Brownie Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Posted on September 23, 2008 by kitchenbelle

I was asked to make pink frosted cupcakes for a shower and when I came across this brownie cupcake recipe I KNEW they would be just perfect for a group of gals!  Who doesn’t love chewy brownie goodness?!  And paired with cream cheese, I found these little treats 100% delectable!

Brownie Cupcakes:

  • 2/3 cup (4 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 F. Insert cupcake liners into pan.  In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth.  Transfer to a larger bowl.  (This is important–if you mix your ingredients in the saucepan, the mini chips will melt!)  Add the sugar, flour, and vanilla and mix to combine.  Add the eggs one at a time and beat for about one minute after each.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Fill cup cake liners 3/4 full with batter and bake for about 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.  (See recipe below.)

Look at the chewy brownie goodness!

Cream Cheese Frosting:

  • One 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 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 a few drops of food coloring, if you’d like–I added red to make pink frosting!) and mix until fully incorporated.  If mixture becomes too drippy, sift in additional confectioners’ sugar and continue to beat until you reach a spreadable texture.

 

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

Filed under: chocolate, cream cheese, cupcakes, Dessert, frosting | 4 Comments »

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 »

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

Posted on July 21, 2008 by kitchenbelle

The Magnolia Bakery in New York City is known for its cupcakes.  The bakery has received much acclaim and several appearances in pop culture.  (A Sex and the City episode is the first that comes to mind!) Though I have never been in the bakery (though I did walk by once and the line was out the door!) I figured I could trust the simple vanilla on vanilla recipe.  Boy were these delicious!  The cake light was fluffy, with a nice vanilla flavor.  The frosting was so sweet and creamy!  However, if you don’t have a sweet tooth, I warn you against these! 

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes:

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour*
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 sticks butter (softened)
  • 2 cups suger
  • 4 eggs (at room temp)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the flours and set aside.

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to cream the butter until smooth.  Gradually add the sugar  and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes.

Magnolia’s Vanilla “Buttercream”:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 box of confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes until the icing is thick enough to be piped.  After frosting these cupcakes I sprinkled some clear sugar crystals on top of each.

*I am told self-rising flour can be purchased, however, when I did not see it at my local grocery store I went ahead and made it myself without much trouble.  The standard rule is for every one cup of self-rising flour your recipe calls for add 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of all purpose flour and sift. 

Recipe adapted from Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcake and Buttercream recipe found here on foodnetwork.com

Filed under: cupcakes, Dessert, frosting, vanilla | Leave a comment »

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