Chocolate Turtle Cupcakes

Carmel Pecan Candies (AKA "Turtles") had always been a special treat in my household while growing up. They were my mom's favorite candy, and if we were lucky, we'd get a bite of her cherished treat (she often got large boxes of them for holiday presents). I love the chocolate/pecan/chewy caramel combination & knew it would make a fantastic cupcake flavor. Plus, it gave me another opportunity to find a chocolate cake recipe that I really liked. (I liked this better than the Hershey's recipe that so many love). And, it gave me another opportunity to use the tasty dulce de leche that I've made a few times this year. I used the same frosting for this as I did for my Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche Cupcakes.



Chocolate Cupcakes (From Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2010)
Makes 12-15 cupcakes

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee
3/4 cup bread flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Place chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl, and pour hot coffee over the mixture. Whisk until smooth, and transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, 20-30 minutes.

Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and vinegar into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups, filling each 3/4 full.

Bake until cupcakes are set and firm to the touch, 17-19 minutes. Allow to cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.


DULCE DE LECHE BUTTERCREAM (Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup prepared dulce de leche

Cream together butter and dulce de leche on low using an electric mixer. Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat to incorporate.

Frost cupcakes as desired. Garnish with drizzles of chocolate syrup & dulce de leche (slightly melted), and top with a half of a pecan.

ENJOY!

Fluffernutter Cupcakes

So, I have to admit, I've never had a Fluffernutter sandwich. (Peanut butter on one slice, Marshmallow Fluff on the other slice) Maybe it's because I grew up in the midwest (The sandwich seems to be a New England favorite - probably because Marshmallow Fluff is made in Lynn, Massachusetts). However, these cupcakes sounded delicious to this peanut butter loving gal. And they definitely were!



FLUFFERNUTTER CUPCAKES

Peanut Butter Cupcakes (From Cupcake Rehab)

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, or grease and flour cups.

In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter alternately with the milk.

Mix in the peanut butter chips until completely combined. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.



Marshmallow Butter Cream

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
16oz container Marshmallow Fluff

Beat butter & 1 cup of the sugar until light. Add 1/2 of the fluff, and beat until combined. Add the other 1/2 of the fluff, again mixing until combined. Beat in flour, and an additional 1-2 cups of the sugar until it is the sweetness & consistency you prefer.

ENJOY!

Lime Raspberry Cupcakes

This was a wonderful, refreshing combination! The cupcakes were made from left-over batter from the Lime Cream Cheese Pound Cake, and the frosting was left over from the Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes. (I always keep the left-over frosting in freezer bags in the freezer especially for moments like this!)



ENJOY!

S'more Cupcakes

I think I've said this before, but this may be my new favorite cupcake! I haven't had the opportunity to have S'mores this summer, and while nothing will take the place of a slightly charred, melted marshmallow with chocolate & graham crackers, this is a very close second! You can definitely taste the three components of these cupcakes, and they are just as messy to eat as the original! (It's probably best to eat with a fork!)

I wasn't thrilled with any of the marshmallow frostings I could find online - I didn't want a meringue as it was 95 degrees out & I knew it wouldn't tolerate the walk to work. The recipes I found online that included fluff (which I felt would give it a real "marshmallow" flavor) were very thin. I have no idea how the bakers got beautiful swirls with the very runny frosting the recipe made! A little experimenting, and I found a delicious, appropriately messy frosting!



S'MORE CUPCAKES

Graham Cracker Cupcakes (Adapted from Vanilla Garlic)
Makes 12-16 cupcakes

1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs (Approx 1 sleeve)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder


Preheat your oven to 350F. Place cupcake liners in muffin tin.

Beat the butter for about 30 seconds until well creamed. Add the sugar and mix for 3 minutes using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to beat for 30 seconds for each egg.

Mix together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and baking powder. Add about 1/3 of the mixture to the butter mixture, then add 1/2 of the milk. Continue to add the ingredients in a dry-wet-dry method, ending with the dry. Continue to mix until just combined.

Scoop into cupcake papers, filling 3/4 of the way full (they don't rise much). Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Chocolate Frosting (used as filling, from Our Best Bites)
Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
1 cup real butter, softened
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
Optional: Additional cocoa powder as needed

Melt your chocolate chips and set aside to cool. Try to get it close to room temperature and still have it be soft and stir-able.

In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil 1-3 minutes or until thickened like a thinned pudding. Remove pan from heat, and cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer.

When chocolate flour mixture is cooled, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in the cooled chocolate mixture until well combined fluffy, about 1 minute. Finally add in melted chocolate and beat again until well combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes. If desired, add additional cocoa powder (or powdered sugar) to taste, up to 4 tablespoons more.


Marshmallow Butter Cream

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
16oz container Marshmallow Fluff

Beat butter & 1 cup of the sugar until light. Add 1/2 of the fluff, and beat until combined. Add the other 1/2 of the fluff, again mixing until combined. Beat in flour, and an additional 1-2 cups of the sugar until it is the sweetness & consistency you prefer.


TO ASSEMBLE:
Cut a hole in the center of the cooled cupcakes (using the cone method). Fill generously with chocolate frosting. Frost with marshmallow buttercream. (If the weather is warm, the frosting may spread some - I would recommend not piping the frosting all of the way to the edge). Garnish as desired.


(See, nice & messy!)

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

These are by far the most complicated cupcakes that I've made. They actually aren't difficult - just lots of steps! They look awesome in the end & are guaranteed to get some attention.



Everyone LOVED these cupcakes! (Personally, while they were good, the cupcake itself didn't have the best flavor - it was as though a bit of corn bread batter was mixed with the cupcake batter). I was the only one to have noticed the off flavor, so maybe it was just me. However, I'm very glad I tried these as the frosting is fantastic, and I think I've found my new favorite cookie recipe!



EGG FREE COOKIE DOUGH FILLING (Adapted from Cupcake Project)

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoon milk
2/3-1 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl. (No special instructions, it's easy!)



MINI CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES (Adapted from Annie's Eats)

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 325°. Line cookie sheets with parchment, if desired. (I didn't and had no problem with burnt bottoms or the cookies sticking to the sheets).

Mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips (by hand).

To make mini cookies for use on the cupcakes, use a VERY small amount of dough for each cookie (1 - 1.5 tsp each!). These bake for about 6-7 minutes. For full sized cookies, it will be 11-14 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH CUPCAKES (Adapted from Annie's Eats)

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups dark brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

COOKIE DOUGH FROSTING (Also adapted from Annie's Eats)

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.



TO ASSEMBLE:

Cut a cone out of the cooled cupcakes & fill with some cookie dough. Frost cookies as desired with the cookie dough frosting. Garnish with the mini cookies & additional chocolate chips.

ENJOY!

Snicker's Cupcakes

While I've always like Snickers, I'm not sure that I'd rank these at the top of my cupcake list. The concept of a Snicker's Cupcake is a great idea. (Snickers are wonderful in most things - I make an awesome Snicker cookie at Christmas, and I LOVE Snicker Blizzards). However, the cupcake itself didn't impress me. Many people in the blog world seem to love the Hershey's chocolate cake recipe. While it was VERY light & moist (I'd be scared to make a layer cake with it!), mine sunk quite a bit after baking. Maybe I did something wrong, but I think I'd use a different chocolate cake recipe next time. And, although I'm critical of the cupcakes, they quickly disappeared, so I don't think all of my taste testers minded that they were a little flatter than I had hoped!)



SNICKER'S CUPCAKES (From Homemade By Holman)

HERSHEY'S PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE CAKE
Makes approx 36 cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with cupcake liners.

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder & baking soda in a large boil. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and beat on low until just incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat two minutes. Stir in boiling water. NOTE: the batter will be thin!! (This is by far the thinnest batter I've made/used) Transfer batter to prepared pans, filling each liner about 1/2-2/3 of the way full.

Bake approximately 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans about five minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fill cupcakes with caramel ice cream topping, if desired.




CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup caramel sauce (I used ice cream topping)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Mini Snickers bar for garnish

Beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. Add caramel sauce, heavy cream and vanilla and mix to incorporate. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated to reach the right consistency. Increase speed to medium-high and whip about one minute until light and fluffy. Frost as desired.

Garnish with Snicker's pieces (I chopped into small slices).

ENJOY!

Vanilla Bean Dulce de Leche Cupcakes

I think I may have found my new favorite cupcake! Caramel has long been one of my favorite flavors - I always choose caramel sundaes to chocolate ones, and prefer ice cream with caramel ripples.

I was excited to have found this flavor combination. I love using vanilla beans in baked goods, and the combination of vanilla bean cupcakes with the flavor of Dulce de Leche was WONDERFUL! The buttercream is by far my favorite buttercream flavor I've made yet (in fact, the leftovers may not make it onto more cupcakes, or even onto graham crackers... it may end up in by stomach by way of a spoon!).



VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES (Adapted from The Culinary Chronicles)
Makes approximately 24 cupcakes

2 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3 X-Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla Sugar
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Extract
Seeds from 2 Vanilla Bean Pods
2/3 Cup Sour Cream

Preheat the oven to 350°degrees and place paper liners in pans.

In a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla bean seeds, and vanilla extract. Mix until well incorporated. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in sour cream until smooth.

Fill each lined cup 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Remove immediately from pan & cool completely on a wire rack.

Cut a small cone out of each cupcake & fill with a small amount of Dulce De Leche.




DULCE DE LECHE BUTTERCREAM (Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup prepared dulce de leche

Cream together butter and dulce de leche on low using an electric mixer. Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat to incorporate.

Frost as desired.



ENJOY!

Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes

Nothing is worse than being on call on your birthday. I swear the pediatric chief residents have our birthday schedule, and put everyone on call on their birthday! (What's even worse is when there is a 2 hour code on your birthday call shift.....)

Anyways, I've been trying to make cupcakes for people when they are on call on their birthdays. I made the Carrot Cupcakes for one of my senior residents last June when he was on call on his birthday. For my birthday, I made the delicious Oreo Cupcakes.

This time around, I made these wonderful Raspberry Chocolate Cupcakes. My colleague was on call in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit on her birthday (and call in the PICU can be tough - she didn't get any sleep!) She said chocolate raspberry was one of her favorite combinations, and I've been wanting to try out this recipe. (I've made a different Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake last spring - I don't know if I could pick a favorite between the two).



I hope she enjoyed these cupcakes as much as the nurses & other physicians did. I've had a great few weeks working with her & hope her next birthday can be spent with family & friends instead of patients!



RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES (Adapted from Annie's Eats)
Makes Approximately 24 cupcakes

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

9 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

In a small bowl sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, baking soda, and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Stir in the coffee and milk, and mix until combined. Add in the remaining dry ingredients, again mixing just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 2/3-3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


RASPBERRY FILLING:

1 (12 oz.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Puree the raspberries in a blender or food processor. Place in a saucepan. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch, and heat, stirring frequently until the mixture boils. Once it has thickened, remove the pan from the heat. Cool to room temperature before using.

Once cupcakes & filling are cool, inject 1-2 tsp of filling into the cupcakes. I used a regular cake decorating tip to inject into the cupcakes - they are light & airy, so there is no difficulty with this step!




RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

5 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate and jam in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate and jam. Let stand for about 3 minutes. Whisk together gently until smooth. If any unmelted lumps remain, microwave a few seconds and whisk again. Let the ganache cool a bit until it has thickened slightly. Spread a small amount onto each filled cupcake.



RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
3/4+ cup seedless raspberry jam

Place the butter and jam in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream on medium-high speed until well incorporated. Add the powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments and mix until smooth after each addition. Tint with icing color as desired.

Frost cupcakes as desired.



ENJOY!

July 4th Vanilla Cupcakes

Not just any vanilla cupcakes, Red, White & Blue cupcakes! I wanted a fairly quick & easy cupcake to make for a July 4th BBQ. I've started a new rotation at the hospital where I'm on call every 3rd night, and with absolutely no sleep during my first call shift, I knew I needed something that wouldn't require too much concentration, in case I spaced out a little during the process.

Not sure if it was the recipe, or the baking cups, but I had a problem with the batter running over the edge. I filled them 2/3 - 3/4 of the way full, and at least half of them had runover. Thankfully, most of it was easily peeled off of the cups so that they are somewhat presentable.



I based these off of the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcake recipe. I wanted to make sure they had a good vanilla flavor, so I substituted some of the milk for French Vanilla Non-Dairy Creamer. This gave a nice vanilla flavor to the cupcakes. I also used the creamer in place of the milk in their frosting recipe, a trick I've been doing in most vanilla frosting recipes since I started making cakes in the 9th grade of high school (12 years ago already!) So, for all of you that have known me for that long, and have loved my frosting - that is my "secret ingredient" that I've never shared before!



VANILLA CUPCAKES (Adapted from Magnolia Bakery)
Makes 24 cupcakes

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
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup vanilla non-dairy creamer (liquid)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gel Coloring

Preheat oven to 350F. Like cupcake tins with liners.

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

In a large bowl, on the medium speed, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk/creamer and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat.

Split the batter into 3 bowls, and dye the batter the colors that you desire (I used red (be sure to use no-taste red if you are using Wilton dyes) and blue)

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 - 3/4 full. I spooned in the various colors, alternating white, blue, white, red. You can very carefully swirl them together with a toothpick, but be careful not to over mix - you want the colors defined, not mixed into a gray/brown concoction!

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.



Vanilla "Buttercream" Frosting (Adapted from Magnolia Bakery)
Frosts 24-36 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup vanilla creamer
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar, the creamer and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes, in a stand mixer. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of desired consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.

Frost as desired.

(Magnolia recommends using within 3 days, and NOT storing in the refrigerator)

ENJOY!

Oreo Cupcakes

Wow - The past few weeks have flown by! The new pediatric interns started their orientation last week, and we've had lots of great activities to participate in to get to know them. I had the opportunity to host them all for a casual potluck BBQ. Sadly, I didn't have time to make any cupcakes for them (or anything worth blogging about - my wonderful hubby manned the grill all night & grilled a mean burger). However, the exciting thing is that tomorrow is my last day as an intern!

I made these cupcakes to bring to work on my birthday. I was scheduled to be on call overnight, and I figured that if I had to spend my birthday in the hospital, I would at least be sure I had something good to eat to celebrate the day.

These were very easy to whip up, and everyone loved them! The word spread quickly - and even my patient's parents were hinting that they'd like one (and I was more than happy to share!)



Oreo Cupcakes (Adapted from Bean Town Baker)
Makes 12-14 cupcakes

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs whites
Oreo Cookies

Preheat over to 350F. Insert liners into cupcake pan.

Carefully twist apart 12 Oreos, trying to keep all of the cream filling on one side. Place the wafer with filling on it, filling side up, in the bottom of each liner. Crush the other wafer halves (for garnishing on top of frosting - can also throw a little into the batter if you desire).

Cut an additional 12ish Oreo cookies into quarters with a sharp knife. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter & sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs & vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add 1/2 of the dry mixture to the butter & sugar. When well mixed, add the milk. After the milk is mixed in, add the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. Fold in the quartered Oreos.

Fill the cupcake lines three-quarters full (more than you normally would - because of the volume of the Oreos, they don't rise as much as normal cupcakes would). Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan.



Frosting
4 oz cream cheese at room temp
3-4 tablespoons butter at room temp
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2++ cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.

Frost & top as desired.

ENJOY!

Carrot Cupcakes

I think part of the reason I always avoided carrot cakes was the dreaded shredding 3+ cups of carrots. However, with my food processor that I got for Christmas, this was one of the easiest steps!

I wanted to try out a carrot cake recipe as my sister is requesting I make some as part of the 12+ dozen I'll be making in 4 weeks for my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. Because I've obviously avoided them in the past, I had to search for a recipe to use. I am SO glad I found this recipe - this is by far the lightest carrot cake I have ever tasted. And, although my hubby was initially hesitant for the frosting, the spices complement the carrot cake wonderfully, but it still has a nice cream cheese flavor. I would strongly recommend it over a plain cream cheese frosting.



CARROT CUPCAKES (Adapted from Two Spoons)
Makes 20-22 cupcakes

3 large eggs
1c dark brown sugar
3/4c canola oil
2c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
Approx 1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
3 1/2c grated carrots, packed
3/4c or so of chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 340F. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners.

Beats eggs & sugar until thick and foamy, about 2 mins. Beat in oil gradually, beating after all oil is added for another minute. Sift in dry ingredients and mix until mixture is uniform. Mix in ginger root. Fold in carrots and walnuts. Spoon into cupcake liners.

Bake in the center of your oven until cake springs back when touched in the center. This will take about 15-17 minutes for standard sized cupcakes.

SPICED CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (Adapted From Patisserie Natalie)
Frosts 24-30 cupcakes

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine cream cheese and butter in a mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar gradually, alternating with vanilla extract. Add spices. Frost cupcakes as desired.

ENJOY!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

It seems that I'm on a bit of a lime kick lately. It's so refreshing - it's the perfect flavor for these warm late spring days. However, the real reason I made these was to use up some limeade I had leftover from making the Margarita Cupcakes. I didn't want to make the same flavor twice in the same weekend, so I knew there had to be a good way to use the leftover concentrate up.



CHERRY LIMEADE CUPCAKES (Adapted from Annie's Eats)
Makes 12 cupcakes

Limeade Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup limeade concentrate
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (I do 330F for a dark pan). Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a small bowl combine the cake flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir together and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter & sugar on medium-high. Add in the limeade concentrate (this did not mix completely in - don't worry, it'll blend in later). Add the eggs, scraping down the bowl after. Add in the flour mixture in thirds, blending slightly after each addition. Mix ingredients just long enough to incorporate (do not over mix).

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners (approx a scant 1/3 cup in each to fill to 2/3-3/4 full). Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lime Syrup

1/3 cup limeade concentrate
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Whisk limeade & sugar together in a small bowl. Poke holes in the tops of the cooled cupcakes, & brush over the top.

Cherry Buttercream

3 cups powdered sugar
6 tbsp. butter, softened
2-3 tbsp. (or more) maraschino cherry juice (or grenadine)
red food coloring (optional)

Mix powdered sugar, butter and maraschino cherry juice (or grenadine) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low speed until sugar is incorporated, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until smooth. Add more maraschino cherry juice (or powdered sugar) as needed to achieve desired texture. Add red food coloring if desired.

Frost & top as desired.

NOTES:
My cupcakes didn't rise very much - but they were still very good. Also, you will not use all of the lime syrup - I poked approx 10-15 holes in the top & brushed the tops of the cupcakes liberally, twice.

The cherry buttercream is VERY sweet - but - when paired with the limeade cupcake & syrup, it is tolerable in small quantities. I used grenadine, and did not use any dye to get the nice pink color.

ENJOY!

Margarita Cupcakes

Now that the weather is warming up, it's officially time to start enjoying some margaritas. I broke out my Margaritaville last weekend & have enjoyed some perfectly blended margaritas since. (I know, it seems like the biggest waste of space ever, BUT, it does such a wonderful job at making blended drinks because it shaves the ice before blending... and, I got it at 90% off.)

Anyways, I brought these to one of my friend's birthday BBQs (I brought some carbomb cupcakes last year, so everyone was anxiously awaiting my arrival to see what I would bring this year). I think that everyone enjoyed them - most of the plates had at least 1-2 cupcake wrappers on them by the end of the day, and I brought home an empty dish.

(I apologize in advance for another "cheater" recipe using a box mix - with a new dog in the house, my baking time is often cut short.)



MARGARITA CUPCAKES (Adapted from Recipe Girl)
Makes approx 24 regular cupcakes

CUPCAKES:
3/4 cup frozen limeade concentrate
1/4 cup Tequila
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1 box white cake mix (I used French Vanilla because it's what I had)
3 large eggs
2 Tbs melted butter
1-2 Tbs. finely grated lime zest

Preheat oven to 350° F. (For a dark pan, decrease to 325-330) Line two dozen cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, blend all ingredients. Blend on low for about 30 seconds and then increase speed to medium and blend for two additional minutes. Batter will be slightly lumpy.

Spoon the batter into cupcake liners (about 2/3-3/4 full). Bake for 20-25 min, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to cool.

LIME BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1.5 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. finely grated lime zest
green food coloring, if desired ( I used a combination of yellow & leaf green gel coloring)
small lime slices for garnish, if desired

Place butter in a large bowl and beat with electric mixer until butter is fluffy. Add powdered sugar, salt, lime juice, and lime zest. Mix until thick and creamy. Add more powdered sugar (or lime juice) until the frosting is of a good spreading (or piping) consistency.

Mix in a tiny amount of green food coloring or gel paste if you’d like the frosting to have a green tint. Frost as desired.



Notes:
I used my cool new cupcake pan from Ikea (aren't the cupcakes cute!). It's not as small as a mini cupcake pan, but smaller than a regular pan. (The cupcakes are as tall as regular cupcakes, but the base is the size of mini cupcakes.) If you happen to have this pan, the cupcakes took 13-15 minutes to bake.

I REALLY wanted these to taste like Margaritas, not just lime. While I didn't want them to taste too much like alcohol, I did mix about a shot of tequila with about 1/2 shot of Rose's Lime Syrup, and brushed that on top of the cupcakes prior to frosting.

And while we're speaking of the alcohol - the cake batter will taste & smell strongly of tequila - don't worry, after baking, the flavor is much more subdued.

ENJOY!

Coconut Cupcakes with Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these cupcakes as a counterpart to the Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes for our housewarming/birthday/belated-Boston-wedding reception - I wanted something lighter to serve for those non-chocolate lovers. These were very light - the cake was almost the texture of an angel food cake. However, they had a slightly dry texture. I'd recommend taking them out of the oven when they are *almost* done, to hopefully help keep them moist. However, I'm my own worst critic, at at the end of the night, most were gone.



COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH LIME CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (Adapted from Beantown Baker)
Makes approx 4-5 doz mini cupcakes, or approx 2 doz regular cupcakes)

CUPCAKES

1 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups cake flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cream of coconut
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 – 1 ½ teaspoon coconut extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large whole eggs
3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325°

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Whisk together cream of coconut, milk, and extracts in a bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add whole eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until combined well.

On low speed, beat in flour mixture and cream of coconut mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture, until just combined (do NOT overbeat).

Fill cupcake pans 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake for 18-22 minutes for mini cupcakes. Cupcakes are fairly flat on top. Do NOT overbake - these are on the dry side even when just cooked.

FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
Lime zest from 3-4 limes (to taste)
2 cups confectioners' sugar

5 1/2 ounces sweetened flaked coconut, toasted, optional for topping.

Beat cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Beat in butter and lime zest until smooth.

Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar on low speed until smooth for frosting.

Frost as desired. Great when topped with a few strands of toasted coconut!

ENJOY!

Nutella Cupcakes

I found my second love less than a week after I got married... Nutella. Mmmmm.... It's the European chocolate-hazelnut version of America's peanut butter. It was served at breakfast every morning, sitting next to fresh croissants, waiting to be generously spread on top of their flakey goodness. Who wouldn't enjoy chocolate for breakfast!?!? I enjoyed it so much, that I went through an entire jar of it on snacks while on our honeymoon, and brought another jar home with me - in addition to the single serving containers I put on my pastries in the morning.

Normally, Nutella is expensive in the US (And when we were in Italy, we discovered that PB is expensive there). But, one of my favorite stores, carries it in bulk. That's right - Costco carries two large jars of it at one low price! Perfect, when you are baking & needing large volumes for a single recipe.



NUTELLA CUPCAKES & FROSTING
Makes 12 Cupcakes

CUPCAKES (Adapted from I Heart Cuppy Cakes)

10 tbsp butter, room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup (12 tsp)z Nutella

Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare cupcake pan with liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs on at a time, until fully incorporated. The batter may not look smooth, this is fine. Add vanilla.
Stir in flour, salt, and baking powder until batter is smooth and all flour is blended.

Fill each liner ½- 2/3 full. Top each with about 1 tsp nutella. Add remainder of cake batter so each ends up being approximately ¾ full. Swirl the batter & Nutella with a toothpick.

Bake for 20-22 minutes. Remove to wire rack and allow to cool before frosting.



NUTELLA BUTTERCREAM

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4-5 cups confectioners sugar (or more to taste)
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon chocolate extract
1/3 cup of Nutella (or more to taste), softened

In your stand mixer with flat beater, cream butter. Add 3 cups of the confectioners sugar, then milk and vanilla and beat until the mixture is smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the remaining confectioners sugar, beating about 1-2 minutes. (You can add more sugar to get a thicker consistency if you want.)

In a microwave safe bowl, soften the Nutella until it has a spreadable consistency, about 15-20 secs. Add the softened Nutella to your buttercream and fold into the frosting until well blended.



ENJOY!

Whopper Cupcakes

These cupcakes bring me back to my childhood. Not only have Whoppers always been one of my favorite candies, they make the best DQ Blizzards. 20 years ago, all Dairy Queen's had Whopper blizzards, and they were one of my favorites. Now, they are few & far between. Sometimes, it's even hard to find Whoppers.

These were amazing. The malted frosting tastes just like the middle of the Whopper. One of my attendings at the hospital, who usually scrapes the frosting off of cakes, devoured it, so it's gotta be good!



WHOPPER CUPCAKES (From Sugar Cooking)
Makes 32 cupcakes

CHOCOLATE MALT CUPCAKES

1 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup cocoa poweder
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2/3 cup of malted milk powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 large eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk

Adjust oven to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard size muffin pan with baking-cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a double boiler over barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.

Whisk flour, malt powder, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream & milk until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and finish cooling on a wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing.

VANILLA MALT BUTTERCREAM

1 cup butter (room temperature)
2/3 cup malt powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
6 – 8 cups confectioners sugar

Beat butter on low speed

Add in malt powder, vanilla extract, milk, and 4 cups of sugar. Beat on low speed for 1 minute.

Add in remaining sugar 1 cup at a time and beat on medium speed for a few minutes.



ENJOY!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Who doesn't love the chocolate/peanut butter combo? I know that my husband & I both do, along with everyone who helped me eat the cupcakes. From the outside they look delicious, but little do you know when you take your first bite, that they are filled with a peanut butter goodness, kind of like a peanut butter cup. I would highly recommend making these for any PB cup lovers you may know!



CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUPCAKES (Adaped from Proceed With Caution)
Makes 24 cupcakes

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES:

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar, and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 tbsp. butter, room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter (used closer to ¾ cup – adjusted to taste)
3¼ cups confectioners' sugar (used just under 4 cups)
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth and well blended. Mix in the whipped topping until smooth and fluffy. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.



ENJOY!

Chocolate Double Caramel Cupcakes

One of my colleagues, who loves to taste my cupcakes, has been requesting something with chocolate, and maybe some caramel, for quite some time. (My fruit-flavored cupcakes don't seem to satisfy his sweet tooth!) To celebrate one of his last days in clinic before his move out West, I decided to try out a recipe that I hoped would meet his expectations. I'm pretty sure they did - he quickly devoured 2 in a few hours! Even my hubby, who isn't a huge fan of sweets, has eaten more of these than I have. While these have a few steps to complete them, they are actually very easy. (Sorry they use a cake mix - that was actually part of the reason they are so easy! Making the mix with sour cream helps them taste less like a boxed mix)



CHOCOLATE DOUBLE CARAMEL CUPCAKES

Easy Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes (From Recipe Rhapsody)

1 dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

Mix the cake ingredients on medium for two minutes, scraping sides of bowl. Fill muffin cups 1/2 – 2/3 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of largest cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for five minutes, then remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.



Caramel Icing (Adapted from Piece of Cake)

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
5 tablespoons butter, cut into a few chunks
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Put the dark brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium saucepan, and melt them together over medium heat, stirring often.

Bring the mixture to a boil and add the milk and vanilla. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dump in the confectioners' sugar all at once and beat with a wooden spoon until the icing is thickened and smooth.

Quickly ice the cupcakes by holding each by the base and dipping the tops in the hot icing, rolling them slightly to coat evenly. Turn them quickly upright so the icing will even out while it's still warm and will set smoothly. (I kept my stove on the very lowest setting - it's a gas stove, and there was barely any flame visible. It was just enough to keep the icing from setting while working with it).



Whipped Caramel Ganache (From Recipe Rhapsody)

1 c sugar
1 ½ c heavy cream
1/8 t salt
1 lb semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 lb (4 sticks) butter, cut into tablespoon-sized pieces, softened

Make a dry caramel with the cup of sugar by putting it into a large saucepan and setting it over medium heat. When the bottom starts to melt and the sides turn brown, start pulling the melted sugar toward the center. Continue doing this, constantly pulling & stirring, until all the sugar is melted and it has turned a deep amber color. Remove from heat.

While the sugar is melting, take a minute to bring the cream to boiling and then remove from heat.

Immediately pour the hot cream into the burnt sugar as soon as you remove it from the heat. It will bubble like crazy (so be sure to use a large saucepan!), but just keep stirring until all the caramel is dissolved into the cream. If some of the caramel seizes up, put the saucepan back on medium heat and stir, stir, stir, until all the caramel is dissolved and you have a thin, smooth mixture.

Let the mixture sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, measure your chocolate into a metal or glass bowl. Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate and allow to sit for a minute before stirring. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Allow to sit until the mixture is room temperature, about fifteen minutes. You can pop it in the fridge to speed the process, stirring every few minutes. (I actually found it works best to put it into the fridge so that the bowl is slightly on the cold side - it whips better that way)

With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter into the caramel ganache on low speed and then increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is thickened and lighter in color, about 3-5 minutes.

(The original author notes that the ganache frosting freezes well in an airtight container - she's kept it up to a year in the freezer!)



ENJOY!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

I hate to admit this, but the follow recipe uses a cake mix... (GASP!) I was hosting a girls night for a bachelorette celebration, and in addition to making cookies, I wanted to make some beautiful pink cupcakes, but wanted something quick & easy. These have a nice refreshing flavor to enjoy in the summer. These were still amazing, and everyone loved them - helping themselves to seconds later in the night. I think this may be a great starter to an orange creamsicle cupcake...



PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES (From Confections of a Foodie Bride)

1 1/8 cup (9 oz) frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed
White cake mix
3 egg whites

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Non-stick spray

Food Color (red or pink)

In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, dye and the pink lemonade concentrate. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for 90 seconds (the batter will still be a bit lumpy; take care not to overmix so you don’t end up with dry cupcakes).

Spray each cupcake liner with the non-stick spray and spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups between 2/3 and 3/4 full).

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.

LEMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

7 cups confectioners sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tsp lemon extract
Food color

Add the butter, confectioners sugar, salt, lemon juice, and food coloring (if using) to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy and uniformly pink. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip and ice the cupcakes.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

These are another one of the cupcake flavors that got me many marriage proposals (the first were my carbomb cupcakes). Lucky for my hubby, I'm happily married. But, it definitely shows that the way to a person's heart is through their stomach! These are 100% worth all of the effort. One of the most moist & decadent cupcakes I've ever tasted.



CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CUPCAKES (From Sweetest Kitchen)
Makes 24 cupcakes

CUPCAKES

1 cup + 2 TBS unsalted butter
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
(I used Hershey’s special dark chips)
2 – 2 ¼ cups raspberry jam, seedless if desired
1 ½ cups caster sugar
pinch of salt

4 large eggs, beaten

2 ½ cups self-raising flour
½ tsp Chocolate flavoring

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place cupcake papers in the muffin tin.

Put the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan on the heat to melt. When nearly completely melted, stir in the chocolate. Leave for a moment to begin softening, then take the pan off the heat and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter and chocolate are smooth and melted. Now add the raspberry jam, sugar, salt, eggs & flavoring. Stir with a wooden spoon and when all is pretty well amalgamated stir in the flour.

Scrape and pour into the baking cups, and bake for 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes before taking out and cooling completely.

RASPBERRY WHIPPED CREAM
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon white sugar

½-1 cup lightly sweetened raspberry puree, strained if desired

In a large mixing bowl place the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat only until soft peaks form. Add the sweetened raspberry puree a little at a time, and beat just until stiff peaks form when the beater is raised. Taste and fold in more sugar or puree, if required.

Cut a cone out of each cupcake (like the carbomb cupcakes), and fill with whipped cream, making sure the top is smooth with the surface of the cake.

You will have plenty of whipped cream left - grab a spoon & enjoy!

GANACHE FROSTING
Makes enough to lightly frost 24 cupcakes

2/3 cup dark chocolate
 pieces
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream cream

24 fresh raspberries, optional

Place chocolate pieces & cream in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat and then whisk – by hand or electrically – till thick and smooth. Cool until thicken enough to stay in place on cupcake, stirring every 20-30 minutes.

Ice the cupcakes, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon, and stand a raspberry in the center of each.



Enjoy!