Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Friday, June 28th, 2012:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes

Requested by legitimatizeyourmind.

Recipe courtesy of Dainty Chef.
(via Dainty Chef)

Prep time: unknown
Cook/bake time: 18-20 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Cupcakes]:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
• 4 large eggs
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

Ingredients [Filling]:

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Ingredients [Frosting]:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Ingredients [Garnish]:

• Tiny chocolate chip cookies
• Mini chocolate chips

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions [Filling]:

Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up a bit, about an hour.

Directions [Cupcakes]:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture.

Directions [Frosting]:

Beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration. 

Recipe for Friday, February 3rd, 2012:
Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

Recipe via Tidy Mom

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 25 minutes

Serves: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients [Gingerbread Cupcakes]:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg, room temp and beaten
• 1-1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 recipe cinnamon brown sugar butter cream

Ingredients [Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream]:

• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° and line muffin tins with baking cups.

In mixing bowl, using whisk attachment, combine oil, sugar, and molasses; then add beaten egg until well mixed. In a medium bowl whisk flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Whisk into molasses mixture until well combined. Boil water and remove from heat. Add baking soda and whisk into batter.

Fill baking cups 2/3 full and bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Set aside to cool.

Make frosting: In a large mixing bowl, whisk butter and shortening until fluffy. Add brown sugar, salt, vanilla and cinnamon. Continue mixing until well blended. Gradually add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. On the highest speed of your mixer, stream in the heavy whipping cream pouring nice and slow until desired consistency.

Top cupcake with brown sugar butter cream.

(Source: fucking-cupcakes)

Recipe for Friday, September 2nd, 2011:
Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream and Brown Sugar Pecans

Recipe via Baker’s Royale

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 25 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Chocolate Cupcakes]:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients [Caramel Sauce]:

• 5 tablespoons  water
• 3/4 cup  sugar
• 2/3 cup whipping cream

Ingredients [Caramel Buttercream]:

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp dark rum

Ingredients [Brown Sugar Pecans]:

• 1 cup pecans
• 6 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 salt

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions [Cupcakes]:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. Set aside.

To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for approximately 5–10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm 5–10 minutes.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

Bake for 20–25 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

Directions [Sauce]:

Add water and sugar into a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. After approximately 3 minutes you will see a light shade of amber. Another 30-90 seconds and the mixture will turn a dark shade of amber.

Once the mixture is a dark amber, turn off the heat and add the cream. Whisk to combine, do not worry about the bubbles as they will subside upon cooling. Set aside.

Directions [Buttercream]:

Add water and sugar into a saucepan over low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. After approximately 3 minutes you will see a light shade of amber. Another 30-90 seconds and the mixture will turn a dark shade of amber.

Once the mixture is a dark amber, turn off the heat and add the cream and milk. Whisk to combine, do not worry about the bubbles as they will subside upon. Set aside and let cool .

Whisk egg yolks, two remaining tablespoons of sugar, and salt. Slowly add hot caramel while whisking mixture. Pour combined mixture back into saucepan over medium low heat, stirring continuously until mixture coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat.

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the stand-mixer bowl. Beat the mixture with the wire whip at medium speed until it is light and cool. Make sure the mixture at this point is completely cool before adding the butter. Replace wire whip with the paddle attachment. Gradually add 2 tablespoons at a time, beat in the softened butter at medium speed. When all of the butter has been incorporated, beat the buttercream on high until mixture is light and fluffy (approximately 1 minute). Reduce the speed and beat in the vanilla and rum. Increase the speed once again and beat the buttercream for another minute, until it’s light and creamy.

Directions [Pecans]:

Line bake sheet with foil.

Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat, add brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir for one minute and remove form heat. Continue stirring until brown sugar dissolves.

Toss pecans in mixture and spread over baking sheet, making sure to break up any clumps that may have formed. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes, stirring half way through.

Directions [Assembly]:

Cut hole in top of cupcake and fill with caramel sauce. Trim hole cut out into a flat disc and place on top of caramel.

Using a close star tip pipe buttercream on top of cupcake. Drizzle chocolate sauce and caramel sauce. Sprinkle brown sugar pecans on top.