Rich Chocolate Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on October 31, 2008 by kitchenbelle

 Frosted and decorated two ways: Pumpkins/jack-o-lanterns (above) and plainly piped (below). 

Happy Halloween!

 

 Rich Chocolate Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (or just use morsels)
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs whites at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

In a bowl, place butter and chocolate.  Pour water over them and let stand until melted.  Stir to combine.

Add sugar and vanilla and stir again to combine.

Add the sour cream.  Use an electric mixer to beat until fully combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet.  Mix until smooth.

In another metal bowl, use a whisk to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  (Note, it is very important that you use a metal non-reactive bowl.  Adding a pinch of cream of tartar or a teaspoon of vinegar will help thicken your egg whites.  This takes some time and your arm might ache a bit!  You’ll know you’re done when you pull the whisk from the whites and a little peak forms and remains upright.)

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

Fill the cupcake papers 3/4 full.  (I like to use an ice cream scooper to do this.)

Bake for 20-27 minutes, depending on your oven.

Let cakes cool completely in pan.

Recipe adapted from Crazy About Cupcakes by Krystina Castella, available for purchase here.

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • 2   8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Beat all ingredients until light and fluffy.  Hold in the fridge until stiff enough to pipe.

Recipe adapted from RedBook.

Filed under: chocolate, cupcakes, Dessert, Fall | 4 Comments »

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (with or without mini chocolate chips)

Posted on October 12, 2008 by kitchenbelle

I am loving all things pumpkin these days–I just can’t get enough.  Pumpkin candy, pumpkin cake, actual pumpkins in the natural state.  Nothing says October like bright beautiful orange pumpkins and all of the spices that go along with them.  Cloves. Nutmeg. Cinnamon.  So delicious! And the smell in the house is incomparable!

These cookies are very chewy and delicious.  They are so chewy I almost thought I under-cooked them.  The currants add a very nice texture, and because they are smaller than raisins they are subtle.  I added mini-chocolate chips to the second portion of the batter for a little melty surprise. 

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated (white) sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or fresh
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 1/3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dried currants
  • 1 cup mini-chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Beat the butter and two sugars together until fluffy.  Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and beat for about three minutes. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cloves and cinnamon.  Stir together dry ingredients together and then slowly add to the wet ingredients until just combined.

Fold currants (and chocolate chips if you are using them) into the batter.  Use a tablespoon to drop the batter onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake about 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Adapted from recipe found here on Simply Recipes.

Filed under: cookies, Dessert, Fall, pumpkin | 2 Comments »

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted on October 6, 2008 by kitchenbelle

I wanted to make something sweet and “fall-esque” for our family picnic/apple picking excursion.  I found this whoopie pie recipe, and it peaked my curiosity.  What an interesting spin on an old-fashioned treat!  Who doesn’t love whoopie pies!?  You can’t help but feel like a kid when you eat one.  It’s tough to get your mouth around the top and the cream inevitably spurts out from the sides onto your lips and cheeks–it’s impossible to eat one neatly!  I am so glad I made these because they were a hit!  The pumpkin cakes are so fluffy and flavorful and the cream filling is sweet and delicious.  My husband and family raved about these treats.  My uncle even saved one to have with coffee for breakfast!  I can certainly see these babies making another appearance at my table this season!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

Cakes

  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup canola oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup pumpkin, canned or fresh roasted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all cake ingredients in a large bowl and blend until well incorporated.   Grease cookie sheets.  Drop batter by tablespoon (all equal sizes) onto cookie sheets.  Be sure to leave space between each–only six per cookie sheet–as these will spread while baking.  (You will have to make these in batches.*)  Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire wrack.

*I think I made about 4 batches of 6.  When you put the cakes together that gives you about 12 pies total.   It depends, however, on how big you make your pies.  Mine were on the larger size.  You could make about double this number if you made them smaller. 

Cream Filling**

  • 3 heaping tablespoons marshmallow cream (Fluff)
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Combine all ingredients using an electric mixer until fully blended.  Spread on one cooled cake and top with another. 

**I made a double batch of the cream because one batch was far from enough.  You too, may want to double the measurements provided here.

 

Recipe from Ellie Deaner.  Cookbooks available for purchase here.

Filed under: Dessert, Fall, pumpkin | 2 Comments »

Pumpkin Banana Bread

Posted on September 22, 2008 by kitchenbelle

 Frozen ripe bananas are taking over my freezer and I finally decided to do something about it!  I decided on this pumpkin banana bread (as opposed to plain old banana bread) and I must say it was good–very moist and smooth.  However, that said, there is neither a strong banana nor strong pumpkin flavor.  It is almost like the pumpkin diminished the banana flavor but without adding a whole lot of pumpkin flavor.   Does that make sense?  The flavors are subtle and smooth, and the texture just perfect (due to the yogurt, pumpkin, and banana).  I just wish the flavor were one notch higher.  Though I must say, the aroma of this baking was divine.  (I know now how they create all of those “fall” scented candles!)

 Pumpkin Banana Bread:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin
  • 1 1 /2 cups mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine oil, sugars, eggs, banana, pumpkin, and yogurt in a large mixing bowl.  Beat until smooth.  In a second bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until blended.  Pour batter into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake for about 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Original recipe found here on fabulousfoods.com.

Filed under: banana, Dessert, Fall, pumpkin | 1 Comment »

Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on September 21, 2008 by kitchenbelle

I love autumn! 

I love how the weight of the thick summer air lifts to reveal the cool crisp dark breeze of fall.  The sun sets earlier, beckoning me to my kitchen and dinner table where the foods of the season can be savored.  Pumpkins, squash, and gourds paired with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.  Warm red wines nudge the cool white bottles off the shopping list.  Walking home after work I’m reminded of those first few weeks of school as a kid.  The excitement.  The newness of a new grade, new class, new teacher.  I wish I could bottle the hours between 3:00pm and 6:00pm and call on them during the humidity of summer and the frigidness of winter.  Fall is so short, such a small transitional season, I feel it my responsibility to take full advantage.  

And so I present my official first step into fall cooking/baking!

These cupcakes were somewhat “muffiny” in texture.  The pieces of apple were plump and juicy–a nice surprise!  I could have chopped the apples smaller, but I liked the nice chunks in each bite.  These cupcakes almost reminded me of coffee cake, they pair nicely with a warm cup of tea, and the frosting is a delicious treat!   Overall, I found these very enjoyable–a great way to kick off the season!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes:

  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Insert liners into cupcake pans.  In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar with the oil, cinnamon, and vanilla using an electric mixer.  Once combined, add the eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.

In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt).  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.  Beat until blended and then stir in the apple pieces until they are evenly distributed through the batter.

Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way.  Bake for about 22-25 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack and frost with maple cream cheese frosting (recipe below).

 

Look at the beautiful chunks of apple!

Recipe notes: The original recipe does not specify how many cupcakes to expect the recipe to yield–my batter turned out about 18 “normal” sized cupcakes. 

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • One 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

Using an electric mixer, cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Slowly sift the confectioners’ sugar into the bowl.  Continue beating until all lumps are gone.  Add the vanilla and maple syrup and mix until fully incorporated.  If mixture becomes too drippy, sift in addtional confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until you reach a spreadable texture.

 

Recipes adapted from “Crazy About Cupcakes” by Krystina Castella available for purchase here.

Filed under: apple, cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, Fall, frosting | 8 Comments »

« Previous Page