This past weekend I celebrated my 39th birthday. 39....a number that doesn't scare me or depress me, but rather baffles me. How? When? Wasn't I just 26 yesterday? I wonder where all the years have gone and think back to when my parents were 39 - I remember that time vividly. Am I really as grown-up now as they were then? Wow...I guess so? I have a home, a family and responsibilities so I guess that means I've been a grown-up for some time now. But...39? I guess the best part about turning 39 is not feeling 39! I feel happier and healthier than I ever have in my life before! Part of that is due to me trying to find inner peace and life and in parenting (that's a biggie). I attribute the other part to my dedication to fitness and exercise. I've always enjoyed exercising, but in my younger days I felt like it was a chore...something to check off of my To Do list. The last few years I've embraced exercise (especially running) as a way to have some time to myself or time with friends. A time to really push my body to its limits and a little bit farther. A time to work on achieving goals I could only dream about a decade ago. With all that being said, I'm working on a Birthday Resolution of sorts - I'm trying to stop worrying about the number on my scale and start paying attention to how good and strong my body feels when I treat it right! I plan to hit 40 happier and healthier than I hit 39!! BUT, before we do all that....LET'S EAT SOME CUPCAKES!! I, unapologetically, decided to bake myself cupcakes for my birthday again this year since I enjoyed last year's cupcakes so much. I had no plans on a party or a small gathering, I just wanted to enjoy baking my own birthday (cup)cake and eating more cupcakes than I want or need. I looked through lots of blogs and cookbooks trying to find this year's perfect cupcake. I ended up settling on this Almond Cloud Cupcake I had at a cooking class I took many years ago at Crate Cooking School. This was the perfect choice because it is a rather simple recipe - ie, I had most of the ingredients on hand and would be enjoying cupcake satisfaction in a very short amount of time. The cake itself is light and airy with a hint of almond flavor - the almond flavor really comes through in the icing. I decided to top it off with some toasted, slivered almonds which gives the perfect amount of crunch. Almond Cloud Cupcakes
Makes about 24 cupcakes For the cupcakes 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cups 2% milk 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon almond extract 5 egg whites Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with liners. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, butter and almond extract. Beat on low sped for about 30 seconds to combine. Adjust the speed to medium-high and beat another 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add egg whites and beat on medium-high for another 2 minutes. Scoop the batter into the prepared liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. For the Almond Buttercream 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (I prefer Plugra, European butter) 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 1/2 tablespoons cold water Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until well combined. Add almond extract and water, mixing for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix until just incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip and frost cupcakes. Top with toasted, slivered almonds, if desired.
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I realize that in many things in life I'm a bit late to the party. Skinny jeans. Ugg boots. Any TV series that actually makes it past the first season. Heck, I just recently discovered Food Blogs! So it's no surprise that I'm late on discovering Biscoff spread. Have you heard of this stuff??? Or better yet, have you tried it??? I have been seeing it featured in a lot of recipes lately and I just couldn't understand the fascination. I was lucky enough to try a sample at my local grocery store and I was hooked! The flavor is a little tough to describe, but it reminds me of a graham-cracker peanut-butter-type spread. I knew as soon as I tried it that I would have to been baking something up soon and since I just moved to my new house and haven't made cupcakes in a while....well...here you go! Biscoff cupcakes!! These are super easy to throw together. The texture of the cupcake itself came out a little like banana bread. They may have been a tad over-baked. (I'm still learning this new-to-me base model oven. The only good thing about it is that I get to go oven shopping. Yaaay!) The frosting was absolutely amazing! As usual, I used Plugra European Butter and the taste and texture were perfect! These were gone quickly - even my super-picky 7-year-old loved them! Biscoff Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes For the cupcakes 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup canola oil 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup Biscoff spread 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 350. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 liners. Set aside. Sift flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the oil, sour cream, Biscoff spread, eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well-combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and mix on low until just combined. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting. For the buttercream 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 cup Biscoff spread 4-5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 2 tablespoons milk Place butter and Biscoff spread in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the sugar. Once all the sugar has been added, beat in the milk. Turn the mixer back on high and beat until light and fluffy once again, about 5 minutes, Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag and swirl onto cupcakes. **I PROMISE I will figure out how to use my camera!! I apologize for all the shadowy pictures! Source: Barely adapted from Picky Palate Hi there! Remember me? I'm the poor, lonely, neglected food blog. I've been pushed to the side in favor of needy little ones, PTA meetings, house showings and cupcake orders. However, I have never been forgotten! I'm back today to share with you a fun cupcake recipe (really though, aren't all cupcakes fun?) that I made for my dad's 63rd birthday a few weeks ago. When deciding what flavor cupcakes to make for my dad the first thing I came up with was coconut. Sure, coconut is an easy choice - Dad loves it. But isn't that a bit too predictable? So I asked myself, what else does Dad love? Well, BEER, obviously! And what goes with beer? PRETZELS, of course! So I took my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe and jazzed it up with some Blue Moon Beer and pretzel bits and here's what you get!! The Blue Moon is subtle but noticeable in the vanilla cupcake and the crushed pretzel pieces add a nice bit of saltiness to the cake. The pretzels in the cupcake will get soggy once baked, so I added crushed pretzels to the top of the frosting right before serving. Waiting til the last minute gives you that nice crunch you are looking for. Blue Moon Cupcakes
Makes about 24 cupcakes For the cupcakes 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 eggs, at room temperature 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups Blue Moon Beer, at room temperature 1 cup crushed pretzels Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard cupcake pan with 24 liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar together for about 3-5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. Add the vanilla extract to the Blue Moon in a large measuring cup. With the mixer on low add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of the Blue Moon/vanilla mixture. Add another 1/2 of the flour, followed by the rest of the liquid. Finally, add the last of the flour, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the crushed pretzels until well incorporated. Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes. Place on a cooling rack to continue to cool completely. For the frosting 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, I prefer European butter like Plugra 4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon whole milk 1/2 cup Blue Moon In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the salt to the confectioner's sugar, whisk together. On low speed, slowly add 1/2 of the confectioner's sugar to the mixing bowl. Slowly add the vanilla, milk and Blue Moon. Once incorporated, add the remaining confectioner's sugar, stopping the scrape down the bowl if necessary. When all the ingredients are fully combined turn the mixer on medium-high speed and beat for 5-7 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag and swirl onto cupcakes. Source: Adapted from The Cupcake Diaries I'm about to make a confession. A confession that may get me beaten by 90% of the people I know. I don't like chocolate cake. There. I said it. It's out there. I like chocolate candy, chocolate pudding and sometimes chocolate ice cream, but not chocolate cake. That's why I'm super excited to share with you my little creation I call a Chocolate Milk Cupcake! It tastes like, well, chocolate milk! Super moist with a hint of chocolate in the cake topped with buttercream that not only has chocolate milk in it, but also chocolate syrup. To finish it off I top it with a bit of that fleur de sel that I love so much to give you that salty sweet satisfaction! When I first started getting serious about cupcake baking I came across an incredibly delicious eggnog cupcake on Annie's Eats. Everyone, everywhere loved these cupcakes. After the holidays passed I was wondering how I could tweak this recipe a bit and make it a year-round favorite. I swapped out the eggnog for chocolate milk, made some other additions and this little baby was born! Chocolate Milk Cupcakes with Chocolate Milk Buttercream Makes 12-14 cupcakes For the cupcakes 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour ** 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup Creme de Cacao 1 cup chocolate milk - whole milk variety 1/4 cup canola oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup sugar Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix together Creme de Cacao, chocolate milk, canola oil, vanilla and sugar. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Scoop the batter into cupcake liners filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. ** These cupcakes can be made Gluten Free by using 1 1/3 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. For the Fleur de Sel Buttercream
Makes enough to frost 12-14 cupcakes 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (I use Plugra European butter) 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted 2 tbsp chocolate milk 1 tbsp vanilla 2 tbsp chocolate syrup 1/8-1/4 tsp fleur de sel Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until well combined. Add chocolate milk, vanilla, chocolate syrup and fleur de sel, mixing for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 1 cup of confectioner's sugar and mix until just incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip and swirl frosting onto cupcakes. Drizzle with additional chocolate syrup. Cupcakes. What can be said about cupcakes? I love cupcakes. I love simple vanilla cupcakes just as much as I love gourmet flavors and combinations. This particular cupcake is ranking high up on my list of favorites. Salted caramel cupcakes. How amazing do these sound?!?! They start with a home made caramel sauce that is added into a basic vanilla cake recipe. The frosting is a simple buttercream made with European butter and more of that homemade caramel sauce. To finish this beauty off I drizzled some of the caramel sauce on top. A work of art! A tasty little indulgence! AND, these just happen to be my birthday cupcakes! Both baking and eating these cupcakes was a true treat for me! Now, all that being said, two things happened to me while this whole cupcake experience was going on. The first thing was: I turned 38. Not an age to be considered 'old' by any stretch of the imagination. Heck, I still feel like a 23-year-old! The problem is, I'm NOT 23 anymore. The big, proverbial 4-0 is sneaking up just around the corner and it is time to really start taking better care of my health. The other thing that happened to me is I stepped on the scale and saw a weight I haven't seen in over a year...and not in a good way. Last year at this time I was 110% dedicated to Weight Watchers and I managed to take off 15 pounds and keep most of it off! I felt great! Seeing the scale the other day...well...let's just say between the birthday and the scale I decided I HAVE to get serious again and start eating better and exercising more. None of us are getting any younger and shorts season is going to be here before we know it. Oh yeah, and that pesky little Pittsburgh Marathon Relay Team I signed up for. Yikes! I have to run 5.5 miles in less than 9 weeks! So, Butter Fans, to that end, the cupcake blogs are going to be slowing down for a bit while I focus on some healthier foods. No fear though, I only post the yummiest of yummy recipes! Salted Caramel Cupcakes Makes about 24 cupcakes For the caramel sauce 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon water 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature Pour sugar and water into a large saucepan. Heat on medium-high heat and stir constantly until the sugar completely liquifies. Stir constantly being careful not to burn the sugar. After all the sugar has dissolved, add the butter and vanilla extract to the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Once the butter has melted and the butter and sugar are completely mixed, remove from heat and, using a whisk, slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Be aware the mixture will bubble violently for a few seconds. Continue whisking until you reach a beautiful golden brown caramel color. If the mixture seizes into any small, hard chunks, place the pan over medium-low heat and continue to whisk until the mixture smooths out. This may take a while, but it will come together eventually. Set aside and let cool completely. ** You can make the caramel the night before you need it and place it in the refrigerator until you are ready for it. For the cupcakes 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature 1 cup caramel sauce Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add one third of the flour mixture, followed by one third of the milk, beating until well incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the milk. Stop to scrape down the bowl, as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture followed by the remaining milk and mix until just combined. Add the caramel sauce and mix slowly, swirling it into the batter, but not mixing it in completely. Scoop the batter into the prepared liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. For the Salted Caramel Buttercream
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (I prefer Plugra, European butter) 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon whole milk 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (you can substitute kosher salt) 1/2 cup caramel sauce Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until well combined. Add milk, fleur de sel and caramel sauce, mixing for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix until just incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a wide tip and frost cupcakes. Drizzle caramel sauce on top. Strawberries and champagne. Is there a more perfect combination of flavors that say love and romance? I don't think so! I was so excited when my friend asked me to bake up a batch of these yummy, romantic cupcakes to present to his wife on Valentine's Day. Would I be able to do it? Yes! What an honor! This recipe is another one from The Cupcake Diaries by the sisters from Georgetown Cupcake. I got this book as a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law and I was really excited to make this recipe for our New Year's Eve celebration. I followed the recipe and made these in mini-form. Though they were ok, I wasn't completely happy with them. This time around I made these in the standard cupcake pan and tweaked the frosting just a bit - I kept the ingredients exactly the same but added them in the same order/technique that I usually do. One thing I found a bit odd about the cupcake recipe directions is that it called for room temperature eggs and milk, but not butter. I did as directed and used cold butter and this batch came out amazing! I was so proud to present these to my friends! They were a hit all-around and a perfect little treat on Valentine's Day! Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes with Champagne Buttercream Makes 20-24 cupcakes For the cupcakes 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced 1/2 cup good champagne 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ** 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature Preheat the oven to 350. Line 2 standard cupcake pans with liners. Set aside. Soak the strawberries in the champagne. Set aside. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowing after each addition. Add the vanilla extract to the milk in a liquid measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then gradually add one third of the flour mixture, followed by one third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl, as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture followed by the remaining milk mixture and mix until just combined. Drain the strawberries of the excess champagne and gently fold the strawberries into the batter, just until incorporated. Scoop the batter into the liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. ** These cupcakes can be made Gluten Free by using 2 1/2 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. For the Champagne Buttercream
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (I prefer European butter, such as Plugra) 4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon whole milk 1/8 teaspoon salt (I use kosher) 1/2 cup good champagne Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the butter for about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix on low until well combined. Add vanilla, milk, salt and champagne, mixing for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and mix until just incorporated. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Swirl frosting onto cupcake and enjoy! Source: Slightly adapted from The Cupcake Diaries This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar. Anyone who knows me knows I kind of have a thing for cupcakes. I'm not sure when my obsession began, but I do have a memory of Mrs. Kessler, my kindergarten teacher, tearing the bottom off of a cupcake and sandwiching it on top. That was her favorite way to eat them. For some strange reason I sit here 32 years later and actually remember that! As for why I'm obsessed with cupcakes? Well, they're CUPCAKES, of course!! What's not to love!! Sweet little treats made just for you! Though my love for cupcakes has been lifelong, it's only been in the past few years that I've really started honing my baking skills and learning how to bake delicious, unique cupcakes. To that end, I was fortunate enough this past week to bake some yummy cupcake treats for two special occasions (I'll share the second one a little later this week!) These Vanilla Raspberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream were to celebrate a friend's little boy's 4th birthday party. My friend came up with the flavor combination and I'm really happy with the results! I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe from The Cupcake Diaries, by the sisters at Georgetown Cupcake. I filled them with a raspberry jam from Annie's Eats and topped them with my favorite chocolate buttercream, slightly adapted from Williams-Sonoma Family Meals. I'm not a huge chocolate frosting person, but I could eat this stuff by the gallon! Its creamy and sweet, but not too sweet..it's just heavenly! Ok, full disclaimer here: I suck at photography. Well, maybe I'm not that bad but hubby got a new fancy, schmancy camera a few months ago and I attempted to use it to take pictures of my cupcakes all frosted and ready to go. Little did I know I forgot to use the flash! So, the first picture you see above is doctored up a bit with the help of my photo editor! Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and Chocolate Buttercream Makes 22-24 cupcakes For the cupcakes 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ** 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 eggs, at room temperature 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at room temperature Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. Add the vanilla to the milk in a liquid measuring cup. Add one third of the dry ingredients followed by one third of the milk, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Repeat. Stop to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add the last third of the dry ingredients followed by the last third of the milk, mixing slowly until well incorporated. Scoop the batter into the cupcake liners filling them about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pans for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled completely make a hole in the center of the cupcake for the raspberry filling. You can cut a hole with a small paring knife, but my favorite way to do this is with an apple corer. Make sure not to go the whole way through the cupcake. You can replace the 'cap' back on the cupcake if you want. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Your cupcakes are now ready to fill! ** These cupcakes can be made Gluten Free by using 2 1/2 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. For the Raspberry Filling 8 oz frozen raspberries, thawed 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch 1/2 tsp lemon juice Drain the thawed raspberries, reserving the liquid in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water to equal 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the liquid, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Mix well. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Stir the raspberries into the cooled mixture. (Depending on the texture you want you can smash the berries or leave them whole. You can also strain through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds if desired.) Transfer to the refrigerator to chill. It will thicken as it chills. ** I like to make the filling the night before so it's ready when I am. When the cupcakes are ready to fill remove the 'cap' of the cupcake. Using a small spoon, fill each cupcake with some raspberry filling. Replace the 'cap' if desired. For the Chocolate Buttercream 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (I prefer European butter) 4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 cup whole milk 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup cocoa powder 3-4 tsp very hot water In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1-2 minutes. Add the salt to the confectioner's sugar. On low speed, gradually add 1/2 of the powdered sugar mixture to the butter. Slowly add the milk and vanilla extract. Add the remaining confectioner's sugar and beat until combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Sift the cocoa powder over the frosting and beat on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Gradually add the hot water (to activate the cocoa flavor) being careful not to add so much that the frosting becomes too wet. Continue beating the frosting for an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer frosting to a large pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Swirl frosting onto cupcake and enjoy! Sources:
Cupcakes: Very slightly adapted from The Cupcake Diaries Raspberry Filling: Annie's Eats Chocolate Buttercream: Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Family Meals Peanut Butter and Jelly. An American classic. Though I didn't eat a ton of PB&J sandwiches growing up there is something incredibly delicious about this super simple combination. When I saw these cupcakes on Annie's Eats the other day I knew I had to make them, and soon! We spent most of this past weekend celebrating our youngest daughter finally being diaper-free and being medically cleared from a swallowing disorder she'd been dealing with for 2+ years. I decided these cupcakes would be the perfect treat to finish off our weekend of kiddo celebrating, which included playtime at the Y, Mac & Cheese at Cheesecake Factory and (gulp) dinner at Chuck E Cheese. Funny story about the butter in this recipe. Though I almost always use unsalted European butter in all my frosting, I was out of it and didn't feel like making a special trip to the store. I used the generic brand in the fridge. Only once I had the butter in my mixer did I realize it was SALTED butter! Oh the horror! To compensate for the salted butter I omitted the salt from the original recipe. What a delicious mistake!! I will always make this recipe with salted butter! Hubby and I thought these were the best cupcakes I've ever made. Our 6-year-old non-peanut-butter-loving daughter ate some frosting and all the jelly off one cupcake and never went back for more (Seriously...whose kid is this???) But our 3-year-old loved them as much as we did! I'll be making these cupcakes again soon and when I do I'll be making a Gluten Free version for my father-in-law. I've made a few versions of GF cupcakes in the past and they've come out very well. All you need to do is sub out the all purpose flour for a high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix. I use Gluuteny Basic Flour Mix from Gluuteny. Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes Makes about 24 Cupcakes Ingredients: For the cupcakes: 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour ** 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups sugar 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter 3 large eggs 1/2 cup sour cream 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup buttermilk For the filling and topping: Any type of jam or jelly you like. I used strawberry and raspberry For the frosting: 2 sticks salted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter 3 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp heavy cream Directions: Preheat the over to 350 F. Line the cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a fine-mesh strainer placed over a bowl. Sift the mixture into the bowl and whisk to blend. Set flour mixture aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. Blend in the peanut butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the mixer bowl if necessary. Blend in the sour cream. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix half of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla extract, then add the remaining dry ingredients just until combined. Fill the cupcake liners approximately 2/3 full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for a few minutes before removing cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. To fill the cupcakes, use the cone method by taking a small paring knife to hollow out a v-shaped hole in the cupcake. Add a small amount of the jam or jelly of your choice. Cut the tip off the v-shaped cake piece and place the 'lid' back on top of the cupcake until ready to frost. To make the frosting, combine the butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth. Mix in the sifted confectioner's sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla and heavy cream just until incorporated. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large frosting tip and swirl on in a circular motion. Using the tip of a small spatula or the back of a spoon make a small indentation on top of the frosting. Add a dollop of the same jam/jelly you used for the filling. ** If making these Gluten Free, use 1 3/4 cups high-quality Gluten Free Flour Mix _
Source: Cupcakes: Annie's Eats, originally adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes Frosting: Adapted from Annie's Eats |
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