Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes

  Here is a cupcakes that I made for Mother's Day and shared with everyone at Barnes and noble. 

Ingredients

1  cup butter

2    eggs

2 1/2    cups all purpose flour

2 1/2    teaspoons baking powder

1/2  teaspoon salt

3/4  cup packed brown sugar

2    teaspoons ground cinnamon

1  cup sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2    teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4    cups milk

                   

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set up your cupcake tins with liners (or just make sure that the tins aren't in the dishwasher before you begin). 

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.

 

 In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add powdered sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

 

Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar mixture over batter in cups. Spoon remaining batter evenly over brown sugar mixture in cups. Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture over batter in cups.

 

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 10 minutes. 

 

Two options for topping: (or you can totally use both, it will just be double yummy)

 

Glaze:

 

In a medium bowl stir together 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons honey. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, 2 teaspoons at a time, to make a mixture of glazing consistency. Using a wooden toothpick, poke holes into tops of warm cupcakes. Spoon glaze over cupcakes, spreading evenly. Serve warm. Makes 26 (2-1/2 inch) cupcakes.

 

Frosting
 In a large mixing bowl beat 1 cup room temperature butter with a mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in vanilla and  a pinch of salt. Gradually add 2 to 3 cups of the powdered sugar, beating until combined. Beat in the 1/4 cup whipping cream *. Beat in the rest of the powdered sugar. Beat in additional whipping cream until frosting is light and fluffy and reaches a spreading (or piping) consistency.

 

 (*If you want to make homemade whip cream for this frosting: beat on high 1 cup heavy cream with one teaspoon vanilla and one tablespoon powdered sugar until it looks and tastes like whip cream, or beat for 4 minutes.)

 

Recipe adapted from bhg.com

Capt'n Crunch cupcakes

Cap’n Crunch Cupcakes

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups smashed up Cap’n Crunch

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with baking cups.
2.Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract.
4. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in buttermilk, then add the flour mixture slowly, alternating between wet and dry, mixing until just combined. Mix in ground Cap’n Crunch until combined.
5. Fill baking cups 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Frosting
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3-1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

 Cream together butter and powdered sugar. Add sweetened condensed milk, mixing until completely combined. 

Decorate with pieces of Capt'n Crunch after iced.


Adapted from the Baking Robot's recipe.

S'mores please! Cupcakes

Cake Ingredients 2 1/4 cup + 2 tbs sugar
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup + 1 tbs cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, as finely chopped as you can

Preheat oven to 350, and line 2 standard muffin tins or spray with cooking spray.

Sift (or whisk together) into the bowl 2 cups plus 2 tbs sugar (reserving the remaining 1/4 cup for later), flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl (or at your mixer), lightly whisk the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
 Pour into the flour mixture, and mix on low until incorporated slightly and then increase the speed to medium to mix for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and mix on medium for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in your boiling water. Using a spoon (not the mixer) stir to combine. The batter will be very runny. (For firmer cupcake, skip the boiling water and add the oil last)
In another medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of sugar, and melted butter.
Spoon 2 tbs of graham cracker mixture into each muffin cup (there will be some leftover). Using a piece of parchment paper, firmly press the graham cracker into the bottom of the muffin cup, creating a crust. Sprinkle evenly 2 generous tsp of finely chopped chocolate (or morsels of chocolate) on top of the crust.  Fill cups 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle the remaining chopped chocolate and then graham cracker mixture over the top of the batter.
Bake one tin at a time for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs attached.  Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, at least an hour.

Cupcake glaze
Melt 2/4 cup morsels and/or 6 oz chocolate bar with half a can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is a dark consistency.

Lightly glaze cooled cupcakes. Chocolate will cool and "harden" within a minute or two. Frosting goes on top of the glaze after it is hardened.

Marshmallow "frosting"

• 5 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cup sugar

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved.
2. Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume and forms stiff peaks; about 10 minutes.

Lightly dust with crumbled graham crackers and/or chocolate. 

Recipe adapted from Rocheli and Baker's Royale.

Pancake cupcakes

Here is a cupcake that I made for April Fools day 2014.

The cupcake tastes like pancakes with maple syrup and looks like a little pat of butter is melting on top. If you make the icing fluffy and swirly it could also look like mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients:

***Cupcakes***

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.    

• Maple Frosting***

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 to 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 5 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 375°.

Cupcakes: If using cupcake papers, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with the prepared cupcake papers. Or, grease and flour the cups or spray with baking spray.

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and melted cooled butter until smooth. Whisk in the flavoring(s). Stir in the flour mixture until smooth. Spoon into the prepared pan, filling cups or papers about 2/3 full.

Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.

Frosting: In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, use paddle attachment and beat the butter. Gradually add 1 cup of confectioners' sugar until smooth and light. Add the maple syrup and more cups of confectioners' sugar, and the maple and vanilla extracts. Beat until light and fluffy, adding more confectioners' sugar as needed.

****

Decorating  

Normally I would just frost this with maple buttercream frosting, but I wanted to be silly for April fools day, so I took the frosting and made it a filling by coring the cupcakes after they cooled and stuffed it in with a measuring cup. You can also use a piping bag to fill them. I then made a new batch of frosting minus the maple extract so that the frosting would stay white. 

You can frost it smoothly or make it fluffy. To make the appearance of butter on top, place an unwrapped yellow Starburst candy in the center and drizzle Carmel sauce across it. Alternately, you could make a well of Carmel sauce and put the Starburst in the center, pressing down a bit on the candy so that the sauce spills out onto the sides of the cupcake. 

This recipe is adapted from about.com southern food by Diana Rattray.

Tomato soup cupcake

• I loved this cupcake for the simple reason of having people guess what the main ingrediant was and watching their reaction to an unexpected desert ingrediant.        

  
  

  
  

          1 can condensed tomato soup

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 /3 c white sugar

  1 egg

  1/3 cup butter

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
  Combine the tomato soup and the soda in a bowl, and let it stand.
  Cream sugar, egg, butter, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix in tomato soup and soda mixture, and then flour. Pour the batter in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle teaspoon of sugar ontop if each.
  Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 24 minutes or until done. Cool.
  Optionally you could add a nice sour cream chocolate butter cream icing.... :-)
  
  
  
  
  Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Chocolate cherry cupcakes

Chocolate Cherry Cupcake Recipe

Yield: 14 cupcakes

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 C cocoa powder
• 3/4 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 C brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 C sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 C liquid from a jar of
  
  cherries

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder.
2. In another medium-sized bowl, beat butter and sugar until well combined.
3. Mix eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and cherry liquid into the wet ingredients.
4. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
5. Divide evenly between 14 cupcake liners.
6. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Cherry Buttercream Frosting

Note: Double this recipe if you prefer lots of frosting.

• 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 C powdered sugar (If you prefer a thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar.)
• 5 tbsp liquid from a jar of cherries
• Three mashed cherries
• 1 tbsp vanilla

1. Mix butter and powdered sugar until the mixture looks like frosting. Add cheery juice and cherries.
2. Pipe or spread on cupcakes.

Recipe modified from the Cupcake Project.

Eggless banana muffins

Ingredients

• 2/3 c sugar 
• 1/3 c vegetable oil
• 2 c all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3 bananas ,mashed

Directions

1. Mash well ripened bananas in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Mix baking powder,baking soda,flour and sugar.
3. Add mashed bananas and oil . Stir well. This batter will be very thick.
4. Spoon ingredients into a greased muffin tin.
5. Optional: for a crumb topping, mix in a small bowl: 1/2 cup brown sugar , 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 , 2T melted butter and mix into crumbles. Sprinkle on top.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes muffins. 

Recipe adapted from Just a Pinch Recipes