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.

Pumpkin Marshmallow Cupcakes

Sorry, I'm posting this one a week late but last week Kaia and I made Pumpkin Marshmallow Cupcakes.  We got the recipe from Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman.

You can also make them Pumpkin Pecan but we chose Marshmallow for something different.

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients for 16 cupcakes (I yielded 20):

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup, or 1 stick, unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin (I used a whole can which was probably too much)
1 cup chopped pecans, any other type of nut, raisins, or mini-marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flour, baking powder, salt, and spices - set aside.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla and pumpkin and beat until smooth.  Add dry ingredients.  Fold in nuts, raisins, or mini-marshmallows.  Spoon batter into cupcake papers, filling cups about 2/3 full.  Smooth batter with the back of a spoon.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Here's a picture of what they look like when they come out of the oven

They look like they'd taste delicious.  They didn't :(  But, it might have just been because I wasn't loving the combo of marshmallow and pumpkin together.  Especially considering the cupcakes turned out a bit heavier than I had hoped for again. 

The cream cheese frosting came out pretty well.  The recipe I used for that was from cupcakes: Luscious bakeshop favorites from your home kitchen by Shelly Kaldunski.  It tasted pretty good but I did not like it as the other cream cheese frosting I've made.

Ingredients (makes 2 cups):

12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (I used 8 oz because that's all I had)

6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup confectioner's sugar

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together on medium-high until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.  Gradually beat in sugar and mix until thoroughly combined; scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.  Use right away, or if too soft, refrigerate until spreadable, about 15 minutes.

And Frosted

Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

So, I decided to try another vanilla cupcake recipe because I was disappointed in my last attempt at them.  I got this recipe from Who You Callin' Cupcake?  It's by Michelle and Vinny Garcia and I LOVE this recipe!  It tasted great and it was pretty simple to make and quick to bake.  I used the additional vanilla extract option as I did not have any vanilla beans.

Ingredients:

*1 2/3 cups sugar
*1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
*1 TBSP baking powder
*1 1/2 tsp salt
*1 cup butter
*1/2 cup skim milk, divided
*2 eggs
*1 TBSP vanilla extract
*2 vanilla beans, scraped (or 2 additional TBSP vanilla extract)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 and line pan with liners.  In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Combine the dry ingredients and the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a nice big bowl with your handy dandy handheld electric mixer on the ready if you're me :) and mix on low speed until the butter is completely mixed in and there is a mealy consistency.  Add 1/4 cup of the milk and mix slowly to make a past.  This will break up any lumps that are trying to form.  In a separate medium bowl, combine the eggs with the rest of the mil, and the vanilla extract, and vanilla beans (if you're using them) and slowly pour the mixture into the batter in the standing mixer.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix on high for about 10 seconds.  With an ice cream scoop, fill the cups in the cupcake pan about 3/4 full and bake for 10-15 minutes (mine took about 15 minutes exactly).  The cupcakes will just be slightly golden.  Do not overbake!

Yield is supposed to be 12 cupcakes but my yield was 16 and probably could have been 17-18 if I hadn't overfilled a couple!

These are supposed to keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.

I did not make my own frosting for these this time as I had some store bought that I needed to use up.

Like I said, these are delicious (very vanilla-ey) and I'll definitely be making them again in the future!  Here are some photos:

Unfrosted, golden delicious

Frosted with a fudge icing

Vanilla Cupcakes & Vanilla Buttercream

I bought I knew cupcake cookbook today (OK, three, but who's counting?!).  We decided to go with vanilla cupcakes and vanilla buttercream frosting.  The recipes from both came from cupcakes: Luscious bakeshop favorites from your home kitchen by Shelly Kaldunski.

Vanilla Cupcakes

* 1 1/4 cups AP flour
* 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 6 TBSP unsalted butter
* 1 large egg
* 1 large egg white
* 1/2 whole milk

Makes 12 cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together sugar and butter on medium high with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add the egg and egg white one at a time, beating well on low speed after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.  Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions, beating on low speed until just combined.  Beat on medium-high speed just until no traces of flour remain, about 30 seconds; do not overbeat.

Divide the batter into muffin cups.  Bake about 18-20 minutes.  Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes then on a rack for approximately 1 hour.  Frost

Vanilla Buttercream

* 3 large egg whites
* 3/4 sugar
* pinch salt
* 1 cup unsalted butter cut into 16 pieces
* 1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean

In large bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar.  Set the bowl over (but not touching) simmering water in a saucepan and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm to the touch, about 2 minutes.  Remove the bowl from the saucepan.  Using an electric mixer on high, beat the egg white mixture until it is fluffy, cooled to room temperature, and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt and the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition.  If the frosting appears to separate or is very liquid after all the butter is added, continue to beat on high speed until it is smooth and creamy, 3-5 minutes more.  Add the vanilla extract and use right away.

My frosting turned out well.  I got a new pastry decorator and it worked fabulously.  The cupcakes?  The cupcakes turned out a little heavy for my liking.  I am not sure if it was the recipe though or my failure?  I did end up using skim milk instead of whole milk.  I also may have beat the batter too much when adding the flour which I have read can really ruin the lightness of a cupcake.  I may have to try this recipe again another time using the whole milk it calls for and being more careful with the mixing.  Also, not sure if it was just my oven but the cupcakes were ready after 15 minutes.  Oh, and I doubled everything, making 2 batches this time.  Here are a couple of pics of the results.

Design One

And Design Two

Still not perfect, I know, but I'm working on it!

Chocolate Pumpkins

Oh, my, goodness people!  You MUST try the Chocolate-Pumpkin Cupcakes from Country Living (Recipe Below)!  They are definitely to die for!  They are some of the best cupcakes I have ever eaten!  I am posting a couple pictures.  The frosting is not applied very fancily as my handy dandy fancy frosting "machine" broke already even though it's only the second time I've used it.  Guess I'll have to find something else!

If you're looking for a cupcake that tastes like pumpkin, this is not the one.  But, it is still a fabulous must have!  The icing is also amazing!  Think whip cream - chocolate cream cheese fusion!  It's unexplainable how delicious they are.  Seriously.

A couple of changes to the recipe posted below though.  I forgot to add the temperature: 375.  Also, I used 8oz cream cheese instead of 6 in the frosting and I used the whole can of pumpkin, not just 1 cup.  And they only take 15-18 minutes to bake so it's a quick bake in the oven.  There's a lot of batter so your total number should be roughly 30 cupcakes.  We made 24 regular sized cupcakes and three jumbo.  The jumbo cupcakes do take about 25 minutes to bake.  Here are the photos.  Enjoy!  And again, if you try them, we'd love your feedback too!

Regular sized cupcake

And Jumbo Cupcake!

Update!

We put the cupcakes in the fridge, no more sticking to the wrapper!  And for those that don't love pumpkin it's a very light pumpkin flavor.  For those that love pumpkin, there is only a light pumpkin flavor, if you want more, you might want to consider adding some pumpkin spice into the mix.  If you don't like nuts, or are allergic, just leave them out and they're still good.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

We decided to only make one batch of cupcakes this time.  We did the first recipe (below), using pecans, and cream cheese frosting.  The cupcakes turned out pretty well.  A bit like pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting.  I will definitely have to do some tweeking next time though since ours came out sticking to the paper liners slightly.  We topped the cream cheese frosting with black Halloween sprinkles.  Here's what one looks like.

Cute, huh?

You'll have to let us know what you think of them if you try them too.  Happy Halloween!

Love,
Khara & Kaia

Pumpkin Cupcakes

In honor of the season, we are going to make pumpkin cupcakes.  And, because I was tempted by two different varieties - and because I love chocolate, it will be twice as fun this week.

First, is a traditional Pumpkin Cupcake Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten until frothy
• 1 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

First, sift all dry ingredients, minus sugar, into a bowl. Then, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in pumpkin. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until smooth after each addition; stir in chopped nuts. Spoon batter into paper-lined cups. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.  Top with cream cheese frosting or whipped cream. 

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.  Stir in vanilla, gradually adding sugar.  Frost

This second recipe I found at Country Living (http://www.countryliving.com/recipefinder/chocolate-pumpkin-cake-clv0907).  They made a gorgeous cake with it but I will, obviously, be making it into cupcakes instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup(s) flour
• 2/3 cup(s) cocoa
• 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/2 cup(s) buttermilk
• 1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup(s) butter, softened
• 1 cup(s) dark brown sugar
• 1 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 egg yolk

Sift the the dry ingredients, minus sugar, together. Stir the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugars together using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and yolk, one at a time. Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately beat in the flour and buttermilk mixtures in thirds.  Pour the batter into prepared cupcake liners. Bake until a tester, inserted in the center, comes out clean--about 25 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Frosting Ingredients:

• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 2 c. confectioners' sugar
• 2 1/4 teaspoons cocoa
• 1/4 teaspon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon orange food coloring

Beat 6 ounces softened cream cheese using a mixer set on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and vanilla and beat on low speed until well combined. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream with 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and orange food coloring on medium-high to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well combined. Frost cupcakes.

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Operation Cupcake

The idea/inspiration for this blog was twofold.  First, we wanted to donate cupcakes to a deserving Soldier or group of Soldiers once a week for a year in honor of Kaia's Daddy who is currently deployed to Afghanistan.  Second, it was to practice and improve my cupcake making. 

But, as our bright friends have pointed out, this is probably a bridge too far right now as frosted cupcakes last, at best, about four days and it takes most care packages at least 10 days to reach their recipients, the cupcakes would probably be moldy and not very tasty by the time they arrived.

So, instead, we're just going to try at least one new flavor of cupcake every week for a year (that's 52 different varities of cupcakes!) and donate them to friends, family, neighbors, anyone nearby who wants to take them really.  We'll make a variety of our favorites for Kaia's Daddy when he comes home and we'll share all of our recipes with you and our reviews of each cupcake once we've made them.