Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Friday, April 27th, 2011:
Rolo Cupcakes

Recipe via Live Love Pasta

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 18 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Cupcakes]:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 bag of Rolos

Ingredients [Caramel Buttercream]:

• 2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, (put 2-3 tablespoons aside)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Reduce speed to low, and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk. Start and end with the flour mixture, continue to mix until smooth.

Pour into prepared pans. Place 1 Rolo in each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (bake 10-13 minutes for minis). Let the cupcakes cool for 5-10 minutes then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely

Make frosting: Bring sugar and cream to a rolling boil using a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan. Boil for one minute. Add baking soda, and boil another minute. Remove from heat. Add the butter but do not stir. Let the mixture cool in the fridge for 1-2 hours. As tempting as it is to stir make sure the mixture is completely cool first. It will look like a thick gummy caramel paste. Pour mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat well. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Beat for a few minutes until the consistency is creamy.

Pipe frosting onto cupcakes.  Cut the extra Rolos in half and garnish each cupcake with half of a Rolo.

(via fucking-cupcakes)

Recipe for Saturday, November 12th, 2011:
Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Recipe via Mama Grubbs Grub

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 30 minutes

Serves: not specified

Ingredients [Apple Cupcakes]:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 rome apples (about 1 pound), peeled and shredded (i used a cheese grater)

Ingredients [Caramel Topping]:

• 1 1/2 cups caramel bits
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

(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.