I know it’s been forever since I’ve baked anything, but life has been pretty shitty lately. Gas prices are stupid! The there’s paying for my braces monthly, my car payment, cell phone, 24 hour gym pass & now my credit card. I lack funds for buying ingredients, it makes me really sad in all honesty.

The last time I baked these AMAZING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES!! It just encourages me to buy a Kitchen Aide Mixer, but my small hand mixer can’t take it.

I promise I’ll be baking soon.

I know I’m late on posting this, but Easter candy was on sale & I’ve been meaning to put this up for awhile. I stumbled upon Taste Spotting which then lead me to this wonderful site Ooh you tasty little things…Never Bashful With Butter. I was the search for a yummy vanilla cupcake, I’ve been eyeing Magnolias Vanilla Cupcake, but I hear that they are dry & not really moist at all, just basically mixed reviews. Then I saw that Never Bashful did few alterations so I opt to try that recipe. I’m not sure how the regular Magnolia cupcakes are suppose to taste, but I did love this cupcakes. It was yummy.

Vanilla mint cupcakes with peppermint cream icing

(magnolia vanilla cupcake recipe + a few alterations)

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk, cream, vanilla and peppermint (you can mix the liquid ingredients together if you wish). With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. This recipe will make about 2 dozen standard size cupcakes or about 48 mini cupcakes. (give or take a few, depending on your how full you fill the muffin cups and how large your muffin cups actually are.)

 

Peppermint cream icing

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure peppermint extractI did mine as an Easter theme & this is how they looked like.

 

 

I know that the picture quality isn’t that great, but it was the last cupcake left from the ones I made.

For this attempt I used some of my favorite recipes that I have gotten online to make these, don’t worry I’m linking the people that I got the recipes from.

I’ve been looking forever for the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, I thought it would be the Hersey’s recipe but it’s not. Anyways on to the cupcakes!

Chocolate Cupcake
(taken from livejournal’s Bake! Bake! Bake!)

• 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (500 mL) sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon (10 mL) baking soda
• 1 tsp (5mL) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
• 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (500 mL) of butter milk
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) vanilla

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius).
2. In mixer, on low speed, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder & salt. 
3. Add oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
4. Increase speed and beat for 2 minutes, until well combined.
5. Spoon into 20 paper-lined muffin cups, filling halfway.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes** or until tops are firm and tester comes out clean. Thentransfer to rack and cool completely.

**Mine took 16 minutes, so keep an eye on yours.

Cream Filling
(From Bake & Destroy)

• 1/2 cup sugar
•  1/3 cup milk
•  2/3 cup shortening
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  1 tsp vanilla
•  1 Tbs water
•  1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

 

Directions

1. Beat all of the ingredients except the confectioner’s sugar in a stand mixer for 7 minutes. **She says this because standing around for 7 minutes is a pain, but since I don’t have a stand mixer I was standing around for 7 minutes with my hand mixer.

2. Add the confectioners sugar & beat 5 minutes more. *I need to invest in a stand mixer.

3. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip with the cream and poke the tip into each cupcake, squeezing and twisting. Don’t overfill them or they’ll crack. **I used a sandwich bag & it still worked & opt for the cone method.

Chocolate Ganache
(From Recipezaar)

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped or
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon butter

 

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, over low heat, combine chocolate and cream.
2. Mix and melt together, until chocolate is completely melted, and mixture is smooth and creamy.
3. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in butter.
4. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours, or until cold, stirring every now and then.
5. With wooden spoon or mixer, beat mixture until thick and creamy, and of desired spreading consistency.

Cooling Cupcakes

Time to make the Ganache

*ugh* 7 minutes of stand around with the hand mixer.

Cone method time! Thank goodness for my Ipod!

Filler-up!

Ganache time!

squiggle lines! I made hearts on the ones I gave to the boyfriend.

Oh so pretty!

I love my Ipod!

mmmmmmmmmmm….

Oh my! I just made a batch of them today & damn are they good! I’ll post pictures up tomorrow as well we what recipes that I used to make them. I’m off to go hide some, because I know they won’t survive the night, last time I only got one.

So for the first cupcake that I’m baking from my Cupcake book is this….

Mmmm…cake batter..

some left over cake batter, i made about 8 cupcakes

 

While the cupcakes cook, I’ll make the icing. I love that the recipe make enough to frost the cupcakes.

 

Oh, the cupcakes are done baking. Guess it’s time to put them out to cool. Don’t they look yummy!?

 

While they cool I’ll make the chocolate icing, it’s make a little than the white icing. I think i’ll put some in the middle of the cupcakes, it might be too much chocolate. Oh well!

 

Mmmm…cooled & frosted cupcakes.

 

Here’s the recipe, enjoy!

Black & White Cupcakes
Make 9 or 10 cupcakes

Cupcakes

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg (i used large)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup cake (whole wheat) flour**
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup tsp baking soda

Chocolate Icing

2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/3 cup semisweet (plain mini) chocolate chips

White Icing

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp heavy cream

• Preheat the oven at 350°F. Line a 6-cup standard silicone muffin pan or metal muffin pan with liners.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, sour cream, oil, egg, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cocoa,, and baking soda. Stir until blended. Divide the batter equally among the prepared cups.
• Bake until the tops spring back when lightly tapped, 20-25 minute. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the icings. For the Chocolate Icing, combine the crean and the corn syrup in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until smooth. Let cool until it reaches a thick but fluid consistency.
• For the White Icing, in a small bowl, stir together the sugar, vanilla, and enough of the cream to form a smooth icing.
• Spread each icing over half the top of each cupcake. Let stand until set, about an 1 hour.

**For the cake flour I just used regular cake flour. The cupcake did crumbly a bit while I was eating it.

I think i’ll add more sour cream because the cupcakes were not that moist, I had to run & get myself a glass of milk. Regardless the cupcakes were still good, I guess I can see it as a way to encourage milk drinking.

So for Christmas Nessa & I agreed to not geth each other anything, because of the lack of funding that both had. Of course that means nothing we still got each other something, because we know it’s the thought that counts. Since she knows that I’ve got this kick for baking cupcakes she found me this cute little gift set.

Isn’t it cute!? I’ve been meaning to bake from it since I got it, but then Paul & I left for Walt Disney World on New Years Eve morning, and the money I would have to use to baking supplies was on hold because I needed the money for Florida. Anyhoo! For awhile I’m going to baking out of this book, we’ll see what happens. )

With everything going on I’ve been feeling a little stress or just bored out of my mind, enough though I have assignments to complete and a test to study for me. I just couldn’t help myself. I bake some chocolate cupcakes on Sunday. I found the recipe on Bake! Bake! Bake! The recipe is just oh so good! I’ve been looking around forever for a simple & delicious chocolate cupcake recipe and I think I found it. It’s a toss up between this one and another one. Some day I’ll bake the two in a side by side comparision & get some feedback from my tasters.

I wish I had taken pictures of the cupcakes when I had a chance, but they didn’t survive the night. When I came home last night there were only 9 left from the 20 that I had baked. Grrr! Paul and I both ate one. Just in heaven I tell you. I’ll post the recipe sometime soon.

This is just a small place where i can show my attempts at making cute little cupcakes. I know my decorating skill aren’t that great, but i’m trying as well as learning. Any advice given will be much apperciated! Sharing recipes is always welcomed.

Thank you!