Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

My daughter's birthday was yesterday, and even though she's grown (21!) and lives 2 hours away, we still celebrated her birthday without her. :)  My son picked the flavor--peanut butter (he's a peanut butter cup fanatic), and it was fitting to top it with chocolate frosting.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup apple sauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Chocolate Frosting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place 21 paper baking cups in cupcake pans. Place cake mix, water, peanut butter, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla in bowl of a stand mixer (or mixing bowl). Beat with mixer on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with spatula. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat an additional 2 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. Divide batter equally between baking cups and place in the oven.

Bake 18-20 minutes, or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting.

Raspberry and Apple Cupcakes

 I know it's been a long time since you've heard from me, and I am sorry for that. Life sometimes gets crazy and that is what happened here. But I am back with a yummy, yummy recipe for you! I've recently started following a vegetarian lifestyle, and as such, fruit has suddenly become so sweet and tasty for me. Don't get me wrong...I've always loved fruit, now I just love it even more!

Raspberry and Apple Cupcakes

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 tbsp extra to sprinkle
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2/3 cup fresh raspberries
• powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. Place the eggs, sour cream, granulated sugar, lemon zest, and apple in a blow and stir together. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon over the top and fold through.
3. Spoon the mixture into the muffin pan and top with the raspberries. Sprinkle with the extra granulated sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched.
4. Cool slightly then turn out and dust with confectioners sugar.

Yummy!

Amish Friendship Bread Cupcakes

This is the Amish Friendship Bread Starter Recipe that you’ll need to make the Amish Friendship Bread. It is very important to use plastic or wooden utensils and plastic or glass containers when making this. Do not use metal at all!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110°F)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup warm milk (110°F)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes. Stir well.
2. In a 2 quart glass or plastic container, combine 1 cup sifted flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or the flour will get lumpy when you add the milk.
3. Slowly stir in warm milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Loosely cover the mixture with a lid or plastic wrap. The mixture will get bubbly. Consider this Day 1 of the cycle, or the day you receive the starter.

For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.

Amish Friendship Bread

• Do not use any type of metal spoon or bowl for mixing.
• Do not refrigerate!
• If air fills up the bag, let it out!!!
• It is normal for the batter to rise, bubble, and ferment.

Day 1

• Do nothing. This is the day you received the batter.

Day 2-5

• Mush (massage) the bag.

Day 6

• Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup milk to the bag and then mush.

Day 7-9

• Mush the bag

Day 10

1. Pour the entire contents of the bag into a large non-metallic bowl.
2. Add 1 ½ cups flour, 1 ½ cups sugar, and 1 ½ cups milk.
3. Measure out four separate batters of 1 cup each into 1 gallon Ziploc bags. Keep a starter for yourself and give the other three to friends along with a copy of this recipe.
4. Preheat oven to 325°.
5. To the remaining batter in the bowl (about 2 cups batter) add

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil (or ½ cup oil & ½ cup applesauce)
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 large box instant vanilla pudding

6. Grease two large loaf pans.
7. Pour the batter evenly into loaf pans. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar.
8. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Cool until bread loosens from the pan.

Variations

• I used a small box of French vanilla pudding, and it worked fine. You can also use different flavors of pudding.
• The internet is a great source for different recipes to use the starter.
• To bake as muffins/cupcakes, fill 24 muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes at 325°.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Cupcakes

It is starting to feel like fall and I am craving pumpkin. Pretty much pumpkin anything, but I am pretty sure these cupcakes will fit the bill.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 c. flour, sift before measuring
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3/4 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ginger
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 1/3 c. sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 c. canned pumpkin
• 3/4 c. milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners (this makes about 18). In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in pumpkin.

3. Alternate stirring in the dry ingredients and the milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl and stir until blended. Spoon into liners and bake for 20-25 minutes.

4. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Creamy Key Lime Frosting

All I can say is "yum!"

Ingredients

• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsps grated key lime peel (or regular lime peel)
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (or regular lime juice)
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Stir together milk, lime peel, and lime juice in a small bowl; set aside. Beat whipping cream in chilled bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold milk/lime mixture unto whip cream until just blended.

Key Lime Cream Cupcakes

Yep, another key lime cupcake recipe for you! I may have mentioned before that I am allergic to key limes, but this recipe works just as well with regular limes (which is good, because I really love the lime-y flavor!)

Ingredients

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 pkg butter recipe yellow cake mix (18.25 oz)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tbsp grated key lime peel (or regular lime peel)
• 3 eggs
• Creamy Key Lime Frosting

1. Heat oven to 350°. Line muffin cups with paper baking liners. Mix cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in medium bowl. Place approx 1 tablespoon crumb mixture in the bottom of each paper liner. Press down.
2. Add enough water to line juice to measure 1 1/3 cups. Beat cake mix, softened butter, lime juice mixture, lime peel, and eggs in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Divide batter equally between muffin cups.
   
3. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely. Frost with Creamy Key Lime Frosting.
   

Mmmm...S'Mores

I was completely inspired by Eating Suburbia's S'More Cupcakes. It really got me to thinking about the flavors of chocolate and marshmallow together, which is really a great flavor combination (remember the chocolate marshmallow cupcakes?). The basics of a S'more are graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.

Ingredients
Graham Base:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or about 15 crushed crackers)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Cake:
Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcake batter

Marshmallows:
Marshmallow Fluff

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin pan with paper baking cups.
   
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Place about 1 tablespoon crust mix in bottom of baking cups. Smoosh to a crust-like consistency.
3. Mix up Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcake batter. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Top with another tablespoon of graham cracker crust mix.
4. Place in oven and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from muffin pan and cool completely.
   
5. Place Marshmallow Fluff in a piping bag. Pipe onto the top of cupcakes. Using a brulee torch, toast the tops of the marshmallow for that awesome campfire look. If you don't have a brulee torch, place under a broiler until golden and toasty looking. Yum!
   

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cupcakes

These are really incredible little cakes. Just the perfect amount of chocolate. And also perfect for those S'More cupcakes as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 30 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter.

3. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Sour Peach Frosting

This frosting tastes strikingly similar to those sour peach gummy rings in the grocery store. Mmmmm....

Ingredients

• 1 box (3 oz) peach flavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup water + 2 teaspoons water
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• red and yellow food colors

1. In a 2-cup microwaveable bowl, stir peach gelatin into 1/4 cup water. Microwave on high 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring 2-3 times to dissolve gelatin.
2. In a large bowl, beat gelatin mixture, powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice and additional water until frosting is thick but spreadable.
   
3. Add 2 drops of red food coloring in one side of bowl and and 2 drops of yellow food coloring in other side of bowl. Swirl frosting together until barely marbled.
   
4. Frost your cupcakes.

Sour Peach Cupcakes

My daughter loves the sour peach gummy rings from the grocery store. From the bulk section. She is kind of addicted to them. Mmmmm...

These cupcakes kind of emulate that flavor. Sour peach, in the form of a cupcake.

Ingredients

• 1 box (18.25 oz) white cake mix
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 (3 oz) peach flavored gelatin
• 24 sour peach gummy candy rings

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place paper baking cups in 24 muffin cups. Place sour peach gummy candy in the bottom of each paper baking cup.
2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and peach gelatin with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Divide batter between muffin cups.
   
4. Bake 18-22 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and cool completely.
5. Frost with Sour Peach Frosting.
   

Cupcake Bouquet Revisited

In a previous post on cupcake bouquets, I posted a video showing how easy it is to make one. But now I've come across some extremely easy instructions from Reynolds (you know--the makers of that shiny silver stuff you cook with). These would make a beautiful centerpiece at a wedding or a shower.

You could decorate them with flowers to make it look even more like a bouquet:

Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes on The View

Strawberry cupcakes are yummy any time of year, but especially in the summer when strawberries are at the peak of flavor. I'm always up for a good cupcake recipe (especially strawberry!), so when I can get one from a professional, I know it's gonna be good! These cupcakes are out of this world good, so you should try them. Especially right now. When strawberries are fresh at the market. Yum!


Here are the ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup strawberries
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Cream together butter and sugar. On medium speed, add egg and egg whites. Mix until egg is incorporated into the butter/sugar mixture.
3. On low speed, add half of the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated.
   
4. Add milk, strawberries, and vanilla extract to the batter. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
5. Add remaining dry ingredients. Incorporate into batter. Bake for18-22 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Frost with Strawberry Frosting.
   

Chloe's Cupcakes

Proof that even an 11 year old can decorate cupcakes like a pro!

Waldorf Red, White and Blue Cupcakes

From Sue Doeden. These gems are perfect for the 4th of July. Not really chocolate--just a hint. More red, bit of tang from the buttermilk. Yum!

Ingredients

• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 24 fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cups of muffin tins with paper baking cups.

In a bowl or 2-cup glass measure, mix buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside. In large bowl of heavy-duty mixer, beat butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to frequently scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mix cocoa powder with red food coloring, vinegar and vanilla extract. Add to butter-sugar mixture and blend well.

Sift flour and salt together. Add dry ingredients in small amounts (about ½ cup) to mixture in bowl, alternating with buttermilk-baking soda mixture. Begin and end with dry ingredients.

Spoon batter into lined tins, making each about 3/4 full. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. A wooden pick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. The top will spring back when lightly touched with the tip of a finger.

Allow the cupcakes to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Make frosting by placing cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and heavy whipping cream. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Frosting should be firm enough to spread on cupcakes. Garnish each with a blueberry. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Hello Cupcake!

This is the cutest book ever. There are a ton of ideas on decorating cupcakes in it! Here is a video from the author sharing some of her ideas as well:

Cupcake Bouquet

This is an easy, fun way to display your cupcakes or give them as gifts:

Wilton has a lot of cute products available to the general public, and they are designed for some fun decorating. Here is a fun video showing some of their waaaayyyy cool products, and some links to check them out on Amazon below that.

Cupcake Stuff!!

How to Decorate a SMOOOOOOOOTH Cupcake

From Stephanie. This is a great little video showing you how to make smooth frosted cupcakes, with a bit of sisterly fun thrown in.



Enjoy!

Summer Fun Cupcake Idea

Hi all! Now that school is almost out, I am trying to come up with fun ideas for keeping the kids occupied. I came across this video for cupcakes in an ice cream cone, and it's a bit different from what I've seen before. In the past I have seen the cake batter baked right into the ice cream cone, but this way allows you to keep your kitchen cool and still have fun:



Don't forget that you can buy undecorated cupcakes from your local bakery. This is a great idea if you don't have time to bake.

Red Velvet...YUM!!!

Oh, I know it's been a while. The problem is that it's hot. Really hot. Too hot to bake. We've been averaging between 100° and 110° here. But, I promise to try and share all things cupcake. And on cool or rainy days, I may even actually bake!

In the meantime, how about a video on Red Velvet Cupcakes from Cooking@Dish?


Enjoy!