Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Cupcake Recipes from Baby Shower

Ok, now for all the recipes of the cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupakes from Joy of Baking

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup boiling hot water
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 375 and line muffin tray with liners.
In a small bowl stir the boiling water and cocoa powder together until smooth. Let cool to room temp.
In another bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Then in the mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat only until combined. Then add the cocoa mixture and stire until smooth.
Fill each muffin cup 2/3 with batter and bake for 16-20 mins. (Mine took about 17 mins) Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

This recipe made approximately 15 cupcakes. I used 9 for just plain chocolate cupcakes and the other six i used for the peanut butter cupcakes.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes (inspired by Ice Cream Before Dinner)

I used the same chocolate cupcake recipe above as I only wanted 6 peanut butter cupcakes. But really you can use any chocolate cupcake recipe you choose.

Place mini Reese Peanut Butter Cups in freezer for 30 mins prior to baking.

Once thechocolate batter is in the liner, place the frozen peanut butter cup on top of the batter in the center of the cupcake. It will sink down during baking and partially melt into the cupcake.

Frost with peanut butter frosting. (Recipe to follow)


Oreo Cupcakes (I dont remember where this recipe is from, I just have a print out.)

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, unsalted at room temp
1 3/4 granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sour milk (I used buttermilk)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped oreo pieces

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.
In large bowl, mix together the butter with the sugar and vanilla.
Then add the egg whites, half at a time. The mixture will go from crumbly to soupy.
Add half of the flour mixure and half of the sour milk. Mixxing until well blended. Repeat with the remaining halves. (The mixture should be a normal cake batter consistency)
Stir in the Oreo pieces.
Pour the batter into the liners and bake for 20 mins. Cool completely before frosting. Makes 24 cupcakes.

I honestly have no clue what I frosted these with I thought it was cream cheese with cookies pieces sprinkled on top. But my friend said it wasnt tangy, so it must have just been vanilla buttercream? God, I think I might be losing my mind!


Red Velvet Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcake Book

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat over to 350 F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa and salt.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorportated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food coloring and vanilla.
Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to batter and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake rotating tins halfway through, until a cake taster inserted in centers comes out clean, ab0ut 20 mins. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Frosted with Vanilla Bean Frosting, recipe to follow.


Snickerdoodle Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Book

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
4 large eggs, room temp
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together flours, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three bathes, alternating between with the 2 additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.
Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 mins. Transfer tins to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 28 cupcakes.
I did sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon sugar on top of each cupcake before I put in the oven, I figured it couldnt hurt!

Frosted with Seven-Minute Frosting from Martha's Cupcake Book (recipe to follow)


Vanilla Cupcakes from Billy's Vanilla Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising*
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (Room Temperature)
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat cupcake pans in nonstick spray with flour; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour. Consistency will be crumbly.In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.Divide batter evenly among pans, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


These have become my go-to recipe for vanilla cupcakes. I am still out there searching for my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe.


Vanilla Bean Frosting from Cupcake Bakeshop

2 sticks of butter, unsalted at room temp
1 package cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Add vanilla extract, vanilla seeds and 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat on low speed until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to get the consistency you desire. I added royal blue gel paste food coloring until I reached the color I desired.


Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting from Bakerella

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1-3 Tbsp milk

Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer. Add the cocoa and vanilla. Add the confectioner's sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.


Peanut Butter Frosting

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used closer to 2 cups)
3-4 tablesspoons of milk

Beat butter until creamy, add peanut butter and mix until combined. Add the powdered sugar in 2 batches. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until you reach the consistency you desire.


Seven Minute Frosting from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Book

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 large egg whites, room temperature



Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with the water and corn syrup in a small saucepan; clip a candy thermometer to side of pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Continue boiling, without stirring, until syrup reaches 230 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer running, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, beating to combine.

As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230 degrees, remove from heat. With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to medium-high; whisk until mixture is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl) and stiff (but not dry) peaks form, about 7 minutes. Use immediately.

Whatever I frosted the Oreo Cupcakes with, I am still not sure. I will have to look through my recipe book and see if I can figure out which one I used.

Enjoy! Print This

Monday, August 24, 2009

Baby Shower Cupcakes & Karsyn's 3rd Birthday

A friend of mine from work, Shelley, was co-hosting a baby shower and birthday party for a friend of hers. She asked if I would make some cupcakes for the shower and something special for the little girls 3rd birthday.

For the shower I made 48 cupcakes, using vanilla, chocolate, oreo, red velvet, chocolate & peanut butter, and snickerdoodle as the flavors. I used chocolate, vanilla (which I made baby blue), cream cheese, peanut butter and seven minute frosting for all the icing! On top of the cupcakes I made airplanes out of a chocolate mold in all the primary colors of the babies nursery. I think they turned out super cute. Here are a few photos I snapped for delivering.


Here are some of the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes!


A shot of the box, all chocolate and vanilla with a few red velvet!


Snickerdoodle cupcakes with 7 minute frosting. (From Martha Stewart's Cupake Book)


Oreo Cupcakes....

Red velvet cupcakes....

And the favorite from what I hear, chocolate & peanut butter cupcakes!


Another shot of the other box.


Here are a few pictures they sent me afterwards on the set up! I think their presentation was adorable!
A little closer up on the cupcake plate!

For the little girls birthday, she wanted to do so strawberry cake pops. So how could I go with anything other than pink! I picked up a square 6 inch vase from Michaels and we order M&M's with the little girls names on them in both the light and dark pink. I filled that vase up a little more than half way with the M&M's and they stuck the cake pops in! This was the only picture I got before I left, but I thought it showed all the cute sprinkles!
Below are a few more shots she sent me after the party! How cute is this presentation! I love it!One with the cute birthday day girl, Karsyn!


Recipes of the cupcakes soon to come!!! Just thought I would share a few pics :)
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Cookies n Cream Cheesecakes

When I first bought Martha's Cupcake Book, I bookmarked about 20 different recipes I wanted to try right away (wishful thinking huh?) anyways one of them was the Oreo Cheesecakes. Around that same time, Monica from Lick the Bowl Good & Ingrid from 3 B's baked these together as well. After seeing their pictures I couldn't wait anymore. I decided I would make them and Scott could take half to the fire station with him and I would bring the other half to my work. I decided I wanted to do both mini and standard size cupcakes.

(If you don't have this book, you need to get it! Its great!)

Cookies n Cream Cheesecakes from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

42 Oreos(30 left whole and 24 coarsely chopped. Half of the chopped will go into the batter the other half will be used for the bottoms of the mini cheesecakes. )

2 lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temp. slightly beaten

1 cup of sour cream

Pinch of salt

1. Preheat over to 275 F. Line standard and mini muffin tins with paper liners. Place one whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup. Spoon cookie crumbles into bottom of mini muffin tins.

2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3, Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 mins. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate in tins at least 4 hours. Remove just before serving.



They turned out fantastic! I had enough batter to make 24 full size and 24 mini cheesecakes with a little batter left over.

This post is several weeks late as I have been a very bad blogger lately. Hopefully this week I will catch up and show you other things I have been up to. Enjoy!


I didn't put any pictures of the bottoms of the mini cheesecakes because once you take the wrapper off its pretty crumbly. But they were delicious. I didn't have much of anything to bring home after work!
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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Birthday Cupcakes & Cake Balls

My aunt had a surprise party for my uncle's 60th birthday last week, and I was in charge of making desserts for the event. It was a low key thing she had at a sports bar so I didnt want to get to crazy with a cake since many people dont eat cake and drink at the same time. Anyways I decided I would be pretty simple and stick to basic, vanilla & chocolate cupcake and red velvet cakes balls or cake ball pops since I put them on a stick!

It has taken me a few days to get a post together mainly because I am a moron and didnt take any pictures or anything, not during or even after. Though I will say I got stuck at work later than usual last Friday and was in a rush to get everything ready and out the door for the party. Thank goodness my mom was there and she got a few pics so I can share with you guys!

I made vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with both vanilla bean and chocolate frosting. I also made chocolate letters that spelled out happy birthday on the cupcakes just for added decoration. Every sprinkle I had just seemed to girly to me. So I went for simplicity on these! :)
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising*
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (Room Temperature)
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat cupcake pans in nonstick spray with flour; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour. Consistency will be crumbly.In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.Divide batter evenly among pans, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
3. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Makes about 30 cupcakes.

Vanilla Bean Frosting from Cupcake Bakeshop via Monica at Lick the Bowl Good

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out
4-5 cups powdered sugar ( I used 4 cups)

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined. Then add the vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, and 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like.


1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

All in all the cupcakes turned out great, but the vanilla vanilla cupcakes were by far the best! I am acutally going to use this cupcake recipe for mini Tiffany's Box Cakes I will be doing for my best friends brial shower coming up here in a few weeks!

The dessert table where clearly I was unaware of the color scheme :) haha I was originally going to do a Houston Astros theme, which is why I went with the red and yellow. I change my mind when I decided to go for a more simple look.


Another picture, and you can see people started to get dessert at this point, the "B" in birthday is gone and the cake balls are starting to disappear!

Haha again with the "B" missing..

Sorry I didnt get anymore photos, I promise next time I will do better! Thanks mom for taking the pics you did :)

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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Another Chocolate Sheet Cake

In the Chocolate Sheet Cake Post I wrote a week or 2 ago, I talked about another cake recipe that I grew up on and was still hands down my favorite chocolate sheet cake. I got the recipe from my aunt this weekend so I wanted to share it with you guys. I havent had a chance to make it this week cause I am making some desserts for a birthday party Friday night, but as soon as I do Ill update with some photos. I will say it looks a lot like the one here, but just slightly different amount of ingredient and the addition of cinnamon.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

In large bowl sift:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups of sugar

In saucepan:
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup shortening
4 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 cup water

Bring to a rapid boil. Stir until everything is dissolved. Pour over flour and sugar and mix well.

Add:
1/2 butermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix well and pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 pan or jelly roll pan.

Bake 20-25 mins

Five minutes before the cake is done start the frosting.

Frosting:

In saucepan:
1 stick margaine
4 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder
6 Tbsp. Milk

Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 box powdered sugar (1 lb), 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1 cup chopped nuts (optional), Beat until sugar. Pour and spread on warm cake.

Hope you guys can try this one out its soo good! I actually think these might make yummy cupcakes so maybe I will try that out soon. Print This

Monday, August 3, 2009

Giveaway

Vanilla Beans...I love them...they smell amazing and I just love the added punch of flavor they have. I dont use them all that often cause they are pretty expensive but how exciting that I have all kinds of vanilla beans on the way to me. I won the giveaway from My Baking Addiction for 40 vanilla beans from Beanilla!

I cant wait to get them and see what recipes I can come up with to try the different types out. If you have a suggestions please feel free to send to me.

Last week was a busy week and I didnt get to bake anything...my work friends were not very happy with me about this! So hopefully this week my schedule will be less hectic and I can get back in the kitchen!

If you have a chance stop by My Baking Addiction, she has the cutest website and some yummy pictures to drool over!

Hope everyone has a good week and let me know if you have any suggestions!! Print This