Week 13, April 28th, 2014 ~ Spicy Cayenne Chocolate Cupcakes

This week's cupcake is a spicy cayenne chocolate cupcake! I pretty much put pepper, cayenne, crushed red pepper, or sriracha on everything; so why not make a spicy cupcake! I had been thinking about it for a while and then last week someone else requested it. I didn't really feel like buying a bunch of ingredients at the store this week and it turned out I had everything I needed for this cupcake so I knew this was the week! This could also be called a Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcake...perfect for Cinco de mayo! Although I prefer to celebrate with Margaritas! I wasn't really sure what to expect with these; I definitely had to taste along the way because I was kind of winging it when it came to adding the spice. I wanted it to be pretty strong so I added extra; it is certainly noticeable but its not overpowering. I went with a devil's food cupcake because I wanted a moist almost fudgy cake and just added cinnamon and cayenne. I then filled it with homemade hot fudge using a Lindt chili chocolate bar and extra cayenne because filling cupcakes with things is kinda my thing and it would just make it even moister! I then topped it with a cinnamon cayenne buttercream! I was a big fan of this cupcake! The cayenne amounts a standard amount I ended up adding a few extra shakes on top of that. Just taste along the way and add more if you want, it won't have any impact on the baking process.

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes! 

For Cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup butter( room temperature)
• 1 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1-oz dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup water( boiling)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C and lightly grease  muffin tin.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix. Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.
4. Stir the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate into the boiling water (easiest in a large measuring cup). Pour chocolate water into the rest of the batter and stir until uniform.
5. Add the cayenne and cinnamon; taste and add more if desired.
6. Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. ( mine needed an extra 5 minutes--but I usually overfill the tin)

For the Cayenne Hot Fudge:

The original recipe made 2 cups which was way too much so unless you want extra for ice cream or something the recipe below is just for a cup which is plenty for 12 cupcakes.

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 4 tbsp Lindt chili chocolate bar-chopped
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Add all the ingredients to a medium sauce pan, except for the vanilla, and cook over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until mixture comes to a low boil and then whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and looks like fudge. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla. Add to cooled and cored cupcakes and then store any leftovers in a mason jar if desired. 

Tip: I used a squeeze bottle to fill the cupcakes; it was much easier and less messy than any other way I could think of. 

For the Buttercream:

At this point this is my standard buttercream recipe. It comes out perfectly fluffy every time! I just sub the extracts and flavors for whatever I want.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Cream the butter until it is really light and fluffy. About 5 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally.
2. Gradually add the sugar, mixing after each addition--frosting will be pretty thick by the end.
3. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper
4. Add 1/4 cup of cream and beat the frosting for a few more minutes.
5. Taste and add more spice if desired.

Lastly I topped the cupcakes with some of this: 

It is really good! If I didn't have it though I would have just sprinkled some cayenne on top. This was easier and prettier though! Now that I am sitting here writing this I find myself thinking how good it would have been if I topped the cupcakes with a sweet and spicy candied bacon! Ugh! where was this idea yesterday!!!!! 

Oh Well! Happy Baking!

Week 6, March 10, 2014 ~Snickers Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Ok this cupcake was pure selfishness...My 2 favorite candies are Reese's and Snickers and I especially enjoy the love child of these which is the Snickers pb squared! I needed to make this happen in cupcake form! So I started with a dark chocolate cupcake and filled it with a caramel peanut concoction and topped it off with peanut butter buttercream! The only thing I think it could've used was a bit more caramel. I don't have any photos but I did add caramel sauce to the tops of the ones I brought to work. The frosting was light and fluffy and the cake was perfectly moist!

This recipe made 12 cupcakes!

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder; Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 5/8 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 cupcake molds or muffin tins with paper liners.
2.  In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. 
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk in the milk, coffee, and melted butter. Whisk in the dry ingredients. 
4. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake molds, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and continue to cool on a wire rack.

For the Caramel Peanut filling:

1/2 cup sugar

1/8 cup water

1/2 tablespoon corn syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1. Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan, stirring to combine. 
2. Without stirring, bring to a boil over high heat, swirling the ingredients in the pan occasionally. 
3. Continue boiling until the mixture reaches an amber color (not too dark, or red).
4. Remove from heat and add the cream in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly.
5. Add the butter and continue stirring until completely melted and combined. 
6. Add peanuts to the mixture and set aside until cupcakes are cool and ready to be filled. Mixture should be cooled before using.
7. Core the cooled cupcakes and fill with the cooled mixture. 

• For the Peanut Butter Buttercream:
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the peanut butter and butter for several minutes until the mixture has lightened in color.
2. Add the powdered sugar,and mix until combined.
3. Pour in the heavy cream and beat until smooth. 
4. Add the salt.
5. Beat on high for about 4 minutes until the buttercream has become light and fluffy.
6. Frost the cupcakes and top with chocolate and caramel sauces (I melted down some dark chocolate candy melts..

Week 5, March 2nd, 2014 Lemon Meringue Pie Cupcakes

These cupcakes were a special request from one of my work children! I like making cupcakes out of other desserts and I love lemon so I went for it! The cake didn't come out as good as I wanted it to; it was on the dry side however I know what I would have done differently so that is the recipe I have included. I did make my own lemon curd for this however you could buy it if you don't have time or you are afraid --it can be challenging. 

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes!

For the Lemon Curd:

The lemon curd should be prepared first since it needs at least an hour to cool/ thicken. You could make it far in advance and store in a mason jar in the fridge if wanted to.

3 large eggs 
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons
1 tbsp lemon zest 

Directions
1. Add lemon juice, zest, butter and sugar in a pot over medium heat until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Whisk a little until it reaches boiling point.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Beat the eggs until fluffy in a bowl and slowly spoon a quarter of the lightly cooled lemon mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously because you do not want the eggs to curdle.
4. Transfer the egg mixture back into the pot and whisk constantly over low heat until it becomes thick.

5. If the mixture does curdle a little it is ok just strain it through a mesh strainer.
6. Remove from heat and allow it to cool in the pan before transferring into a mason jar and storing. This made just enough for the cupcakes.

For the Cake:

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 stick butter, room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. Beat in the butter a little at a time. It should almost take on the texture of sand once fully incorporated.
4. Beat in the sugar and mix well.
5. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla, and milk.
6. Distribute evenly amongst the cupcake pan and bake for about 18 minutes till golden and toothpick comes out clean
7. Let cool on a rack till ready to be filled.

For the Meringue Frosting

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 5 large egg whites, room temperature

1. Bring 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, the corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water to a boil, stirring. Wash down side of pan with a wet pastry brush, and cook sugar syrup, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, beat egg whites with a mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
3. Add sugar syrup in a slow, steady stream down side of bowl. Beat on high speed until thick, fluffy, and cool, about 7 minutes.

The frosting recipe is from marthastewart.com

After I filled the cupcakes with the curd and spread a little extra on top of the cupcakes and then frosted the cupcakes with the meringue I put them under the broiler for a couple minutes. I would have used my kitchen torch but I don't have any butane at the moment. 

Week 4, February 23rd, 2014 ~ Samoas Girl Scout Cookie Cupcakes

Seeing as it is Girl Scout cookie season, and being a former Girl Scout, I couldn't help but make a cupcake inspired by MY favorite cookie; the Samoas. Though now I think they call them Caramel Delights. Anyways I just happen to have a box of these just lying around so it was obviously meant to be! The cupcake is a devil's food cake and has a caramel coconut filling and coconut buttercream. The filling is so good I could seriously eat it by the spoonful! 

For Cupcakes:

1. 1/2 cup butter( room temperature)
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 3 large eggs
4. 3/4 cup sour cream
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 2 cups all purpose flour
7. 2 tsp baking soda
8. 1/2 tsp salt
9. 1/4 cup cocoa powder
10. 2-oz dark chocolate
11. 1 cup water( boiling)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F/180 C and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time. 

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix. Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.

4. Stir the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate into the boiling water (easiest in a large measuring cup). Pour chocolate water into the rest of the batter and stir until uniform.
4. Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.
Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and filling.

For Caramel Coconut Filling

• 3 cups shredded coconut (about 1-14-ounce bag)
• 12-ounces chewy caramels
• 3 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden.
3. Cool on baking sheet.
4. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave safe bowl with milk.
5. Cook on high 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stopping to stir a few times.
6. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut.
7. Fill cupcakes with about 1 tbsp filling

Coconut Buttercream:
3 cups Unsalted Butter, room temperature
6 cups Powdered Sugar
1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
1.5 tsp Coconut Extract
Pinch of Salt

For Coconut Buttercream:
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add in one cup of sugar at a time, mixing in between additions. Once the sugar is completely incorporated, add in vanilla and coconut extracts. Add in salt. Turn off the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl. Restart the mixer and turn the speed up to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes. 

I garnished with 1/2 a cookie however if you didn't want to buy the cookies you could do caramel sauce and toasted coconut

It's just so beautiful!