Chocolate Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting

It was Boss’s Day–and you got it–I was going to bring in something sweet.  Afterall, I don’t think they’d expect anything else.  But it had been a long week and I wasn’t feeling quite 100%.  So, I opted for a simple One-Bowl recipe and I thought I’d step away from my typical cream cheese frosting.  After looking thru my cabinet and staring at the jars of peanut butter, I couldn’t think of a better combination.  Chocolate and Peanut Butter?  Mmmmnnn…I was officially exited.

Sadly, I’m on a bit of a diet so I didn’t have any.  Yeah, I didn’t think I had it in me either–not because I can’t pass up sweets (okay…that’s just 15% of it), but because I NEVER give out sweets without making sure it passes my taste test.  Could it be?  I’m building more confidence in my baking.  Ehh…on second thought, it’s probably because I knew I was going to have a really unhealthy weekend .  I was going to meet friends up for beer and fried deliciousness that night, meeting another friend for some seafood and fries Saturday for lunch, and it was date night for the me and fiance.  Thank you Groupon for our dinner at Border Grill (which sadly screamed mediocrity).

Either way, judging from everyone’s reaction, these were definitely a hit.  All cupcakes were claimed by the time I was done for the day.  I suppose when it comes down to it–how can  you beat a pb and chocolate combo? Oh–and it probably didn’t hurt that I stuffed bits of milk chocolate in each piece for some extra chocolatey goodness.

Recipe yields 18-20 cupcakes

Cupcakes

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons safflower oil
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Now take the Hershey bars and break them into smaller pieces.  Stuff each cupcake well with a few pieces.

Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once . Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter, room temperature
3 oz cream cheese, softened
3-4 tablespoons milk (heavy cream if you’re brave), or as needed
1 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Place the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, add milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in.  Frosting will be start to get thick.  Beat for about 4 minutes until all ingredients are well combined and frosting gets fluffy.  While my recipe does say 3-4 tablespoons, I might of lost count.  I added milk 1 tbsp at a time, until I reached a consistency I was happy with.  do quick tastes tests to get the consistence you want.

If you want to use this recipe for brownies, you can certainly have them a bit thicker.  But because these were for cupcakes, I wanted them fairly light. To each their own!

 

My favorite Red Velvet Cupcake

Red Velvet–the celebrated cupcake flavor that will likely define you as a baker.  And I say that with reservation, because before I found this recipe, I was never 100% happy with any red velvet cupcake I had baked in the past.  Simply put, there always seemed to be something missing.  That is, until i found this recipe.  This recipe is pure gold.  It’s perfect.  So perfect, my sister had three without frosting.  It’s so wonderfully moist and the flavor was just so distinctively red velvet.

oh-so-perfect crumb

I love this recipe.  I’ve found the one.

Oh! I also want to share this tidbit.  For the most part, I get my vanilla extract from Costco.  You get a huge bottle for about six dollars.  And to be honest, I’ve been happy with the results.  The vanilla is affordable and everything has always been tasty.  One day, I came across of bottle of vanilla from Williams Sonoma–at $20 for about 2/3 of the size.  The kicker? The vanilla extract was loaded with the actual vanilla beans.  I lost all will power.  I bought it…and regretted it the whole way home. $20?!?!  But I have to be honest.  The vanilla has truly made all the difference.  Without a doubt, the Williams Sonoma vanilla was far superior to the Kirkland brand.  It’s so wonderfully fragrant and the vanilla really comes through–even in a cupcake with so many complicated flavors.  While I may not use the WS vanilla in all my baked goods, it will definitely be my go to vanilla for all special baking occasions.

Favorite Red Velvet Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

For the cake:
2½ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cocoa powder (Not dutch-processed)
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar.  Beat on medium speed until well blended.  Add in the dry ingredients on low speed and beat until smooth.  This will take about 2 minutes–make sure to not over beat mixture.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.  Let cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles

 

Who Needs Sleep Anyway?

Chocolate Valrhona Cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting and Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Boston Cream Pie--Pastry Cream filling topped with Chocolate Ganache

So guys, i know I haven’t posted anything in a few days.  In the interest of being coherent, I decided it was best to recover before posting about my CRAZY catering experience.  As I mentioned before, i was stoked about being booked for my boss’s 4th of July party!  After much deliberation I decided on a menu.  25 Valrhona Cupcakes, 25 Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes, and 20 individual fruit tarts.  We were initially going to do some sort of fruit heavy birthday cake for his wife, but she’s not huge on cake, so I thought it would be a good idea to do something a bit different.

I was nervous. Anxious. Most certainly stressed out.  Outside of the Valrhona cupcakes, I had never made anything on the menu.  I was very confident in my abilities.  My fail?  I just didn’t anticipate the amount of time it would take to make all these items.  I worked Friday, rushed home and began baking at 7pm.  Worked straight until 8:30pm when I took an  hour for dinner with Mike…and…wait for it…continued to bake nonstop until 7:10am.  Yes, you read that correctly.  7:10am.  And here’s the kicker–I wasn’t done.  I still had to assemble all the cupcakes–and more importantly–I had to start on the fruit tarts. So, the alarm was set for 7:40am (30 minutes…I can’t believe it) and I worked like a madman until delivery at noon.

I know, it’s hard to imagine how anything like this could take that long–but when  you only have one oven, one Kitchen Aid mixer, and one bowl attachment–you are screwed.  Thank goodness I had the foresight to create white chocolate stars and the pastry cream Thursday night.  I would have been majorly EFFED if I had not.

Fresh Organic Berries from the Farmer's Market

So, the goods were delivered… and I couldn’t have been more relieved.  My only gripe is that in my rush, i wasn’t able to capture too many good shots of my work.  Mike works on Saturday, so I didn’t have any help with the transportation or with any of the minor last minute touches.  And I lied. I have several gripes.  Two, my kitchen and the surrounding areas were just disgusting! Bowls everywhere, food dyes all over my hands, face, and counter…it was terrible messy.  Could I have possibly done all this?  Can I blame entropy?  I tried that argument with a visibly shocked Mike that morning…and I could tell he did all he could to not strike me 🙂  Oh…and did I mention I was also suppose to make cheesecake for a birthday party the following day.  Yeah, it brought tears to my eyes.

Either way, I just wanted to share some pictures with you and I’ll be writing up the recipe shortly.

Before I go, you should know that this was an extremely difficult but rewarding challenge.  I’ve learned so much about my process and I really shocked myself with how much I was able to push myself.  I am so grateful to have had such an opportunity and I really hope I’ll be able to do this again.

 

Vaaaanilllllllllllllllllaaaaaa Cupcakes

Sprinkles make me happy

Look, sometimes you just need a simple vanilla cupcake.  No, it’s not terribly exciting and no, I don’t think its ever going to be anyone’s first choice–but it’s still a necessity.  Keep in mind, that just because it’s simple, doesn’t mean it’s easy.  No friends, vanilla cupcakes are serious business.  You’re probably wondering how can an everyday flavor be this difficult or complex.  Well, the simpler the cupcake, the more apparent the flaws.  Do your cupcakes have enough flavor?  Are they moist?  What kind of crumb does your cupcake give?

Sprinkles just make me happy

Unique cupcakes always have one thing going for them–people don’t really know what to expect.  But if you’re going to produce a cupcake everyone is familiar with, you’re going to have to meet their expectations.  So..I am on a quest for the perfect vanilla cupcake.  I have a few different recipes I want to try, and I’ll keep you guys updated.  Trust me, a HUGE part of me is tempted to make a vanilla cupcake every week until I find “The One,” but it’s simply too cruel of a thing to do to my arteries.  Oh, butter, you crazy fattening thing, you!

Okay.  So review for Cupcakes #1 (recipe can be found here).  Boy did these cupcakes hit the flavor dead-on.  These cupcakes really transformed the room!  So aromatic…they made me salivate.  But I would expect nothing less from a recipe that demands 1 tbsp of vanilla extract and a whole vanilla bean.  To be honest, if this cupcake didn’t taste the way they did, I would have been a tad upset about wasting all of that vanilla goodness!  The best part about this recipe?  The cupcakes are covered in vanilla flakes–they’re stunning!  These were definitely very tasty!

But is this the perfect vanilla cupcake? I’m afraid I’m going to have to say no–but they are indeed very impressive!  Where did this cupcake fall short?  I found them to be a bit dry, which left me feeling a bit suckerpunched. Haha.  Well, actually…let me take 2 steps back.  They were a tad dry, but to no fault of this recipe, I think.  If my memory serves me right, my butter wasn’t exactly room temperature (though it was very close) since I was in a mega rush to finish these before guests arrived.  That being the case, I’m sure ultimately that lead to the overbeating of the batter.  And if you know cupcakes, you know that once the flour is added, that’s a bit time no-no.  In this case, I’m going to say that the extra 30 seconds may have made all the difference.   You should know that I’m giving this recipe the benefit of the doubt, but aside from the moisture, I wasn’t super super happy with the crumb either.  These cupcakes weren’t tough, they just didn’t have a satisfying bite to them.

I think I would definitely give this recipe another go–with some minor adjustments.  I’ll be making some vanilla cupcakes for the 4th of July using a hybrid of different recipes I’ve come across while doing my research, so I’ll make sure to update you!

I just topped off these pretty things with traditional buttercream.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

( I can’t really tell you how many cupcakes this makes since I did a combo of regular and mini-sized cupcakes!)

3 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder and salt.  Whisk together and set aside.  Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Scrape the vanilla bean seeds into the bowl of the mixer with the butter and reserve the pod to make vanilla sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed for a few minutes, until light and creamy.  Make sure to scrape down the side of the bowl and mix for an additional minute to make sure batter has been thoroughly mixed.

Add the sugar to the butter mixture, ¼ cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition.  Mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup.  With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners, filling each about 2/3 of the way full.  Bake 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pans 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once cool, frost with desired frosting.

 

I’m sooooooooo excited!

Some desserts from my last catering gig.

So, I must say…I’m pretty psyched.  I’ve been booked for a gig for a 4th of July bash!  I’m super excited!  They are looking for some rather basic cupcake flavors (yellow cake and chocolate),  but I really want to spruce them up.  To me, yellow cake should eternally be paired with chocolate frosting.  It’s blasphemy to do otherwise.  I’m going to have to think of something great to fill these cupcakes with.   Pastry cream?  Raspberry sauce?  This is going to be a challenge.   As far as the chocolate cake goes, Valhrona is going to be the way to go.  I love the deep chocolate flavor…so heavenly.  I’ll likely pair it with cream cheese frosting (his favorite and obviously mine as well).  The funny thing is, I’m always asked to make desserts that are a bit more labor intensive than just simply cupcakes, that I feel strange making these.   I’m a week away from baking and I’m totally wracking my brain for something fun and creative to do to these cupcakes, without overwhelming them.   aaaaaaahhh!  To be honest, these cupcakes will be filled.  With what, I’m not yet sure…but filled they will be.

Hmm…and cupcakes are one thing…but I’m not much of a decorator.  So that’s going to be tough.  I have a few ideas running around in my head, but I really need to find a way to make these fit into the 4th of July theme.  I can obviously add food coloring, but I’d love to something special.  I’m toying with the idea of using royal frosting to create some edible toppings…but I’m a bit inexperienced.

I guess we’ll just have to see how things go. Wish me luck!

Oh!  Outside of the 50 cupcakes, I’ve just been asked to make a fruit based birthday cake!  FOR THE SAME DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Pray for me.

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Wow, has it been a super busy week and a half!  But after some time away, I’m glad to be back here.  So…red velvet.  It’s been such a hot flavor for such a long time.  And why shouldn’t it be?  The cake is wonderfully moist, cream cheese frosting is always amazing…but it’s the flavor…that unidentifiable but tasty flavor of the actual cake  that seems to make everyone an addict.  Some people say it’s the chocolate that “makes” he cupcake, but I’d have to respectfully disagree.  When you take a look at the ingredients and the proportions, it’s quite a stretch to attribute the unique flavor to just chocolate alone.

While recipes vary, the best red velvet recipes call for anywhere from 1 tablespoon to 1/2 cup of cocoa powder.  Some recipes call for butter while others call for oil.  With this much variation, it’s quite difficult to figure out what proportions cater best to your tastes.

Personally, I believe that red velvet shouldn’t actually taste like chocolate.  Chocolate should only be there to add depth to the cupcake itself, so I shy away from recipes that call for anything more than 1/4 cup of cocoa powder.

As far as the whole debate between butter vs. oil, I’m at a standstill.  Butter  imparts a wonderfully rich flavor only real butter can provide.  But, you’ll oftentimes find your cupcake to be on the “drier” and denser side.  Ultimately, you’re going to get something that is much more cake like, that cupcake like.  Oil, on the other-hand will provide that moist texture–but it will lack the rich, buttery taste.  More importantly, some may be turned off by the cupcake being somewhat “oily.”

So, I was in a dilemma.  Look–for whatever reason, people take their red velvet seriously.  Everyone has apparently morphed into a red velvet connoisseur.  I won’t lie–I do the same.  I’ve shunned many cupcake shops because their red velvet cupcake failed to please me. What was I going to do?  I reached out to a friend on Facebook who was now a pastry chef who said that I would have to find a recipe that combined both butter and oil to achieve the flavor and consistency I was looking for.  Okay, I know–it should have been a “Duh” moment for me.  But for whatever reason, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do that.  It’s a rather difficult task–oil is pure fat.  Butter is a combination of fat and water and a handful of other ingredients and you couldn’t just simply exchange them at the same ratio.

While, I wouldn’t say that I perfected the red velvet recipe, I think I’m super happy with what I created.  My boyfriend loved them and his aunt couldn’t stop raving about them.  So, my friends–here’s my version.  Just keep in mind, that whatever combination you choose to make your cupcakes, its the preparation that makes all the different.  Never beat the mixture on anything higher than medium low once the flour is in the batter.  Doing so will give you a very dry cake–remember, overbeating any batter will always give you dry product.   If you have any suggestions or ideas–please share!

As far as the frosting goes, go back to some of the older posts for the recipe.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising), sifted
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4  cups vegetable oil

1/2  cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, room temperature
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

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 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, melted butter, and oil until combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in food color 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 the batter, and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 15-20minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen for up to 2 months, in an airtight container.

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

 

S’more Cupcakes

It’s strange how much I’ve grown to love s’more themed desserts, considering I’m not a huge fan of traditional s’mores in general.  Let me clarify, I love the idea of s’mores.  I love making them during bonfires, when at camp, or even on the grill–but I just find the overall combination to be far too sweet to really enjoy.  I’m generally barely halfway through one when I start to feel sick.  But there’s certainly no denying–marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers–make one hell of a combination.

So like I said previously, my first attempt with these cupcakes were a major fail.  The graham cracker crust was burned and hard and the chopped chocolate that was meant to go directly over the crust just hardened.  For the amount of work you have to put into the cupcakes (I’ll be honest, the frosting requires a bit of extra work), I simply wasn’t satisfied.  So, for Sareth’s order, I knew I’d have to change it up a bit.

For one, I baked the crust for a very short amount of time.  Two, I decided that instead of making a layer of chocolate at the bottom of the cupcake, I’d throw the chopped chocolate into the batter.  That way, instead of biting into hardened pieces of chocolate at the bottom, you’d get these perfectly melty bits of chocolate with every bite.  Yes, I smart.

Also, the recipe for the frosting calls for 8 egg whites.   If you make the frosting as is, you’ll have more than enough frosting for 2 batches.  I would definitely, by all means, cut down the original recipe in half.

S’more Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the graham cracker crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Cake:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
3 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Frosting:
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork.  Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom.   Bake for 4 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.

To make the cake batter, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed just to combine.  In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk together.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the boiling water and stir just to combine (batter will be thin).

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full.  Push a few pieces of the chopped chocolate into the cupcake batter (I had pretty healthy sized chunks, so I placed 3 pieces in each cupcake.  Return the pans to the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting,  fill a saucepan halfway with water and heat on medium. Place the metal mixing bowl on your stand mixer over the sauce pan. Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar, whisking frequently, until egg whites are warm to the touch.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.  This is going to take some time–I took me about 10 minutes.  Mix in the vanilla until combined.  Frost cooled cupcakes.  If you are not in a rush, place frosting in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before frosting.  This will make for much easier application.   Brown with a kitchen torch.

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

 

My First Catering Gig!

So this past weekend, I completed my first cupcake order!  I can’t tell you how excited I was about putting the order together.  I love making cupcakes–the finished product brings such joy to my life 🙂  Well, Sareth and her boyfriend were putting together a birthday for his sister.  So after a few email exchanges, she decided on Red Velvet with cream cheese frosting and S’more cupcakes.  Okay…so I have a confession.  When she decided on the S’more cupcakes…I was a bit worried.  I didn’t really have a whole lot of success the first time around.  I made them for Mike’s birthday, but they were a bit of a failure.  I was soooooo overwhelmed with Mike’s birthday–making a whole dessert buffet, cocktails, and decorations–that I kinda let the S’more cupcakes fall victim to time.  But if you’re reading this Sareth,  I knew I would be able to fix it! And fix it I did, because these these S’more cupcakes may be my FAVORITE thus far!  Not only are they tasty as heck, but they’re adorable.  What a presentation!

Here are some pictures and I’ll follow-up with some recipes!

Either way, just wanted to thank Sareth for thinking of me 🙂  For anyone thinking of placing an order, I offer a HUGE discount on your first order.

 

Why can’t we have pumpkin desserts year-round?!

Pumpkin is totally underrated.  I look forward to pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecakes, and pumpkin cupcakes every holiday season.  I completely understand that pumpkins are an autumnal crop, but unless you’re pureeing your own pumpkin for your desserts–there’s no reason to limit pumpkin to just the end of the year.   Okay, okay…I concede that pumpkin pie doesn’t necessarily do anything for me in May, but throw pumpkin into a cheesecake or cupcake and I’ll be all over it.  There’s just something about the wonderful spices that always seem to accompany pumpkin–nutmeg, allspice, and even clove.

We’re always looking for desserts to be sweet (I’m always looking for desserts to sweet and À la mode).  While pumpkin certainly encompasses all that, I always feel like pumpkin imparts such a great savory aftertaste that makes it so unique.  That’s why pumpkin is part of my usual dessert rotation.  So, if you don’t want to wait until October to have the sweet scent of nutmeg in the air, try these pumpkin cupcakes.  They’re moist, flavorful, and delicious! Pair these cupcakes with some cream cheese frosting…and well…could anything be better?

I top my cupcake with a mini Oreo and some Almond Roca crumbs–beautiful!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes about 18 cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 sticks (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and brought to room temperature
2-3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time (until you reach the level of sweetness to your liking)  and then vanilla; mix until smooth.  Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

***I’m sorry my frosting recipes always vary in the amount of sugar.  When it comes to frosting, I never use a standard amount.  I always adjust the level of sweetness based on the actual dessert.  I honestly think that’s the best solution for everyone.  The same goes for the amount of vanilla.

 

Black Bottom Cupcakes

nom nom nom...

I have a lot of chocolate–I mean A LOT.  Ralph’s had a great sale on Ghiradelli chocolate baking bars a few months ago  and I somehow convinced myself it was the wise thing to do.  I told myself that I was being practical, when in reality, I was high off of all the endless possibilities.  $30 later I was home and feeling pretty remorseful.  I felt especially stupid since I had removed real groceries out of my basket to compensate for the chocolate.  Yikes.  Well, it was too late and there’s no point on dwelling on my moment of insanity.

After mulling over a few possibilities (chocolate cake?  molten cake? something with an awesome ganache?) I remembered a great recipe I photocopied from a friend’s David Lebovitz recipe book.  Ahhh, the drool inducing,  The Great Book of Chocolate. A book I terribly want, but never get around to buying.  A frustratingly long, 30 minutes later I was able to dig up the recipe– Black Bottom Cupcakes.  I was immediately enamored with the photo, but the basic description sealed the deal–(i’m paraphrasing here, but…)  Wonderful devil’s chocolate cupcakes with a rich chocolate chip cheesecake filling.

And while you don’t need it, I also opted to serve them with some cream cheese frosting (…i might have…failed to mention that I also bought a few boxes of cream cheese since they were under $2 a box…).

You can make these using your favorite boxed cake, but the cake batter is so simple and so delicious, I would encourage everyone to give it a shot.

They actually keep quite well in the refrigerator if placed in an air-tight container.  Mike even had some unfrosted cupcakes for breakfast the following day.

They are absolutely fabulous! I brought them to a bridal shower and they were definitely a huge hit.  David Lebovitz simply never fails.

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup unflavored vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Make the filling
Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes

Adjust the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.   Prepare cupcake tins with preferred cupcake liners.   In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter and end up with less-than-tender cupcakes.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 of the way.   Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely.  This is fine, but keep in mind the ingredients will expand so if you overfill them, they’ll spill over a tad and create a more flat top cupcake.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.