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 Sunday, April 17th, 2011:
Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting

Recipe via Kitchen Notes

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 25-30 minutes

Serves: 16 cupcakes

Ingredients [Banana Cupcakes]:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large very ripe bananas, pureed

Ingredients [Nutella Frosting]:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup Nutella
• 8 ounces powdered sugar, by weight

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture and blend ingredients together until only just combined. Stir in the banana. Blend mixture until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Portion batter into muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven until cakes are light golden brown and tester comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. After removing cupcakes from the oven, cool completely on a wire rack.

Make frosting: Cream together the cream cheese and Nutella until blended. Add the powdered sugar gradually until ingredients are combined. Mix on a high speed until frosting is smooth and creamy. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe frosting over the top of each cupcake.

Recipe for Saturday, April 16th, 2011:
Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Recipe via Seventeen

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 20 minutes

Serves: 24 medium or 18 large cupcakes

Ingredients [Peanut Butter Cupcake]:

• 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk

Ingredients [Chocolate Ganache Frosting]:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper cups.

With a mixer, cream peanut butter, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until mix is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating until all mixed in. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat a third of the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture. Do the same with a third of the milk. Repeat this process until everything is well-blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions.

For medium cupcakes, fill paper cups two-thirds full. For larger cupcakes, fill to just below top rim. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes.

Make icing: Place chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. In a heavy 1-quart saucepan, using a wooden spoon, combine cream, corn syrup, and butter, and cook over medium heat until hot but not boiling (little beads of water will form on side of pot). Pour cream over chocolate and stir until blended.

One by one, dip the top of each cooled cupcake into the ganache. Let the excess ganache drip off into the bowl before flipping the cupcake to an upright position.