Margarita Cupcakes

As is now par for the course, this post comes almost 3 months after actual cooking. Talk about procrastination. (Or, don't - wait until later.)

Anywho, my lovely friend Marisa's birthday coincides with Cinco de Mayo, so what better than to do a Mexican-themed party? (Her idea, not mine.) I of course volunteered to help with the culinary creations - guacamole, sangria, and margarita cupcakes (above). I've had this recipe sitting around for a while and have been waiting for the right moment to try it - and of course this was the perfect time. I wasn't sure how I would feel about tequila in/on a cupcake, but it was really tasty! Though it is long past Cinco de Mayo, these would still be a tasty summer treat if you can stand using your oven at this time of year :)

Cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
Zest and juice of 1½ limes
2 tablespoons tequila
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk
1 to 2 tablespoons tequila (to brush)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light, and fluffy (about 5 minutes).

4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.

5. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the lime zest, lime juice, vanilla extract and tequila. Mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don't worry, it will all come back together, power on!)

6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.

7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until just slightly golden and a skewer shows only moist crumbs attached, rotating the pan at the halfway point.

8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the 1 to 2 tablespoons of tequila. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.

Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons tequila
Pinch of coarse salt

9. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the lime juice, tequila and salt mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached. Frost cupcakes and garnish, if desired, with lime zest, an additional sprinkling of salt and a lime wedge.

Original recipe here

Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream

I haven't been great about posting over the past month - not due to lack of cooking, but strange busy-ness and otherwise lazy-ness. I've been making a lot of salads from Mark Bittman's cookbook - as it has been surprisingly hot and humid over the past two weeks and cooking for longs periods of time sounds extremely unappealing. It has finally cooled down (yay) and the past few days have been sunny and in the 70s. I biked almost the entire Minuteman Bikeway yesterday - which was fun, but was not good news for my quads. That's a story for another time.

Last week was busy with work events, and on Friday we had a BBQ as a sort of send-off for those who are leaving us soon for grad school (sad face). Work BBQ = a great opportunity for cupcakes. I found this recipe on Tastespotting, and I can't say no to something with avocado. And banana. Together.

Brown Sugar Banana Cupcakes with Avocado Buttercream

Cupcakes

makes 12-20 cupcakes, depending on your scoop
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup sour cream (I used yogurt instead because I hate to buy sour cream for a recipe and waste it....the cupcakes were still delicious)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Combine dry flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In a bowl, whisk egg and add brown sugar, mixing until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Add sour cream and melted butter and mix. Stir in dry ingredients, then add mashed bananas and mix until batter comes together. The batter will be thick. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter in liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool completely.


Avocado Buttercream
2 ripe avocados
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt

Cream avocado and butter together until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and add vanilla. More sugar can be added if you’d like the frosting thicker. Frosting can be store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend refrigerating the cupcakes.

Original recipe here 

Lime Colada Cupcakes

A few weeks after getting my new STAND MIXER (see previous post), and after my final exam, I had no plans for Saturday night and decided it was time to break in the mixer. (Obviously in an ideal world, I would have used the mixer right away, but studying got in the way.) I didn't feel like going out to the grocery store so I had to find a recipe for which I already had all of the ingredients, and I found this one online (I think on Tastespotting). The only think I left out was the coconut milk, because I didn't have any, but the frosting was still delicious. I also had bought a new mini cupcake pan, which I filled first, but I still had extra batter to make 8 large cupcakes.

Lime Pound Cake Cupcakes

Makes 15 cupcakes or one loaf pan

Ingredients

• 2 sticks salted butter
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all-purpose)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt

Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 350*F.
Place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat, and then whisk the warm butter so no milk solids remain. Mix the melted butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until the sugar is well-dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the lime juice. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk in 3 additions. Mix until just combined, then scoop into lined cupcake tins or one 9″ x 5″ loaf pan. Bake until lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes for cupcakes, 45-50 minutes for a loaf pan. Allow to cool completely then frost. 

For the frosting: "Best Buttercream Ever" (substitute coconut milk for milk, and add a 1/2 cup of coconut flakes).

Original recipe here

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Today was a beautiful Sunday in Cambridge, so I took the opportunity to run around Fresh Pond with Dave, but afterward I was itching to bake some cupcakes. I went to "Cupcake Camp" (http://www.cupcakecampboston.com/) last Wednesday with some friends from work, which was basically an all-you-can-eat-cupcake-extravaganza. I've been trying to stay away from the cupcake craze (why are cupcakes better than cake?!) but at Cupcake Camp, I nearly died and went to heaven upon tasting a red velvet cupcake. I've never been a huge red velvet fan, but this cupcake was chocolately and moist, and was pure bliss.

Yesterday, I went to HomeGoods (my favorite store on Earth) to purchase a mini cupcake tin, and after driving through annoying Somerville traffic and picking out the perfect cupcake tin, I got to the register and realized I had forgotten my wallet! Not the greatest start to a Saturday. I thought about going back yesterday or today, but couldn't bring myself to it. Therefore, I was left with making normal-size cupcakes. Sad. 

Anyway, I am happy to say my first red velvet-making experience was not a disaster, like my first layer cake experience. I somehow managed not to dye anything in the kitchen red (after using an entire bottle of red food dye). The batter was beautiful (see below....)

At my apartment, one of my roommates has a hand mixer, but I usually don't use it because the lowest speed is pretty strong (and therefore generally causes any liquid to cover the kitchen). Normally, to cream butter and sugar I just melt the butter in the microwave and then stir in the sugar. However, for this recipe the batter was pretty lumpy, so I had to use the hand mixer. The mixer was also helpful for the frosting.

BUT great news!!! Yesterday, the KitchenAid Classic stand mixer was on sale for $179 at Macy's, and my mom picked one up for me in Salem, NH (no sales tax!!). It is sitting and waiting for me at home in Andover, where we will happily unite in less than a week when I am home for Easter. I can't wait.

Now, after that long-winded talk about cupcakes, here's the recipe....

For the Cupcakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ tablespoons red food coloring (I used one 1 oz bottle of it, which is 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice or vinegar, see how to)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons distilled white vinegar

For the Frosting
1 stick butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

For the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa powder, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add this to the batter, mixing until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining buttermilk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.
Divide the batter evenly into the lined pan and bake for 20-25 minutes (12-15 for minis), or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, and then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.


For the Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until well incorporated and smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl down as necessary. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar until all is incorporated. Increase the speed and whip until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Original recipe here

Brown Sugar-Hazelnut Cupcakes with Blackberry Buttercream Frosting

I figure my first recipe entry should start on a good note. So, this is a flash back to a few months ago, but this is also one of my greatest baking accomplishments.

I found this recipe on the New York Times potluck page, and it sounded too delicious to pass up. I don’t love cake because I usually find it too dry, and don’t usually choose to bake cake or cupcakes. However, I couldn’t escape the cupcake craze.

So, one weekend last fall I ventured home (to the parents’ house) so I could use all of their fancy baking tools, mainly their KitchenAid mixer (I need to buy one of these soon, but don’t want to shell out the 200 bucks). I wasn’t very optimistic about these cupcakes, but they came out amazingly well. They were very rich, and even though they were so good, I couldn’t eat more than one in a sitting (a rare feeling for me!) So even though the recipe only makes 8 cupcakes, this was actually just enough for me and for sharing. 

Original recipe here