Thursday, June 20, 2013

Epic Thursday!!! One Morning, Four Flavors of Cupcakes


Hello, all! Today, I went to war. "Cupcake war," that is. In a span of four hours, I made four different flavors of cupcakes, one of which you have seen in my previous posts (banana chocolate chip with peanut butter frosting), and the ones that are completely new. It's been a grueling morning, but very rewarding. I would do it again. 

Without further ado, I give you my recipes for: 1) lemon cupcakes with toasted coconut, 2) s'mores cupcakes, and 3) strawberry cupcakes with avocado buttercream frosting. Prepare your mixers for an all-out bake-out!

 1) Lemon cupcakes with toasted shredded coconut



(Makes six cupcakes)

Cupcake Ingredients:
3/4-1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbls unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tbl lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add in the egg, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and continue to blend until incorporated.
3. Slowly whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring until just incorporated.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake liners with batter three-fourths of the way up.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:
4 tbls cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbls unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp lemon zest
3/4 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup flour

1. Cream the butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.
2. Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Blend well.
3. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and flour, mixing until the frosting comes together and is smooth.

Toasted coconut:
about 1 cup of shredded coconut

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the shredded coconut in a small baking tray lined with parchment paper.
2. Toast the coconut for about 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Let cool before assembling.
3. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, and press the cupcake, frosting side down, onto the toasted coconut.

2. S'mores cupcakes



(makes six cupcakes)

For the crust:
7 graham cracker squares, crushed
3 tbls melted butter

Add the melted butter to the crushed graham crackers, and mix until moist. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners and press a tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into each liner to create a crust.

Cupcake Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tbls cocoa powder
4 tbls unsalted butter, room temperature
3/8 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk (I used soy milk)

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder together.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk.
3. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Fill each cupcake liner three-fourths of the way up.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

For the chocolate ganache filling:
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or milk

Heat the whipping cream or milk on "High" in the microwave for one minute. Pour the hot cream into a bowl with the chocolate chips and let the mixture sit for 30 seconds to one minute. Then stir the mixture until smooth. Let it cool before assembling the cupcake.

Marshmallow Frosting:
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 tbl unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup flour

1. Cream the butter and marshmallow creme together. Add in the vanilla extract.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and flour, beating until smooth.

To assemble:
1. Cut out a hole in the center of the cupcake, making sure not to cut all of the way to the crust. Spoon a tablespoon of the chocolate ganache into the cupcake. Pipe the marshmallow frosting onto the cupcake and garnish with a piece of graham cracker.

3. Strawberry cupcakes with avocado buttercream frosting


(makes six cupcakes)

Ingredients:
about 5-7 small to medium-sized strawberries, chopped finely
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 cup milk (I used soy milk)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tbls unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg

1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla extract, milk, and strawberries.
3. Slowly whisk in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Fill each liner about three-fourths of the way up.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcake's center comes out clean. Let them cool before frosting.

For avocado frosting:
1 ripe avocado, mashed
1 tbl unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour

1. Cream the avocado and butter until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and salt.
2. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar and flour until smooth.
3. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. If not planning to eat right away, refrigerate the cupcakes. Let them come to room temperature before eating them.

Well, folks. That is the end of my cupcake rampage today. Stay awesome, and I shall see you later!




Sunday, June 16, 2013

Lemon Cupcakes and Lemon Frosting with Plum Compote Filling




Summer's here, so why not utilize all of those plump, juicy-ripe lemons from your backyard?

The plum filling was a sporadic kind of thing that I decided later; I happened to have an excess of (also sour!) green plums, so I turned them into compote! It accentuated the cupcake with a tart sweetness that left my mouth tingling from its awesomeness. Yum!

So don't be a sour puss- pucker up for some delicious lemon cupcakes!

(inspired by Laura Vitale, "Laura in the Kitchen")

Makes one dozen cupcakes

For the cupcake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 tbls unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 milk (I used soy milk)
2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
1 tbl fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Cream the butter and eggs together. Add in the sugar, and beat until the mixture is lightly-colored. 
2. Add in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients. Stir with a whisk until just combined.
4. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Spoon in batter into the liners.
5. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Take them out, and set aside to cool. Prepare the lemon buttercream frosting.

For the frosting:
4 tbls unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup flour

1. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
2. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and flour. Whip until smooth.

For the plum compote:
1/2-1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 small green plums

1. In a small to medium-sized pot, add in the sugar, vanilla, and water. Bring to a boil.
2. Cut the plums into quarter-sized pieces, perhaps even smaller, if necessary. Remove the pits.
3. Add the plums into the pot, and cook over medium-low heat.
4. Stir occasionally, mashing the plums until they soften and break down, 20-30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Refrigerate for about 1-2 hours.

Assembling the cupcake:
1. Cut a hole in the middle of the cooled cupcake. 
2. Spoon in about 1/2 tbl of plum compote.
3. Frost the top with the lemon frosting.
4. Garnish with a lemon slice, if desired.


Happy Eating! 







Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Sweet Potato Pie Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting



Interesting fact: I used to dislike sweet potatoes when I was little.

Weird, I know, right? Because now, they are one of my favorite foods. I have no idea what was going on in my child brain; how the hell could I have not picked up on this freakin' Godsend of a vegetable?! Perhaps it was just the picky eater in me...

Not only can sweet potatoes be baked into pies, casseroles, or cupcakes *ahem, but they also have a super-mega-awesome dose of Vitamin A (I heard that they can contain up to as much as 300% of your daily intake!). This is definitely a good way to eat your veggies, kids.

Without further ado, I give you the Super-Mega-Awesome Sweet Potato Pie Cupcake!

(adapted from how sweet it is):

Yields: 16-17 cupcakes

For the graham cracker crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I just take graham crackers and crush 'em up. Like a boss.)
4 tbl butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
8 tbl unsalted butter, melted
3-4 medium to large sweet potatoes, baked and mashed (you could boil the potatoes, but personally I find that baking them for 50 minutes to an hour releases more of their flavor. It's up to you, though).
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk

Directions:
1. For graham cracker crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon until moist. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and press it into a cupcake liner. Repeat with the remainder.
3. Bake for 5-7 minutes until the crust is set. Set aside to cool.
4. For cupcakes: Whisk together egg and sugar until there are no lumps. Add in butter and vanilla extract, then the sweet potatoes.
5. Add in flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients. Add in the milk and stir until smooth.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.

For the brown sugar frosting:
8 tbl unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour

1. With an electric mixer, whip butter and brown sugar until creamy. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and flour.
2. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and serve!




Saturday, June 8, 2013

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting



Do you like chocolate chips?
Do you like peanut butter?
Do you go ape-shit for bananas?

Well, here's a recipe for your remedies. Whether you're five or ninety-five years old, I guarantee you that these bad boys will a-PEAL to anyone! Get it?

(adapted from Once Upon a Cutting Board):

Yields 15-16 cupcakes

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients:

6 tbl unsalted butter, melted
4 large, ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Whisk dry and wet ingredients together.
2. Add in the chocolate chips and whisk until just combined.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Fill liners with batter until three-fourths full.
5. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
6. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting them.

(for Peanut Butter Frosting)

Ingredients

2 tbl unsalted butter, softened
3/4- 1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
splash of milk (I used soy milk)

1. With an electric mixer, cream butter and peanut butter together. Add in vanilla extract.
2. Slowly add in powdered sugar and flour. If necessary, add in milk to thin out the frosting.
3. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

I love the love that these cupcakes bring to y'all's hearts. GO BANANAS!!!

Here's the proof:






Thursday, June 6, 2013

Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting



Let me first start off by saying that:

NUTELLA IS GOLD.

It is audacious, it is sassy, and most of all, it is naughty.

I present to you:

Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

(adapted from BiteDelite)

Yields 15-17 cupcakes

Dry ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

1 cup milk (I used soy milk; it doesn't make any difference on the taste)
6 tbl unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
a LOT of Nutella (I just kind of eyeballed it in, until the batter turned a deep rich color)

Frosting:

3/4-1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbl unsalted butter, softened
2 tbl Nutella
1/4 cup flour (to cut down the sweetness)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
splash of milk (to thin out the frosting in case it's too thick)

Shall we begin?

Directions:

1. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Whisk wet ingredients together in a larger bowl.
3. Slowly add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once in a while. Stir until just incorporated; you wouldn't want the cupcakes to turn out tough.
4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
5. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake liners. Fill them three-quarters of the way up with the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick into the cupcake and it comes out clean.
7. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

(for the frosting)
1. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and Nutella together. Add in the vanilla extract.
2. Slowly mix in the powder sugar and flour, adding in the milk a little bit at a time if the frosting gets too thick.
3. Pipe or spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!