Mini White Chocolate Red Velvet Cupcakes

My mom's annual Valentine's Day Chili party is coming up.  I decided that she needed a Valentine's themed dessert to go along with it.  I wanted to test out my new mini muffin tins so I made some mini red velvet cupcakes with a white chocolate center.  I was going to use Hershey's Hugs as my candy because I didn't feel like chopping up chocolate but the Hershey's Cookies-n-Creme bar was on sale.


Mini White Chocolate Red Velvet Cupcakes:
(Cake recipe adapted from Paula Deen)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
White chocolate candies, 1 for each cupcake

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 4 mini muffin tins with liners.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Press white chocolate candy into the middle of each cupcake section.

Bake in oven for about 7-10 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy Day Before Halloween!  I thought this would be a good recipe in case anyone was still looking for ideas for Halloween snacks.

I used this frosting to top my Pumpkin Cupcakes.  According to Mr. T it's what made the cupcakes.  It's pretty basic but sometimes that's all you need.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting:
(adapted from Baked)

3 cups powdered sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth with no visible lumps. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.

Add the powdered sugar, syrup, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add cinnamon.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

It's Fall!!!  That means that it's time for pumpkin and pumpkin treats.

These cupcakes are light and full of flavor.  I brought some into work for my coworkers and everyone said that they were a success.  I'm thinking about adding these to my menu for Thanksgiving this year.

Pumpkin Cupcakes:
(adapted from David Leite)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans
1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
½ cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. 

 














Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures; beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. 

Divide the batter equally between the cups, about ¾ full.   

Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

 

Serve with your favorite frosting!

Coconut Cupcakes

Easter was this past weekend.  My family doesn't usually throw a big Easter dinner.  We're more of the Thanksgiving/Christmas people.  Anyways... my aunt e-mailed me to see if I would be willing to bring desserts for the dinner.  Since I love desserts and I love making them I said sure!

I got the idea for the Coconut-Key Lime cupcakes from nestie Marafaye.

Coconut Cupcakes

by Ina Garten; The Barefoot Contessa
Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Ingredients:
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 pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 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.

Key Lime Buttercream Frosting:(Southern Living)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons of Key Lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 (16-oz) box powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoon milk

Directions:

In a large bowl (or in a mixer), combine butter, vanilla, and lime zest. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add powdered sugar alternately with Key lime juice, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and 1 Tbsp. milk, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Beat in up to 1 Tbsp. additional milk for desired consistency.

A sneak peek...

Here's a preview of what's to come for the 4th.  This was a trial run.  One of my co-workers has a birthday coming up so we're celebrating it at work tomorrow.

They didn't really turn out layered like I was going for, but I think they look cute.

My icing was also a little too soft when I started piping. 

I hope that my next run will be a little better.  I guess taste is the most important part anyways.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

My mom's most favorite cake ever is red velvet cake.  For Thanksgiving last year I decided to make red velvet cake cupcakes.

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

Adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled.

Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

I like more cocoa powder in my red velvet cake than most people use.  It's easy enough to change around if you need to.

These have to have cream cheese icing on them.  It's just a must.  I don't like sweet frosting.  I just mix cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until it tastes and looks the way I want it to.  Just use whatever makes you happy.