Chocolate Mint Cupcake Trees

Just in time for the holidays, I whipped up a delicious batch of Chocolate Mint Cupcakes.  I made these for a Recreation and Wellness event at BGSU.  They are full of gluten and dairy and a few other things my youngest cannot eat, so I am glad to not have them sitting around the house!

SPOILER ALERT:  GLUTEN/DAIRY FREE CUPCAKES COMING NEXT WEEK!!!

Chocolate Mint Cupcake 

 I used my go to chocolate cake recipe and added mint.  I think this would be equally good if you chopped Andes Mints in place of the mint extract. I would use about 2/3rds cup.  I think it might actually be a little bit better.  If somebody trys it this way, let me know how it turns out! 

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Adapted from: The Barefoot Contessa at Home

  Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extracts
• 1/4 tsp mint extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee ( I used decaf) 

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and mint. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Fill lined cupcake pans 1/2 full.  Bake for approximately 18-22 minutes




The Frosting


1 scant cup shortening
2 sticks unsalted butter -at room temperature 
2 pounds powdered sugar (approximately)
1/4 c heavy whipping cream (more or less depending upon the texture you are looking for)
1/8 tsp-1/4 tsp mint extract


Cream shortening and butter.  Mix in powdered sugar.  Add milk until you reach the consistency you are looking for.  Mix in mint extract.

This made enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes with about 1 cup left over.

To Decorate


I generously piped on the frosting with a 1 M  Wilton tip.  I added white sugar beads and white fondant stars.  The kids and I had a GREAT time decorating these! They especially liked cutting out the fondant stars.

A pause in blogging....

Loyal Cupcake Blog Readers....

I'm going to  take a break from cupcake blogging for awhile.  Our youngest has just been identified with quite the list of food sensitivities/allergies and it means a complete shift in how we eat and cook.  My energies are going to have to be transferred to learning how to cook gluten/dairy free.   I'm hoping to be back to cupcake blogging by January....with a whole new style of cupcake.

Thanks!
Rachel

SORRY....

Hello Cupcake Fans!!!!


I'm so sorry I did not get a cupcake up last week.  I had strep and was really under the weather.  My excellent husband convinced me I should be healthy  before whipping  up a batch of cupcakes. I am feeling much better and will certainly have a post headed your way this week.  Stay tuned!!!!

Spoiler Alert:  The cupcake this week will be topped with chocolate designs created in ice cold vodka!  So Fun!

Win a $10.00 Gift Card to Tim Hortons or Starbucks

And the winner is.....Marcia!  Thanks to all who played along! 

This week A Cupcake Story hit 1000 page views!!!!  In celebration,  I'm doing a Starbucks or Tim Horton's gift card give away!!!!  Here are the details: 

1) Become a follower of my blog.
2) In the comments section of THIS BLOG POST- Leave a message as to your gift card preference and a way to contact you if you win (email or FB message)  
3)  Only individuals with a US mailing address will be eligible to win.
4)  My Five year old will randomly choose a winner from my blog followers on Tuesday November 1st.


Let your friends know!!!! Thanks and have fun!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes - Week 14

This delicious cupcake post dedicated to my dear friend Jamie!! Thanks so much for the idea.  My only regret about making this recipe is  not being able to deliver them to you!!!

If you are a cookie dough fan, then you don't want to skip this cupcake recipe!  If you are not a cookie dough fan, then shame on you!!!!  My only complaint  is  it might  be a little TOO much cookie dough.  (GASP!!! Until today I didn't think such a thing was possible!) Ladies, turn your brain on auto pilot when you see how much butter is in the recipe.  There's a lot of calories packed into a tiny wrapper, so plan on working in an additional jog the day you indulge.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

Adapted From:  Annie's Eats


For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups), at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° degrees. Line cupcake pan with 24 liners.

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.

I did not use the filling from the original recipe.  I filled the cupcakes with safe to eat cookie dough.

Filling: Raw Cookie Dough (SAFE TO EAT!!!)
Adapted From: Cupcake Project

2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, melted
1c packed brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 T vanilla extract
4 T milk 
mini chocolate chips - use as many or as few as you would like

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl. That's it! To fill cupcakes, remove a small amount  of the cake from the top.  I prefer the cone method.  Then fill with the appropriate size ball of cookie dough.

Note:  This nearly double the amount of cookie dough that I needed.  I suggest cutting the recipe in half.  Another idea might be to make the whole recipe and save the left over in the fridge to shamelessly indulge in on a rough day.  

Cookie Dough Frosting
Source: Annie's Eats


3 sticks unsalted butter (1 1/2 cups), at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons milk
2½ teaspoons vanilla extract


To make the 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.  This recipe make enough to generously frost 24 cupcakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche - Week 13

I have wanted to make dulce de leche for 12 weeks, and I finally decided I would pair it with pumpkin!!  The perfect fall combo.  These cupcakes scream fall flavor!  They seem as if they have a lot of steps, but if you make the dulce de leche ahead of time they come together quickly!   The end result it a rich treat! If you are looking for something a little less rich, do not fill the cupcake. 

Perhaps you are thinking to yourself, "What is dulce de leche?"  I am honored that my little blog gets to introduce it to you.   Dulce de leche is a thick milk based caramel spread. In Rachel terms, it's heaven on a spoon!!!  It's absolutely worth the wait time that it takes while you are making it!   I did cheat a little bit when I made it this time around.  I did not start it from scratch.  I made it using a can of sweetened condensed milk.  There are many different ways to prep it, but I choose to follow the seasoned advice from Steph at Cupcake Project.  I have not included how to make it in my recipe, but click on the link to see her extremely easy method.  It's extremely easy!  All you need is a crock pot, sweetened condensed milk, and 8-10 hours!

Dulce De Leche -Crock Pot Method 

Pumpkin Cupcakes- 
This cupcake is delicious and moist! 
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 12 cupcakes Ingredients
1 cup pluse 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
7.5 ounces pureed pumpkin

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

When I was trying to decide how to decorate this cupcake, I came across the exact cupcake I was attempting to make at The Sweetest Kitchen.  She even used the same Martha recipe I did.  I thought my cupcake idea was brilliant, but apparently it's not my cupcake idea at all!!!  I'm posting the frosting recipe from her page, because it's approximately what I did, but I didn't measure!

Dulce De Leche Buttercream
From The Sweetest Kitchen
Makes enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes
Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons prepared dulce de leche

Cream together softened butter and powdered sugar on low using an electric mixer. Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth and no lumps appear. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the prepared dulce de leche and beat to incorporate.


I filled the cupcake with Dulce De Leche and made the spider web by piping on melted chocolate chips!

Enjoy!!!! Let me know what you think in the comment section!!!  

Apple Pie - Week 12

 A few weeks ago we took our boys to a local apple orchard and it inspired me to start looking for apple cupcake recipes.   Delicious yet slightly messy to eat.  Enjoy!!! 
 
Apple Pie Cupcakes

Adapted from Annie's Eat

Yield: 24 cupcakes

 Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

3 cups sifted cake flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2  tsp cinnamon 

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup milk

For the apple filling: (I doubled the filling recipe to fill 24 cupcakes)

2 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. cinnamon

2-4 tbsp. sugar

3 large apples, peeled, cored and diced  (I used Yellow Delicious)  

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350°.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract and mix well to combine.  Add in the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Stir until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3-3/4 full.  Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the pans.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

To make the apple filling, heat the butter a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the cinnamon and sugar and cook for a minute, until the mixture begins to bubble.  Lower the heat to medium and stir in the apples.  Mix well.  Cook until the apples are somewhat tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

While the apple mixture is cooling,  use the cone method to remove a chunk from the center of each cupcake, making sure to leave a rim around the top of the cupcake.  Fill the holes with the cooled apple mixture.  What's the cone method?  It's pretty simple.  Use a knife to cut out a cone shape out of the center of your cupcake. 

 I drizzled a caramel syrup over the tops and then topped them off with a swirl of vanilla buttercream. 

Caramel Syrup

15 caramels

2-4 T half in half

Place unwrapped caramels and half in half in a microwave bowl.  Heat for 1min 30seconds, stir well.  Continue to heat in 30 sec increments until mixture is smooth.  

Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 c unsalted butter

1/2 c Crisco

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla

2-4 T half in half

Cream butter and Crisco.  Beat in sugar until fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.  Mix in sugar and Vanilla.  Add half in half one tablespoon at a time until frosting is the desired consistency.