Red Velvet Cupcakes

I love red velvet cake. I first fell in love because it is a far superior vehicle for cream cheese frosting than carrot cake. Cream cheese frosting makes everything better. I had a block of cream cheese in the fridge just begging to be turned into frosting. Miss F was a huge helper with these cupcakes, much more than her usual prepping the muffin tins with paper liners. The only issue with her helping in the kitchen is that she stands on one of our kitchen chairs, which makes getting around the kitchen a bit tricky.  She is still working on learning the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon, but she is really getting to enjoy cooking and baking.  Be mindful of the cook time on these and be sure to check on them right at 20 minutes, which was just perfect.  Thanks to Tide and Thyme for the perfect recipe.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 ½ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons red gel food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Add the gel food coloring, a drop or two at a time, until a deep red color is reached.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Add the vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, fill cupcake cups with cake batter. Bake the muffin tins on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for approximately 20 to 22 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces butter
3 ¾ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter, cheese and salt in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar until incorporated, then add the vanilla and salt.

Pin It Now!

Buried Treasure Cupcakes

To say my family likes Disney is a massive understatement. For the past two years, we have had the Premier Passports, annual passes to both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida. By my calculations, Miss F has spent over a month in the Disney parks in the last year alone, including a day trip to Hong Kong Disneyland. Last week, we surprised Miss F with a trip to Disneyland to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It had been closed for over a year and was opening for a passholder preview. It is her most favorite ride. We planned the trip in under a week and we departed from Aspen during spring break. So she not only got a week full of skiing, she also got a weekend in sunny Disneyland. She was surprised and beyond excited. And the ride was worth the yearlong wait. And the crazy planning was worth the massive smile on her face. So when I was contacted to celebrate the release of Disney's The Pirate Fairy (available on Blu-ray™ and Digital HD on April 1st), I jumped at the chance. Miss F is obsessed with making cupcakes and got me a cupcake cook book for Christmas this year, so we both flipped through the book to find a pirate themed cupcake. The winner was a pirate themed "buried treasure" cupcake that would be a fun treat for her lunchbox. Like many schools, Miss F's is peanut and nut free, so I selected candies that fit in with that policy, but these cupcakes would be equally delicious with miniature peanut butter cups. While we prepared the cupcakes, Miss F sang, "Yo ho, yo ho, a mommy's life for me!" Pirates of the Caribbean is also a favorite ride and like every Disney ride, Miss F knows all the words to each and every song and can adapt them to suit whatever we are doing at the moment. Her role in cupcake preparation is preparing the pans with liners and dishing out the batter, even though it can get quite messy, it is worth it. An added fun moment was burying the candy "treasure" in each cupcake before baking. I am not fancy with frosting, so the graham cracker sand is a perfect way to cover up any frosting issues. A simple licorice "X" to mark the spot completes these adorable cupcakes.

 

Buried Treasure Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix
24 square miniature candies, unwrapped (I used Kit Kats)

½ cup butter, softened
3 ½ cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup graham cracker crumbs
red licorice straws

Prepare the cake batter per package instructions. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners and fill each ¾ full with batter. Dunk a candy in each cupcake. Bake per package instructions. Cool completely.

Beat the butter with a mixer, adding a half cup of sugar and tablespoon of milk at a time until completely incorporated and desired consistency. Beat in the vanilla.

Frost the cupcakes and top each with a teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs. Cut the licorice into 48 one inch pieces, use two pieces per cupcake to create a red "X" to mark the spot.

Pin It Now!

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

Miss F has a nifty cupcake holder for her lunchbox, so she often gets a sweet treat that she always helps me bake. She has started to really be a help in the kitchen instead of just a mess maker.  If powdered sugar or sprinkles are involved, there is a guaranteed mess, but it isn't too awful.  These are Miss F's current favorite lunch box treat, the more sprinkles, the better. Many thanks to the amazing Tide and Thyme for truly the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe.

Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup boiling water

For the frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
¼ cup cocoa
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to combine well.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, beat butter until fluffy. Carefully add the cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla; beat until no lumps remain. Beat the milk into the frosting.

Pin It Now!

Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

For Christmas this year, Miss F gifted me a cupcake cookbook by Betty Crocker. Amazingly enough, the recipes don't call for Betty Crocker cake mix. I had some Meyer lemons and Miss F wanted lemon cupcakes, so we consulted the book. I wasn't thrilled with any of the three lemon cupcake recipes in the book, so I took parts from each of them. I decided to make a lemon cream cheese frosting because I thought the tang of the cream cheese would complement the lemon beautifully, which it did. After making these cupcakes, I knew I wanted to make a Meyer lemon cheesecake next. The next time my parents have Miss F and I over for crabs, we are bringing a lemon cheesecake. Half of these cupcakes went to my mom and dad as a thanks for watching Miss F overnight. A win for all!

Meyer Lemon Cupcakes

2 ½ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, ¼ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added, beat for two minutes more. Beat in the lemon juice, then the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time. Beat in the milk, beating just until blended.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool in pans for five minutes, then cool completely on a cooling rack. Frost with lemon cream cheese frosting.

Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
3 to 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice (use two tablespoons if using regular lemon juice)

Cream together the cream cheese and butter with a mixer at medium speed. Add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, beating into the cream cheese and butter after each addition. Stir in the lemon juice. Frost the cupcakes.

Pin It Now!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

I have had these cupcakes in my head for awhile. I enjoy spice with chocolate (cayenne chocolate cookies, anyone?) These cupcakes are rich and have an outstanding depth of flavor. I added cinnamon and a tough of cayenne to my favorite sour cream chocolate cake recipe. The cake is moist enough that it doesn't need frosting, which is perfect for these cupcakes. Just a dollop of whipped cream and a few mini marshmallows and you are set.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 cup hot water

whipped cream
72 mini marshmallows
cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin pans with 24 paper liners.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Stir on low to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, vegetable oil, vinegar and hot water and mix on medium until smooth. Pour ¼ cup batter into prepared pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes; remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely.

Top each cupcake with a dollop of whipped cream, three mini marshmallows and a dusting of cinnamon.

Pin It Now!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

We had a ton of strawberries from our pick fest at Froberg Farm and I knew I wanted to make the blackberry chocolate cupcakes again and the strawberries provided the perfect inspiration.  The cake batter is super thick, so it works perfectly to add a strawberry inside the cupcake.  Miss F was in charge of adding the strawberries and she took her job very seriously.  Once they were baked and cooled, I frosted them with a simple ganache.  It couldn't have been easier!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

1 cup flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
½ cup hot water
12 strawberries, hulled

½ cup cream
1 1/3 cup chocolate chips

6 strawberries, halved

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin pans with paper liners.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir on low to combine. Add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, vegetable oil, vinegar and hot water and mix on medium until smooth. Submerge one hulled strawberry into each cupcake. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes; remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely before frosting.

Heat the cream and chocolate chips over a double boiler, stirring until the chips have melted completely. Dip the cooled cupcakes into the chocolate and top with a fresh strawberry half.

Pin It Now!

Birthday Cupcakes

Miss F has been very into helping in the kitchen, especially when it comes to baking. She wanted chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting for her party at school. I wanted to find an easy recipe that she could really help with. This one-bowl recipe from food.com fit the bill perfectly. I used my go-to back of the Domino sugar box buttercream frosting recipe. I miss those boxes, measuring out powdered sugar is a pain, it was so much easier just to dump the whole box in.  Happy 4th birthday Miss F!

Birthday Party Cupcakes

3 ½ cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 regular size muffin cups with paper liners.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, sifted baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix with a wooden spoon to combine. In a two-cup measuring cup or bowl whisk together the milk, egg, oil and vanilla. Add the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients; mix very well with a wooden spoon to combine well.

Use a ice cream disher to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Frost with buttercream, recipe follows. Top as desired.

½ cup butter, softened
3 ¾ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 drop of red food coloring

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, milk and vanilla on low for 30 seconds. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and beat for a minute or so more until the frosting reaches the desired consistency. Stir in the food coloring.

Pin It Now!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

At Miss F's school, they celebrate birthdays with a small party at the end of the school day, Miss F request chocolate chip cupcakes. She loves to snack on a chocolate chip or ten while I am baking. Interestingly enough, her grandad always requested white cake with chocolate chips in it for his birthday. So I decided to recreate it in cupcake form. The issue with grandad's cake was that the chocolate chips always sunk to the bottom. I got mini chocolate chips in order to address the sinking issue. It wasn't 100% effective, but they worked much better than the regular size chocolate chips. The white cake recipe is adapted from The Joy of Baking and the chocolate frosting recipe is my mom's. All the kids seemed to favor the frosting and one of the kids in her class pretended the cupcake was a phone. Thank goodness he had eaten most of the frosting off the top of the cupcake first.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2 large eggs, separated
1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
½ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Prepare 24 cupcake pans with paper or foil liners.

While eggs are still cold separate the eggs, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

In a mixing bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add ¾ cup of the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then fold in the remaining whites until combined. Do not over mix the batter or it will deflate.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Frost with chocolate buttercream when cooled.

Chocolate Buttercream

1 stick butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 to 6 tablespoons milk

Cream together butter, 1 cup of the sugar, cocoa, vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Slowly add the remaining milk and sugar, alternating. Makes 2 cups.

Pin It Now!

Candy Corn Cupcakes

I have seen these all over the internet and finally had an event to use them for. Our playgroup was having a Halloween party and I was the host. I figured the kids couldn't do too much damage with white frosting. Too bad the same cannot be said for me. I decided to use a medicine dropper to add the red food coloring. It was a total success, I got the perfect orange color. Just when I thought I had nailed it, the dropper flipped out of my hands sending red food coloring everywhere. Joy.

Candy Corn Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes or 48 mini cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix
red food coloring
yellow food coloring
72 candy corns for regular size cupcakes
48 candy corns for mini cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare the cake batter per the package directions. Divide equally into two bowls. In one bowl, add yellow and red food coloring drop by drop, to acheive a bright orange color. Pour two tablespoons (teaspoons for mini cupcakes) of the plain batter into a cupcake pan with paper liners. Add two tablespoons (two teaspoons for mini cupcakes) of the orange batter on top. Bake per package instructions.

Beat the butter over medium speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar and milk until icing reaches desired consistency. Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with the candy corns (3 per regular, 1 per mini).

Pin It Now!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

I had bought fresh raspberries on sale this week and Miss F was none too interested in them, she spit them out in fact. I wondered if adding chocolate cake and icing would change her mind, sure enough, it did.  These cupcakes marry chocolate and raspberry very well and aren't cloyingly sweet.  Miss F now will only eat raspberries with buttercream frosting, big surprise there.

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes
printable recipe

1 cup sugar
1cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water
36 frozen raspberries
1 recipe buttercream frosting
12 fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups

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).

Fill cups 3/4 full with batter. Drop three frozen raspberries into each cup of batter. Bake 25-28 minutes. Cool. Frost with buttercream frosting and top each with a fresh raspberry.

Buttercream Frosting

¼ cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Combine in large bowl, with mixer at low speed, confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and vanilla.

Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency.

Pin It Now!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Pink Frosting

My birthday is next week, so I was craving some cake. I know the only way I will be getting a birthday cake is for me to make it myself. The frosting recipe is from a box of Domino's sugar. I make my cupcakes big, like fill up the cupcake liner big. So this recipe actually made 18 cupcakes instead of the 24 it calls for. This also means that the frosting recipe could have probably been cut in half, especially when your husband starts eating the cupcakes before they are frosted.

Happy birthday to me!




Devil's Food Chocolate Cake
makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl.
2. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
3. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, beat on high speed again for 2 minutes.

Measure out into cupcake pan lined with cupcake papers. A 2" ice cream scoop works great for this. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1 - (1 lb.) pkg. Domino® Confectioners Sugar (approx. 3 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup - butter or margarine, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons - milk
1 teaspoon - vanilla

Combine in large bowl, with mixer at low speed, confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and vanilla.

Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy. If desired, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency.

Makes enough to fill and frost 2-layer cake, 13x9x2-inch sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes

Pin It Now!