Christmas Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Icing

Yesterday Kaia, my sweet cousin Cindy, and I made my Grandma's cake recipe into cupcakes.  Sorry everyone, can't share this recipe!

But the icing is the same as from the Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream only instead of the vanilla bean or vanilla extract, you add 4 oz of melted baking chocolate with 2 TBSP of cocoa whisked in at the end.

Here's what our Christmas cupcakes looked like.

Egg Nog Cupcakes

Last week Kaia and I made Egg Nog cupcakes.  I have never drank egg nog but I figured, eh, tis the season!  I found the Recipe at Annie's Eats.  I chose not to use the bourbon this time around.  But, these were D-licious!  I am definitely going to make them again.  They were very moist and full of flavor.

Eggnog Cupcakes

Yield: about 18-20 cupcakes (mine must have been bigger because I got 10)

For the cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg

¼ cup dark rum or bourbon (optional)

1 cup eggnog

¼ cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sugar

For the frosting:

20 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Pinch of salt

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2½ tbsp. eggnog

1 tbsp. dark rum (0ptional)

For garnish:

Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg

Cinnamon sticks

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar.  Beat on medium-low speed until well blended.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full.  Bake 22-24 minutes (my oven bakes fast, or lies about the temp, so mine were done at 18 minutes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 20-30 seconds.  Add in the powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg, and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add in the eggnog and  whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes.  With the mixer on medium-low speed, blend in the rum.  

Fill a pastry bag with the frosting and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg, and garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.

Here's what mine looked like.

 Unfrosted

Frosted

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I hope Anne, over at Sugar Bowl Mix, doesn't mind but I tried her cupcakes this week.  Here's the link to Anne's post and how fabulous her cupcakes looked, and I'm sure tasted Best-red-velvet-cupcakes-for-holidays.  I really want to take a cake baking class because if I don't mess up one thing, it's another.  Still, these were probably my best effort yet.  And, I tried a different decoration on the top too. 

Red Velvet Cake
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 stick)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 one ounce container red food dye
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:  Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together in a bowl.Cream butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Add in the eggs and beat well.
Add the food dye and mix until well blended.

Combine the buttermilk and the baking soda and mix well. Add to the sugar and butter mixture alternately with the dry ingredients.

Add the vinegar and the vanilla. Mix well.
Spoon into cupcake liners. This batter filled 20 cupcake liners.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound confectioner's sugar
red sprinkles

Directions:  Combine the cream cheese with the butter and the vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.  Gradually add the sugar while beating. 

 

Brownie Cupcakes

Sorry!  Made these last week!  But here is the recipe and a few pics.

Recipe from Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman.

Directions for 12 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces
6 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting Ingredients:
3 ounces dark chocolate, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
3 TBSP unsalted butter
1 TBSP corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

For Decoration:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) or 12 walnut halves
Chocolate Buttons

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside
3.  Place chocolate, butter, and sugar in a large bowl over simmering water.  Heat until just melted, stirring from time to time (do not cook).  This will only take a few minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Gradually add dry ingredients.  When batter is smooth and dry ingredients have been absorbed, fold in chopped walnuts.
4.  Divide batter between cupcake papers, smoothing with the back of a spoon.  Cook for about 20-25 minutes.  Cupcakes should form a crust on top and be a little moist inside.  Remove from oven and cool completely before removing from tin.
5.  To make the frosting: place all of the ingredients except the vanilla and walnuts in a heavy pan.  Bring to a full boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and cool (you can set bowl in cold water to speed process)
6.  Add vanilla and beat until thick, about 10 minutes, until frosting is fluffy and the color has slightly lightened.  If you are using chopped walnuts in the frosting, fold them in now.  Frost cooled cupcakes.  Top each cupcake with walnut halves and a chocolate button.