Category Archives: Cupcakes

Brian’s Chocolate Cake

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

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I cannot remember if Brian made this from my birthday or Kristina’s, I just remember that it was delicious. And since chocolate is my favorite, this isn’t the only chocolate cake that you will find here.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated white sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk or substitute by putting 1 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling the rest up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

  • Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans (or line with parchment paper circles) and set aside.
    2. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot water with a rubber spatula. Batter will be very runny.
    3. Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for about 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.
    4. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans, then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mitts, use both hands to hold the racks in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Set the racks down and gently thump on the bottom of the pans until the cakes release. Cool completely before handling or frosting.

Celebration Chocolate Cupcakes

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

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I used this recipe for the cupcakes I made for Noah’s baptism.

For the cupcakes:
1 cup granulated white sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup / boiling water

For the frosting:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup milk
2 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp light corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the egg, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Mix with a spatula just until smooth and combined. Pour in the boiling water, and slowly mix. The batter will be liquid-y, this is normal.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups.

Bake for 15-19 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a cake tester or a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean.

Transfer cupcakes in pans to wire racks for about 10 minutes until the tins are cool to the touch. Once the tins are cool, remove the cupcakes from the pans, and transfer to the wire racks. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

In a large bowl (or in a stand mixer), combine the melted butter and cocoa powder powder until smooth. Now, alternately mix in the milk and powdered sugar, beating (on medium speed) to spreading consistency. Add another tablespoon or so of milk, if necessary. Mix in vanilla and light corn syrup.

To frost the cupcakes, I use a small off-set spatula (you can use a butter knife without a serrated edge, if you don’t have one) at an angle to spread the frosting smoothly around the cake. Make sure to frost to the very edges (doing this is not only an excuse to have more frosting on your cupcakes — yum! — but it also helps keep the cupcakes moist). Then, I use a cake spatula to create the indent in the center. Or you can pipe the frosting on, sprinkles are the perfect finishing touch.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Cupcakes, Frosting

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This yummy cupcake recipe was adapted by There Goes the Cupcake from a recipe by Sweetapolita for Triple Lemon Blueberry Cake. I made these cupcakes last week and used the lemon version of my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting, but I think next time I will try the Lemon Mascarpone Cream Frosting included below.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups fresh blueberries

Method

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with cupcake papers. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture to a larger bowl, add fresh blueberries and lightly toss them to coat with flour. Set both bowls aside.

Stir the sour cream, milk, vanilla and lemon extracts and lemon zest together in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until pale yellow and very fluffy about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined.

Mix in the flour mixture a little at a time alternating with the milk mixture. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Check them at 20 minutes. Since ovens vary mine took 22 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on racks.

When cupcakes are cool fill with lemon curd. This can be done by punching a hole in the center of the cupcake with an apple corer. See example here. Another method is to cut a small cone shaped piece from the top of the cupcake, fill with lemon curd and replace the cone. The last method, and the one I use most often, is to use a squeeze bottle filled with lemon curd. I poke the pointed lid into the center of cupcake and squeeze until a little lemon curd starts to ooze to the surface. Fill cupcakes and set aside.

Lemon Mascarpone Cream Frosting

Ingredients

1 pound mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup lemon curd
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone, lemon curd and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately. 

Fill pastry bag fitted with a large star tip or your favorite. Pipe frosting on to the cupcakes, decorate with yellow sprinkles and garnish with washed and dried blueberries.

Strawberry Cupcake Filling

12 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in Cakes, Cupcakes

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1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup or less confectioners sugar

Put the strawberries and 1/2 cup cream in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it begins to form soft peaks. Add strawberry mixture and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar and mix until it is fluffy and a peak will hold its’ shape. Don’t mix to long or it will become butter.  Add a little more sugar if needed, but remember that the cupcake and icing are both sweet so the filling doesn’t need to be quite so sweet. Refrigerate filled cupcakes. Remove from refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes before serving.

Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes

12 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in Cupcakes, Frosting

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This recipe comes from the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe I posted previously. I’m re-posting here to remind myself that it makes wonderful cupcakes. You can use the included frosting recipe or my favorite chocolate buttercream found here.
Ingredients-
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups Hersheys Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup boiling water
Heat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with papers.  Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla – beat on med for 2 min. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin) Pour into prepared cupcake pan. Bake 18-20 minutes.
Makes about 30 cupcakes.
Perfectly Chocolate Frosting
1 stick butter/margarine
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter, stir in cocoa. Alternately add milk and sugar. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Whoopie Pies

12 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by in Cookies, Cupcakes, Desserts

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Today I found this new cook book. It sounds like something fun to do with my grandchildren. And as much as I love making cupcakes and I always will this will be a new and fun way to explore our creativity. Inside the front cover flap it says, “Move over cupcakes-whoopie pies have come to town! Not quite a cake, not quite a cookie, these delightfully squidgy treats are the new baking craze sweeping the world…” Well, I am not sure I agree, but this book has many fun ideas.

Ruth’s Yummiest Chocolate Cupcakes

06 Wednesday Jul 2011

Posted by in Chocolate, Comfort Food, Cupcakes

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Ingredients-

2 ¼ cups flour
1 2/3 cup sugar
¾ cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa
1 ¼ cups water
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Method-

Preheat oven to  350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers.

Combine butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Alternate adding water and flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Add chocolate chips and mix until blended.

Fill cupcake papers 2/3 full and bake for 18 to 20 minutes a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake will come out clean.

After cupcakes are cool frost with your favorite frosting.

Vanilla Cupcakes

01 Friday Apr 2011

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This is the vanilla version of my favorite Red Velvet Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoons vinegar stirred in

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the milk and vinegar and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each is completely mixed in.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.

Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Scoop into a cupcake paper lined muffin pan about 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for one minute and then remove for pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Lemon Filled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

24 Monday May 2010

Posted by in Cupcakes

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I have tried several lemon cupcake recipes and have never really liked any of them. After the recent success with Red Velvet Cupcakes I decided to attempt a revision of that recipe to create a perfect Lemon Cupcake. I tried it out today. They turned out really well.

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, room temperature
2 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk with 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice stirred in
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Combine the milk and lemon juice and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each is completely mixed in.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.

Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter, sugar and egg mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Scoop into a cupcake paper lined muffin pan about 1/2 to 3/4 full.

Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for one minute and then remove for pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

Filling
1 jar lemon curd

When the cupcakes have cooled completely fill a ketchup style squeeze bottle with lemon curd. Insert the tip into the center of the cupcake and squeeze slowly until the lemon curd comes just to the surface.

Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1-8 ounce package cream cheese
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine the ingredients together and pipe on cupcakes using a pastry bag and large star tip.