Banana Muffins

07 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by in Breakfast, Muffins

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This yummy banana muffin recipe makes 12 muffins. I found it in Little Cakes from the Whimsical Bakehouse cookbook.

Mix the following together:

1 cup sugar
4 oz unsalted butter
2 large eggs

Sift together:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Add the following and mix to combine:

1 cup mashed bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons hot water

Scoop the batter into a prepared muffin pan filling each almost to the top of the paper liner. Optional: before baking sprinkle one half cup chopped walnuts over the tops of the muffins. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them from their pan.

South Ken Chocolate Frosting

30 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in Frosting

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This recipe frosts 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
6 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons whole milk

Method

  1. Beat the icing sugar, cocoa powder and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.
  2. Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Add the milk to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed.
  3. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

 

South Ken Vanilla Frosting

30 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in Frosting

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This recipe frosts 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

2  cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons whole milk
A few drops of pure vanilla extract

Method-

1-Beat the powdered sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

2-Turn the mixer down to a slower speed.

3-Combine the milk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of teaspoons at a time. Once the milk/vanilla mixture has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed.

4-Continue beating for at least 5 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy.

5-Frosts 12 cupcakes

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

19 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Cupcakes, Frosting

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This yummy cupcake recipe was adapted by There Goes the Cupcake from a recipe by Sweetapolita for Triple Lemon Blueberry Cake. I made these cupcakes last week and used the lemon version of my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting, but I think next time I will try the Lemon Mascarpone Cream Frosting included below.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups fresh blueberries

Method

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin by lining with cupcake papers. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes.

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Transfer 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture to a larger bowl, add fresh blueberries and lightly toss them to coat with flour. Set both bowls aside.

Stir the sour cream, milk, vanilla and lemon extracts and lemon zest together in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until pale yellow and very fluffy about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well combined.

Mix in the flour mixture a little at a time alternating with the milk mixture. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake cups.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Check them at 20 minutes. Since ovens vary mine took 22 minutes. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes, then remove cupcakes from the pans and cool completely on racks.

When cupcakes are cool fill with lemon curd. This can be done by punching a hole in the center of the cupcake with an apple corer. See example here. Another method is to cut a small cone shaped piece from the top of the cupcake, fill with lemon curd and replace the cone. The last method, and the one I use most often, is to use a squeeze bottle filled with lemon curd. I poke the pointed lid into the center of cupcake and squeeze until a little lemon curd starts to ooze to the surface. Fill cupcakes and set aside.

Lemon Mascarpone Cream Frosting

Ingredients

1 pound mascarpone cheese
2/3 cup lemon curd
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons confectioners sugar

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone, lemon curd and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately. 

Fill pastry bag fitted with a large star tip or your favorite. Pipe frosting on to the cupcakes, decorate with yellow sprinkles and garnish with washed and dried blueberries.

Strawberry Cupcake Filling

12 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in Cakes, Cupcakes

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1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup or less confectioners sugar

Put the strawberries and 1/2 cup cream in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups of whipping cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it begins to form soft peaks. Add strawberry mixture and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar and mix until it is fluffy and a peak will hold its’ shape. Don’t mix to long or it will become butter.  Add a little more sugar if needed, but remember that the cupcake and icing are both sweet so the filling doesn’t need to be quite so sweet. Refrigerate filled cupcakes. Remove from refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes before serving.

Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes

12 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in Cupcakes, Frosting

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This recipe comes from the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe I posted previously. I’m re-posting here to remind myself that it makes wonderful cupcakes. You can use the included frosting recipe or my favorite chocolate buttercream found here.
Ingredients-
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cups Hersheys Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup boiling water
Heat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with papers.  Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla – beat on med for 2 min. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin) Pour into prepared cupcake pan. Bake 18-20 minutes.
Makes about 30 cupcakes.
Perfectly Chocolate Frosting
1 stick butter/margarine
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter, stir in cocoa. Alternately add milk and sugar. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Raspberry Whoopie Pies

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Cakes

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1/2 stick butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
Whoopie Pie Filling
1/3 cup seedless jam

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Make following directions for Whoopie pies. Bake for 11 – 13 minutes. Cool in pan for 8 minutes before removing. Cool completely before filling. To assemble pies, spread raspberry jam on one cake and filling on the other; sandwich together.

Makes 12 whoopie pies (24 cakes total).

Whoopie Pies

09 Monday Jan 2012

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1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Whoopie Pie Filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray Whoopie Pie Pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on low speed. When dry ingredients are almost incorporated, stop the mixer and add the buttermilk. Continue to mix on low speed until all the ingredients are almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix on low until just combined. Spoon 2 tablespoons of batter into each cavity; spread batter to the edges. Cavity should be about 2/3 full.

Bake for 8-10 minute. Allow cakes to cool in pans 8 minutes. Remove and cool completely before filling. To assemble pies spread filling on one cake and sandwich with another cake.

Makes 12 whoopie pies (24 cakes total).

Whoopie Pie Filling

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in Desserts

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6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 jar marshmallow creme (about 7 oz)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Food coloring (optional)

In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add sugar and the salt to the butter; mix well. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla; blend well. If desired add food coloring. Use immediately to fill whoopie pies or refrigerate covered up to 1 week. Bring back to room temperature and lightly beat before using.

Makes 2 1/2 cups filling, enough to fill 12 whoopie pies.