Mocha Chocolate Cupcakes

I'm not a big coffee lover. I'm not the type of person who wakes up in the morning and zombie shuffles over towards a warm cup of joe. However, I do live with coffee lovers who can't function without that dark drink. So I decided that I would do a cupcake in honor of them and see if I could incorporate a way to do it so that I, and others who find chocolate just a bit too bitter, would enjoy it as well.

I FOUND SUCCESS.

I found it in a decadent chocolate espresso cake with a cream, sweetened coffee buttercream and just a delicious drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce. I cannot express how dreamy this cake was and almost made me a lover of coffee! I hope you feel the same!

Mocha Chocolate Cupcakes:
Servings 12

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup water, boiling
2 tablespoons strong coffee, cooled

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup strong coffee, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
5-10 cups of powdered sugar

Chocolate Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line your cupcake pan.

2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine well.

3. Add milk, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla and coffee to the flour mixture and mix until well combined. Carefully mix in boiling water. Mix until well combined.

4. Evenly distribute batter into cupcake liners at 2/3 full. 

5. Cake batter will be very liquidy. That is normal. Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and allow too cool completely while you make your frosting and chocolate sauce.

7. Put butter, vanilla, and coffee into mixing bowl. Beat together until creamy. 

8. Slowly mix in a cup of powdered sugar at a time until desired consistency.

9. For the chocolate sauce, add the ingredients to a saucepan. Stir together.

10. Bring to a boil, continually stirring until smooth. Boil for roughly 2 minutes.

11. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

12. Remove your cupcakes from the pan, top with coffee buttercream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

ENJOY!!

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

Sometimes, you just need chocolate and whipped cream to make your day. Cookies and Cream have always been a flavor I love in just about any form. Cookies, candy bars, ice cream and absolutely in cake. It's just the perfect amount of chocolate and sweet cream. So I decided that it was time to add this to the menu!

A deliciously moist, yet light chocolate cake topped with a creamy, silky, sweet homemade whipped cream that has been folded with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and garnished with a half chocolate sandwich cookie.

Cookies and Cream Cupcake

Servings: 12 cupcakes

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose Flour

1 cup granulated Sugar

1/2 cup Cocoa

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Milk

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 Egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 cup Water, boiling

Frosting Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

6 chocolate sandwich cookies broken into halves

8 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed to powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line your cupcake pan.

2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine until combined well.

3. Add milk, vegetable oil, egg and vanilla to the flour mixture and mix together until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add the boiling water to batter. Beat on high for about 1 minute.

4. Evenly distribute batter in cupcake liners, each should be about half full.

5. Cake batter will be very liquid. That is normal. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely while you make your whipped topping.

7. Combine the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla in a chilled bowl. Beat with your mixer until the cream forms stiff peaks.

8. Dump in your crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and gently fold into your whipped cream. Do not overfold as it will make your frosting an ugly gray color.

9. Once your cupcakes have cooled completely, top with your infused whipped cream and garnish with a half chocolate sandwich cookie. 

ENJOY!!!! I know I did!!

Homemade Whipped Cream

There are very few things in this world that compare to sweet, creamy and homemade whipped cream. It goes perfect on so many things and with so many things. Do you want it on your desserts? In your coffee? Or just to delightfully eat? The possibilities are endless. I personally prefer it on a several different types of cupcakes. Strawberry and Cream, Cookies and Cream, Blueberry Cream... I think you can guess the common theme running here!

I prefer my whipped cream a little stiffer, gently sweet, and just a hint of vanilla. If you too wish to enjoy such whipped cream, then this is the recipe for you! It's super simple and super delicious.

If you'd like a different flavor in y our whipped cream recipe, you can switch it out with the vanilla extract and even add a bit more if you think it's needed. Coconut rum and bourbon are substitutes that people frequently use.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup Heavy Cream, cold

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

In a large bowl, add your heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Start your mixer on low and then turn it to high. Well mix your ingredients until your whipped cream forms stiffer peaks. 

Be careful not to overbeat your whipped cream or it'll take on a texture of butter with a heavier flavor. It's still super tasty, however; it just isn't as silky or creamy. 

Once you've got the consistency you desire, top whatever you desire and devour it. ENJOY!

Homemade Caramel Sauce - Easy

I've always, my entire life, used store-bought caramel sauce. Or even better, I cheated and melted those caramel candy squares with heavy whipping cream. (It never came out quite right.) I just thought that's how caramel worked and I would never be able to actually make caramel sauce like they do on fancy cooking shows. (Hello Cupcake Wars, I'm looking at you.)

However! After much trial and error, and a little input from my good friend, I have finally mastered the art of caramel making. I even did it simply so that others who are struggling with making caramel sauce on their own won't have to go through four batches before getting it right. (The first three were just so hard!)

I hope you enjoy!

Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce
Serving: About 1 Cup



Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Water
2 Tablespoons Butter (I use unsalted)
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add the sugar to the saucepan, then add the water to fully moisten the sugar.

2. Place the pan over medium heat and cool until the sugar dissolves and turns clear. It may take a few minutes.

3. Raise the heat to medium high and cook the caramel until it turns an amber color. Do NOT turn the heat to high because it will cause the caramel to seize and crystallize.

4. Turn the heat off and immediately add the heavy cream.

5. Add the butter and stir everything together until the caramel is smooth. If desired, add the vanilla extract.

6. Let the caramel sauce cool to room temperature nd then transfer to a jar to be refrigerated.

The caramel can be stored in the fridge for 1 month or in the freezer for 3 months.

NOTE!!

If you want to make a salted caramel, just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt at the end along with the vanilla extract.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

I have struggled for many years to find the PERFECT Carrot Cake recipe to use as cupcakes. A lot of the time it either has so many unnecessary ingredients (can we say RAISINS??) or it's super dry. I don't need to have my mouth feel like the Sahara Desert after eating a cupcake! After many years of trial and error, not to mention tears and kitchen battle scars, I have finally mastered a carrot cake recipe that's the trifecta of moist, simple and absolutely DELICIOUS.

Seriously. Carrot Cake is my favorite cake and I thought I'd go my entire life without ever having some that just made my day. I had to fend my friends off the last one so I could devour it whole. (Don't judge. I love cupcakes AND have a big mouth!)

They're a super moist, delectably simple carrot cake filled with spices, carrot, and a surprise of orange. Topped with a sweet, creamy, slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. Garnished with chopped and candied pecans!

They're everything you could possible want in a carrot cake without being dense, heavy or complicated in flavors.

Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe

Servings: (I don't remember the exact amount, but it was well over 40.)

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups whole pureed orange

5 eggs, room temperature

1 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cups molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/2 cup brown sugar (I prefer dark, but have used light for delicious results)

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Baking Soda

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon of Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 1/2 cups Grated Carrot

Frosting Ingredients:

8 cups of Powdered Sugar

1 cup Butter (I use salted but you can use unsalted), room temperature

16 oz. Cream Cheese, room temperature

3 teaspoons of Vanilla

Candied Pecans:

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Salt

4 Cups chopped or halved pecans (I prefer chopped because I can use leftovers for granola)

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon water

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pureed whole oranges and eggs into your bowl. Mix on high for 3-5 minutes. 

2. In a second bowl, mix your flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. 

3. Slowly pour in your vegetable oil and molasses into the orange-egg mixture while continuing to mix on high speed. 

4. Turn your mixer down to low speed and add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides as you go. Once thoroughly combined, add your grated carrot.

5. Line your cupcake pan and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before removing to cool completely on oven rack.

6. While your cupcakes are cooling, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixer until blended.

7. Add your powdered sugar one cup at a time until you have the consistency you desire. (I prefer mine a bit stiffer for frosting purposes.)

8. Once your cupcakes have been baked, lower your oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and set aside.

9. In a medium bowl, add both sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until combined and set aside.

10. In a large bowl, whisk the egg white, vanilla and water together until the mixture is super frothy. Add the pecans and gently toss until the pecans are well coated. 

11. Add your sugar mixture and toss until the pecans are super coated.

12. Spread the pecans out in a single layer on your baking sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes, mixing them around every 15 minutes so they cook evenly and don't burn. The sugar mixture will harden on the pecans.

Once everything has been baked and cooled, you can assemble your cupcakes. Take your cooled cupcake, frost with your divine cream cheese frosting, and then garnish with your candied pecans. ENJOY!