Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes Topped with Maple Buttered Pecans

Almost a week had gone by with a container of pumpkin puree staring me down each time I opened the refrigerator. Yesterday I finally decided to do something about it. I had been trying to come up with some way to use it before it went bad, but the only thing I could think of that would be quick and relatively mess-free was pumpkin bread. I wasn't super excited about that especially since I've been baking a lot of muffins and breads lately. When my parents came over to babysit, that gave me a little more time to play around. So what did I do? I made cupcakes. I have to say, these just might be the best I've ever made! The cupcake itself is moist, tender, buttery and sweet, and the frosting is tangy and melts in your mouth. The maple buttered pecans give these added texture and flavor and really compliment the pumpkin flavor. I definitely ate my fair share of these, Stephen even joined in too- and he never eats pumpkin goodies! I'm thinking these would be a great treat to give to friends and family or even a new addition to a traditional Thanksgiving dessert spread!

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes Topped with Maple Buttered Pecans

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

¼ c. vegetable oil

¼ c. (½ stick) butter, room temperature

2 eggs

1 c. solid-pack pumpkin puree

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1¼ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¾ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting:

3½ c. powdered sugar

4 oz. original cream cheese, room temperature

3 tbsp. butter, room temperature

¼ c. solid-pack pumpkin puree

½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

Maple Buttered Pecans:

¾ c. whole, halves or chopped pecans

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

½ tbsp. butter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one regular size muffin tin with liners, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, oil, and sugars for 2-3 minutes or until light and creamy. Add pumpkin puree and vanilla, then with mixing speed on low, add one egg at a time, mixing until incorporated. 

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.

4. Remove bowl from stand and fill each liner ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 30 minutes).

5. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the frosting (except for the powdered sugar) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted wit the whisk attachment. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on high for 2 additional minutes. Set aside.

6. Combine all ingredients for the maple buttered pecans (except for the butter) in a small mixing bowl. toss to coat the nuts evenly. Spread onto a lined baking sheet (Silpat or parchment), place in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, stirring half way through the baking process. Remove from oven and toss in a clean bowl with the butter, let cool.

7. Frost cooled cupcakes with desired tip, top with cooled pecans.

Life Made Simple Original Recipe, frosting inspired by a recipe in the Holiday 2013 issue of Something Extra | Makes approximately 12 standard size cupcakes

Funfetti Cupcakes

Looking for a last minute Easter treat? Well you're in the right place! This afternoon I decided to whip up a batch of homemade funfetti cupcakes- my favorite! I don't make them very often (mainly because of the amount of sprinkles that go into them), but when I do, I really enjoy them! As soon as they came out of the oven I couldn't help but taste test a mini one. They were perfectly moist and tender inside. I decided to frost mine with a vanilla buttercream and colored it green for a "grassy" look. Because I had some extra mini Cadbury creme eggs laying around I pressed a few into the frosting to finish them off. I think Starburst jelly beans would be really cute too or even a chocolate bunny! Enjoy and Happy Easter!!!

Funfetti Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. cake flour
¾ c. sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
¼ c. sour cream
¾ c. whole milk
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste
¼ tsp. almond extract
½ c. rainbow jimmies

"Grassy" vanilla buttercream:
3½ - 4 c. powdered sugar
16 tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3 tbsp. heavy cream
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
green food coloring (optional)

Garnish options:
Mini Cadbury eggs
Jelly bean eggs
Mini chocolate Lindt bunnies
Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard cupcake pans (or three minis) with liners, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla bean paste and almond extract. With mixing speed on low, add egg, then egg yolk, mixing until just combined.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup mix together sour cream and milk. With mixing speed on low, alternate dry and wet ingredients, mix until batter is smooth and homogeneous (being careful not to over mix).
4. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in sprinkles. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (8-12 for minis) or until the cupcakes spring back when touched and are slightly golden brown on top.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 25 minutes).
6. While cupcakes are cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter, salt, and vanilla. Beat until fluffy (2-3 minutes). With mixing speed on low, add heavy cream, then gradually add ½ c. powdered sugar at a time until the mixture becomes soft but firm enough to hold it's shape. Add food coloring (as little or as much as you want until it reaches a shade you like, I went for more of a pastel), beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Pipe on cooled cupcakes as desired. Garnish with festive candies or sprinkles.
Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, Homemade Funfetti Cake | Makes approximately 36 mini cupcakes or 18 standard size cupcakes

Mini Sparkling Cider Cupcakes

For as long as I can remember when the ball dropped and the clock struck midnight, we'd crack open a few bottles of Martinelli's and sip to the new year. This year Stephen and I started a little early. I found miniature bottles of Martinelli's sparkling cider at the store and decided that they had to come home with me. On Sunday we drank a few and I poured a little into the vanilla cupcakes I was making. I've heard of Sprite cupcakes so I figured the cider would be just as good if not better. Turns out that it made little difference in the taste and texture of the cupcake, but it was still fun to experiment! I topped these minis with a vanilla bean buttercream spiked with sparkling cider and finished them off with sugar pearls. Everyone loved these festive little cupcakes! P.S. Thanks again to all of you readers/loyal followers- you have inspired me and have given me the extra push to be a better blogger! Thank you, thank you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store for us!

Mini Sparkling Cider Cupcakes

Ingredients

1½ c. cake flour

1 c. sugar

½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 eggs

½ c. buttermilk

¼ c. sparkling cider

1¾ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. vanilla bean paste

For the sparkling vanilla frosting:

3-4 c. powdered sugar

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 tbsp. whole milk

3 tbsp. sparking cider

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three miniature muffin or cupcake tins with liners. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. 

3. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder and salt. With mixing speed on low, alternate between adding wet ingredients (buttermilk and cider) and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

4. Scoop batter into prepared pans, filling each ⅔ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they become lightly golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pans for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

5. While cupcakes are cooling, to prepare the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together butter for 1 minute until smooth. Add vanilla extract and salt. Gradually add powdered sugar, a half cup at a time, with mixing speed on low, add milk and sparking cider. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy (it should be relatively stiff). Add more powdered sugar if needed.

NOTE: This recipe can make standard size cupcakes, just adjust the baking time to 18-20 minutes.

Adapted from Sur La Table, Mini Vanilla Cupcakes | Makes approximately 30 mini cupcakes

Sweet Honey Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting and Caramelized Figs

It's been a while. Again. I've been sick for what seems like a month. And just when I start feeling better it seems like I've got something else. Then there's the work thing... and the holidays. Yep, I'm pretty much maxed out. I wish there were more hours in the day, that I could sleep a little more and that I didn't have so much to do. We're in Florida now visiting Stephen's family, and that has seemed to help ease the stress of things, but somehow I just haven't managed to find time to blog (until now). And you know what? I'm ok with that. When I first started taking blogging seriously I was set on a 3 post week. I was really good at sticking to that. Now, well, you can tell that I've been slacking off. Not really, because like you, I do have a life. There are more important things than blogging for me to do during the day. The events of last Friday have really put that in perspective for me. I want to spend the little time I do have with my family and enjoy Christmas. There are so many wonderful things to do and see- I'd much rather be out there than on here. Do you know what I mean? With that said, I'm sharing this cupcake recipe with you today. It's one that I made back in October for a contest and people really seemed to love it- I hope you will too! The mild flavors of the cake and the frosting are really appealing to me. The natural sweetness of the honey paired with the mascarpone cheese is absolutely divine! Since figs are usually easy to find during fall and winter, I thought they'd be perfect to caramelize and place on top of these cupcakes. If you're not a fan of figs, try pear slices or even apples, I think they'd be just as tasty! I hope you don't mind that I'm "double-dipping," but this was a quick and easy recipe for me to share with you all- enjoy!

Honey Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 ¼ c. cake flour

½ c. all-purpose flour

½ c. honey

½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1/3  c. sour cream

2/3 c. whole milk

2 eggs

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

For the mascarpone frosting:

1 (8 oz.) container mascarpone cheese

½ c. heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the caramelized figs:

¼ c. granulated sugar

8 ripe and sweet figs (mission or turkey), cut in half 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake tins with 16 liners, set aside.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add honey, butter, sour cream, vanilla extract and vanilla bean. Mix for 1 minute.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing after each addition. With mixing speed on low, alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the milk. Beat until just combined.
5. Divide batter and fill cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (note: they will not turn golden brown, so do not over bake).
7. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in tins for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Meanwhile, to make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine mascarpone cheese, heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.

9. With mixing speed on low, begin to beat the mixture. Gradually turn the speed up until it reaches a medium-high speed. Beat mixture for 2-3 minutes until soft peaks begin to form (keep an eye on it while it is beating, you do not want the mixture to curdle). Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
10. To prepare figs, dip the cut side of each fig into the granulated sugar. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Using a kitchen torch, caramelize each fig (this will take approximately 1 minute). Place a cut fig on the top of each cupcake.
Stephen + Natalie | Makes 16 standard size cupcakes

Apple Pie Cupcakes

 
This recipe is brought to you by yet another Willow Bird Baking challenge! This time we had to come up with a stuffed and frosted cupcake. Since it's fall and the husband and I both love pie but baking an entire one is just too much for us, I thought I'd make a cupcake version of an apple pie! Perfect, right?! I started off by using a cinnamon spiced cake, filling it with soft apples and topping it with some vanilla ice cream frosting and a crust crisp. These cupcakes are absolutely to die for! I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner. I love love love the snickerdoodle cupcakes I made a while back, and these are just a new and improved version of them! If you're curious about the vanilla ice cream frosting, I just melted a little bit of our favorite french vanilla bean ice cream and used it in place of heavy cream or milk. It adds a little something extra to it! Enjoy!

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients

¾ c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. cake flour
¾ c. + 2 tbsp. sugar

½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

⅔ c. whole milk

2 eggs

1½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. allspice

1¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:

2 apples, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. butter

¼ tsp. lemon juice

¼ tsp. cinnamon

For the vanilla ice cream frosting:

3 c. powdered sugar

½ c. (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature

¼ c. vanilla ice cream, melted (just let it sit at room temperature)

½ of a vanilla bean, scraped (or ½ tsp. vanilla bean paste)

pinch of salt

For the pie crisps:

Packaged pastry crust (not puff pastry), thawed

Turbinado sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Combine flours, baking powder, salt, allspice, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until incorporated.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes (do not over-bake or your cupcakes will be dry). Remove from oven and place tin on a wire rack. Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes before transferring cupcakes to the wire rack.
6. Cut out circles from pastry, place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown in color. Remove from oven and let cool on sheet.
7. Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients into a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook apples until soft, about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
8. To prepare buttercream, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together butter, vanilla, ice cream, and salt until smooth. With mixing speed on low, gradually add powdered sugar. Once the all of the powdered sugar has been added, turn the speed up to high and beat for 4-5 minutes until fluffy.
9. To assemble, using a cupcake corer or a knife, remove a chunk from the center of each cupcake- enough to put a generous amount of filling in there. Fill cupcakes with cooled apple mixture, then using a large ice cream scoop, place a scoop of frosting on top. Garnish with a pie crisp.
Adapted from Recipe Girl, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes | Makes 12 cupcakes

Pink Week // Raspberry Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

Last week Ashton from Something Swanky was hosting a Pink Week in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. She asked me to share something with her readers so I baked up a batch of these cupcakes topped with raspberry buttercream. The vanilla cupcake base is moist and delicate and perfectly compliments the slightly tart filling. The light and fluffy buttercream is sweet with just the right amount of raspberry flavor- it is definitely the perfect icing for these little cakes!

If you would like to support a great cause and help promote awareness there are so many ways to do so, like purchasing some of these amazing KitchenAid products, joining a walk or race, or simply donating to the cause. 

Raspberry Filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

Ingredients

½ c. all-purpose flour

1¼ c. cake flour

½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature

⅔ c. whole milk

⅓ c. sour cream

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 tbsp. + ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Raspberry filling:

1½ c. seedless raspberry puree

¼ c. sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. lemon zest

Raspberry buttercream: 

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

¼ c. seedless raspberry puree

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

3 - 3½ c. powdered sugar

1 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. salt

Optional: pink food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake tins with 16 liners, set aside.

2. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, butter, sour cream, vanilla extract and vanilla bean. Mix for 1 minute.

4. Add one egg at a time, mixing after each addition. With mixing speed on low, alternate between adding the dry ingredients and the milk. Beat until just combined.

5. Divide batter and fill cupcake liners ⅔ of the way full.

6. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (note: they will not turn golden brown, so do not over bake).

7. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in tins for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. While cupcakes are cooling, puree raspberries. Combine 1½ c. seedless raspberry puree in a saucepan (over medium low heat) with sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Sprinkle in corn starch. Allow mixture to reduce, whisking frequently (it should be relatively thick, almost curd-like (give it 5 minutes or so). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Using a cupcake corer, remove center of cupcakes. Pipe or scoop the raspberry filling inside. Place tops back on cupcakes.

9. To make the raspberry buttercream, place ¼ c. seedless raspberry puree into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter, vanilla and salt. Beat until smooth. With mixing speed on low, add powdered sugar and cornstarch, then heavy whipping cream. Beat until soft peaks begin to form or until the buttercream becomes fluffy (2-3 minutes). Chill in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before piping onto cupcakes.

NOTE: The cornstarch will help create a stiff frosting, this is helpful when adding fruit purees.

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 16 cupcakes

This was originally a guest post over at Something Swanky. 

Crushed Pineapple Cupcakes

Yep. I'm finally saying goodbye to summer with these lovely pineapple cupcakes. You see a couple of weeks ago Stephen asked me to make him cupcakes. Not chocolate or vanilla, but pineapple. I was a little surprised. Pineapple, really? I had never heard of just plain ole pineapple cupcakes. I've see piña colada cupcakes, and with those most of their flavor is derived from the coconut. I thought a little about how I could make these cupcakes flavorful. That was when I remembered seeing pineapple cream cheese at the grocery store... of course, that would make an excellent frosting. Then it just came down to getting some flavor into the cupcake. By keeping most of the juice from the crushed pineapple and pureeing all of it, the cupcake would then be sweet and flavorful, eliminating any stringyness you might otherwise get if you didn't puree the pineapple. So I whipped up the batter, scooped it, tossed the pan in the oven and watched them bake. 10 minutes had passed and I grew nervous. No pineapple smell. Finally after about 18 minutes I could smell it. Hooray! I took them out, let them cool and frosted them. Stephen immediately appeared in the kitchen (he had been studying somewhere in the house) and snatched one up. We both agreed that these were a little taste of summer, perhaps our last. So with that, I'm officially moving onto Fall. Seriously. I have a feeling you're going to like what I have planned for these next few months, it involves a whole lot of sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peaches, apples and berries!

Crushed Pineapple Cupcakes
Ingredients
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. sugar
2 tbsp. brown sugar
½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1 egg + 1 egg white
6 tbsp. sour cream
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. vanilla
1 c. (8 oz. can) crushed pineapple, pureed

Pineapple buttercream:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. butter, room temperature
6 tbsp. Philadelphia Pineapple Cream Cheese, room temperature
1 tsp. heavy cream
½ tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one standard size muffin tin with liners, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, sour cream and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs, mix just until incorporated.
3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add dry ingredients, mix until combined.
4. Remove bowl from stand and fold in crushed pineapple. Scoop into liners and fill each ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden in color. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, to prepare the buttercream, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt. With mixing speed on low, add powdered sugar. Add heavy cream and beat for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Frost as desired.
Adapted from Glorious Treats, Pina Colada Cupcakes | Makes approximately 12 standard size cupcakes

Sweet Strawberry Cupcakes

A few weeks ago made strawberry cupcakes for the first time. I used Martha Stewart's "Sprinkles" recipe hoping it would produce a batch of tasty cupcakes. Unfortunately it was all wrong. They weren't horrible, but I certainly wasn't something I was going to share with all of you. I should have listened to the reviews a little more instead of thinking that they would turn out fine. I was a bit frustrated but I didn't want to give up. I decided to rework the recipe to try to figure out what was making them so bland. A couple of minutes later I had come up with a recipe that I was willing to try. I went out and bought frozen strawberries and some strawberry oil (because I couldn't find strawberry extract) to see if that would make a difference. I'm happy to say that along with those ingredients, the buttermilk, lemon zest and cake flour really helped turn this recipe into one I'd use time and time again. So if you're looking for a strawberry cupcake recipe that actually tastes like strawberries, go ahead and give this a try. Just remember to follow the recipe exactly. Resist getting fresh strawberries as hard as that may be, you won't regret it!

Strawberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 c. all-purpose flour
½ c. cake flour
1¼ c. sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
¼ c. buttermilk
⅔ c. frozen strawberry puree
½ tsp. strawberry oil (or ¾ tsp. strawberry extract)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1-2 drops red or pink food coloring
(note: if you choose to omit this, you will have slightly greyish cupcakes)

Strawberry buttercream:
2 - 2½ c. powdered sugar
½ c. (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tbsp. heavy cream
2 tbsp. frozen strawberry puree
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one standard muffin tin with liners, set aside.
2. In food processor or blender, puree frozen strawberries. Warm puree in microwave for 30 seconds until it becomes smooth.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add buttermilk, strawberry puree, strawberry oil (or extract), lemon zest and vanilla, mix until incorporated. Add one egg at a time, mix just until combined.
4. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda. and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add to wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove bowl from stand and fold in food coloring.
5. Fill each cupcake liner ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 24-26 minutes or until the tops begin to turn golden brown and the cupcakes spring back nicely when touched. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While cupcakes are cooling, to prepare buttercream, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together butter, heavy cream, strawberry puree, vanilla and salt (for about 1 minute). With mixing speed on low, gradually add the powdered sugar. Beat for 3-4 minutes until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes as desired.
Adapted from Martha Stewart, Sprinkles' Strawberry Cupcakes | Makes approximately 12 standard size cupcakes

Easy Molten Chocolate Cupcakes

Originally a guest post over at Something Swanky

When Stephen and I first started dating we went to Chili's a lot (almost on a weekly basis). Every once in a while we'd get dessert, and when we did, it was always a molten cake. If you don't know what I'm talking about, they're kind of like mini bundt cakes with some type of warm gooey center. Sounds pretty good, right? I was a tad bit obsessed with them. Since we don't live close to a Chili's anymore, I decided it was probably time to try making them on my own. I came up with these super easy molten chocolate cupcakes. They bake up nicely, are quick to assemble and are sure to please anyone who is lucky enough to get their hands on one!

Molten Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ c. all-purpose flour

1½ c. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

2 large eggs

¾ c. warm water + ¼ tsp. espresso powder

¾ c. buttermilk

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

12 Lindt Lindor Truffles (the kind is up to you!)

Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Chocolate whipped cream:

1 c. heavy cream

4 tsp. confectioners sugar

2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare one cupcake pan by spraying with Pam and then lightly dusting with cocoa powder (tip: cocoa is a great alternative to flour when prepping a pan for chocolate cake or bread), set aside.

2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs, warm water w/ espresso powder, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Turn down speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until smooth (no flour/cocoa pockets remain), about 3 minutes.

4. Divide batter evenly among cups, filling ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake!

5. Remove from oven, allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer them to a wire rack.

6. Using a cupcake corer or a knife, remove the center of each hot cupcake. Place a truffle inside and then place top back on. Let cool while preparing the whipped topping.

7. In the (chilled) bowl of a stand mixer, on high, beat together heavy cream, confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and salt for approximately 2-3 minutes (or until mixture becomes stiff).

8. Turn cupcakes upside down (be careful, you'll want to make sure that you plugged them up good to prevent leaks). Dust with cocoa powder, then top with chocolate whipped cream. Serve immediately!

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 molten cupcakes

Biscoff Gourmet Cupcakes

One of my favorite things about flying on Delta is getting those addicting Biscoff cookies mid-flight. Usually Stephen and I will eat them in a matter of minutes, but during this past trip I had multiple connections, enabling me to build up a little stash. I know I'm not the only one who has thought of ways to use these cookies, but since we also have Biscoff spread, I thought I'd try making cupcakes with Biscoff flavored buttercream. When I mentioned making these to Stephen he seemed skeptical. After taking a bite of one, he was hooked and I was smitten! What's not to love?

Biscoff Gourmet Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

½ c. + 2 tbsp. sour cream
3 tbsp. whole milk

½ c. Biscoff spread (creamy*)

¼ c. Biscoff cookies, crumbled

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Biscoff buttercream frosting:

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

⅓ c. Biscoff spread

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

¹⁄₈ tsp. salt

1½ c. powdered sugar

1½ - 2 tbsp. heavy cream

Topping:

Biscoff cookies for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, add flour, salt and baking soda, whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter, sugars, sour cream and Biscoff spread. With mixing speed on low, add eggs one at a time until incorporated.  Add milk, vanilla, cinnamon, mix.
4. Add dry ingredients just until combined, about 30 seconds. Remove bowl from stand and fold in cookie pieces.
5. Scoop batter into prepared pan, filling each liner ¾ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and allow to cool completely (25-30 minutes).
6. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare buttercream frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and biscoff spread on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix well.
7. Turn speed to low and being to add the powdered sugar (it will look like bread dough). Once the powdered sugar is added, pour the milk a little bit at a time, while mixer is on. Mix until combined. Add milk until the frosting reaches desired consistency (it should be rather stiff). Beat on medium-high speed for 4-6 minutes until fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.
* I was unable to find creamy at my local supermarkets, so I used crunchy. Only the texture of the frosting will change if using crunchy.
Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 cupcakes / frosting for 12 cupcakes

Vanilla Funfetti Cupcakes

My absolute favorite kind of cake growing up was funfetti. Ever since I can remember my mom baked me a sprinkle-filled cake for my birthday. Today I still request one, only this time Stephen bakes it for me and it is usually in one of those giant cupcake pans! Lately I've been in a cupcake mood, so I made a batch of homemade vanilla funfetti cupcakes. They're even better than the boxed mix and perfect for any occasion. You can mix up the colors personalize them or add candles + toppers. No matter how you decorate them, they'll be a crowd pleaser!

Vanilla Funfetti Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 c. all-purpose flour

¾ c. cake flour

¾ c. sugar

¼ c. brown sugar

8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

¼ c. sour cream

¾ c. whole milk

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste

¼ tsp. almond extract

½ c. rainbow jimmies

Vanilla almond buttercream:

3½ - 4 c. powdered sugar

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3 tbsp. heavy cream

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ tsp. almond extract

Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard cupcake pans (or three minis) with liners, set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla bean paste and almond extract. With mixing speed on low, add egg, then egg yolk, mixing until just combined.

3. In a medium size mixing bowl whisk together flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a glass measuring cup mix together sour cream and milk. With mixing speed on low, alternate dry and wet ingredients, mix until batter is smooth and homogeneous (being careful not to over mix).

4. Remove bowl from stand and gently fold in sprinkles. Scoop batter into the cupcake liners, filling each ⅔ of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes (8-12 for minis) or until the cupcakes spring back when touched and are slightly golden brown on top.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (about 25 minutes).

6. While cupcakes are cooling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter, salt, vanilla and almond. Beat until fluffy (2-3 minutes). With mixing speed on low, add heavy cream, then gradually add ½ c. powdered sugar at a time until the mixture becomes soft but firm enough to hold it's shape. Beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Pipe on cooled cupcakes as desired, decorate with sprinkles.
NOTE: I've noticed that these taste even better the next day- so feel free to make them a day ahead!
RECIPE UPDATED 4/1/2013- Please note this recipe has been updated from the original one.

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, Easy Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes | Makes approximately 36 mini cupcakes or 18 standard size cupcakes

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Yesterday while Stephen was at work I decided to bake something. Since it was our anniversary I wanted to make something different and kind of special. I had been wanting to make a German chocolate cake for quite some time, but a whole cake is kind of impossible to eat between the two of us. So what did I do? I scaled down one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes, scaled down and adjusted a topping recipe and used my cocoa buttercream recipe. You may be thinking that's a lot of work but everything seemed to come together quite quickly. The topping and frosting can be made/cooled while the cupcakes are baking and the overall assembly is a fairly speedy process. When Stephen came home he was pleasantly surprised to see cupcakes, especially since the night before we tried going to the Cocoa Bean and they were sold out of his favorite flavors. We both agreed that this recipe is a keeper!

German Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. granulated sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
¾ c. warm water + 1/8 tsp. espresso powder
¾ c. buttermilk
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
½ c. heavy cream
½ c. sugar
1 large egg yolk
2½ tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
¹⁄₈ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ c. pecans or walnuts, chopped
¾ c. unsweetened coconut

Chocolate buttercream frosting:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch-process)
¼ c. milk
2¼ c. confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. light corn syrup (optional)
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 1 cupcake pan with liners, set aside.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs, warm water w/ espresso powder, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Turn down speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until smooth (no flour/cocoa pockets remain), about 3 minutes.
4. Divide batter evenly among cups, filling ⅔ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 20-21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake!
5. Remove from oven, allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Prepare topping and frosting. Assemble as desired.

For the topping:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine heavy cream, sugar and egg yolk.
2. Put the butter, salt, vanilla, nuts and coconut in a large heatproof mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spatula (make sure your thermometer reads 170 degrees.).
4. Pour the hot custard into the nut-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature.

For the frosting:
1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer (with whisk attachment), beat the melted butter and cocoa powder powder until smooth.
2. Mix in the milk and powdered sugar, beating on medium speed to spreadable consistency (add an extra splash of milk if necessary, but frosting should be fairly stiff).
3. Add vanilla, light corn syrup, and pinch of salt. Beat for 20-30 seconds until light and fluffy
Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Chocolate and raspberry is one of Stephen's favorite flavor combinations. Every time we go to the Cocoa Bean he gets their version of this cupcake. I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of raspberry but these are pretty awesome! I made a similar recipe a while back and have since improved it (back then I use a doctored cake mix, now it's all from scratch and so much more delicious). The moist chocolate cake combined with the gooey ganache and sweet raspberry frosting is absolutely perfect! Enjoy!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ c. all-purpose flour

1½ c. granulated sugar

1½ tsp. baking soda

¾ tsp. baking powder

¾ tsp. salt

2 large eggs

¾ c. warm water + 1/8 tsp. espresso powder

¾ c. buttermilk

3 tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate ganache:

½ c. heavy cream

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate

¾ tbsp. corn syrup

Splash of vanilla

Raspberry Buttercream Frosting:

16 tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2-3 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

2½-3 tbsp. seedless raspberry puree (from 6 oz. of fresh raspberries)

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

2½ - 2 c. powdered sugar

¼ tsp. salt

12 raspberries for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 1 cupcake pan with liners, set aside.

2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs, warm water w/ espresso powder, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Turn down speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until smooth (no flour/cocoa pockets remain), about 3 minutes.

4. Divide batter evenly among cups, filling ⅔ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 20-21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake!

5. Remove from oven, allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Prepare ganache and frosting. Dip in ganache, frost and top with raspberries.

For the ganache:

1. Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. In a separate bowl, combine chocolate, corn syrup and vanilla. Once the cream is heated through, pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.

2. Turn cooled cupcake upside down and dip into ganache. Swirl to remove excess. Place right side up on a wire rack to set (about 5 minutes or so). Repeat processed as many times as desired.

For the frosting:

1. Puree 6 oz. of fresh raspberries in a food processor or blender. Pour through mesh sieve over a small bowl. Press all of the juice out until all that remains is seeds.

2. Cream the butter, salt, vanilla, seedless raspberry puree and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer (beat on high for 1 minute).

3. With mixing speed on low, begin adding in the sugar a ½ c. at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add additional cream until desired consistency is reached.

4. Remove bowl from stand. Frost cupcakes with the buttercream and garnish accordingly.

Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 cupcakes

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream Frosting

Wednesday was my last night as a Cub Scout leader until it resumes in the fall. When I was deciding what to make for the dessert I was pretty limited in options. Since we were preparing to move, I had not stocked up on my usual baking ingredients. I was out of flour, brown sugar and was running low on butter. I did however discover that I had two boxes of cake flour and some powdered sugar that needed to be used. Immediately I remembered a recipe for cake flour cupcakes that I had seen months ago. I pulled it up, made some alterations and found a delicious chocolate buttercream to frost them with. They turned out to be a big hit, both with the kids and the adults. If you are in an all-vanilla mood, a simple vanilla buttercream would be delicious on these too!

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Ingredients

1¾ c. cake flour

¼ c. unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ c. vegetable oil

⅔ c. whole milk

⅓ c. sour cream
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground vanilla bean (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)
1 tbsp. + ¼ tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add vanilla bean and sugar, mix until combined. Add butter and mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes (will look like crumbs).
4. In a small mixing bowl whisk eggs. Add sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract, stir until smooth. With mixing speed on low, slowly add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, beat until combined.
5. Slowly add milk, mix on low speed until just combined (the batter will be very wet).
6. Divide batter and fill cupcake liners just over ½ of the way full.
7. Bake for 14-18 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean (note: they will not turn golden brown, so do not over bake, just keep testing until the cake tester doesn't have anything stuck to it).
8. Remove from oven and take cupcakes out of tin immediately, place on wire rack to cool completely.

Adapted from Cupcake Project, Ultimate Vanilla Cupcake | Makes approximately 16 cupcakes

Cocoa Buttercream
Ingredients
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch-process)
¼ c. milk
2¼ c. confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. light corn syrup
Pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer (with whisk attachment), beat the melted butter and cocoa powder powder until smooth.

2. Mix in the milk and powdered sugar, beating on medium speed to spreadable consistency (add an extra splash of milk if necessary, but frosting should be fairly stiff). 

3. Add vanilla, light corn syrup, and pinch of salt. Beat for 20-30 seconds until light and fluffy.

Adapted from The Sophisticated Gourmet, Chocolate Frosting | Makes enough to frost approximately 16 cupcakes

Zesty Lemon Cupcakes with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I'm always a fan of anything lemon, especially when spring time rolls around.

These cupcakes are light and fluffy and full of flecks of tangy lemon zest.

They're sure to brighten up any day. 

Zesty Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients
¾ c. all-purpose flour
¾ c. cake flour

1 c. sugar

8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2½ tbsp. lemon juice

½ c. whole milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with 12 paper liners. 

2. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon juice. 

4. Turn the speed down to low, mix in ⅓ of the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Then ⅓ of the milk. Continue to alternate and mix in the remaining milk and dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pans 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (30 minutes or so) before frosting.


Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
2½ large egg whites

1/2 c. sugar (heaping)
½ lb. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
1. To divide an egg white, whisk one egg white in a liquid measuring cup. Divide the white into two equal portions (save the other half or toss it out). 

2. Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (medium heat).

3. While the mixture begins to heat, whisk frequently to avoid setting the egg whites. Whisk until the mixture reaches 165° F and the sugar has dissolved (it will begin to look foamy).
4. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled, about 7-8 minutes or so.
5. Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix just until incorporated. Depending on the consistency and temperature of your frosting, you may want to chill it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before using it.
(Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes)

Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

A couple of days ago I was trying to come up with a dessert to make for Easter. I wanted to do something with carrot, lemon or coconut. Then I remembered that I had some coconut left over from making this ice cream, and thought it would be just the right amount to make cupcakes. I made seven-minute frosting instead of a buttercream to give it a lighter consistency. And of course, it being Easter, I had to do something a little extra to make these cupcakes special, so I toasted some coconut to make a nest, and then topped them off with some speckled coconut M&M's eggs.

Coconut Snowball Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
12 tbsp. butter (1 1/2 sticks), room temperature
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. buttermilk
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut

Seven-minute frosting:
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. corn syrup
1/3 c. water
3 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 liners, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). Turn speed down to low, add the eggs, one at a time, and then the egg white, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and coconut oil, mix for 30 seconds.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating additions with the buttermilk. Mix until just combined (you do not want to over mix your batter). Remove bowl from stand mixer, fold in coconut.
4. Fill each liner 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops begin to brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting. In a small saucepan, bring sugar, salt, corn syrup and water to a boil. Boil for 3-4 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 200 degrees.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment on), beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Slowly pour the hot sugar mixture in. Continue to beat for 7 minutes or until stiff peaks begin to form. Add vanilla extract. Beat for an additional minute or so.
7. Spread frosting on top of cupcakes, then top with coconut.*
*To toast coconut, turn oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven for 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove when flakes are golden brown.

Heath Bar Cupcakes

One of my favorite candies at Christmas is California Toffee Brittle from See's. I could probably eat a half pound in a day or two, no joke. But..... since we live so far away from a See's store, the next best thing is a Heath Bar. This afternoon I opened the refrigerator and was happy to find one in the door.  Unfortunately one bar doesn't go very far (at least if you're me), so I chopped it up and made cupcakes with it. The cupcake itself is filled with flecks of baking bits which help to give it a nice buttery toffee flavor. They're topped with a chocolate buttercream and then rolled in Heath Bar chucks. All I can say is that they will definitely satisfy any toffee (or chocolate) craving! Yum!

Heath Bar Cupcakes
Ingredients
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ c. all-purpose flour
1½ c. granulated sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
¾ c. warm water + 1/8 tsp. espresso powder
¾ c. buttermilk
3 tbsp. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. Heath English Toffee Baking Bits

Chocolate buttercream frosting:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder (natural, not Dutch-process)
¼ c. milk
2¼ c. confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. light corn syrup (optional)
Pinch of salt

1 Heath Bar, chopped (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 1 cupcake pan with liners, set aside.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk or sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs, warm water w/ espresso powder, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Turn down speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until smooth (no flour/cocoa pockets remain), about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from stand and fold in toffee baking bits.
4. Divide batter evenly among cups, filling ⅔ of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 20-21 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake!
5. Remove from oven, allow them to sit for 3-4 minutes in the pan, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Prepare frosting, pipe and top with chopped Heath Bar chunks.

For the frosting:
1. In a the bowl of a stand mixer (with whisk attachment), beat the melted butter and cocoa powder powder until smooth.
2. Mix in the milk and powdered sugar, beating on medium speed to spreadable consistency (add an extra splash of milk if necessary, but frosting should be fairly stiff).
3. Add vanilla, light corn syrup, and pinch of salt. Beat for 20-30 seconds until light and fluffy
Stephen + Natalie | Makes approximately 12 cupcakes