S'more Cupcakes That Taste Nothing Like a S'more

Over the weekend I made cupcakes.

I haven't made cupcakes in a long time and I've only made them out of necessity, when I needed them as gifts or for a special occasion. Nothing like the days when I used to try a new recipe weekly just to try them out.

This weekend I wanted to not only make cupcakes but try a new recipe. It was kind of a big deal to me, because it's always a little concerning when a previous passion just disappears. As if it's a hint that I'm running towards depression and we all better be on high alert.

So I made s'mores cupcakes. I got all experimental and made a graham cracker crust and found a recipe for a marshmallow buttercream frosting that involved marshmallow cream because I think marshmallow cream is the cat's meow.

We ate them and suddenly I remembered why I stopped experimenting and now only make two types of cupcakes and why I sometimes hate baking them. 1 out of 10 experimental recipes is a success, meaning 9 out of 10 tries are usually gross and not at all what I expect.

Enter the s'mores cupcake. While they were edible, they tasted nothing like a s'more and the frosting tasted nothing like a marshmallow. It was more of an over vanilla-y buttercream which would be expected from a stick of butter, marshmallow cream and, you guessed it, vanilla.

So off to work I went with my cupcakes, my first introduction of cupcakes to the new workplace. I would've much preferred for them to be good cupcakes for the first time, but what can you do when you've got 22 so-so cupcakes? Maybe if I don't tell anyone they are supposed to taste like a s'more they won't notice?

Everyone said they were good, even though I thought they were gross. And that's the end of this sad story involving s'more cupcakes that don't taste anything like a s'more. You're welcome folks.

If you're looking for some kickass cupcake recipes, you can find those here, because I used to be a cupcake baking machine. It's true. This was apparently in my hey-day when I didn't have a child to tend to.

• Peanut Butter Cupcakes


• Chocolate Cupcakes


• Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes


• Mint-filled Brownie Cupcakes

And wouldn't you know it, I don't even have my favorite buttercream frosting recipe on this here blog. I guess we'll have to save that for another day friends, another day.

 

How to Make Fuzzy Ball Cupcakes

A Ladybug First Birthday Party

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What a party! Everything was covered in polka dots and black and red. Crepe paper was strewn about, polka dot balloons lined the yard, and Gwen was dressed to the nines with her ruby red slippers.  She made the obligatory mess of her ginormous cupcake and put on quite the show opening and playing with all of her presents.

A few days before the party I asked the husband to put a slideshow on our tv during the party. Little did we know our AppleTV had the coolest slideshow setting ever. We set a playlist from our itunes which was our background music for the party while the photos slowly went across our tv in picture frames. It would've been painstaking to sit and watch that as a slideshow of photos, but as a background for a party it was perfect and fun to look at pictures from the past year.

We also had a cute little photobooth setup in the kitchen where we found it quite difficult to pose with props and a one year old.

Ladybug Photobooth

And here's a tutorial on the banner I made for behind her highchair.

Crepe Paper Banner Tutorial

{I am linking up to these parties}

Margarita Cupcake

Welcome back to Cupcake Monday! These margarita cupcakes are phenomenal and super easy.

• Make the white cake mix per the instructions on the box 
•  Substitute the margarita mix for the water! The next thing you know, you've got these

I made a white butter cream frosting which paired well with the lime cupcake flavor from the margarita mix. Next time I think I might try out some lime frosting. The fruit slices are gummy candies and the straws are cut up normal straws.  

Imagine the possibilities with these! Just substitute the margarita mix with any drink mix, mojito, cosmo, daquri.......you get the idea. 

I'm linking up to all those awesome linky parties that can be found on my side bar. Be sure to check 'em out. 

Margarita Cupcake

Welcome back to Cupcake Monday! These margarita cupcakes are phenomenal and super easy.

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Remember the whole wheat imposter flour of 2010? The deal breaker was the champagne cupcakes I attempted to make. I slaved over them for a coworkers birthday and wound up with muffin-like dense "cupcakes" that went directly into the garbage. This Sunday was not only Mother's Day, but also a girl at work's last day. I was ready to give it another shot and boy am I glad I did.

The good news? They only use about 3/4 of a bottle of champagne which leaves plenty of champagne for the baker to enjoy

Pink Champagne Cupcakes with Pink Champagne Frosting
2/3 cup butter, at room temp
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup champagne *You can use pink champagne if so inclined. I chose not to because it's flippin' expensive. Instead I toss in some pink food coloring. For these I used wilton's rose petal*
6 large egg whites, at room temperature *stay tuned for more information on egg whites*

Preheat oven to 350 F. Insert liners into a medium cupcake pan.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes
In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients.
Blend all the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternating with champagne
*This batter is extremely thick, but don't worry*
In a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the whites into the batter until blended, then add the rest and fold until well-blended *I just used the stir function on my mixer because my arm almost fell off attempting to fold it with a spatula.*
Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters of the way full. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

Brush cooled cupcakes with champagne

Champagne Frosting

3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
3 tablespoons champagne
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl beat the shortening and butter until creamy.
Add the champagne. Slowly add confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. If necessary, add additional champagne to achieve desired spreading consistency.

*WARNING!!!* These cupcakes are meant to be eaten fresh. They do not taste the same the day after, which most likely has to do with the champagne.  Consider yourself warned.

Tutorial on making those pretty roses to come....

This post is linked up to the linky parties I participate in. Be sure to check them out for some great ideas!

Pink Champagne Cupcakes

Remember the whole wheat imposter flour of 2010? The deal breaker was the champagne cupcakes I attempted to make. I slaved over them for a coworkers birthday and wound up with muffin-like dense "cupcakes" that went directly into the garbage. This Sunday was not only Mother's Day, but also a girl at work's last day. I was ready to give it another shot and boy am I glad I did.

The good news? They only use about 3/4 of a bottle of champagne which leaves plenty of champagne for the baker to enjoy

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

This week's cupcake comes to you from a new cupcake book I got as a belated Christmas present.

The recipe was easy to follow with inexpensive ingredients and wowsa! Is it tasty. The raspberry paired with the chocolate is soooo good. And the best part? It's a simple raspberry jam straight out of the bottle. 

Chocolate Raspberry Volcano Cupcakes

from Wild About Cupcakes by Rachel Lane

For cupcakes:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3 tbsp. milk

1/3 cup raspberry preserves (jam)

For Chocolate Buttercream:

6 oz. dark chocolate *I used baker's chocolate & semisweet chocolate chips*

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup raspberry preserves (jam)

Preheat oven to 350. Line your cupcake pan. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with milk. Spoon half the batter into cups. Place some raspberry preserves in the center of each one and spoon the remaining batter over the top, filling each one 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.

Melt the chocolate in a double broiler *or pop it in the microwave, like I do* Let cool. Beat the butter and vanilla until pale and creamy. Pour in the milk and cooled chocolate, until blended. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until blended. Pile the frosting on top of each cupcake, forming a volcano shape. *I took a spoon and plopped a glob on top of each cupcake then used a knife to smooth it out onto the cupcake. Get knife wet to help form the volcano sides.* Make an indent in the top. Thin down the raspberry preserves with a little hot water. Spoon the raspberry preserves into the top of each "volcano" allowing it to run down the sides a little. 

*I'm posting this post on the parties listed on my sidebar. Be sure to check them out, there are so many great ideas floating around!*

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Easy & Delicious Peanut Butter Cupcakesmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Per your request, I whipped us up a batch of Peanut Butter cupcakes and am so glad I did. Not only are these suckers delicious, they were so freaking easy! The cupcake itself is a great basic chocolate cupcake that I think might become my newest standard chocolate recipe.



As for the peanut butter topping? AH-MA-ZING. Sir Sunderland is sticking pretty strong on our "one cupcake" rule we have here in our house, but he has to go to bed sometime, right?

 

Mini Reese's Peanut Butter CupCakes 
Articles sent to me from my Mom from her Food Network Magazine (Thanks Mom!)

Prep Time:
    1 hr 10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
    15 min
Cook Time:
    20 min
Level:
    Easy
Serves:
    24 servings if mini, 12 if regular sized *Edited to Add* You should definitely make these mini!!! I just ate one regular sized cupcake and it's a total sugar BOMB in the gut. A mini would have eased into the gullet much smoother*

Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces not necessary as you're sticking it in a bowl and microwaving it
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/3 cup buttermilk
 1 large egg, at room temperature
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Topping:
1/2 cup heavy cream
 1 10-ounce bag peanut butter chips found in Wal*Mart baking section

For the Glaze:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
 6 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped or milk chocolate chips. Once again, you're just going to microwave it.

Directions

Make the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F using the convection setting, if available. Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the butter, cocoa powder and 1/4 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the butter melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the brown sugar.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the warm cocoa mixture. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla; stir into the batter until just combined but don't overmix.

Divide the batter among the prepared cups, filling each three-quarters of the way. Bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Make the topping: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour over the peanut butter chips in a bowl and let stand until the chips melt, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until the topping is set, about 10 minutes, then beat with a mixer until fluffy. Transfer to a pastry bag with a 1-inch round tip (I didn't use a tip and cut the point of the pastry bag at 1 inch) and pipe peaks onto each cupcake. Place in the freezer while you make the glaze.
*Edited to add * Piping the peanut butter mixture not only looks a little unappetizing, but puts a little bit too much peanut butter on each cupcake. Next time I am going to try and spread the mixture on top, instead of piping*

Make the glaze: Put the butter, chocolate and 3 tablespoons hot water in a small, deep microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap and microwave on 50 percent power until the chocolate melts, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Dip  (or drizzle, I lost a couple tops to cupcakes dipping into the chocolate) the frozen peaks of each cupcake into the glaze, letting the excess drip off. Refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes.

Printed from FoodNetwork.com on Sun Apr 11 2010

If you make these puppies (which I highly recommend you do, like NOW) be sure to share your link on my Cupcakes Made by You tab.

I'm participating in 

 

Easy & Delicious Peanut Butter Cupcakesmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Per your request, I whipped us up a batch of Peanut Butter cupcakes and am so glad I did. Not only are these suckers delicious, they were so freaking easy! The cupcake itself is a great basic chocolate cupcake that I think might become my newest standard chocolate recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Today's cupcake comes from Elinor Klivans' cookbook, Cupcakes!

     They were very easy to make, with baking and prep time totalling 40 minutes.  The glaze was a bit lackluster as far as a topping is concerned. The recipe calls for you to generously drizzle some over the top with a fork, which I discovered didn't work at all. This lead me to placing a dollop on the top of each cupcake, which I got a complaint that the dollop wasn't enough chocolate for the cupcake.

     These suckers are chocolate in your face. I couldn't finish one due to the sheer chocolate-y-ness of it, not to mention my brain's confusion of whether it was tasting a cookie or a cupcake. While they were an interesting and easy cupcake to whip up they definitely weren't my favorite, but if you're need of a super shot of chocolate in cupcake form, this is the way to go!

Elinor Klivans' Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

pg. 36

2 cups flour

2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream (I find her cupcakes to be gooey (to the point of over-moist) in the center and believe it comes from this key ingredient in her recipes)

1/4 cup whole milk (I used 1% that was in my fridge and they came out just fine)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2/3 cup Chocolate Fudge Glaze (I used half the recipe and had a lot leftover)

Mix fdry ingredients, add butter and mix until the butter pieces are the size of peas. Mix in egg and vanilla. Mix in the sour cream and milk. Mix in chocolate chips.

Bake @ 325 for 25 minutes. Cool. Add the chocolate glaze. Use a fork to generously drizzle thin lines of the topping over each cupcake. Let the cupcakes sit at room temp. until the glaze is firm. They can be covered and stored at room temp. for up to 2 days. 

Choices: Dust with powdered sugar instead of chocolate glaze.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Today's cupcake comes from Elinor Klivans' cookbook, Cupcakes!

     They were very easy to make, with baking and prep time totalling 40 minutes.  The glaze was a bit lackluster as far as a topping is concerned. The recipe calls for you to generously drizzle some over the top with a fork, which I discovered didn't work at all. This lead me to placing a dollop on the top of each cupcake, which I got a complaint that the dollop wasn't enough chocolate for the cupcake.

Chocolate-Covered Mint Meltaway Cupcakes

*This recipe was AMAZING. The filling and glaze were delicious and easy to make. The cupcake itself was so moist and spongy with chocolate notes. The only problem was that it becomes a decadent small cake instead of a cupcake. I would serve this at a dinner party but can't imagine bringing them to work or a low-key party.*



     After being burnt by one of Martha Stewart's recipes last week I opted for a fresh start. While at Border's picking up my next book for the book club, I gave the cookbooks a quick glance. In the midst of the baking section I came across this book.

     It was between this book and another and when I saw that most of her recipes make 12 regular size cupcakes (instead of the usual 24) and how each recipe was broken into cupcake preparation and baking time and I was hooked.  The first recipe to try? 

Chocolate-Covered Mint Meltaway Cupcakes, pg. 85

     In this recipe you get to use three of her head start recipes, which include chocolate sour cream cupcake batter, chocolate fudge filling and glaze.  The chocolate sour cream batter was airy and fluffy. The recipe called for 12 jumbo cupcakes and I only got about eight out of the batch (may have filled them too full). They were delicious, but the centers caved in.

 

You spray the inside of your liners and are supposed to take them off. This resulted in some lovely ones....

and not so nice ones

    The filling was extremely simple and delicious. The instructions say to let it chill for an hour and a half, I left it in the fridge overnight. It was a very stiff, fudge like filling that I had to mold with my hands, as opposed to her whisking she speaks of. *Edited to Add- after re-reading the recipe, turns out you're supposed to reheat the filling! Oops!
     Next up was the glaze. 10 minutes later I had this deliciously glossy chocolate pouring on the tops of my upside down cupcakes (more like molten lava size cakes).

Chocolate-Covered Mint Meltaway Cupcakes 
from the book Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans
 Cupcakes
Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcake Batter
Filling
1 recipe Chocolate Fudge Sauce, just made
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
Topping
2 recipes Chocolate Fudge Glaze, cooled to a thick but spreadable consistency

Line cupcake pan with liners and spray with nonstick cooking spray (silicone baking cups would be perfect for this!) Bake @ 350 for about 20 minutes. Cool.
     Make the filling. Transfer the chocolate sauce to a large bowl and stir in the peppermint extract. Cover and refrigerate until the filling is firm around the edges and the center feels cold to the touch but is still soft, around 1 1/2 hours.
    Remove the paper liners from teh cupcakes and turn the cupcakes upside down. Cut the cupcakes horizontally in half and move the "tops" (which were the bottoms) to the side.
     Using a whisk, beat the cold filling just until the color lightens from a dark chocolate to a medium chocolate color and it thickens slightly, about 30 seconds. Immediately use a small spatula to spread about 2 tbsp. of the filling over the bottom half of each cupcake. The filling will firm up quickly. Replace tops.
     Glaze the cupcakes. The cupcakes have a preliminary crumb coating of the glaze, then a second thick, smooth coating. Using a small spatula, spread a thin layer (about 1 1/2 tbps.) of glaze over the sides of each cupcake. Let the cupcakes sit for about 15 minutes for the glaze to firm.
     Spread a second smooth layer of glaze, about 2 1/2 tbsp, over the glaze on each cupcake. Let the cupcakes sit for about 30 minutes to firm the glaze. Cover the cupcakes as soon as the glaze is firm, and serve cold.

Chocolate-Covered Mint Meltaway Cupcakes

*This recipe was AMAZING. The filling and glaze were delicious and easy to make. The cupcake itself was so moist and spongy with chocolate notes. The only problem was that it becomes a decadent small cake instead of a cupcake. I would serve this at a dinner party but can't imagine bringing them to work or a low-key party.*