Mocha cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Prep Time: 15 minutes Baking Time: 17-20 minutes

1-1/3 all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup soy milk 
1½ teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature

1. Mix the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until dissolved; set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.

3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 liners. Baking for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

6. Let stand in tins on wire rack for 5 minutes before setting individually on the wire rack for cooling.  Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

(Cupcake recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons espresso powder

Optional: 2 teaspoons coffee liquor or coffee flavored brandy

1. Mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.

2. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about a minute or two. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture (add the optional brandy) and continue to mix at medium-high until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary.

Brownie cupcakes

Brownie Cupcakes:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Brownie Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 12 muffin tins with paper or foil baking cups.

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Then stir (can also use a hand mixer) in the sugar. Add the vanilla and then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the flour and salt until well blended.

Evenly divide the batter between the muffin cups. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake has moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, using a large Wilton plain, or open or closed star tip.

Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).

This recipe was found on joyofbaking.com. Beware it is very chocolate !

Vegan/ gluten free red velvet cupcakes

It's Rose's birthday today and even though she doesn't usually want anyone to make a fuss, we are having a bday party at work for her. My contributation will be vegan red velvet cupcakes. 

Rose is a vegetarian, not a vegan, but I hope she enjoys these cupcakes. :-)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Non Dairy Milk (I used almond milk)
• 1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/3 cup Oil
• 2 tablespoons Red Food Coloring (make sure that it's vegan)
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Almond Extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven at 350F/180C for 15 minutes. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners and grease it lightly.
2. In a medium size bowl, mix together the milk and vinegar allowing it to curdle. This will take about 5 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar too.
4. Once the milk has curdled, stir in the oil, food color and the extracts. Whisk it well to combine.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly add the wet ingredients to it, stirring it until all the ingredients come together. Small lumps are okay. Take care to see that you do not over mix it otherwise you will not get fluffy cupcakes.
6. Fill each muffin tin 3/4ths full of the batter.
7. Bake it for about 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean or with very little crumbs is okay too. Mine were done after 17 minutes.
8. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it remain there for 5 minutes. After that remove the cupcakes from the pan and let it cool completely before you can frost it.

For icing I had used the cream cheese frosting from my last recipe, but if you want a nice vegan icing here's one to whip up:

• 1 cup Vegetable Shortening
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's Clear Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Wilton's No Color Butter Flavor (Optional)
• 4 cups Confectioner's Icing Sugar
• a pinch Salt (optional)
• Approx 2 tablespoons Milk/Water (As Required

Combine wet ingredients until fluffy and then slowly add sugar one cup at a time. Beat after each addition. Blend until creamy.

This recipe us from my fav eggless recipe site, on egglescooking.com

I didn't add the food coloring, because I didn't have vegan food coloring....not because I forgot.... Right, that's why.

It's almost time to leave for work and I don't really have time to make a from scratch icing, so I looked and I found I have left over cream cheese frosting. The great thing about baking so much is that I usually have left over frosting. I know it spoils the whole vegan effect, but I'm in a hurry and if knew any vegans at work.... I'd leave a cupcake unfrosted for them.

:-)

Vegan cornmeal raspberry muffins

So tommorro is Mother's Day and I need to bring something to work to share with everyone. I get home ready rivals and find out that someone has used the last four or five eggs we had left over form this morning when I made cupcakes. So... Here's my first vegan muffin!

1 And 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

3/4 Cup Cornmeal

3/4 Cup Sugar

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Orange Zest From One Orange

1 Cup Raspberries, Fresh (Can Use Frozen Too)

1 And 1/4 Cups Almond Milk

1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1/4 Cup Oil

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

PROCEDURE:

Preheat oven to 400F/200C for 15 minutes. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Mix together the almond milk and vinegar; set aside for a couple of minutes until it curdles.

In a large bowl combine together the dry ingredients including the orange zest. Take 2 tablespoons of this mixture and

combine it with the berries, in a separate bowl. This will avoid the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.

In another bowl whisk together the curdled milk mixture, oil and vanilla extract.

Gently fold in the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Stir in the berries. Do not over mix the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, about 2/3rds full. I got only 11 muffins for the above measurement.

Sprinkle some sugar on top of the muffins. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

This made 12 cupcake sized muffins and 12 mini muffins. 

Found here: http://www.egglesscooking.com/2011/10/26/vegan-cornmeal-raspberry-muffins/

Sent from my iPhone

Lemon raspberry cupcakes

Today at Barnes and Noble we are wearing pink in honor of supporting breast cancer..... And since I don't work till one, I'm making cupcakes. :-) 

A look around by kitchen shows I do not have the ingredients for a velvet cupcake I wanted make ( i don't have heavy cream), so I found this lovely recipe to share.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 12 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
• Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, then beat until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in half of flour. Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; beat to blend. Beat in remaining flour.

Filling Optional 1: Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin liner. Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over. Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.

Filling option 2: After cupcakes have cooled, cut out a small portion of the middle of each cake. Cut off the top of the piece you cut out and save. Discard fluffy innards. Fill with raspberry jam or lemon curd. Place top piece back on.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted halfway into centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack. 

Icing option:

Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl. Spoon half of icing over 6 cupcakes. Whisk 1 tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing. Spoon over remaining cupcakes. Let stand until icing sets, about 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries.

Frosting option: 

Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Add 8 ounce cream cheese. Gradullly add an additional cup of powdered sugar and three tablespoons of sugar. Add two teaspoons of rasberry jam.

Recipe makes 12. 

Found on epicurius and Bon appetite. I adapted the recipe to include another option for filling. 

I didn't use the grated lemon peel, instead I put half a teaspoon of lemon juice.  I didn't have self rising flour, so I made my own by adding a teaspoon of baking soda. You can also add a teaspoon of salt to this, but I really dislike adding salt if I can avoid it. 

If you use Option 1 for the filling, put in a small amount of jam, as it may sink to the bottom during baking.

I put pretty sparkly sprinkles on top since I don't have fresh raspberries.

Next time I think I may make these with a graham cracker crust on the bottom which I believe will really hold in the jam nicely.  

Lemon meringue cupcakes

This recipe is broken up into three parts: the cake, the filling and the topping.

Ingredients for the lemon curd cakes

1 stick butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon peel, finely grated
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 1/4 cup self rising flour


Lemon curd
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
3 tablespoons butter


Coconut meringue

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut , chopped finely

1. Make lemon curd.
Combine ingredients in a small heatproof bowl over a small lot of simmering water ( double broiler time!), stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back if a spoon . Remove from heat, cover tightly and refrigerate until cold.

2. Preheat oven to 350.
Line your muffin pan with baking cups.

3. Beat butter, lemon peel, sugar and eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.

4. Stir in milk and coconut, then sifted flour. Pour into baking cups, smooth the surface. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Set on wire rack to cool. Increase oven temp to 425.

6. Once cupcakes are cooled, cut a 3/4 inch hole into the center of each cake, fill with the cooled lemon curd.

7. Make coconut meringue.
Beat egg whites in a small bowl with mixer until soft peaks from; gradually add sugar, vesting until sugar dissolves. Fold in coconut.

8. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with 1/2 -inch tube. Pipe meringue on top of each cake. Hold piping bag vertical to the cake, piping a spiral form the outside to the center of the cake.

9. Bake in oven for five minutes or until meringue is browned slightly.


This was my first time with meringue and I didn't have the piping equipment nor the time to dissolve the sugar all the way while I made the meringue. I'll make this recipe again and take a better picture. Tastes delicious even if you just spoon the meringue into the top like I did. Had to run to practice so I didn't brown it long enough either.
Recipe found from Pamela Clark, cupcakes.
I'll be making many recipes from this bargain book found at Barnes and noble. Everyone can thank Brandi for finding this one and leaving it by by register. :-)

Gluten free banana muffins

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) soft butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons molasses or honey
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup very mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan, or line the pan with papers, and grease the papers.

2) Whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, cinnamon, and flour or flour blend. Set aside.

3) Beat together the soft butter, sugar, and molasses.

4) Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl between additions.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the mixture in the bowl in three parts, alternately with the mashed bananas, beating well between additions and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl one or two times during this process.

6) After everything is added, scrape the bowl again and beat at medium high speed for 30 seconds

7) Stir in the walnuts.

8) Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, mounding the cups full. The batter will rise above the level of each cup; that's fine.

9) Bake the muffins for 22 to 25 minutes, until the middle springs back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Best served warm.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour.

If you don't have xanthan gum, use a half teaspoon of baking powder and a half teaspoon of baking soda to substitute as the emulsifier.

I leave out the salt in most recipes, either because I forgot, or because its hat not really needed.

In this recipe where it called for molasses or honey, I added the required molasses and then dribbled a little honey as well.