Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Buttercream

Tags

buttercream, Christmas, cinnamon, ginger, gingerbread, molasses

I love the flavors of this season. While gingerbread isn’t one of my favorite flavors, it’s so traditional for this time of the year, I couldn’t resist! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy little gingerbread men and whatnot, just in small doses. And these cupcakes are little cake versions of those tasty seasonal cookies. Cream cheese frosting is such a common pairing with gingerbread, and I know it’s what some people would want and expect. And who am I to disappoint! But at the same time, I saw so many unique frostings paired up with other gingerbread cupcakes, and I really wanted to try a less traditional flavor.I couldn’t decide between the two frosting options, so I asked at work and on Facebook. I didn’t really get a clear winner there, either, though one person recommended putting both frostings on one cupcake! As good as that sounds, I took their suggestion with a sort of twist… I made both frostings and one batch of cupcakes, so now I have extra frosting already made for when I make another batch of cupcakes!! Win-win for me and everyone who gets extra cupcakes! Hehe. The frosting went wonderfully with the cupcakes, and all the flavors complimented each other perfectly. If you are a fan of gingerbread, you’ll absolutely love these cupcakes!Gingerbread Cupcakes with Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Buttercream 

Cupcakes:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon salt

Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2-3 tablespoons cream

To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and salt; set aside. In another small bowl, stir together the boiling water and baking soda until dissolved; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Slowly beat in the baking soda water. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture; mix until just combined.

Spoon the gingerbread batter into the prepared cupcake tins. Bake about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar; beat at medium-low speed until the sugar is fully incorporated. Add the cream 1 tablespoon at a time, until frosting is smooth and fluffy. Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired.

Source: Adapted from The Culinary Chronicles, who adapted it from The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Tags

cream cheese, Halloween, Pumpkin

Happy Halloween!!!!These cupcakes are by no means strictly Halloween cupcakes, but I really wanted a chance to decorate for Halloween! Spiderwebs, sprinkles, and Jack Skellington!! Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite movies, especially around this time of year (I’ve already watched it about 4 times in the last couple of weeks…). I attempted black frosting for some chocolate Halloween cupcakes because I was hopeful that maybe it would work, though I knew in the back of my mind that it wouldn’t. They still look dark and dreary, and festive at least!The spiced pumpkin cupcakes are delicious! I made them last year for Halloween, too, and they were a big hit. Pumpkin and cream cheese is a classic and tasty combo! They dome very nicely, too, and are very moist and tender. The perfect cupcake for fall, and for Halloween or even Thanksgiving .

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes
Yield: about 24-30 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend together the pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes to the wire rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter 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 beat until smooth.  Frost cooled cupcakes and decorate as desired.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Mini Halloween Cheesecakes

Tags

cheesecake, cream cheese, Halloween, oreo, sour cream

I love Halloween! It’s one of my favorite holidays! I know it’s almost too late to be posting Halloween stuff, but I still have time! These are quick and easy. They’re also supposed to be a brighter orange… so don’t be like me and think that the color will darken up when they bake Or I guess you could pretend they’re mini pumpkin cheesecakes! Those would be awesome, too, but that’s not what these are unfortunately. Hehe. But I still wanted to post something festive, and I love my cupcake liners! I bought these black trick-or-treat ones and also some orange ones with black bats. Now I just need to get baking so I can actually use them before it’s too late… But anyways, just imagine these in a nice, bright orange and they’re totally festive! So Happy Halloween, a little early!! Is anyone dressing up?

Mini Halloween Cheesecakes
Yield: 15 mini cheesecakes

21 Halloween Oreo cookies, divided
1 pound cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
orange gel food coloring

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Take 15 Oreos and put 1 in each cupcake liner. Place the other 6 in a food processor and grind them up until they are crumbs. Alternatively, put them in a plastic bag and crush them. Set aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add in the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Slowly add in the lightly beaten eggs and mix until just combined; do not over mix.

Add in a small amount of orange gel food coloring and stir with a spatula until desired color is achieved and the entire cheesecake batter is colored. Stir in the Oreo crumbs.

Using an ice cream scooper, fill each cupcake liner with the cheesecake batter, almost to the top.

Bake for 22 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan. Once the cheesecakes are done baking, chill them in the cupcake pan in the refrigerator overnight.

Source: Slightly adapted from Gingerbread Bagels

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Tags

chocolate, cookie dough

My friend had a barbecue and he was nice enough to put me in charge of dessert! He’s so smart like that The end of summer is here, but it was still going to be a warm day so I was trying to think of the perfect barbecue cupcake. Fruit cupcakes sounded ideal, using berries or lemon and making something light. I was trying to avoid chocolate, despite my love of it. Well, I kind of succeeded…

I’ve seen cookie dough cupcakes on multiple blogs before and once the thought got in my head, I couldn’t get it out. They’re fun cupcakes and unique, so perfect for a get together or when you want to impress people. I must admit, though, these cupcakes are for cookie dough enthusiasts only. I never knew there were people who didn’t like cookie dough, though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. But come on, it’s cookie dough! It’s one of the best part of making chocolate chip or sugar cookies!The cupcake is brown sugar-flavored and filled with an eggless cookie dough. On top of everything is a cookie dough frosting and mini chocolate chips, with an adorable little cookie to adorn it all! Make sure you add the baking soda to the dough because even though it’s not needed for baking purposes, it makes a huge difference in the flavor. And an interesting fact I learned in this process is that milk can substitute eggs in cookie dough, so you can eat the dough without the risk of raw egg!

These cupcakes can all be made in one day, or the separate components can be made over the course of a couple days and assembled before serving. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cupcakes:
2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

Filling:
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting:
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk or whipping cream
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Decorations:
Mini chocolate chip cookies
Mini chocolate chips

To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners, totaling 24 cupcakes.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly mix in the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients; mix each addition just until incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula, if using.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling: Combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the milk and vanilla; slowly beat in the flour and baking soda until fully combined and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

To make the frosting: Beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy.  Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Mix in the milk or cream and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

To assemble the cupcakes: Roll the cookie dough filling into balls, about a tablespoon each; set back in the refrigerator while the cupcakes are prepared. Once the cupcakes are cooled, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake using either a paring knife or an inverted pastry tip. Fill each hole with chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture. Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Source: Cupcake and frosting adapted from Annie’s Eats; Filling adapted from Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Zucchini-Pineapple Cupcakes with Lemon Sour Cream Frosting

Tags

cinnamon, cupcake, lemon, pineapple, sour cream, zucchini

One last zucchini recipe to finish off the week! I realize a lot of people are switching to fall mode now, with pumpkin and apple recipes and lots of warming comfort foods. These do not fall under that category. But in my defense, it is still hot here and still feels like summer, so I can’t bring myself to shift from summer to fall just yet. There is an apple stand on my way to work that’s just calling my name, but I’m not yet ready for apple pie or other yummy apple goodies. Their time will come soon enough, and there will be a large box of apples waiting for me when I’m ready!

As for these cupcakes, they’re very light with a bright flavor, perfect for summer or hot days. I was drawn to these because I thought the pineapple and sour cream were unique twists. I try to avoid cake mixes since it’s so easy to make your own from scratch, but sometimes it’s nice to have the simplicity of using a box mix (and I couldn’t figure out a simple way to replicate box mix). The original recipe called for an orange icing, but I’m not a huge fan of orange in baked goods and lemon seemed like it would go better. While I can’t compare the lemon with the orange, I thought the lemon went perfectly, but feel free to switch it up!Zucchini-Pineapple Cupcakes with Lemon Sour Cream Frosting

Cupcakes:
1 package (about 18 ounces) yellow cake mix without pudding in the mix
3 eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini
1 (8-ounces) can crushed pineapple, well drained

Frosting:
3½ cups powdered sugar
⅔ cup sour cream (not non fat or fat-free)
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon zest

To make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 standard muffin pan cups with paper baking cups.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice; beat according to package directions. Fold in the zucchini and pineapple, mixing well to distribute evenly. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting: While the cupcakes are cooling, combine powdered sugar, sour cream, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl with electric or stand mixer at low speed. Beat at medium speed until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes with an offset spatula. Garnish with additional lemon peel, if desired. Serve at room temperature. Store leftover cupcakes in refrigerator.

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker