Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Tuesday, May 10th, 2011:
Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes with Marshmallow Topping

Recipe via dailyfoodandexercise

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 20-22 minutes

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients [Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes]:

• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup room temperature water

Ingredients [Marshmallow Topping]:

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup meringue powder

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions [Cupcakes]:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second bursts at 50% power, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the melted chocolate and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate each completely before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla and beat until the batter is creamy and the color has lightened a bit, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream and mix until the white streaks disappear. Finally, with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and beating just until combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared liners, filling each with about 1/3 cup of batter (the wells will be quite full, and the cupcakes will bake with tops that rise slightly over the edges of the pan). Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the muffin pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan to the rack to cool completely.

Directions [Topping]:

Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar completely. Let cool to room temperature. Add the meringue powder to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the cooled sugar water and beat the mixture on medium to medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 10-15 minutes.

Fit a piping bag with a large plain round tip. Pipe the marshmallow onto the cooled cupcakes in a tall, swirl pattern. You want the frosting to look almost like a soft serve cone of ice cream would. If it takes a few tries to get it right, don’t worry - you can scrape the frosting off the cupcake easily and try again. Once all the cupcakes have been frosted, put them in the freezer for a few hours.

(via f0o0od)

Recipe for Monday, May 9th, 2011:
Red Velvet/Cheesecake Marbled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe via Restless Chipotle

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients [Orange Cheesecake]:

• 1 four oz package of cream cheese (not low fat)
• 2 tablespoons of  freshly grated orange peel
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Ingredients [Red Velvet Cupcakes]:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa
• 4 tablespoons food grade red food color
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup whole milk buttermilk (do not get skim or low fat)
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white  vinegar

Ingredients [Cream Cheese Cupcakes]:

• 4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/3 cup  unsalted butter
• 8 oz cream cheese
• Pinch of salt

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and put muffin papers or silicone cups in 12 muffin cups.

Make cheesecake batter: Beat together cheesecake ingredients until creamy and well blended. Do not whip because you don’t want to incorporate air.

Make red velvet batter: Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Use a rubber scraper to pull any remaining butter mixture off the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Mix again until well blended. In a separate bowl mix the food color and the cocoa until it makes a paste. Add the cocoa mixture to the butter mixture and mix until it is evenly blended. Spoon through to check for streaks. Add 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and beat on low speed until blended. Add half of the flour and blend. Add the remaining buttermilk, blend and then add the remaining flour. Stir in the baking soda and vinegar until blended.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 the way with the red velvet batter. Add a tablespoon or so of cheesecake batter to the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cupcakes are firm to the touch. Don’t overbake. Cool completely.

Make frosting: Mix butter, salt, and confectioners sugar until crumbly. Add the cream cheese and beat until creamy, add a little cream if you need to to get the right consistency.

Swirl a good layer atop the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cocoa, edible glitter, or orange zest.

Recipe for Sunday, May 8th, 2011:
Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Dried Pineapple Flowers

Recipe via Martha Stewart

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 25-28 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Hummingbird Cupcakes]:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
• 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 cup chopped walnuts, or pecans
• 1 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

Ingredients [Cream Cheese Frosting]:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Ingredients [Dried Pineapple Flowers]:

• 2 large or 4 small pineapples, peeled

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in center. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, beating until incorporated. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake.

Make flowers: Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper. Using a small melon baller, remove and discard pineapple “eyes.” Using a sharp knife, cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer slices to baking sheets. Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Pinch center of each pineapple slice to shape into a cone, and let cool in a clean egg carton to form flowers. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Decorate cupcake with dried pineapple flowers.