Apple Cider Cupcakes

Apples are cultivated throughout the world, from the United States to Italy to India. There are literally thousands of different cultivars of apples, ranging in color, flavor, texture, and usage. For the same kind of fruit, it’s pretty amazing to think about how different each apple can taste from the next, from a tart Granny Smith to a sweet Honey Crisp. I’m a fan of the Rome, Gala, and Golden Delicious varieties, but I always prefer to bake with a blend of sweet and tart apples in pies.

To me, apple cider is like apple juice’s tangy sibling, and I’ve seen it in a variety of recipes lately, mostly for doughnuts. I came across this cupcake recipe on Pinterest, though the original was paired with a caramel buttercream. I’ve frosted these cupcakes with my traditional caramel frosting, but I have to admit: I think a simple glaze icing, or even just a sprinkling of sifted powdered sugar, would have been a better choice. The cupcakes themselves are light and spongy, and while the caramel flavor in the frosting pairs well with the spicy apple flavor in the cupcakes, it’s a bit denser than necessary. Next time, I’ll likely opt for a different frosting, if I frost them at all.

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup apple cider

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line one 12-count cupcake tin with paper liners.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the bowl frequently.

Add flour mixture and cider alternatively, in thirds, beating until just combined after each addition and ending with the flour.

Scoop batter into prepared tin, filling cups about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting or serve plain. These cupcakes are tasty enough on their own!

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

Today, Soergel Orchards is having their annual Strawberry Festival. Beyond picking your own berries in their fields, you can get your face painted, go on a hay ride, jump in a bouncy castle, or in my case, enter a strawberry recipe contest.

How does the self-taught baker set out to win her first competition? She thinks about what she’d want to eat, and goes from there. This recipe is a confectionery interpretation of an iconic summer drink, and I’m proud to say that it won first place.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 heaping cup strawberry puree
1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 medium lemon
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
About 1/2 to 3/4 cup lemon curd, at room temperature

Preparation

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cupcake tins with 16 paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together strawberry puree, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest; set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until light in color. Gradually add sugar and beat until fully incorporated; scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently. Add egg and egg whites, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated.

Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the strawberry mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently and beat for 1-2 minutes after the last addition of flour to make sure all ingredients are well incorporated.

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean; cool on a wire rack.

Using the small end of a melon baller, scoop out a small amount of cake from the center of each cupcake; fill with lemon curd (a half-teaspoon measuring spoon works well for filling if you don’t want to use a piping bag). Frost with fresh strawberry buttercream; store cupcakes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Bring cupcakes to room temperature before serving.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Scant ¼ cup strawberry puree

Preparation

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and lemon juice on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Gradually add powdered sugar, in half-cup increments, beating until fully incorporated.

Add strawberry puree, mixing until completely incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop frosting onto tops of cupcakes and spread with an offset spatula. Frosting can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days; refrigerate cupcakes after they are filled and frosted for up to 3 days.

Note: you can adjust the sweetness or tartness of this frosting very easily by adding more lemon juice or puree; you’ll just need to add more sifted powdered sugar so the frosting isn’t too runny.

Victory! Yep, that’s me with the star of today’s festival, The Strawberry.

Planet Cupcakes

Not everyone can eat chocolate, and my mom is one of those folks. And because our nephew Roman requested a chocolate cake with chocolate icing for his birthday party this past weekend, I needed an alternative for Grandma Genny, who was also in attendance. The result: planet-themed vanilla cupcakes.

The most time-consuming aspect of these cupcakes was, quite obviously, the decoration.You need a decent quantity of vanilla buttercream, lots of food coloring, and plenty of time. It was a lot of fun to interpret the planets in frosting, though; I used a few colors mixed together for Venus, Earth, and Jupiter and got out the pastry bag for the rings on Saturn and Uranus, and of course the Sun, which was my favorite (and, incidentally, was the cupcake that I ate).

For the Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among liners, about three-quarters full each.

Bake until golden and tops spring back to touch, 20-22 minutes.

Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely before frosting.

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
3 to 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Both liquid and gel food coloring; I used yellow and blue liquid coloring and golden yellow, orange, red, royal blue, and violet gel coloring

Preparation

Place butter in a mixing bowl and beat for a few minutes using the paddle attachment.

Add 3 cups powdered sugar. With your mixer on low, incorporate the powdered sugar into the butter. (Hint: I find that placing a kitchen towel over the mixer during this stage prevents a powdered sugar blizzard.)

Increase speed and add 1 tablespoon vanilla, salt, and milk.

Beat for 3 minutes, then taste. If you’d like a stronger vanilla flavor, add the second tablespoon of vanilla, along with the additional ¼ cup of powdered sugar. Beat until combined and very smooth; you want an easily-spreadable consistency.

To Decorate

You’ll need just a few tablespoons of frosting for each cupcake, but I started out by tinting larger quantities in the colors I knew I’d need more of, like yellow and blue, then darkened them as I went along. Reserve as much un-tinted buttercream as you can so that you can lighten colors if you need to; I also used un-tinted frosting to pipe “Happy Birthday Roman” and some stars on Roman’s chocolate cake.

The Sun

Tint about four tablespoons of frosting using golden yellow gel food coloring. Fit an 8-inch pastry bag with a star tip and pipe lines radiating out from the center of the cupcake to cover the top, then pipe additional “rays” so that they stand up vertically from the surface of the cupcake.

Mercury

Tint about a half-cup of frosting using yellow liquid food coloring; you’ll just need a few drops to create the very pale yellow of Mercury. Frost the cupcake and create a smooth surface.

Venus

Tint a few tablespoons of frosting using orange gel food coloring; apply a thin layer of frosting, then add both yellow and un-tinted buttercream to create swirls.

Earth

Tint about a half-cup of frosting using blue liquid food coloring; you’ll just need a few drops to create a pale blue that you can use for Neptune. Remove a small portion of the light blue and tint it darker, using royal blue gel food coloring. Frost the cupcake using swirls of both blues and some white; add piped white “clouds” if you like.

Mars

Tint a few tablespoons of frosting using red gel food coloring. Frost the cupcake and create a smooth surface.

Jupiter

Using un-tinted, yellow, and orange frosting, frost the cupcake and create band-like effects with your spatula (or knife, whatever you’re using). Using a toothpick, dab some red frosting on to create the dust storm and drag the toothpick through the other color bands to create hints of red.

Saturn

Darken the orange frosting you used for Venus and frost the cupcake to create a smooth surface. Tint a very small amount of frosting violet using violet gel food coloring; fit an 8-inch pastry bag with a leaf tip and pipe very loose rings.

Uranus

Reserve some of the pale blue frosting for Neptune; darken the blue that you used for Earth and frost the cupcake to create a smooth surface. Pipe un-tinted rings using a star tip or plain tip.

Neptune

Using the pale blue frosting you created before you frosted Earth and Uranus, frost the cupcake and create a smooth surface.

What about Pluto?

Yes, I also frosted Pluto using the violet frosting I had for Saturn’s rings, but there was no room for Pluto on my cake plate. And since Pluto was downgraded from planet status a few years ago anyway, I thought that was okay 🙂

AVC (Almond Vanilla Caramel) Cupcakes

Tonight, my mom is having “the kids” over for dinner. The kids” used to mean my brother Andy and me, then morphed into either one of us and our spouses, or all four of us. Add my nephew Roman in and “the kids” range in age from five to 39.

Because there will be a small group of us at dinner and I’m not eating sweets for the next four months (let’s just say my scale and I aren’t friends at the moment and leave it at that for now), I wanted a recipe that would make just one dozen, so I adapted a basic one-dozen recipe to include both almond and vanilla flavors, then added caramel icing because my mom is a caramel fan. Midway through the caramel, I decided to whip up some chocolate drizzle icing to embellish half of the cupcakes for those who are chocolate fans. The end result is a cupcake from my wildest dreams. Too bad I won’t be eating them!

Almond Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time; scrape down bowl, and beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Divide batter evenly among liners, about three-quarters full each.

Bake until golden and tops spring back to touch, 20-22 minutes.

Transfer pans to wire rack; cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Frosting

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
About 1.5 ounces milk (you need half of 1/3 of a cup of milk)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
About 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Combine butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to a boil.

Boil for one minute, remove from heat, and stir in milk.

Return to heat and bring to a boil once again.

Pour mixture into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Beat caramel mixture on medium speed for a few minutes to disperse heat; the mixing bowl should not be too hot for you to touch, but if it remains warm that is fine.

Add one cup powdered sugar and one teaspoon vanilla, beating until smooth.

Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a 12-inch piping bag fitted with a large plain tip. Working quickly, pipe frosting onto cupcakes.

Chocolate Drizzle

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

In a small saucepan, melt butter.

Add cocoa powder and stir to combine, then remove from heat.

Add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar, stirring until smooth. It may be necessary to add additional powdered sugar to ensure that your drizzle isn’t too thin.

Transfer drizzle to an 8-inch piping bag fitted with a medium plain tip. Pipe drizzle over caramel frosting. Alternatively, you could just use a spoon and literally drizzle the drizzle.

Lemon Cupcakes

Ahh, lemons. Fans of amy bakes in the ‘burgh know very well of my sincere appreciation of this sunny citrus fruit. I’ve had a recipe for lemon cupcakes on my mind for a while now, and these are prepared with a simple lemon cream cheese frosting, but I look forward to experimenting with strawberry or raspberry cream cheese frosting in the future.

I don’t usually pipe my frosting, but these cupcakes seemed to request it. I have big plans to buy a massive pastry bag and enormous plain tip the likes of which are seen on the Food Network, but for these I used a regular 12-inch pastry bag fitted with a #12 Ateco tip. You could certainly embellish these cupcakes with sprinkles, colored sugar, or a bit of candied lemon peel, but I’ve gone the traditional route with a simple swirl of frosting.

Note: lemon curd can be made from scratch, but I used ready-made lemon curd that I found in the jelly and jam section of my grocery store.

Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
Zest of 2 medium lemons
1 1/4 cups milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two 12-inch muffin ups with paper liners; you will need additional liners, as this recipe yields about 30 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Add lemon zest and beat until combined.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, in three batches, beating until combined.

Using a cookie scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, filling about half full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon curd
yellow food coloring

Preparation

In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar and salt together; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, shortening, and vanilla.

Add powdered sugar in four batches, beating well after each addition.

Add lemon juice and lemon curd and beat well.

Add several drops of yellow food coloring and beat well.

To frost:

Spoon frosting into a 12-inch piping bag fitted with a #12 Ateco tip.

Pipe frosting in a swirl on top of each cupcake.

Store in the refrigerator.

Black Bottom Mini Brownies (Version One)

People often ask me what I miss about living in DC, and I tell them many things; our dear friends, our cool apartment on the Hill from which, in the winter when there were no leaves on the magnolia tree, you could see the top of the Capitol Dome, the Metro, the ample assortment of activities, the fact that we could walk to almost everything and only needed one car. Oh, and of course, easy access to Starbucks.

From our apartment, there were three Starbucks shops in short walking distance; from my office on G Street, there were at least five. While working at Catholic Charities Foundation, my friend Kelly and I literally went to Starbucks every day. Sometimes more than once.

Among the treats behind the curved-glass dessert case was the infamous black bottom cupcake, a marvelous confection of cream cheese batter and dark chocolate batter that was at once spongy and dense. I’m sure it had about a million calories, but it was totally worth it.

This recipe reminded me of the black bottom cupcake, though I have to wonder if the author actually tested it before it was published. The original baking time needed to be nearly doubled, and when I popped each brownie out of its muffin cup after they cooled, they basically fell apart. I’d suggest many changes, including baking in full-size muffin cups or a rectangular pan, reducing the quantity of mini chocolate chips in the cream cheese layer, or spooning significantly less batter into each mini muffin cup. Let’s call this recipe Version One and keep trying, eh?

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Layer

3 ounces cream cheese, slightly softened and cut into chunks
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Chocolate Layer

4 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.

In a food processor, process the cream cheese, sugar, butter, egg yolk, and vanilla until well blended and completely smooth.

Pour into a bowl and add the mini chocolate chips, stirring to combine; set aside while preparing chocolate layer.

In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and baking chocolate. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate almost melts; remove from microwave and stir until the remaining chocolate melts completely.

Add sugar and stir until well combined.

Add flour mixture and stir until very well combined.

Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the chocolate mixture into each mini muffin cup.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture over the chocolate layer, distributing batter evenly.

Spoon remaining chocolate batter evenly over the cream cheese layer.

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out almost clean; if the bottom is a bit moist, that is okay.

Cool completely in pans on a wire rack, then remove gently using the tip of a table knife.

Black & White Cupcakes

Say what you want, Seinfeld fans, but my mom calls black & white cookies “Baltimore cookies.” Growing up in Clarksville, a small town in Howard County, Maryland, Genny likely encountered such treats in Baltimore-area bakeries.

Yesterday I baked almond cupcakes and intended to frost half of them with chocolate buttercream and the other half with vanilla almond buttercream when I thought…why not make a cupcake version of the Baltimore cookie?

A note about the frostings: it may be necessary to add more powdered sugar (and cocoa powder, for the chocolate buttercream) or milk to either batch to reach the right consistency. You want the frostings to be easily spreadable, like very soft peanut butter, in order to create the half-vanilla, half-chocolate design on the top. Always sift the powdered sugar before adding more to avoid lumps, and if you add more to the chocolate buttercream, add a bit more cocoa powder as well.

Almond Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites
1 1/3 cup buttermilk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening for about 30 seconds.

Add sugar and vanilla and beat well.

Add egg whites, one at a time, until well combined.

Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively in small batches until just combined.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, fill cupcake liners about half-full.

Bake 20-22 minutes until the tops are very, very light golden brown.

When cupcakes are completely cool, frost one-half with vanilla almond buttercream and one-half with chocolate buttercream.

Vanilla Almond Buttercream

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon almond extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream butter for one minute.

Add powdered sugar and beat on low speed to incorporate into the butter; this takes a few minutes. I cover my mixer with a kitchen towel during this step to prevent a sugar storm.

Add salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and one tablespoon milk; beat on medium speed for three minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times.

Check the consistency; you may need an additional tablespoon of milk to reach an easily-spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, softened
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk (you may need an additional teaspoon as well)

In a medium bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter for one minute.

Add powdered sugar/cocoa mixture and beat on low speed to incorporate as much into the butter as possible; this takes a few minutes. I cover my mixer with a kitchen towel during this step to prevent a sugar storm.

Add salt, vanilla extract, and one tablespoon milk; beat on medium speed for three minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl a few times.

Check the consistency; you may need to add an additional 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. If this addition makes the frosting too thick, thin it slightly with one additional teaspoon of milk.

Yellow Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

What can you say about a classic? The yellow cake/chocolate frosting combination is the little black dress of baking, one that baker should have it in her repertoire. There seems to be something magical in the pairing of rich chocolate buttercream with mellow yellow cake, in the same way that a chocolate cupcake is finely matched with vanilla buttercream. They say opposites attract, right?

Yellow Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 2/3 tablespoons butter, slightly softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter on medium speed for one minute.

Add sugar and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each.

Add flour mixture and milk alternatively, beating until combined.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling about half-full.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients

1 cup butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

In a large bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter for about one minute.

Add powdered sugar and cocoa and beat on low speed to incorporate as much sugar into the butter as you can. I cover my mixing bowl with a kitchen towel during this step to prevent a sugar storm.

Add three tablespoons milk and two teaspoons vanilla extract; beat for three minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and add the final teaspoon vanilla extract, then beat for another minute.

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Chips or Walnuts

My mom, Genny Kozusko, is awesome. She is a dynamic Director of Athletics, coach, teacher, community member, and church volunteer. She is beloved by many. She is a woman with iron-clad willpower, particularly with regard to the consumption of sweets. Sundays are Genny’s treat days, and since tomorrow is Mother’s Day, I decided to bake the banana walnut version for her; she doesn’t eat chocolate, so the cupcakes with the chocolate chips are really for Mike and his coworkers.

I began with a plain banana cupcake recipe and split it in half, then added semi-sweet chocolate chips to one half and toasted chopped walnuts to the other. You could certainly add both chocolate chips and walnuts to the batter for banana chocolate chip walnut cupcakes (hmm…maybe next time). The banana walnut cupcakes are frosted with traditional cream cheese frosting, while the banana chocolate chip cupcakes are frosted with peanut butter cream cheese frosting.

Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (from about four medium bananas)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts, plus more for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; you may need a few additional liners, as my batter yielded 27 cupcakes.

In a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.

Add the flour mixture and banana mixture in thirds, alternatively, beating after each addition until just incorporated.

Divide batter in half.

Toss chocolate chips with a dash of cake flour to lightly coat and prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking.

Add chocolate chips to one half of the batter, then add walnuts to the other half of the batter.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and tops and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream together peanut butter and cream cheese.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Beat in vanilla until incorporated.

Frost cupcakes and top with two or three chocolate chips for garnish.

Cream Cheese Frosting (half-recipe for 12 cupcakes)

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Beat in vanilla.

Frost cupcakes and garnish with toasted chopped walnuts if desired.

Once cupcakes are frosted, store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

What does a baker do the day before she walks Pittsburgh’s half-marathon? She bakes herself chocolate cupcakes with caramel frosting.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add half of the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Add half of the milk and beat until just combined.

Add remaining flour mixture and milk alternatively, beating until just combined.

Using a two-inch cookie scoop, scoop batter into prepared muffin tins.

Bake 20-22 minutes.

Cool completely before frosting.

Caramel Frosting

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preparation

Combine butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to a boil.

Boil for one minute, remove from heat, and stir in milk.

Return to heat and bring to a boil once again.

Pour mixture into mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

Beat caramel mixture on medium speed for a few minutes to disperse heat; the mixing bowl should not be too hot for you to touch, but if it remains warm that is fine.

Add one cup powdered sugar and one teaspoon vanilla, beating until smooth.

Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Working quickly, frost cupcakes; I use a flatware teaspoon to scoop the frosting onto each cupcake, then spread it with a knife. Trust me when I say you need to work quickly; f you’re not a speedy froster, you’ll end up with a bowl of hardened caramel that is very tasty, but not spreadable.

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