Daily Cupcake Recipe

Recipe for Tuesday, July 3rd, 2012:
Fireworks Push-it-Up Cakes

Recipe via Betty Crocker

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time:15 minutes

Serves:18

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 egg whites
• red food coloring
• blue food coloring
• 18 plastic push-up pop containers
• 2 containers Betty Crocker white frosting
• 2 envelopes popping rock candy

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 36 mini muffin cups with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes on high speed until well blended. Divide batter into 2 bowls. Tint 1 bowl of batter with a few drops red food color; tint other bowl with blue food color.

Fill 18 muffin cups 2/3 full with red batter. Bake about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven. Repeat with blue batter to make an additional 18 mini cupcakes. Cool completely.

To assemble push-up cakes, drop 1 mini cupcake into each push-up pop container. Add generous teaspoon frosting to top of each cupcake. Top each with second mini cupcake; add dollops of frosting to tops of each. Sprinkle each of popping rock candy. Serve.

Recipe for Wednesday, August 24th, 2011:
Mini Chocolate Meringue Cupcakes with Chocolate Drizzle

Recipe via In The Wabe

Prep time: unknown
Bake time: 12 minutes

Serves: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients [Chocolate Meringue Cupcakes]:

• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1/4 cup cake flour
• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature

Ingredients [Chocolate Drizzle]:

• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 24-count mini-muffin pan with 1.25-inch diameter paper liners and set aside. Grease both the pan and cupcake liners with cookie spray!

Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips and set aside. In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg yolks, vegetable oil, 1/3 cup of the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt, at high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in the melted chocolate chips and stir until smooth (mixture will be thick).

In a separate bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites at high speed until they hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Stir 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula, fold the remaining egg white mixture. In batches, sift the flour over the batter and fold it in using a spatula.

Fill each paper liner to the top with batter and bake for 12 minutes until puffed. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Make topping: In a small bowl, combine the melted chocolate chips and oil. Stir until smooth.

Using a fork, drizzle the chocolate mixture over the cupcakes. Allow the topping to harden for at least 1 1/2 hours at room temperature before serving. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Recipe for Wednesday, June 8th, 2011:
Spiced Cupcakes with Citrus Glaze

Recipe via Martha Stewart

Prep time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes plus cooling

Serves: 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients [Spiced Cupcakes]:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Ingredients [Citrus Glaze]:

• 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• Food coloring (optional)
• 4 tablespoons orange juice

(A conversion table can be found here.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Lightly butter 48 mini-muffin cups.

In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions milk and beating well after each addition.

Transfer batter by heaping tablespoonfuls to cups. Bake until golden brown at edges and a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 15 minutes, rotating pans once. Let cakes cool in pans, 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Make glaze: In a bowl, whisk together juice and confectioners’ sugar until smooth; add 1 to 2 drops food coloring if desired.

Spoon over cooled cakes.