Summer Cupcakes

Today is the first full day of summer...celebrate with some summer cupcakes!

Bakerella

(click on Bakerella's link to learn how to make these

hamburger cupcakes with sugar cookie "fries")

corn on the cob cupcakes

MarthaStewart.com

ice cream cupcakes

MarthaStewart.com

Martha Stewart Sunflower Cupcake Cake

I was searching for meringue recipes on MarthaStewart.com today and came across this sunflower cupcake cake. I LOVE the blackberry center.  Bee-you-tee-full.

Martha Stewart sunflower cupcake cakes

Recipe of the Week: Hi-Hat Cupcakes

I have been seeing Hi-Hat cupcakes on cupcake blogs...but what exactly are they?  A cupcake is frosted with a marshmallow meringue, piled high on top of the cupcake. Then the frosting is dipped and coated with chocolate.  If chocolate is wrong...I don't wanna be right!

Martha Stewart Hi-Hat Cupcake Recipe

Martha Stewart Cupcakes

The Cupcake Activist

Recipe of the Week - Mocha Spice Cupcakes

Week 44

Last week when I was traveling, I substituted a cupcake bakery review instead of a recipe.  Let's get back on track this week with a dee-lishuss recipe!  This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's Wedding Cakes.

Glorious Treats via Flickr

Mocha Spice Cupcakes

1 stick butter - room temperature
3/8 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 Tablespoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour - sifted
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

Cream the butter until light in color.  Add the brown sugar and eggs.  Beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Add the vanilla, cocoa, spices, soda and salt.  Mix well.

Add 1/3 of the flour then half the sour cream.  Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream.  Pour the coffee into the batter and mix until smooth.

Bake for 15-18 minutes and rotate pans halfway through baking.  Cool completely.

Frost with your favorite chocolate buttercream or Seven-Minute Frosting.

Recipe of the Week - Tiramisu Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting

Week 16


Tiramisu Cupcakes   (from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes)

1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces

3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm - about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.

Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

Brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup.  Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

Coffee-Marsala Syrup

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly brewed very strong coffee (or espresso)
1 ounce marsala
1/4 cup sugar

Stir together coffee, marsala, and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Let cool.


Mascarpone Frosting
1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream

Week 14

October 18th is National Chocolate Cupcake Day! In preparation for this day, I have been experimenting with recipes and have found the perfect combination...chocolate cupcakes with blackberry buttercream!

Martha Stewart's One-Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup warm water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

from the photostream of Kirsten W via Flickr

Blackberry Buttercream

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup fresh blackberries (wash and thoroughly dry blackberries before adding to frosting)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 cups powdered sugar

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addition. Garnish with a whole blackberry on top of frosting.