Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Saturday, May 14th, 2011:
Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe via Evil Shenanigans

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 18-20 minutes

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients [Sweet Potato Cupcakes]:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces (or one small) sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Ingredients [Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting]:

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, browned and cooled
• 1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 – 4 cups powdered sugar

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 F and line a 12 cup cupcake pan with paper liners.

Steam the sweet potatoes until fork tender, about ten minutes. Set aside to cool slightly then mash with a fork until smooth. In a medium bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light in color, about three minutes. Add the egg, sweet potato, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix until well combined. In a large bowl sift the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until no large lumps remain. Do not over-mix.

Divide the batter evenly between the baking cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed in the enter. Cool for three minutes in the pan then remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make frosting: In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and browned butter until well combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Decorate the cupcakes as desired.

Recipe for Friday, May 13th, 2011:
Black Forest Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Recipe via Martha Stewart

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 20 minutes

Serves: 32 cupcakes

Ingredients [Cupcakes]:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for tins
• 2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 jar (12 ounces) preserved cherries in light syrup
• 2 tablespoons kirsch (cherry-flavored brandy)

Ingredients [Pastry Cream]:

• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ingredients [Chocolate Ganache Glaze]:

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions [Pastry Cream]:

Whisk egg yolks until smooth in a large bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan, and heat over medium. Stirring constantly, gradually add milk in a slow, steady stream, and cook until mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.

Whisking constantly, slowly pour one third of the milk mixture into egg yolks (this step is called tempering, which keeps the yolks from curdling). Pour mixture into remaining milk mixture in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil and is thick enough to hold its shape when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap, pressing it directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Directions [Cupcake]:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush standard muffin tins with butter; dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.

Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Add brown sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in sour cream. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and mixing until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops are firm to the touch and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

To finish, drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons syrup. Cut each cherry in half. Combine reserved syrup and kirsch in a small bowl. Using a serrated knife (and a gentle sawing motion), split cupcakes in half horizontally. Brush both cut sides with kirsch mixture. Arrange halved cherries over cupcake bottoms; spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon pastry cream evenly over cherries. Replace top halves.

Make frosting: Place chocolate in a medium-size heatproof bowl. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; pour mixture over chocolate. Let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt. Using a flexible spatula, gently stir chocolate and cream until totally combined; begin near the center of the bowl and gradually work your way toward the edge, pulling in as much chocolate as possible, until the mixture is smooth and glossy. (If any chocolate pieces remain, strain mixture through a fine sieve and discard solids.)

Shiny chocolate glaze variation: Reduce amount of chocolate to 2 ounces. After pouring mixture over chocolate, let mixture stand 5 minutes before slowly whisking until smooth and combined. Use immediately, without straining

Spoon 2 tablespoons glaze over tops. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe for Thursday, May 12th, 2011:
Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe via Martha Stewart

Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 40-45 minutes

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients [Cupcakes]:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 zucchini (10 ounces), coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients [Frosting]:

• 4 tablespoons room-temperature unsalted butter
• 4 ounces room-temperature bar cream cheese
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cups of a standard (12-cup) muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix in nuts.

In another bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla; add to flour mixture, and mix just until combined (do not overmix).

Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes; turn cupcakes out, right side up, and cool completely.

Make frosting: In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread frosting on cupcakes. The frosted cupcakes are best eaten within 1 day.