Chocolate, Vanilla & PB Cupcakes

This afternoon my roommate and I made peanut butter cupcakes with a vanilla pudding filling and peanut butter frosting. The chocolate cupcakes are a simple recipe that just happens to be vegan. The filling is vanilla pudding that we put in a piping bag, poked a hole in the center of each cupcake, and filled it. The frosting is simply peanut butter mixed with icing sugar and vanilla extract. Then we went kind of crazy just playing with different icing designs and tips to pipe on the cupcakes. 

Train Cupcakes

I forgot to share this back in June, so here it is now. For Father's Day this year I made chocolate cupcakes, i frosted them with a simple chocolate frosting, and put chocolate covered wafer bars on top to resemble train tracks. I arranged them in a loop and put one of my father's miniature trains on top.

Mother's Day Flower Cake

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mothers out there! Today I made a simple Mother's Day cake and cupcake creation. It is made to look like a flower. Just use any cake recipe you would like (the two layer size) and bake it in one nine inch round pan and twelve cupcakes. Then decorate as a flower - choose two bright spring colors and use one to frost the cake - the center of the flower. Then use the other to pipe swirls on the cupcakes for the petals. If the cake is for a special occasion, add an inscription on the cake in the center. It's a really simple cake design but one that looks really cute. It is also easy to serve - give everyone a cupcake then cut the center cake into wedges. I used a vanilla cake and vanilla frosting in purple and yellow.
Unfortunately, this is the first mother's day I am away from my mother and I cannot share this cake with her. But that's why rain checks were invented. 
Happy Mother's Day - especially to my wonderful mother!! :)

Spring Flower Cupcakes

It has been a hard winter. You can say that again. Ok, so it has been a very testing and miserable winter. And unfortunately, spring hasn't even fully arrived yet. I still see snow on the ground, the sun has been much less prominent than needed, and I have yet to venture outside in shorts or a t-shirt. So I made some flower cupcakes. If we cannot have real flowers growing yet, at least we can enjoy some another way. I used bright spring colors - maybe this will help to welcome spring.

I used basic vanilla cupcakes as the base. Then I used a dollop of chocolate frosting for the center of each cupcake. Next, I made up a few different colors - yellow, lilac, and light blue. I used a basic open star tip to pipe six swirls as petals on each cupcake. 

Here is a neat trick, and also very convenient when you only have one piping bag and/or one tip on hand. It's not that it takes too much time to wash between changing colors, but the excess water on the piping bag often has an undesired effect on the icing. So when one color runs out, I just fill the bag with the next color. The first cupcake or two frosted after this will have streaks of each color, which I think is pretty and better reflects flowers in nature. 

Easter Bunny Cupcakes

Here is a quick batch of Easter cupcakes I made the other day. They are a simple spice cupcake base with cream cheese frosting. I colored half of the frosting a bright yellow, and half of the frosting purple. Then I carefully spooned the two different icings on opposite sides of a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip. This creates swirls of icing with both colors. Depending on how evenly this is done, you could end up with one color slightly dominating the other, but that is perfectly okay. Here yellow seems a bit more prominent but it was also the darker color in the mix. After piping a swirl on each cupcake, I garnished them with some Easter bunny candies I found in various spring colors. I tend to make an Easter cake with a different flavor and design each year, so that will be coming soon. This is just a little sweet treat to bring on some Easter spirit. 

Jumbo Nutella Cupcake

Here is the most chocolaty and decadent of my nutella breakfasts, and perhaps the most filling and satisfying as well.

Easiest Nutella Cupcakes
1/2 cup Nutella
1 large egg
5 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
Nutella for filling

In a small bowl, mix together the nutella, egg, and flour until well combined. Spread half of the batter into a large mug or ramekin, greasing it makes it slightly easier to remove the cupcake, but it may also be eaten directly from the dish. Place a dollop of nutella in the center of the batter. Spread remaining batter over top. At this point you can cook it immediately or place it in the fridge overnight if you want to do advance preparation. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until firm. Top with more nutella. Best when served warm, but can be cooled and removed from the mug for later. 

Easiest Nutella Cupcakes

Tomorrow is World Nutella Day once again, and I have been preparing for it. Here is a sneak peek. Three ingredients, one delicious, chocolate-hazelnut taste. What could be easier? Top in so many ways - with additional Nutella, frosting, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, etc. You'll be enjoying a second one in less than an hour - one batch isn't enough. These are so fudgey and chocolaty, you won't believe how simple they are!

Easiest Nutella Cupcakes
1/2 cup Nutella
5 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1 large egg
Nutella for filling
garnish, if desired (note: this will make this a four ingredient recipe)
I topped mine with little fudge brownie pieces

Mix all together well, then scoop half the batter into greased or lined muffin cups. Place a dollop (about 1/2 teaspoon) of Nutella in the middle of each. Cover with remaining batter. Top as desired. Bake at 350◦F for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in a section without Nutella filling will come out somewhat fudgey, but do not overbake as they firm up upon cooling and will become too firm. These are really good but also really messy warm. This is a really small batch and makes about 5-6 regular-sized cupcakes. You could make these into miniature cupcakes if desired, and decrease the baking time.
I drizzled mine with a little extra Nutella.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Gingerbread isn't just for cookies or cakes - it can work for cupcakes or muffins as well! These gingerbread cupcakes my mother made are moist and sweet enough to be cupcakes, but we eat them as muffins. If you would like them to be cupcakes, I would recommend a cream cheese icing, brown butter icing, or salted caramel buttercream. An eggnog flavored frosting would be nice as well. 

Gingerbread Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a twelve cup muffin pan.
In a medium bowl, stir together the first six dry ingredients. 
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the last six wet ingredients.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until fully incorporated. 
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for abut 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Pumpkin pie is a classic dessert this time of year. The filling is quite simple to make, it’s the crust that is the fussy part. If you would rather not bother with crust, and you would prefer miniature individual pies instead of one big one – this is the perfect recipe for you! All the flavors of the pumpkin pie filling (the best part of the pie) in a small, individual size. They are even good for breakfast, and can be dressed up as you wish. Just a note of caution: these are meant to be like mini pumpkin pies, so do not expect a firm muffin or cupcake texture. In fact, if you are using paper liners, they may stick to the filling a bit. These pies are quite soft and should be kept refrigerated, and are best enjoyed fresh.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

1 ¾ cups (15 ounces) pumpkin purée

¾ cup milk

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated (white) sugar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line 12 muffin cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Cake will not test clean, and will seem a little soft, but that is desired. They should not have a muffin-like texture but rather a pumpkin pie-like texture.

Cool to room temperature. Do not be surprised if the cupcakes sink a little upon cooling. Refrigerate until cold. These can be dressed up with a dollop of whipped cream, or a swirl of any type of icing, especially caramel or cream cheese). They may also be dusted with cinnamon, icing sugar, or sprinkled with pumpkin seeds or pecan pieces. Alternately, they may be enjoyed while still slightly warm as well. 

I dressed mine up with a swirl of caramel icing and some walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Best if iced fresh - otherwise the pies may absorb the icing - still tasty and sweet though!

2014 Cupcake

I can't believe I forgot to feature this! Don't you just love it when you are searching through old pictures and find these things? This should have been featured either at the beginning of the year or around graduation time.
Well, I am kind of known as the cupcake queen around here. I am pretty sure that's already a trademarked name or something, but I am known for my cupcakes. I made this cupcake for the year, and there are several pictures of me holding it. It's simply a cupcake baked in a decorative wrapper, with a vanilla buttercream swirl, colorful sprinkles, and 2014 piped in blue buttercream. We are already more than halfway through the year of 2014. How has it been so far for you? It flew by really quickly and has been quite eventful for me. What a sweet year!

Graduation Hat Cupcakes

Since it is still graduation season, I decided to share another graduation treat I actually made five years ago for my brother when he graduated. At the time I was really only just beginning to really get interested in the culinary world. Since then, my creativity, skills, and photography have vastly improved. 

I found this idea for graduation hat cupcakes online. It is a similar idea to the brownie graduation hats I made this year and last year. First I baked a batch of vanilla cupcakes, removed the paper liners, and turned them upside-down. Next, I coated graham crackers with melted chocolate and allowed them to harden. You really only see one side of the cracker, so it's not necessary to coat both sides, but you can if you'd like. Next I placed the graham cracker on top of the hat with a tassel fashioned from fruit leather strips (in this case I think it's artificial flavoring since the tassels are blue) and attached it with a blue candy coated chocolate. I cannot remember if I needed to use a little extra melted chocolate or some frosting to ensure the cracker and tassel remained attached to the cupcake or not, but it would not hurt. It would also add a little more sweetness, since cupcakes are meant for frosting, and without it these are a tad bit dry, especially after a few days. Don't refrigerate them unless it is really hot (do if the tassels begin to melt like these did) to prevent them from drying out further.

Again, these cupcakes can be color-coordinated to match school colors. If you are using a white cake batter, a little food coloring may even be added to color the cupcakes, though I don't really like the idea of dyed cupcakes. I think they look better in natural colors. You could however, use a chocolate cake batter, and that way the graham cracker would match. If you can purchase chocolate covered graham crackers already, use those as this saves time. Alternatively, you could coat the graham crackers with frosting or fondant, and that way they may again be any color you wish and can match school colors. And of course candy-coated chocolate pieces and fruit roll-up strips are easily found in a variety of different colors.

Cupcake Birthday Cards

Remember all the cupcake stuff I got for Christmas? If not, take a look at these posts: {A Cupcake Christmas}, {Gifts of Cupcakes}, and {Year of the Cupcake}. Well, my birthday turned out to be somewhat similar. However, it wasn't gifts this time - I actually didn't receive many cupcake-related gifts at all. This time it was cupcake cards. The majority of my birthday cards have cupcakes on them, and some others have just cakes. I also received two nice cupcake gift bags. Also pictured here is a tiny cupcake frame. 

Light & Lovely Cream Cheese Frosting

I realized I forgot to share the recipe for my lighter cream cheese frosting I used to frost my Easter cupcakes (see {Easter Cupcakes}). Here it is, a slightly healthier alternative recipe I created myself. I promise, it does not sacrifice any cream cheese flavor. 

Light & Lovely Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 package (125 grams / 4 ounces) light cream cheese (reduced-fat)
1/4 cup soft tub margarine
1/4 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3+ cups icing (confectioners') sugar

Make sure the cream cheese and margarine are softened, then beat together. Beat in yogurt and vanilla. Gradually beat in the sugar until icing is thickened and of desired consistency (it can always be thinned out with a little milk or water later, if needed). Use to frost cakes as desired. Cream cheese icing is often a little softer, so it is not as good for piping, but may be used for some basic piping.

Alternative: soft tofu can be used as a base and thickener in this, and other, fro stings, instead of or in addition to the yogurt. It contributes to the "cream cheese" flavor just as the yogurt does. Tofu may require the use of a food processor to ensure the frosting is completely smooth. If using yogurt, be sure to use Greek as regular is too thin. On a similar note, soft tofu also works well to add protein to smoothies and thicken them.

Easter Cupcakes

Happy Easter Everyone!
In lieu of an elaborate Easter cake, which is what I normally make every year, I decided to go with some simple Easter cupcakes this year. I have already done bunny cakes, a chick cake, and a basket cake, but I have never done them as cupcakes, and I had a few more ideas up my sleeve as well. I made some red velvet cupcakes, as I have already made several carrot cakes and chocolate cakes, and red velvet is I flavor I have never made before; for which I will definitely be sharing the recipe soon. Then I made some cream cheese icing, which is a classic pairing for red velvet cake. Cream cheese frosting is a bit softer and more difficult to pipe with, but it is a good flavor for spring, and a good choice if you don't need to pipe borders or anything. Next I went to town on the decorations. 
Clockwise, starting from "12 o'clock":

• Bunny Butt cupcake with green icing in a grass tip and white icing in a star tip. If you don't get it, just search bunny butt cupcakes or cakes and you'll see many similar, but more elaborate, creations.
• Bunny cupcake using white frosting, candy coated chocolates, and frosting coated thin cookies as ears.
• Bird's Nest cupcake with chocolate cream cheese frosting in a grass tip, yellow piped chicks, and candy coated chocolate eggs.
• Chick cupcake with yellow frosting in a swirl tip and candy coated chocolate eye and beak.
• Egg Nest with green grass tip piping and candy-coated chocolate eggs.
• Lamb cupcake (not Santa) with white frosting in an open round tip and candy eyes and nose.
• Easter Basket cupcake with chocolate cream cheese frosting piped in a basket weave design and chocolate eggs. If you have a piece of licorice on hand, use it for the basket handle (I didn't have any).
• Easter Egg with white frosting and candy and sprinkle decorations.
• Happy Easter cupcake in the center with green icing base and yellow piping.

I made two of each cupcake, but only one Happy Easter cupcake. Pictured here are all of the "better halves". I also have individual pictures of each, so if you want to see a close-up, let me know.

Soon to be Spring? Cupcakes

Is anyone else as sick and tired of winter as I am? For some reason, winter this year just seems to be sticking around and long overstaying its welcome. There isn't much we can do about the persistent snow and chilly temperatures, and it will still be awhile yet before we have the pleasure of enjoying fresh produce. However, there are still some foods that will brighten up your day and make the winter blahs go away. Instead of embracing the season with warm soups, hearty stews, and comforting casseroles (they have their time, and that time is now over until next year), it is time to bring in some fresh, bright flavors, pretty colors, and cheerful symbols. That's why I quickly decorated these cupcakes recently with fresh spring colors - blue, yellow, and red. I also piped on some simple flowers and bright happy faces. Spring, it is high time you have sprung!

Nautical Cupcakes

These are some nautical themed cupcakes I made the other day. These cupcakes were an order and I decorated them based on special request. I used nautical-themed cupcake paper liners and decorative toothpicks and decorated the cupcakes to match this theme. My ocean-themed cupcakes included fish, whales, starfish, sailboats, submarines, anchors, seashells, and lifebuoys. I used both white and chocolate cupcakes (half of each kind) and decorated them with my signature vanilla buttercream. I decided to pipe blue swirls for he base of the decorations to make it look like blue waves. Then I used red and yellow buttercream to pipe some different shapes onto the cupcakes. I chose six different shapes: yellow seashells, yellow starfish, yellow fish, yellow and red submarines, red sailboats, red anchors, and red lifebuoys. This only required two basic decorating tips, a plain round open tip and an open star tip. The shapes were also fairly basic and easy, but with a little imagination, I think I created some great nautical-themed cupcakes! 

Horse Cupcakes

This is the creation I made with the six extra cupcakes that were made with the batter from my dark chocolate cake featured in yesterday's post. I covered the cupcakes in the same chocolate ganache used in my Luigi cake. Then I thought of decorating ideas. It was nearing the birthday of one of my friends, and I know she really likes horses. That reminded me of the idea for decorating horse cupcakes I had seen in my cupcake decorating cookbook. They were absolutely adorable, and the three-dimensional horse idea really seems much cuter, more elaborate, special, and realistic than simply piping a horse face or body onto a cupcake. The only problem was, I did not have the necessary ingredients required for this design. I needed a chocolate wafer cookie coated in chocolate melting wafers for the neck, a peanut cookie for the head, and a pretzel piece for the tail, none of which I had. That's when I got creative and began to improvise. Searching the cupboards, I found materials that would serve as suitable stand-ins for the missing ingredients. I used half of a miniature Kit-Kat bar for the neck, and attached a Hershey's chocolate kiss to this using some chocolate buttercream. I used the top, curved part of a miniature candy cane for the tail. To complete the cupcakes, I piped on some eyes and a mane using chocolate buttercream and a grass tip. To three of the six horses, I added cutie marks, which are simple little symbols placed near the horses tail, that are sometimes seen on ponies. They may not look quite as polished as the original idea, but I do think they are quite cute and definitely look like horses. 

Year Of The Cupcake

After the posts from the past two days, I got to thinking. Not only was it a really cupcake Christmas for me, but it was also a cupcake-full year. I am particularly thinking back to my birthday in June, where I also received a number of cupcake-related gifts. Pictured here are two cupcake magazines, a cupcake carousel, a cupcake lip balm, and a cupcake decorating book. 

With all of these cupcakes on my mind, I decided to look around a bit more, and I found several more cupcake things in my room, most of which I acquired this year. A cupcake sign with my motto, "Live Life...One Cupcake at a time", a cupcake recipe box, a cupcake recipe tin, a cupcake card, cupcake wrapping paper, and even cupcake clothing. 

Why so many cupcakes? Here is my reasoning. Everyone who knows me at all knows I am a true foodie. Cupcakes are just one of those symbols that are often related with baking and cake decorating and the culinary field. It is just a pretty, universal symbol that really says it all. I have always really liked cupcakes, not so much their taste (although I much prefer the mile-high frosting than the actual cake part), but their look. They are miniature cakes, which automatically gives them that cuteness factor, and they can be decorated in so many different, gorgeous ways. Swirls, different colors, gourmet toppings, sprinkles, animals, holidays, pull-apart shapes, need I go on?

Secondly, I took on a cupcake as a symbol of self, something that represents me, awhile ago. I think cupcakes really describe me, and I use them as a symbol on a plaque in my room, and often when I sign off on things. Cupcakes are also featured in my cover photo, and framed in my room. 
I feel some also know me as "the cupcake girl", as I like to present people with a cupcake on their birthday. Just a little simple acknowledgement of their special day!

Gifts of Cupcakes

Here are some more of my gifts, that are not directly cupcake themed, but are at least cake or culinary themed in some way.

From left to right: tea towel, cookbook, decorating tip organizer, cake leveler, Linzer cookie cutters, homemade vanilla extract, large decorating tip, cake journal, cake whiteboard, tablecloth, knife. 
So some of these are cake related, the cookbook has cupcake recipes, the towels are for displaying cupcakes, the tips, tip organizer, and knife are for decorating cupcakes, the vanilla is for baking cupcakes. Not pictured here are a new digital camera (for taking pictures of cupcakes), and a breadmaker (can't really use it to make cupcakes, but it is still culinary related). 
The only gifts I received that really were not cupcake or culinary-related in any way were socks, slippers, a bag, and a bracelet. I mean, I could even relate another cookbook and a box of chocolates to the culinary field. 
I also got a later present after this picture was taken of star cookie cutters - the kind that become increasingly bigger and you can stack the cookies and decorate them like a tree! 

A Cupcake Christmas

This year, I received quite a bit of stuff that was cupcake-related for Christmas. You see, my mother had decided she would go with a cupcake theme for the majority of my presents, as she sometimes likes to choose themes for the Christmas gifts she gives, depending on the recipient. It just so happened that completely coincidentally (or so she assures me) others who gave me presents also followed suit with this theme. It began with one of my Secret Santas, who gave me decorative twelve days of Christmas cupcake liners and a cupcake cookbook. Then I opened a present from the family of my boyfriend - also cupcake related. My other Secret Santa gave me a cupcake ornament. My parents and brothers gave me cupcake stuff. The pattern just kept continuing. Here is a picture of all of my cupcake Christmas gifts, minus a cupcake recipe magazine, which I seem to have forgotten to include (not that I didn't like it, but this was an early gift that I had already read and put away on my shelf. I'm a bit of an organization freak). I know some of these gifts may be a bit difficult to make out in this picture. 

Presents going left to right, beginning in the back row, with the giver in brackets:
BACK - cupcake wall calendar (Mom and Dad), cupcake Christmas card (Mom and Dad), cupcake wrapping paper (Mom and Dad), cupcake cookbook (Secret Santa).
MIDDLE - cupcake oven mitts (boyfriend's sister), pink cupcake ornament (cousin), cupcake note pad (stocking), cupcake s'mores ornament (Mom and Dad), cupcake mug (brother), cupcake holder (brother), cupcake cake tester (boyfriend's sister), cupcake ornament (Secret Santa).
FRONT - cupcake liners (Secret Santa), pink cupcake ornament (cousin), cupcake tea towel (stocking), cupcake necklace (brother), chocolate cupcake ornament (cousin), cupcake socks (Saint Nicholas).