Mini Chocolate Cupcakes with Silver Peanut Butter Frosting

Posted on November 1, 2009 by kitchenbelle

October

The recipe in the previous post makes enough batter for three round cake pans yet I only have two.  Rather than wash, cool, and reuse one of the cake pans to make a sky high cake, I decided to use the remaining batter to make mini cupcakes!  (Luckily, I also had quite a bit of leftover peanut butter frosting.)

What’s funny is my intention was to make the frosting purple.  Into the frosting I whipped several drops of Wilton red and blue gel coloring.  However, because the frosting was taupe to start (the color of the peanut butter) rather than achieve the royal purple I had intended I ended up with this silvery gray color–and I love it!  I topped each cupcake with silver sprinkles and it totally works on this aluminum serving piece.  There is both eeriness and elegance to them.  If you want to make these cupcakes follow the recipe for the cake and frosting here. 

October

Filed under: chocolate, cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting, icing, Peanut Butter | 10 Comments »

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes

Posted on October 26, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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My friend hosted a costume Halloween Party and I couldn’t have been more excited!  I love getting dressed up and it is so much fun to see how creative others can be with their costumes.  I wanted to bring a little treat so I made Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes.  Each one was like a bite of perfectly moist pumpkin bread!  (Don’t forget to keep an eye on mini cupcakes while they are in the oven–even just one little minute too long and they can end up dry.  They bake much faster than full-sized cupcakes.) 

I decide to top them with chocolate frosting, but I think that many types of frosting would pair well:

My friend went above and beyond and served the cutest most creative cupcakes at her party.  I just have to share photos with you:b2

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How cute are they?! You can tell she is an artist!

Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes:

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Use a mixer to cream together butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after adding each.

In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.  Use a wooden spoon to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternating with the milk. Mix until combined.  Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Line cupcake tin with papers and fill three quarters of the way to the top with batter.  Bake 10-14 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5 minutes then finish cooling on rack.  When cupcakes are completely cool, top with your frosting of choice.

Adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

Filed under: cupcakes, Dessert, Fall, frosting, pumpkin | 11 Comments »

Carnival Cupcakes Galore

Posted on August 12, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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As you know, I baked clown cakes for my nephew’s carnival-themed first birthday party.  Because I have never baked for such a large crowd, I worried that the cake would not be enough so I decided to also make some cupcakes.  Compared to the cakes these cupcakes were easy breezy!  I baked a batch of butter cake cupcakes and a batch of chocolate cupcakes and then decorated them with Hershey’s frosting, mini M&Ms, glitter icing, gummy bears, and sprinkles.  I think the monkey cupcakes and the lion cupcakes were especially cute!    

 Carnival Cupcakes:

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup Hershey’s cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

    • Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Insert cupcake liners into pans.

    Stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).  Pour batter into pans.

    Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely before frosting.

    Hershey’s Frosting

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

    • 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.

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    Filed under: cake, candy, chocolate, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 7 Comments »

    Chocolate Cupcakes with Rich Chocolate Frosting

    Posted on July 27, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    These cupcakes are rich and delicious!

    Chocolate Cupcakes:

     (I used the Flour Bakery recipe.)

  • 2 ounces chocolate (you can use unsweetened or semisweet)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop chocolate and place it in a bowl with the cocoa powder. Mix butter, water and sugar in a pan over medium high heat. Whisk until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Pour hot buttery mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until chocolate melted and ingredients are combined.  Whisk the egg, milk, and vanilla extract together then whisk into the chocolate mixture until combined.  Sift the dry ingredients together.  Pour the dry ingredients onto the wet ingredients. Whisk  until the dry ingredients are totally mixed into the chocolate mixture.  Let stand about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, line muffin tin with liners and then pour the batter (or use an ice cream scoop) into the muffin cups, dividing batter evenly among the 12 cups.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 26-29 minutes. Cool in tin on rack for 15 minutes. 

    Rich Chocolate Frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    • Melt butter along with cocoa powder and chocolate morsels in a small saucepan.  Transfer to a stand mixer. Add powdered sugar and milk and whip to spreading consistency. Add more milk or sugar as needed until desired consistency is reached. Stir in vanilla.

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    Filed under: chocolate, cupcakes, Dessert, Flour Bakery, frosting | 3 Comments »

    Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

    Posted on July 8, 2009 by kitchenbelle

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    I made these cupcakes for a cookout and they were a huge hit!  All of the children at the party found them and ravaged them before dinner was even served.  Then the adults followed suit!  I had to snag one for myself in order to have a taste before they were gone!  DELICIOUS! 

    I used this recipe for the cupcakes-

    Oatmeal Cupcakes:

    • 1 1/3  cups  boiling water
    • 1  cup  quick-cooking oats
    • 3/4  cup  granulated sugar
    • 3/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
    • 1/3  cup  vegetable shortening
    • 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
    • 3  large eggs
    • 1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour
    • 1  teaspoon  baking soda
    • 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
    • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    • 1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
    • 1/2  cup  buttermilk

    Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Insert liners into cupcake pans.

    Combine boiling water and oats in a medium bowl; let stand 20 minutes. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and vanilla at medium speed of a mixer for 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add oatmeal, beating until blended.

    Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

    Pour batter into prepared pans. Sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack.

    And this recipe for the cream cheese frosting–

    Cream Cheese Frosting:

    • Two 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer, until smooth.  Slowly sift the confectioners’ sugar into the butter/cream cheese, about one cup at a time.  Continue to beat until all lumps are gone.  Add the vanilla and mix until fully combined. 

    june 23 021

    Oatmeal Cake recipe adapted from Cooking Light.  Frosting recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella.

    Filed under: cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting, icing, oatmeal | 7 Comments »

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