Week 15, May 12, 2014 ~ Chocolate Caramel Creme Cupcakes

I think summer is going to prove to be a problem...On Sunday,after weeks of 45 degree weather, we had an 80 degree day! Anyways everything just felt meltier...I think the butter got too soft and the frosting lacked some of the bounce it normally does--I will just have to play around with it I suppose! This week I made a caramel cupcake with chocolate chips, a caramel creme filling, and caramel and chocolate buttercream swirl. The Frosting is basically 2 separate frosting swirled. I will explain it better below.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes:

For the Caramel Cupcake:

• 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. 
4. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients until no flour remains, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly stir in the cream, careful not to overmix. 
5. Fold chocolate chips into batter.
6. Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full, dividing the batter between all 12. Bake cupcakes for 22-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean. 

For the Caramel Creme filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1. Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. Without stirring, bring to a boil over high heat, swirling the ingredients in the pan occasionally. 
2. Continue boiling until the mixture reaches an amber color (not too dark, or red). Remove from heat and very carefully (the mixture will quickly expand and sputter) add the cream in a slow steady stream, being sure to stir constantly.
3.  Cool to room temperature and then beat with the powdered sugar until combined.
4. Fill each cupcake with 1-2 tbsp.

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1  cups butter, at room temperature 
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder*
• 2  Tbsp heavy cream or half-&-half
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed until butter turns almost white and is fluffy about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. 
2. Add the cocoa powder then add in powdered sugar gradually. Mix until well combined.
3.  3 Tbsp heavy cream and coconut and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add more cream if frosting is too thick.
4. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip mixture until pale and very fluffy about 4 - 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl.
5. Fill a piping bag and then put the rest in another container (if using a kitchenaid) to make the caramel buttercream

For the Caramel Buttercream:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter; room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce --store bought or homemade 
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Whip the butter for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy
2. Add the confectioners sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated
3. Add the caramel sauce, vanilla, and beat for another 4-5 minutes until fluffy 
4. Taste and add more caramel if you want

Now comes the super technical part! I should of taken photos but I think it is easy enough to explain. You need:

•  two 12' pastry bags
• one 16' pastry bag
• a pastry tip- I used Wilton 1M 
• You don't NEED it but a large coupler makes it easier

First fill the 2 12' pastry bags with the two frostings and then set up the larger bag like you would normally and then cut the tips off the bags filled with frosting and carefully place them in the larger bag next to each other. Test the bag and squeeze until both frostings come out at the same time! It is like a soft serve swirl ice cream in frosting form! It is honestly not the hard and it looks cool...it would probably look really cool with 2 different colored frostings like for a graduation or something!

I may post something non cupcake related this weekend...I made the most amazing macaroni and cheese ever and more people need to know about it!

Happy Baking :)

Week 11, April 14, 2014 ~ Coconut Cheesecake Brownie Cupcakes

"I can't believe I forgot my cupcakes" --me when I got to work at 6 o'clock this morning! ugh whatevs they will hopefully be just as good tomorrow! This cupcake is an ode to my favorite discontinued cheesecake at The Cheesecake Factory. It was the Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheesecake and it was amazing. Last time I went I was very sad it was gone. It had a chocolate macaroon crust, with coconut cream and coconut cheesecake filling. There is also a facebook page dedicated to bringing it back...though with only 27 fans I don't think there is much hope...

source: The Cheesecake Factory

So this cupcake has a chocolate macaroon crust, a brownie cake, a coconut cheesecake swirl and a chocolate coconut buttercream. The only thing I would do differently is have more cheesecake and a stronger coconut flavor. It is a very rich decadent cupcake. I took my time eating it. I don't think people will inhale this one quite like the other ones. This is the best smelling cupcake though! On with the show!

This makes 12 cupcakes!

Chocolate Macaroon Crust:

• 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• pinch of salt
• non stick spray

1. Preheat oven to 325 and line 12 cupcake liners
2. combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mash together with your hands until everything is good and mixed
3. distribute amongst the cupcake liners and pack with the bottom of a glass sprayed with non-stick spray or with clean fingers!
4. put in the oven for about 10 minutes

Cheesecake Brownie Base

for the cheesecake:

• 3 tbsp softened butter
• 1 8oz package of softened cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp coconut extract
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp flour

for the brownie:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (could also try coconut!)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• pinch salt 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• pinch of cayenne pepper 
• 3 tbsp Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder 
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugars and oil until well blended,  then add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition, then add the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cayenne and cocoa.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture a little at a time, mixing well each time, then stir in the chocolate.
5. Fill each cupcake tin 1/2 way (I actually was able to make about 16 cupcake with this since the macaroon crust took up some space)
6. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla until smooth, then add the egg and mix well - then mix in the flour.
7. Top each cupcake with the cheesecake and spread it out.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes using a toothpick to check that the brownies are done. 

• For the Chocolate Coconut Buttercream:
• 
  

1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature 

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder*
• 3  Tbsp heavy cream or half-&-half
• 2 tsp coconut extract

1. In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whip butter on medium-high speed until butter turns almost white and is fluffy about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. 
2. Add the cocoa powder then add in powdered sugar gradually. Mix until well combined.
3.  3 Tbsp heavy cream and coconut and mix on low speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add more cream if frosting is too thick.
4. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip mixture until pale and very fluffy about 4 - 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl.

My best advice for making a perfect buttercream is to set it and forget it! If you are using a Kitchenaid just turn it on and walkaway for a few minutes. Whenever I hover it doesn't come out right...

btdubs how CUTE is this cake stand! I got it at Target and it is perfect! AND its plastic so hopefully I can't break it!!