Strawberry Cupcake

If you haven't heard Georgia has been covered in snow for the past 4 days. I have been stuck in my house doing nothing. Why didn't i post on here? I didn't have sugar, vanilla, or butter. Not much can be made without those..Once the snow melted to the point we could drive, the first place i went was to the grocery store. Now most of you know about Nutella, but for those sheltered folks, Nutella is the most amazing peanut chocolate concoction. Now I've seen Nutella, but i don't care much for peanut butter. The reason why i never bothered to buy it. I have bought many chocolate peanut butters but none worth buying again. I'm the person when they make a peanut butter & jelly sandwich its mostly jelly. Anyway, I bought it, and i freaking love it! So much so my sandwich is now equal if not more Nutella than jelly.
While eating my strawberry jelly and Nutella sandwich, i thought this would be an awesome cupcake! So here it is, strawberry cupcake with Nutella icing!!

Strawberry Cupcake

• 1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 oz or 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup chopped up strawberries ( i used frozen)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, baking powder, and salt) and set aside. Cream butter until fluffy, gradually add the sugar until incorporated. Add the whole and egg whites slowly, mix until blended. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until almost incorporated then add the rest and mix until blended. Pour into baking cups and place in the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Makes about 12 cupcakes.

At this time this is my favorite strawberry cupcake recipe from Sprinkles..but its not enough strawberry tasting for my likes. I'm on a mission to find/make a better one.

Nutella Frosting

• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 3-5 tbsp of whole milk or heavy cream
• 3 cups of confectioners sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 stick of butter

Cream butter until fluffy. Add Nutella and vanilla, mix until blended. Then add confectioners sugar mix until incorporated. Add a tablespoon or 2 of milk at time until smooth.

My frosting came out runny, i added milk like a crazy person, but still had a lovely taste to it. Don't do what i did! Slowly add your milk!

Peppermint Cupcake

I love the Holiday's and nothing says its almost Christmas than peppermint ice cream, white chocolate covered Oreo's, and egg nog. My favorite holiday treat is peppermint bark, so i thought i would make a cupcake inspired by it. This is just a simple chocolate cake with a mint frosting. The frosting has the perfect minty taste, not over powering. I think this would taste even better with semisweet curls on top. I tried making the frosting look like swirls of a candy cane, but yeah, as you can tell it just turned pink. I think next time i try swirling it, i would drop the color in the bag instead of mixing it in a bowl. The color gets to mixed in and muddy.

As of right now this is my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, its super moist and has a great flavor. I would only fill the batter half way in the liner, these puppies got huge in the oven.

Chocolate Cupcake

• 8 ounces sour cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Peppermint Icing

• 8 tablespoons of butter (1stick) room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

 Mix everything together until smooth.

Cookies 'n Cream Cupcake

I love cookies and cream ice cream, so i knew i had to try this recipe when i saw it. Even if you're just a fan of Oreo's I'm sure you'll love these too. I think kids would love these also, their favorite things together; cookies and cupcakes! The recipe is a basic vanilla cake with crushed Oreo's mixed in and a vanilla buttercream. With holidays around the corner, i promise to make more holiday themed treats! Or you could also try using the Holiday Oreo's (the red ones) and make this recipe...

Cookies 'n Cream Cupcake

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (room temp)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pack of Oreos

Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners, twist oreos apart and put frosted side in the paper liner; set aside. Empty the pack of oreos in a bowl or bag and crush the life out of them. I put them in a bowl and used a potato masher and mashed the crap out of them. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Add about half of crushed oreos.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full.

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.Makes about 30 cupcakes

Vanilla Buttercream

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream (i need about 3)

Mix together sugar and butter, preferably in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Start on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

I piped on the icing, which was hard, the icing was a little stiff. I used the left over oreo crumbs and sprinkled it on top of the icing.

Halloween Cupcakes

I dont know if you have ever heard of the movie "Return of the Living Dead", but it has to be my all time favorite "horror" movie. That's is how i picked my blog name. So these cupcakes are influenced by my favorite movie.

Its almost Halloween so these seem perfect! I made a Death by Chocolate cupcake and Red Velvet cupcake. Since its Halloween I'm changing the names.

Death by Chocolate Cupcake or "Death by Tarman"

What you need:

• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 6 ounces butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together boiling water and cocoa. Cover and set aside. With a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue creaming until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and add this mixture, alternately with the buttermilk. Add cocoa and water mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Scoop into cupcake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Let cool completely before decorating. Dip tops of cooled cupcakes in the warm ganache and let set. Makes about 20 cupcakes.

Ganache:

8 ounces chocolate (i used semi-sweet)

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons butter

Put chocolate and place in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Bring cream and sugar just to a boil in a small saucepan and then pour over chocolate. Whisk together and then stir in butter until melted.

Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting or "Brains for Freddy"

What you need:

• 3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons red food coloring
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Makes about 36 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

What you need:

• 4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• a pinch of salt
• 2 & 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

In a bowl, with your electric mixer on medium high speed, beat together cream cheese, butter and salt until creamy. With mixer on low speed, make 1/2 cup additions of sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Increase the speed of your mixer between each addition.

I added a drop of red food dye to the frosting so the brains would be pink.