  You know...the leaves changing colors, the crispness in the air, the smell of fires burning.  THAT kind of fall.  We don't get that here in Arizona, but that doesn't stop me from pretending!  And the best way to get into a fall kind of mood is to bake something that smells like fall.  Something like pumpkin spiced cupcakes!

These cupcakes have been on my "to do list" for a while, but I kept thinking I would wait until it cooled down just a bit before making them.  Well, that is just not happening, so I decided to make them anyway.  Who cares if it is still 100 degrees outside, right?

Usually, I like to use fresh pumpkin when I'm baking, but truthfully I just didn't have the patience for it this time.  I wanted quick and simple.  So I used Libby's canned pumpkin and they turned out just as yummy as if I had used fresh.  That Libby knows her stuff.  :)

Pumpkin Spiced Cupcakes
{makes about 24 cupcakes}

What you need:
For the cupcakes:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs

For the frosting:
8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line your cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together the pumpkin, white sugar, brown sugar, and oil.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing until just incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the vanilla.  Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, until fully incorporated.  Beat in the milk.  Increase the speed and beat until smooth.  Frost cupcakes as desired.  I sprinkled the tops of the cupcakes with a little bit of cinnamon, but that is optional...I just thought it looked pretty.  :)

{Adapted from: Annie's Eats}

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cupcakes!

I confess.  I absolutely LOVE peanut butter.  Sandwiches.  Reese's cups.  Ice cream.  Right out of the jar.  Love it.  I don't eat it very often, but when I do, it is heaven.  So, when I happened across this recipe for peanut butter and jelly cupcakes, well...I had no choice.  Had to make them. 

I found them on this great blog...We Are Not Martha, but I have to admit that I did not love the actual cake itself.  Kinda dry and heavy.  Maybe something I did wrong (imagine that lol).  The frosting, however, was peanut butter perfection.  The second time around, I used my favorite peanut butter cupcake recipe and they turned out super.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes
{makes about 12 cupcakes}
Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk, room temperature
Your favorite jelly, jam, or preserves

For the frosting:
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:
For the cakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line muffin tin with paper liners.  Cream butter and peanut butter together in bowl of stand mixer until smooth and creamy.  Add sugar and eggs and beat together until fluffy.  Add vanilla and mix for another minute or two.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add half of the dry ingredients to mixer bowl, mixing until just combined.  Add milk.  Once combined, add remaining dry ingredients. 

Fill liners about 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-18 minutes (See note).  Cool completely.

For frosting:
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy.  Add salt and peanut butter.  Beat to combine.  Beat in vanilla.

Whisk cream in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until medium-stiff peaks form.  Fold whipped cream into pb mixture.

Assemble:
Using the large end of a piping tip, cut out a hole in the cupcakes.  Fill with about a tsp of jelly.  Fill a pastry bag, fitted with your favorite tip, with the frosting and pipe onto the cakes.  Add a little dollop of jelly to the top of the cupcake.

*Note:  These peanut butter cupcakes are very touchy when baking.  There is a very fine line between perfect and over done.  I start checking mine around 15 minutes, and have found my "perfect" time to be somewhere between 16 and 17 minutes.

Also, you can add 3/4 cup peanut butter chips to the batter if you want.  That is yummy, too!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

So many cupcake recipes to try, so little time to do that AND blog about it (while doing all the other 1500 things I have to do on any given day)!!  A couple of weeks ago I fiddled around with a recipe for chocolate cupcakes with creme filling and dark chocolate buttercream frosting.  The cake and the filling I have down, but am still trying to come up with the perfect frosting to top it all off.  As soon as I achieve that goal I will post all about it for you guys!

I did, however, stumble across a FANTASTIC recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes that I made last week.  People, these cupcakes are GOOD.  And not just "yeah, those are pretty good" good.  They are "OMG!  Those cupcakes are amazing!" good.  Really.

I have to admit, I was skeptical.  Do they really taste like cookie dough?  Does one really WANT a cupcake that tastes like cookie dough?  The answer to both of those questions is...OH , YES.  I didn't really know how I felt about a chunk of cookie dough filling in the middle of my cupcake, or how I felt about brown sugar and flour in the frosting.  But I am here to tell you that it works.  All of it.  And, if you are a fan at all of chocolate chip cookie dough, I'm begging you to make these cupcakes.  You will be sooo glad.  And you will thank me.  And possibly name a child after me.  :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes 
(Source: Annie's Eats)

What you need:
For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the filling:
4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
7 fluid oz (almost one whole 14oz can) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3-5 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake tins with paper liners.  In the the bowl of a stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Mix each addition until just incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Using a large scoop (about 3 tbsp), fill the paper liners.  Bake for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Cover and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up, about an hour.

To fill the cupcakes, use the end of a large pastry tip to cut out a cavity in the middle of the cupcake.  Fill each cavity with a chunck of the cookie dough filling.

For the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy.  Mix in the confectioner's sugar until smooth.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Beat in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended ( I beat it for quite a while because I was concerned about the brown sugar making it grainy).

Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip (I used the Wilton 1M) and pipe the frosting onto the cakes.  Sprinkle the tops with some extra mini chips, if you would like.  I thought it made them look very cute.  :)

I think the only thing I would do different next time is use heavy whipping cream in the frosting in place of milk.  Oh, and more frosting for Erin and Olivia.  :)

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Frosting!

I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted a cupcake recipe...several weeks!  It's not that I haven't been baking...I have...it's just been very busy getting back into the swing of the new school year.  Ben is now in the 4th grade, Jack in 2nd, and Madelyn in kindergarten.  So this is my first year with all three "officially" being schooled....busy, busy, busy!

Also, I have been repeating alot of my old stand-by recipes and not doing alot of new stuff.  I did try out a new vanilla cupcake recipe that flopped on me....TWICE.  Needless, to say, I won't be sharing that one with you!

I did, however, find a strawberry cupcake that is so yummy.  Topped with strawberry swiss meringue frosting, it is really spectactular.  I made these for a baby shower last Tuesday and they were a favorite, from the reports I have received!

Now, just to be completely honest, the swiss meringue buttercream frosting is not your basic butter and powdered sugar frosting.  It is a bit more complicated and time consuming, but very good (particularly the strawberry version) and a nice change.  That, and it is so shiny and pretty.  :)

Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting  (that's a mouthful!)

The Stuff You Need:

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
2 cups of fresh strawberries, chopped
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries; rinsed, hulled, and coarsely chopped
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

What To Do:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Line muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.  In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy.  And the sugar and beat until well combined.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Add in half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated.  Add in the milk and beat until smooth.  Add in the rest of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until blended.  Fold in the strawberries with a spatula.

Using a large scoop (about 3 tbsp), fill the paper liners about 2/3 full.  Bake about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer  inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for about 5 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the strawberries in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture reaches 160 degrees, whisking frequently.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed  until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature (this part took me about 12-15 minutes).  The bowl should be cool to touch.  Reduce speed to medium and add the butter, about 2 tbsp at a time, adding more once each additon is incorporated.  If the frosting looks curdled or runny, just continue to beat it on medium-high speed until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes (or maybe even longer...just keep going, it will eventually come together!).  Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill a large pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip with the frosting (I used a Wilton 1M).  Frost the cupcakes as desired.

P.S.  I do not recommend making this frosting with a hand mixer unless you have super human arm strength!!

I wanted to show you the batter cuz I thought it was pretty.

Look at all those strawberries!  (And yes, I know, not one of my nicer muffin tins!)





I just love that pretty pink frosting!

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats