cupcakes | Kitchenbelle

Pumpkin for my Pumpkin (Pumpkin Cupcakes)

Posted on September 20, 2011 by kitchenbelle

I tend to become very sappy when it comes to first birthdays. My nephews turned me into puddles on each of their birthdays (Clown Cake, Fire Engine Cake, Monkey Cake). And now it’s time to be nostalgic all over again on an even more personal level because today is the one year anniversary of my daughter being born, also known as, her first birthday. Yup. I know, I can’t believe it either. *holding back a little sniffle*

She captures my heart over and over and over with her sweet face, sparkling eyes, and scrunchy-nosed smile. She has gone from a squishy little mammal that needed to be sustained (one year ago) to a delightful, charismatic, tiny person (today). She blows us kisses (“mmmmmmmmmmahhh!”), climbs into the dishwasher, opens and empties all of our drawers and cabinets, giggles uncontrollably when we tickle her belly, shows us which book she’d like to read then crawls into our lap, unfolds all of our laundry, and dances with her head. She claps when she hears an applause from the television set, holds her arms up like a waitress and scrunches her shoulders when someone walks out of the room (“Where’d he go?”), and stands up in her highchair during every meal.

Being her mom is the best gift I have ever been given.

I love that she was born during my favorite season because it gives me another very big reason to love this time of year more than any other.

So I’m continuing the cupcake frenzy with another batch, this time in honor of my little pumpkin. (Her birthday cake has not been made yet!) I used this recipe for pumpkin cupcakes from Smitten Kitchen. I found the texture to be fantastic–very light, moist, and crumbly. These are definitely cakes as opposed to pumpkin bread baked in a cupcake tin. I topped them with the requisite cream cheese frosting. A great treat for a celebration of the season and of my girl.

Filed under: cupcakes, Dessert, Fall, frosting, pumpkin | 12 Comments »

Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (Again)

Posted on September 19, 2011 by kitchenbelle

We have here another favorite and crowd pleaser: Oatmeal cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes are great for fall because the cinnamon and nutmeg capture the warmth and essence of the season. These are a grown up cupcake that kids love too.

If you’d like to see me make them before your very eyes, check out this video: http://how2heroes.com/videos/dessert-and-baked-goods/oatmeal-cupcakes-w-cream-cheese-frosting

Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 1 Comment »

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Posted on September 16, 2011 by kitchenbelle

In addition to the red velvet cupcakes, I also made these chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting for the party.

I used this batter recipe. (It is a perfect chocolate cake recipe, as well.) The cupcakes are moist, rich, and a bit sticky on top. Know ahead of time that the batter is very thin, so don’t worry that you’ve done something wrong.

For the frosting I used this recipe:

½ cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup milk (room tempertature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the frosting, melt the butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the cocoa. Alternately add confectioners’ sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Filed under: chocolate, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 2 Comments »

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Posted on September 14, 2011 by kitchenbelle

I made these red velvet cupcakes for a party last weekend. I have made them several times before, but for some reason I have only blogged about them once. I love this recipe because it offers a very unique cupcake. The texture is dense and crumbly and packed with a complex flavor resulting from the cinnamon and cocoa powder. I am definitely a fan of these. If you try making them, let me know what you think. And of course, as usual, I suggest pairing with cream cheese frosting. YUM.

Notes:

–make sure the butter is not too warm or they will not rise

–do not tap the pan on the counter prior to baking as you do with the Oatmeal Cupcake recipe

Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 3 Comments »

Strawberry Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on July 11, 2010 by kitchenbelle

I was a bit wary about the combination of strawberry and lime in a cupcake but I decided to give it a go anyway. What a fantastic surprise! The freshness of the two flavors is a winning combination! The lime flavor was not overpowering and really complemented the strawberries nicely. I kept these in the fridge just until serving time, which turned out to be a great move. I served them on one of these excruciatingly hot Boston days and the coolness of the cake and the frosting really enhanced the freshness of the flavors. The cream cheese frosting continues to speak for itself. If you haven’t tried it yet I have only two words: you must!

Here are some other recipes using cream cheese frosting. (I promise–your friends and family will thank you!)

Strawberry Lime Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 pound (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, chopped into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (about one lime)
1 teaspoon grated lime zest (about one lime)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fill one cupcake pan with liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the vanilla, strawberries, lime juice, and lime zest into the mixture.

Fill the cupcake liners 1/2 – 3/4 full. Bake for 26-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pan for ten minutes and finish cooling on wire rack before frosting.