Post #30: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Sometimes I feel like the only things worth blogging are totally homemade.  100% from scratch, or I'm not impressed.  But!  I always have a box of cake mix or brownies in the ol' pantry, just in case I get a craving and don't have time to from scratch it.  Today is one of these stories. 

I had just put in my morning workout, had a yummy lunch, but something was missing.  Something...sweet.  But, I didn't feel like messing up the kitchen for the 543498573495th time in 2 days, so I went for my boxed cake mix.  Milk chocolate.  I had no frosting.  Crap.  Well, I'll make the frosting from scratch then.  No fuss, no muss!  Then my eyes saw this little box of strawberry creme pudding mix that I had to buy because I'd never seen it before.  Then the wheels started turning.  I could do something with this.  And so I did.  :o)

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

For the Cupcakes:

1 box of your favourite chocolate cake mix.  Prepare according to the cupcake directions.  (A really dark one would work nicely!)

For the Filling:

1 box of Jell-o strawberry creme pudding mix.  Prepare according to directions.  I did half heavy whipping cream, half milk.  Creamy, rich, and wow!

For the Frosting: 

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (the love of my life!)

1 - 1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip these ingredients until nice and fluffy in your mixer.  Easy as that.  This makes a crap ton of frosting, fyi!  Also, this is the best buttercream I have ever made, hands down! 

To Assemble:

 Make the pudding filling while the cupcakes cool.  When it has set up, it is time to fill!  I have a handy dandy Wilton cake decorator with a filling tip.  It injects right down into the center of your cupcake, fills it up, and leaves nary a trace that the cupcake was ever disturbed.  If you do not happen to have one of these (they are $12 at WalMart, so why the hell not?)  you can do this the slow poke way: take a knife and cut a circle out of the top of each cupcake.  Keep the "lid" you have just created, and remove a small amount of cake from the middle.  Proceed to spoon the filling into your little crater until it is full, then replace the "lid" and you're good to go! 

Top with the frosting, and serve these bad boys.  They are SO yummy!  I was impressed fo sho.  Easy too.  Start to finish, less than 1 hour.  How sweet it is!

Post #21: Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I wanted to make something sweet, but was having a hard time choosing between this recipe, and a recipe for a raspberry chiffon pie - both look summery, sweet, and yummy, and I had everything I needed for both of them!  (Usually that's how I decide...but I even had the Sure-Jell on hand, go figure!).  Essentially, I chose to make these cupcakes because I love - LOVE - buttercream and cream cheese frostings, and this one is BOTH!  Fat booty, here I come!  I'll just make the pie for a family gathering in the future... ;)

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

Recipe from: Joylicious

(Prep time: 45 minutes; Total cooking time: 2 hours)

makes approx. 20 cupcakes

1 package graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 Tbs), room temperature
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup + 2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt4 large egg whites
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled & coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F and line 16-18 muffin tins with cupcake liners. Mix one box of graham cracker crumbs with butter using a food processor. The mixture should hold together when pressed with fingers, add more butter if needed. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the crushed graham cracker into the bottom of each prepared muffin tin. Press down using fingers and bake for 3-5 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove immediately from oven and set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl beat the egg whites until stiff, glossy peaks appear, about 3-4 minutes, be careful not to overbeat. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder & salt. In a large bowl, cream together butter & sugar until light & fluffy and then add the vanilla & beat on a low-speed. Then add half the flour mixture until incorporated then mix in the sour cream or yogurt. Add remaining flour & mix until just blended.

Gently fold 1/3 of the egg into the batter until combined, do not over mix the egg whites or the cake will fall flat. Add remaining egg and fold in the chopped strawberries. Fill each muffin tin about 3/4 of the way and bake for about 20 minutes depending on your oven. You can test the doneness by sticking a toothpick through the center, if it comes out clean it is ready to take out!

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 packets of cream cheese (16 oz)

2 sticks of unsalted butter (16 Tb)

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar slowly in small batches, beating on low speed until incorporated. Once all sugar has been added, increase the speed to high and mix until light and fluffy. Refrigerate for 1 hour. When ready to serve, spread icing on cupcakes or use a pastry bag with a star tip. Garnish with freshly cut strawberries and graham cracker crumbs and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Post #18: White Chocolate-Vanilla Raspberry Filled Cupcakes w/ a Milk Chocolate Glaze

Oh, filled cupcakes!  They are precise, complicated, and finicky, and yet, I am drawn to them like a pirate to treasure.  

I adapted the recipe from Cupcake 29 at Ming Makes Cupcakes.  This blog is a wealth of delicious looking, albeit complicated cupcake recipes.  Ming's look way better than mine, but mine are also quite delicious!  

One thing I would change in making these in the future is the glaze.  Yes, the glaze is good, don't get me wrong, but these cupcakes deserve something more!  I'm thinking a white chocolate raspberry buttercream, or a thick and rich ganache. What do you think?

I also apologize for the crappy picture.  Natural light is at a premium in my apartment, and I baked these later in the afternoon, so this is the best I could do! 

Post #11: Salted Caramel Cupcakes

When I saw this recipe on SprinkleBakes, I just knew I had to try it!  It has everything I love - they're sweet, they're salty, and they are loaded with butter and heavy cream!  Yum!  The recipe is a little time consuming, but it is well worth all the effort.  This buttercream is to die for...you may want to double it, because you'll eat half of it before the cupcakes are frosted...trust me on this one!

Pay special attention when you make the caramel - you don't want to burn the sugar!  Also, resist all childlike urges to lick the wisk/spoon/stirring apparatus...it will burn you.  (Again, trust me!  lol!) 

Warning: you will need to spend a lot of time at the gym after you discover these beauties!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Makes 15 cupcakes Cupcakes: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin tins with papers. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated.  Add vanilla.  Mix and scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full.  Bake for about 25 minutes. When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Salted Caramel Filling: 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons salted butter cubed 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature Melt the sugar over medium  high heat in a large pot.  Whisk the sugar as it melts and cook until it becomes a deep amber color. Add the butter and stir it in until melted. Pour in the heavy cream (mixture will foam) and whisk until you get a smooth sauce. You may have some lumps but keep stirring until they have melted.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Cut a small round piece out of the tops of each cooled cupcake and pour in 1 teaspoon of caramel.  Replace the cake piece and set cupcakes aside. Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting: 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 stick salted butter 1 stick unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar In a saucepan, stir together granulated sugar and water.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Cook without stirring until mixture turns a deep amber color.  Remove from heat and slowly add in cream and vanilla, stirring until very smooth.  Let caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable. In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar.  Mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl and add the caramel.  Beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 2 minutes).  Mixture should be ready to use without refrigeration.  If your caramel was too hot when added, it will cause your icing to be runny.  If this happens refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.   Top caramel-filled cupcakes with frosting.

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Post #9: S'mores Cupcakes

I ran across the recipe on another foodie blog (Macaroni&Cheesecake) a few weeks ago, and they have been on my mind ever since!  I never need a special occasion to bake, but I wanted to make these for what I think is a special day - my hubby's birthday - though he disagrees!  But this is my blog, so I win.  :o) 

Back to the cupcakes!  My sweetie doesn't eat sweets very often, but s'mores, believe it or not, hold a special place in our relationship.  When we were just kiddos back in the day, he used to take me to a park by the lake, where we would walk around the water, talk and laugh, and then go to the fire pits and make about a million s'mores!  In fact, he proposed to me at that very lake.  (Aww!)  

These were delightfully quick to make, the chocolate cupcake is moist (I used applesauce instead of oil, and it is perfect!), and the taste is surprisingly light.  This will be my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe!  With them being so quick to whip together, and with the presentation being so fun, they would be awesome at a party (think tailgate!) and kids would just be tickled to have s'mores inside!  The directions recommend piping the frosting on top, but I globbed it for a more authentic feel - plus, the marshmallowie gooeyness of the frosting is sticky enough in the bowl, I didn't feel like transporting it to a piping bag!  Me = sometimes lazy.  ;)

Oh, and don't worry - these are just as messy as a real s'more!

S'mores Cupcakes

One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes
Source: Martha Stewart
Makes 24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
3/4 cup dutch processed 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 low fat buttermilk
3 tablespoons canola oil or applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with foil liners or squares of foil for the rustic look; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed. Spoon batter out evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Marshmallow FrostingSource: Things Alauna Makes via Sew Darn Cute
Ingredients:2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. tub of marshmallow cream

For Assembly:Crushed Graham Crackers
24 individual hershey chocolates

Directions:In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on high until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, and beat until fluffy each time
Beat in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the marshmallow fluff and beat until creamy

To Assemble the Cupcakes:Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes. I used a large ziploc bac and snipped off the end...worked perfectly. Top the piped frosting with crushed graham crackers (you can put them in the food processor until they are fine crumbs) and an individual piece of hershey's chocolate.