Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes

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It has been a while since I blogged, 2 weeks, oops! So stay tuned this week, hopefully I can catch up now that the Rock 'n' Roll Vancouver double race weekend is done.

I made these a few weeks ago with a friend and they turned out great. We did a variation on a recipe I found on Pinterest. The original recipe has a pecan pie filling center, which we skipped and they were still delicious! In fact, I might have found them too sweet and rich otherwise.

INGREDIENTS
Cupcakes:
1 cup bourbon
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Butter Pecan Frosting:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup + 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup finely chopped raw pecans + 18 whole pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with liners.

In a medium bowl whisk together the bourbon, vegetable oil and cocoa powder until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream with an electric mixer. Slowly add bourbon and cocoa mixture. Combine on medium speed until silky and smooth. Beat in the sugar.

Slowly add flour, salt and baking soda, combining on low speed until just incorporated.

Fill baking cups three-fourths full. Bake for about 18-22 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling, at least 2 hours or covered overnight.

To make the frosting. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat.

In a medium sauce pan, melt together 1/4 cup butter, cream, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl in the freezer (or fridge for longer) for 15-20 minutes or until cool.

In a bowl whisk together the bourbon, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add pecans and stir to coat evenly. Transfer nuts to prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until toasted. Remove and toss the pecans with 1 tablespoon butter. Allow to cool 10 minutes, set aside.

Now grab the cooled butter mixture and add the remaining 1/2 cup room temperature butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the bowl and beat together until well combined. Mix in about 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans. If the frosting is not stiff enough to frost the cupcakes place it in the fridge for 30 20-30 minutes or the freezer for 5-15 minutes. Then remove and whip it for a few seconds to get everything smooth again.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Today Griffin is delivering cupcakes to some of his favorite ladies... don't worry I tasted them first ;)

Cupcakes:

INGREDIENTS 
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self- rising), sifted 
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 cups sugar 
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 
2 large eggs, room temperature 
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
1 cup buttermilk 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

INGREDIENTS 
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 (1.5 packages) ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups of confectioner's sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth.

Once cupcakes have cooled, ice as desired. 
 
  

Apple Spice Cupcakes

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Fall is definitely my favorite season and we were celebrating a great little guy's birthday this week so I decided to try out some fall themed cupcakes!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
3 apples shredded
2 tbsp plus 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Pinch of nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper or foil liners (I prefer foil). In a saucepan over med-high heat, melt 2 tbsp of the butter. Add shredded apple and 2 tbsp of sugar and cook, stirring often, until the apples are translucent and soft, 5-7 minutes; set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. In another bowl, with an electric mixer on med/high speed, beat the remaining 6 tbsp butter and the 3/4 cup sugar together until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Add the sour cream and reserved apple mixture, beating until just combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost the cupcakes with desired frosting and served. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Honey Cream Cheese Icing
These particular cupcakes would work with a plain buttercream as well but the cream cheese icing was certainly delicious.

12 oz Cream Cheese, at room temp (about 1.6 of those boxes you can buy or 350g)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tbsp honey

In a bowl, with an electric mixer on med-high speed, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar and honey and mix until thoroughly combined; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Use right away, or if the consistency is too soft, refrigerate until the frosting is spreadable, about 15 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

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If you are doing a DietBet like me, stop reading NOW. If you want to make some pretty easy cupcakes please read. I am doing the dietbet, but tomorrow is Valentines Day and I wanted to make something fun with Griffin so I decided on these cupcakes, I made them before and I really love them. I truly believe that even on a diet it is okay to indulge once and a while, keeping in mind that indulge does not mean eating the whole tray of cupcakes...

INGREDIENTS
3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/2 cups sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 1/4 cups milk

TIP: Since vanilla is the only flavoring in these cupcakes, make sure it's of the best quality, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this vanilla extract, I bought it here.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with liners; set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated; scrape down sides of bowl, and beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl.

(in my opinion this is the most crucial step to getting light & fluffy cupcakes)

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about three-quarters full. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.

Since these cupcakes are very plain you could really use any flavor combination for your topping, at our house we prefer this basic buttercream:

Buttercream Frosting Recipe

INGREDIENTS

3 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

3 to 3.5 cups of icing sugar (or 1 pound)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Don't forget to add some food coloring to suit your theme or the occasion and sprinkles are always a nice touch!