Saturday, December 3, 2011

Peppermint Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Icing

Thanks Shilpa for the Help! Hope these cupcakes are perfect for your housewarming party!

Cupcake Ingredients: 

1/2 pound unsalted butter 
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon peppermint extract 
3 cups all purpose flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup milk 
1/2 cup ground peppermint candies*
1/2 cup boiling water*

* I ended up adding some extra flour until the consistency seemed right, with just the amount called for the batter was really soupy. I probably added 1/2 cup extra flour. 

* we ground a cup of peppermint candies so that we would have some left over for decoration!

* I did not use all of the boiling water because the batter was already so soupy, I probably used more like 1/4 cup. 

Recipe: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350, Insert liners into cupcake pans
 (This recipe made enough for 14 regular cupcakes and 36 mini cupcakes or about 30 regular cupcakes)

2. In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. 

3. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and peppermint extract together on medium speed 

4. Add egg mixture to butter mixture 

5. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda)

6. Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, alternating with milk. Do not over mix. 

7. Sprinkle the ground peppermints into the batter. Add boiling water to partially melt the candies. 
Mix Slightly 

8. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
Cool cupcakes in the pan



 Shilpa got to mash the candy and stir the chocolate! Fun Fun.


Icing ingredients:

1 pint heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened dark chocolate chips
1 stick of butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Icing Directions:

1. Bring the cream and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat stirring constantly. Turn heat to low and cook for 6 minutes. Remove from heat

2.  Stir in the chocolate and butter until melted

3. Stir in vanilla and salt

4. Refrigerate until the icing reaches spreading consistency*

* The original recipe said this should take about 30 minutes, but it actually took several hours! This may be because I forgot to remove the icing from heat before adding the butter and chocolate, but make sure to plan in extra time just in case!!

5. Ice the cupcakes, and sprinkle with the extra crushed peppermints.

6. Enjoy!
 The Finished Product.




Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Apple Bourbon Cupcakes with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello Fall!

And hello friends of Crushcakes! It's been a while!

Here is a delicious fall recipe, My honey says they are perhaps the best cupcakes I have ever made...They were such a hit at Ladies Climb night, that I had to make them two days in a row!! Try 'em out, hope you love them as much as we did!

APPLE BOURBON CUPCAKES

Ingredients:
1.5 cups Granny Smith Apples Grated ( About 1.5 Apples) I ate the left over half of an apple with some yummy humbolt fog cheese from cyprus grove...If there is one thing I love as much as cupcakes, its good cheese.
1 Tbs Makers Mark Bourbon ( you can also use brandy or cognac)
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1tsp cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup veggie oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 & Insert liners into cupcake pan ( Makes about 16 regular cupcakes or 30 mini cupcakes)

In a small bowl mix the grated apples and the bourbon

In a separate bowl combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda

Add the eggs, oil, and apple mixture to the dry ingredients until fully integrated

Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, cool cupcakes in the pan.


PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients

12 oz cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1/2 can of pumpkin puree
1 Tbs of pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
 powdered sugar

Combine the first five ingredients and then intermittently add powdered sugar until you reach the consistency you prefer, I probably ended up adding about 3.5 cups and it ended up making enough frosting for two batches...hence making this recipe two days in a row!

Once cupcakes have cooled, ice and enjoy a delicious fall treat!



Thursday, September 8, 2011

Everything is Better with Bacon...Especially Cupcakes!




French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream


Choose your Challenge: Bite size bacon, or Big time bacon. 


 Vegetarian Cupcakes to the left, Baconatarian Cupcakes to the right. 


 The Birthday Boy gets his own Monster Cupcake. 
Happy 30th Birthday Walt! 
Time to start watching your cholesterol, here is a Bacon cupcake to help! 


Wednesday, August 24, 2011

199 Cupcakes for an 80'th Birthday, and One Crushcake for my Dad's Face


CRUSHCAKES:
It was my Grandmothers 80'th birthday, but my Dad's turn for a crushcake to the face...
He was a great sport about it! 


Cupcakes:


Showing Mom and Lil 'Sis How its Done... And Lil 'Sis caught in the act of finger licken' 


One of four trays of cupcakes made in the church kitchen that morning


Team Crushcakes: Leslie Townsend, Sarah Kate Kendrick, and Chelsea Kendrick, 
mother daughter cupcake awesomeness. 


The Finished Product: 
Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and 
Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Buttercream


Guess which one my grandmother chose....
The Angel food of course! 


See Angel Food Cake Recipe in Previous Post.

Devils Food Cake:
Makes 16 servings
(I multiplied the recipe by four and still somehow got around 100 cupcakes including the mini's)

Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2.5 cups sugar
1.5 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot brewed coffee
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup veggie oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot simmering water, then remove pan from heat
Sift sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot coffee, sour cream, and veggie oil, gradually whisk in the eggs and stir in the chocolate
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until all are smoothly blended
Fill cupcake liners 2/3ds full and bake for 20 minutes or 15 for mini cupcakes.

Try 'em out! They were decadent!









Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cupcake Cannon....Awesome.


CUPCAKE CANNON from kamp grizzly on Vimeo.



I totally support this use of cupcakes. They are so versatile! One of the many reasons I love them.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Angel Food Cupcakes with Strawberry Center and Whipped Cream Icing.

I made these pretty little cupcakes for my wonderful friend Mary Rachel's Birthday. I had never made Angel Food cake from scratch before, I almost forgot to add the flour and came close to making meringues instead! That would have been funny. They turned out tasting a bit like marshmallows minus the gelatin but when stuffed with a strawberry and topped with whipped cream and yet another strawberry they tasted light, fluffy and delicious.
 I unfortunately do not yet have photos of the finished whipped cream topped product, but use your imagination: It was 90 degrees outside so they were a tad messy. I frosted them while standing in the walk in refrigerator, mostly for my benefit.

 Recipe:
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Total Time: 1 hour


Servings: 20 ( I doubled the recipe to make 40, because there were lots of people around, It still was not enough, everyone had to split one with their cupcake buddy)


Ingredients:


12 Eggs
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar


Directions:


1) Separate eggs; discard yolks, Measure egg whites adding or removing to equal 1 1/2 cups. Place in mixing bowl, let stand at room temp for 30 minutes


2)Meanwhile, sift confectioners sugar and flour together three times and set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is devolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into cupcake liners. 


3) I sliced strawberries and placed chunks into the center of the cupcakes


4)Bake at 350 degrees  F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs when lightly touched. ( The oven I used was super finicky so your oven may take more or less time.) Get to know your oven as if it were your best friend. 
 These would make delicious fourth of July cupcakes if topped with whipped cream, blueberries, and strawberries. Yum! This was my first time stuffing cupcakes and I was pleased with the outcome.
Sorry to post so infrequently, I will be in the woods working for Outward Bound the rest of the summer, but I assure you, when fall comes, and ladies climb night starts again, you can expect regular cupcake postings!


 Have a wonderful summer!
Thanks to my Wonderful friend Kevin Shon for the Photos! 

Friday, May 6, 2011

PiƱa Colada Cupcakes! Aloha!



Last Nights Ladies night was a Luau, and it was a blast. Once again I stopped by Bake it Pretty to acquire some hula girl toppers and other luau decor. I traded the nice bartender at The Laughing Seed a cupcake for some of those cute cocktail umbrellas to top things off.

I borrowed the following recipe for the cupcakes

HOWEVER :

  • I had to add a lot more flour than the recipe calls for to get the right consistency of cake batter
  • Next time I would add more pineapple than the recipe calls for, the flavor was a little too subtle. 
  • There is no butter in the cupcakes. One has to be skeptical about baked goods with no butter. 
REGARDLESS:
  • The cupcakes were yummy and adorable. 


Pineapple Cupcakes

(recipe by Glory Albin)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple (drained slightly)

Directions-
1.  Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and a light cream color (about 2 minutes).
3.  On low speed, mix in the oil and vanilla until blended.
4.  Add in the pineapple and sour cream and mix until fully incorporated.
5.  Add the flour mixture and blend until just combined and smooth.
6.  Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners and fill about 2/3 full.
7.  Bake cupcakes in a pre-heated 350*F oven for about 22 minutes.
8.  Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Recipe yields 24-28 cupcakes.



For the frosting I did coconut cream cheese. 
Mix 2 sticks of butter (gotta make up for the lack of butter in the cupcakes) with 8oz cream cheese. 
Add 1/2 tbs. Coconut extract (This is flexible basically add to taste) 
Add Powdered sugar until the frosting reaches the right consistency (About 2 1/2 cups) 
I added shredded coconut to the mix, and also sprinkled it on top after frosting the cupcakes. 


The following photos are not the best ever, but you get the idea! Check 'em out!




Thursday, April 28, 2011

One more reason I love cupcakes:

For all you cupcake eating climbers out there:



Cupcakes are to Cake 
like 
Boulders are to Cliffs 






Just think about it. 


(This is what I think about instead of final exams) 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Pirate Vs. Ninja Cupcakes: Chocolate Cupcake w/ Cookies & Cream Icing


So I know it has been a while since my last post, so sorry, I have been  fully immersed in end of semester craziness, Somehow I found time to make these super cool cupcakes for the last Ladies Climb night. This was the first chance I had to tell you about them. As you can see they are Pirate vs. Ninja themed goodies. I made chocolate cupcakes that turned out moist and delicious (see recipe below). For the icing, I just made a basic buttercream but added a packet of cream cheese and crumbled lots of Oreo's into it. It turned out tasting just like cookies and cream ice cream. Yum!


I bought the Pirate decorations from Bake it Pretty in downtown Asheville (My new favorite place!)
For the Ninja's I used the cream half of Oreos and painted ninja faces on with black decorative icing. I was pretty psyched on how they turned out! I also got to play for the first time with a large open star tip, also acquired from Bake it Pretty. Teaching myself how to make professional looking cupcakes is super fun and challenging. ( I should have taken a picture of the mess I made in my kitchen).

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe: (This is the doubled recipe and made about 18 regular and 24 small cupcakes)
1 1/2 cup cocoa powder 
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 sticks of butter (room temp)
2 cups of sugar
6 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (I used maple syrup because I was out of vanilla and wanted to experiment) 
1 cup sour cream 
In one bowl combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla (or maple syrup in my case)

In a separate bowl combine cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add the cocoa mixture and sour cream in three sections, beginning and ending with cocoa mixture.
Once blended, fill baking cups half way and bake for 15 minutes (small) or 20 minutes (regular) Time varies according to oven!

Let cool and then frost, decorate, and ENJOY!
       

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Check it out!

Check out this guest-post by yours truly on the wilder coast, an amazing blog by my good friend Melina.

thewildercoast.blogspot.com

Monday, April 4, 2011

Wonder-Woman Coconut Cupcakes with Key Lime Buttercream

 W- is for Wonder Women! I made these tasty cupcakes for this weeks Super Hero themed Ladies Climbing Night.


 Coconut Cupcake Recipe

  • 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (I used 1 cup milk with 1Tbs lemon juice combine and let sit for 2mins before using) 
  • 7 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.
Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.


The icing is a basic buttercream with 1Tbs lime juice, 1Tbs lemon juice, and zest from about six key limes. 
Then I added food coloring and sprinkles to end with some SUPER-cupcakes!