*** Where is chockylit? ***

Having a seemingly insatiable sweet tooth, baklava, the sticky-sweet treat of layers of buttery phyllo dough, nuts, and honey syrup, has always appealed to me. None the less, I don’t have it too often as my run-ins with baklava are often of the unfortunate “guess how long I have been sitting in this plastic case” variety. Despite its questionable quality, I was tempted to buy some on a recent weeknight fly-by of GFC, a local Mediterranean “fast food” restaurant, to pick up dinner. I thought the better of it and decided to go the cupcake route giving me the excuse and chance to bake up some homemade baklava, which when you buy frozen phyllo dough, looked pretty darn easy to do.

Making the baklava wasn’t hard but it was time consuming. I didn’t mind so much, because boy did it turn out tasty. I was also very happy with the rose petal white chocolate mousse. I went easy on the rose, there is just a hint of it, and the mousse was definitely not too sweet and had a nice texture. Not quite as air-bubbly as a typical dark chocolate mousse, but nice texture just the same. Either two of these components stands well on their own.

I was pleased with the end result. The walnut cake soft and nutty, the mousse cooling with a hint of exotic flavor, and the baklava spicy, syrupy, and crunchy. Definitely a stretch as far as calling it a cupcake, I will admit, but an interesting dessert none the less.

Rose White Chocolate Mousse

5 ounces white chocolate
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
3 egg whites
1/4 cup rose simple syrup
couple drops of red or pink food coloring (optional)

1. Chop the chocolate and set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment set to medium-high speed, beat the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow, about 2 minutes.
3. Place the bowl of egg yolks and sugar over a pan of simmering water. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until thick, about 2 minutes.
4. Take the egg yolk mixture off the heat and add the chopped white chocolate. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until chocolate is melted and combined. Add the butter and incorporate. Set aside. Note: This mixture will be very thick.
5. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment set to medium-high speed, beat the cream until very stiff. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside. Wash and dry the bowl and whisk.
6. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment set to medium-high speed, start beating the egg whites. Heat the rose simple syrup in a small saucepan to soft ball stage (about 235 degrees on a candy thermometer). Gently pour the hot syrup into the egg whites as the mixer is running at low speed. Increase speed to high and beat until the egg whites are stiff.
7. Stir in about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten. 8. Fold the remaining egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the whipped cream. Fold in food coloring if desired.
9. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Note: You can use purchase rose simple syrup (as I did) or make your own by boiling equal parts water and sugar with a couple drops of rose extract.

mousse

Walnut Cupcakes
~20 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1-1/2 cups flour (cake if you have it, otherwise all-purpose)
3/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup grape seed oil or vegetable oil
4 egg yolks (approximately 3 ounces)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup walnut butter
5 egg whites (approximately 5 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup coarsely ground walnuts

1. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oil, egg yolks, water, and walnut butter. Stir to combine.
3. On a low setting, start to beat the dry mixture and slowly add the wet. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until incorporated.
4. Transfer mixture to another bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl.
5. Whip egg whites with whip attachment on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer on medium speed, add cream of tarter and slowly add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Scoop about a third of the stiff egg whites into the batter and stir to combine. This should lighten up the batter.
7. Transfer the batter to the egg whites and gently fold until there are no more streaks of egg white. Fold in the ground walnuts.
8. Scoop into cupcake cups just less than 1/2 full (so there is room for mousse) and bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Note: You can use prepared walnut butter (as I did) or grind walnuts in a food processor until they become a paste. You can add a small amount of some mild oil to help it along.

Honey Syrup from Epicurious.com

1-1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick (optional)
4 whole cloves (optional)

1. In a small pan, stir the sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, and cloves over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.
2. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes (about 225 degrees on a candy thermometer).
3. Discard the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Let cool. The remaining will be used in the next recipe.

honey syrup

Baklava Disks from Epicurious.com
~20 disks / 350 degree oven

1/2 pound walnuts, finely chopped or coarsely ground
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom
1/2 pound (about 12 sheets) phyllo dough
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter

1. Mix together walnuts, sugar, and spices in a medium sized bowl.
2. Roll out 12 phyllo sheets. Place a sheet of phyllo onto a clean, flat surface. Brush with butter.
3. Repeat with 5 more sheets, buttering between each.
4. Spread the filling over the buttered phyllo.
5. Top with 6 more sheets, buttering between each.
6. Using a circular cookie cutter close to the size of the opening of your cupcake papers, cut as many phyllo disks as you have cupcakes. Using a spatula, transfer to a silpat covered or greased sheet pan.
7. Just before baking, lightly sprinkle the top of the pastry with cold water. This inhibits the pastry from curling.
8. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 15 additional minutes.
9. Drizzle the cooled syrup slowly over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 2 hours.

Note: I ended up making by Baklava too thick. I did three layers of eight sheets with two layers of filling. I ended up leaving behind the bottom layer when transferring onto the cupcakes (and saved the bottoms to nibble on). I adjusted the recipe to make a thinner Baklava.

filling

Assemble
1. Pipe the mousse layer just to the top of the cupcake paper.
2. Top with the Baklava disks.
3. Decorate with a dollop of mousse and a walnut.

buttering phyllo

spreading filling

stamping out disks

baked baklava

I get many a question about frosting. I thought I would compile my thoughts on the subject in two part series of posts – a sort of one stop shop for all things frosting… from my perspective, of course! First up… the recipes.

Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate ganache frosting is one of my favorite frostings to use. Why? Let me count the ways. One, because I love chocolate. Two, because the taste is very “adult” and not too sweet. Three, because it’s practically no fail and adaptable to what I have on hand.

Reviewing my posts, I apparently have as many ganache recipes as I do posts with ganache recipes – a testament to its versatility. If I get one point across about ganache it is that ganache is indeed adaptable to your personal taste and preference.

Ganache is typically made by bringing heavy cream to a simmer then pouring over chopped bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, stirring to combine, and then adding remaining ingredients – pretty straightforward.

The typical ganache recipe I use contains the following ingredients:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

I have used as little as 6 ounces of chocolate with 1 cup of cream, as that is all I had on hand, and it worked out fine. I have also interchanged various types of chocolate, bittersweet, semi-sweet, different brands, etc. It changes the flavor of the ganache but not the outcome. The exception is with milk and white chocolate which don’t come up to spreadable consistency using this basic ingredient list.

I like to use Valrhona, 61% cocoa or higher, for its intense, full-bodied, earthy chocolate flavor. I have tried to stay local and use Scharffenberger, which I like to eat on its own, but I find it too bright and tangy to bake with. I have used Ghirardelli in a pinch. While I don’t like the flavor as much as Valrhona it’s an acceptable alternative and readily available in most grocery stores. The brand is really up to you, but the quality of the chocolate makes a big difference in flavor so spring for the good stuff if you can.

How I treat the ganache depends on the cupcake I am making. If I want a very adult flavor I will stick to the basic recipe (see above) and either pour it on, spread it on, or beat it then spread it on.

Poured Chocolate Ganache

Poured chocolate ganache results in a gorgeous, shiny layer of frosting that is very dramatic and very grown up. I used the method for my version of an “Opera” cupcake. Just let the mixture cool slightly and pour it onto the cupcake (or cake) before it starts to thicken. It will thicken in place and stay very shiny if you don’t touch it. Top it with something special – white chocolate dipped candied ginger, an edible flower pedal, or a smuggled dragée. Very classy…

Spread Chocolate Ganache

Cupcakes often form an attractive dome rising over top the cupcake paper. I like this look (more cupcake!) but it doesn’t support the poured ganache method. When spreading ganache, let the mixture come to room temperature, stirring occasionally, until it’s spreadable. Then spread a relatively thin layer on to the cooled cupcake with a small palette knife. To get a smooth finish, dip the palette knife in hot water, wipe dry, and then smooth the frosting.

I use this method when I want a small, but intense quantity of frosting… when I want to have the flavor of chocolate without overwhelming whatever else is going on. See examples of this method here, here, and here.

Beaten Chocolate Ganache

If you want the intense flavor of a straight up ganache, but still want to pipe it on because, well, it looks so nice piped on, then beat the cooled ganache with an electric mixer fixed with the paddle attachment for a few minutes. This will incorporate air and increase the volume of the frosting without diluting the flavor. The ganache will lighten in color compared to the unbeaten version. See an example here.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

I have been exploring a variation on ganache that is sweeter than the simple version just discussed. I use this when I want the cupcake to appeal to child and adult alike. It’s more akin to a chocolate buttercream, but with a more intense chocolate flavor. I have experimenting with various versions of this approach.

Version 1 – Basic Ganache but with Butter and Powdered Sugar

This is basically a mixture of ganache and buttercream. Most chocolate buttercream recipes use cocoa or just a small amount of melted chocolate beat into the butter and sugar. This method of making the ganache first then beating in butter and sugar makes for a more chocolate tasting frosting.

See examples here and here

Version 2 – A Totally Different Take

I first saw this method in a book by pastry chef Emily Luchetti. I have definitely tweaked it significantly since I first tried it many years ago. The recipe includes bittersweet, semi-sweet, and unsweetened chocolate and can be tailored to your personal taste by simply adjusting the quantities of the various chocolates while keeping the overall quantity the same. For example, to make it sweeter, increase the semisweet by a couple of ounces and decrease the bittersweet or unsweetened. The unsweetened chocolate imparts a rich cocoa flavor, the bittersweet gives the frosting bite, and the semi-sweet sweetens the whole thing up.

See examples here, here, and here

There are other recipes and methods out there, of course. I plan to try recipe on David Llebovitz’ site which uses water instead of cream. I know that dairy products mellow the flavor of the chocolate, but I have also been hesitant to combine chocolate and water for fear the chocolate will seize. I hope to post about my attempt soon.

Buttercream

There is nothing more frustrating to many readers than buttercream frosting. A classic and main stay, buttercream is also one of the sweetest frostings of the bunch often too sweet for the average adult. I however love American-style buttercream especially paired with a simple cake and in moderation. This post has a pretty typical recipe for American-style buttercream. I understand though that not everyone is a fan. So if I am serving cupcakes to adults I typically do not use buttercream! The only exception I have found is with this recipe, somehow the mint makes the frosting more palatable.

American Style Buttercream

American-style buttercream is simply butter beat with confectioners’ sugar and a little vanilla and a little milk. In order to get to a piping consistency a lot of sugar is required. This results in a very sweet frosting. Like I said I actually like this. I have a sweet tooth though and not everyone does. There is no way I know of to decrease the sweetness of this frosting.

Swiss and Italian Style Buttercream

There are less-sweet alternatives to American style buttercream, Swiss and Italian style buttercreams for example, but these frostings have a different quality that I simply don’t like. They leave a film in my mouth and taste as though they are made with vegetable shortening even if they weren’t. I can’t stand them! Just like I can’t stand Génoise cake, but that is for a different post. But you might like them. Its worth trying for yourself before ruling these styles of buttercream frostings out of your repertoire.

The bad news is that I don’t have any recipes for Swiss or Italian style buttercream frostings. In this case, google is your friend.

Cream Cheese

Cream cheese frosting is my friend. It is my very favorite frosting to use. It’s always a crowd pleaser and balances out the sweetness of any cake well. I work with two versions. One has a higher proportion of cream cheese. It is tangy, on the soft side, and my preference for recipes where I want to really taste the cream cheese (carrot cake, hummingbird cake, red velvet, etc). The second version has less cream cheese. The cream cheese tang is more subtle and its really just there to balance the sweetness of the sugar. I use that recipe as an alternative to buttercream for just about any cake.

Cream cheese frosting takes on flavor very well. Just to give you an idea, this recipe uses Thai Ice Tea as a flavor, this recipe uses citrus, this uses ginger and this uses tarragon. But there are more, just peruse the table of contents to find other flavor suggestions.

I have jut started using the “buttercream alternative” method. Here are some examples, one with matcha and one with salted caramel. But any of the above cream cheese recipes can be adjusted to this method by simply decreasing the amount of cream cheese and increasing the amount of butter.

Meringue Frosting

The thing I love about meringue frosting is how easy it is to have a dramatic presentation. It’s sweet, but not sweet as butter cream. It takes flavor well, but don’t try to add a substantial amount of liquid. It will collapse. Small amounts of extracts (vanilla, mint, lemon), spices, very thick flavored simple syrup, or crushed things (like red hots). And the best thing about meringue is that you can take your culinary torch to it.

Whipped Cream

I don’t use whipped cream very often. It’s just not terribly exciting. I pair it with a cupcake that is plenty exciting on its own like this one. It is very easy to adjust the sweetness though. So, if you have a very sweet cake, whipped cream is a good option. Beware, it doesn’t hold well. So if you use it, keep the whipped cream refrigerated until you are ready to use it and frost the cupcakes just before serving.

There are of course other frosting options, but this is all I have for now. Part 2 of the series will cover frosting technique, frequently asked questions, and more on flavoring frostings.

This recipe is for Leslie, a reader who asked for a recipe for cranberry white chocolate cupcakes to serve at Christmas. I jumped on the combo as I had been wanting to try converting the rich chocolate cupcake I do so often into a white chocolate version. I tweaked the recipe to adjust for the sweetness of the white chocolate, but otherwise stuck to the original. The recipe needs work in the looks department, but taste-wise its great! I’ve heard only positive feedback from the tasters and my husband, who is very picky when it comes to cupcakes, devoured a number of them before I even had time to make the frosting.

As far as looks go, the top of the cupcake has a funny texture (see photo below) and the cupcakes rose some and fell back slightly. This was less obvious the day of, but more prominent the second day. By day two they had shrunk quite a bit. As for the funny texture on top, I am not fazed as it gets covered with frosting anyway. The shrinking aspect might bother the perfectionist in some of us, but if they are served the same day, it will be less obvious. If I have time to work on the recipe before the holidays I will be sure to post an update.

In the taste department, the cupcakes were quite nice. I could taste the white chocolate, but it wasn’t too sweet, something that I expected. The tartness of the cranberries definitely helps. The frosting is yummy as usual, nothing to worry about there. When is frosting not good?

Speaking of frosting, I am still working on my frosting post. I have had to divide it into two posts as its getting way too long. The first will be about the recipes themselves and the second about tips for flavoring frosting as well as piping technique. I hope to get the first post out shortly.

Cupcakes
regular cupcakes / 375 degree oven

7 ounces white chocolate
2 sticks butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Note that when you add the sugar the mixture will separate and look pretty funky. This is ok.
4. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
5. Add the vanilla. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Mixture will thicken and you should no longer see butter floating on the top.
6. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 10 seconds between each.
7. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture, return to the electric mixer, and mix until blended.
8. Roughly chip the cranberries. Stir into the batter.
9. Scoop into cupcake cups 2/3s full and transfer to a 375 F oven.
10. Set your timer for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up turn the oven down to 350 F.
11. Set your timer for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes is up rotate the pans. (Move the bottom to the top rack and turn front to back.
12. Set your timer for 7 minutes more. When the 7 minutes is up test one of the top-center cupcakes with a toothpick and remove the cupcakes once it comes out clean.

Note: The batter is pretty liquidy and the cranberries very heavy, so they will fall to the bottom. I was pleased with the layering effect, but if you aren’t into that idea I recommend two options. Either dust the cranberries in flour before mixing into the batter or drop some into each individual filled cupcake before baking.

baked cupcake

Cranberry, Clove, White Chocolate Buttercream

8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 package (8 ounces) philly cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
[optional] 1/4 teaspoon ground clove

1. In a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, gently melt the white chocolate. Allow to cool for 2 minutes or so.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy.
2. Beat in the melted white chocolate.
3. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla, and clove and beat at low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like. 2 cups worked for me.

Assemble
1. Top cooled cupcakes with the frosting.
2. Top with a decoration, chopped cranberries, or chopped walnuts.

white chocolate

Welcome to the CupcakeBlog archives where you will find over 85 cupcake recipes dating back to March 2005 organized into 5 sections fresh – for recipes that contain herbs, flowers, or plants; fruity – for, well, fruits; spicy – for recipes that feature spices like cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, etc; rich – for recipes that feature chocolate, coffee, liquors, etc; other – i needed someplace for the ube cupcake

fresh

Lavender Cream Filled Cupcake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Tarragon Cupcakes with Tarragon Cream Cheese Frosting

Basil Cream and Mint Cream Filled Cupcakes with Raspberry Mousse Frosting

Late Summer Peach, Blueberry, and Thyme Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemongrass Cupcakes with Lemongrass-Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Green Tea, Lavender, and Honey Cupcake Bombe

Green Tea Bubble Cream filled Cupcakes with Green Tea Cream Cheese Frosting

Lemony Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes with Lavender and Rose Frosting

Lemon Cupcakes with Bitters, Sorrel, and Toasted Meringue

fruity

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

Lime Custard Cupcake with Meringue Frosting

Ricotta Raspberry Almond Cupcakes with Citrus Meringue Frosting

Persimmon Pavlova Cupcake

Lemon, Lime & Grapefruit Curd Filled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Papaya-Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cupcakes, a Few Ways

Mooncake Cupcakes (Bean Paste Filled Cupcakes with Date-Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting)

Pomegranate-Grapefruit Cupcakes

Cherry-Vanilla Cupcakes

Alfajore Cupcakes or Peruvian Caramel Filled Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream and Coconut

Jackfruit, Banana, and Peanut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Blueberry & Raspberry Ricotta Almond Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Fresh Fig and Almond Cupcake Bombe

Fresh Cantaloupe and Honeydew Cupcakes with White Chocolate-Cardamom Butter Cream

Wasabi White Chocolate Cupcakes with Plum Sake Filling

Lime Tart Cupcakes

Grape Cupcakes

Fig And Quinoa Cupcakes

Pomegranate Green Tea Cupcakes

Meyer Lemon Cranberry Cupcakes

spicy

Thai Ice Tea Cupcake Experiment No. 1

Horchata Cupcake Experiment No. 1

Thai Ice Tea Cupcake Experiment No. 2

Carrot Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Carrot Sprinkles

Mini Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Lychee-Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Cream Cheese Frosting, Candied Ginger Sprinkles, and Sugar Decorations

Churros and Chocolate Cupcake

Ginger-Cream Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Eggnog Cupcake with Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting

Coconut Rice Pudding Stuffed Cupcakes with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting & Fruit

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Fennel Meringue Frosting

Carrot Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Orange Peel Nest

Pistachio Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcake

Thai Tea Cupcakes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Fresh Pumpkin Cupcakes with White Chocolate Chunks and Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Hot Cupcakes

Cashew, Carrot, Cardamom Cupcakes with Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting

Cranberry White Chocolate Cupcakes

Pine Nut and Candied Orange Peel Cupcakes with Christmas Spice Buttercream Frosting

Walnut Cupcakes Topped with Rose White Chocolate Mousse and Baklava

Chocolate, Pumpkin Cupcakes With Toasted Meringue Frosting

rich

Devil’s Food Cupcake with Chocolate Buttercream

Peanut Butter-Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Glaze and a Caramelized Banana Disk

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

German Chocolate Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Glaze

Coffee Buttercream Filled Almond Cupcake with Valrhona Ganache

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes Filled with Chocolate-Mint Ganache with Topped with Mint Buttercream

Samoas® Cupcake

Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chestnut-Fromage Blanc Frosting and Madeira Wine Glaze

Chocolate Bread Pudding Cupcakes with Toasted Walnuts, Homemade Toffee, and Cream

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cupcake with Coconut Buttercream Frosting

Himalayan Goji Berry Chocolate Cupcakes topped with Chocolate Ganache and Himalayan Pink Salt

Banana Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

S’mores Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcake Stuffed with Ginger Caramel, Frosted with Mango Ganache, and Topped with a Mango-Ginger Won Ton

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cupcakes

Doughnuts and Coffee Cupcakes

Sweet Corn, Maple, and Bacon Cupcakes

Gluten-Free and Gluten-Full Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Adzuki Bean Paste Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Matcha Green Tea Frosting

Pequin Chili Chocolate Cupcakes

Plain and Simple Chocolate and Vanilla Cupcakes

Sweet & Salty Honey Peanut Cupcakes

Pear & Vanilla Bean Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

3 Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Sea Salt

Chocolate Cupcakes Stuffed with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache and Frosted with Chocolate Glaze and Buttercream

Sweet Corn, Maple, Bacon Cupcakes

Toffee, Chocolate, Bacon Cupcakes

Cream Filled Vanilla Cupcakes With Ganache Glaze And Coconut

Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting (Plus Tips & Tricks for Baking Cupcakes)

other

Ube Cupcakes with Bubble Buttercream

One call for cupcakes and what do you end up with? Well over what I could come up with in a year. Over 60 recipes, each different… lots of chocolate cupcakes, many fruity cupcakes, some spicy ones, and a few more that fit no category. Garrett and I were delighted (if slightly overwhelmed) with the response.

Enjoy browsing. I know I have. I will be hard pressed to pick just one recipe to recreate for a future post.

Note that cupcakes are organized into four categories (chocolate, fruit, spice, other) and that there are a handful of gluten-free recipes dispersed among them.

Chocolatey Cupcakes

Black and Tan
By Mike of
A Tasty Pedia’s Blog

Dr Pepper Cupcakes
by Kristen of
Dine and Dish

Cappuccino Chip Cupcakes with Mocha Frosting
By Rachel of
Rachel’s Bite

Orange Chocolate Cupcake with Nutella Ganache Filling and Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
By Sandra and Ernae of
The Sour and the Sweet

Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
By Lexi of
Boybeater

Chocolate Espresso Cupcakes
By Mary of
Alpineberry

Party Cupcakes
By Shini of
Shini

Chipotle Cinnamon Chocolate Cupcakes
By Garrett of
Vanilla Garlic

Triple Chocolate and Raspberry Cupcakes
By Janell the Great of
Janell the Great

Tiramisu Cupcakes
By Becky Brown of
beckybrown24

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes
By Margaret Meaney of
Chez M, en Retard

Mocha Cupcakes
By Haalo of
Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once

Grasshopper Cupcakes
By Freya of
Writing at the Kitchen Table

Turtle Cupcakes
By Raspil of
The Noisy Kitchen

Chestnut Cupcake with Chocolate Swirl Frosting
By Helen of
Tartelette

Orange Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Chocolate Whipped Cream
By Garrett of
Vanilla Garlic

Oh My Darling Clementine Cupcakes
By Christina of
Wishing on Clovers

Devil’s Food Cupcake’s
By Ellie of
Kitchen Wench

Chocolate Cupcakes with Berry Ganache & Cinnamon Buttercream
By Sarah of
Slighcarp and Grimshaw

Deep, Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Tangerine Honey Frosting
By Lis of
La Mia Cucina

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
By Anita & Cameron of
Married with Dinner

Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Quick Orange Frosting & Chocolate Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream
By Maggie of
The Maggpie

Cuba Libre Cupcakes
By Rachel of
Coconut and Lime

Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes
GLUTEN FREE!
by Brendon of
Something in Season

Pumpkin and Mexican Chocolate with Toasted Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
by Posy of
Posy Party Cakes

Basic Vanilla Cupcakes with Two Kinds of Chocolate Buttercream
by Sheryl C. of
Crispy Waffle

S’mores Cupcakes
by Aoife of
Yumbrosia

Fruity Cupcakes

Lemoncello Ricotta Cupcakes
By Cynth of
A Tasty Pedia’s Blog

Almond Cupcakes with Guava Cream Cheese Filling
By Jenny of
Sew Darn Cute

Lemon Sunshine Cupcakes
By Jennifer of
Weekly Dish

Fruit-filled Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut-Vanilla Bean Buttercream Frosting
By MRBUNSROCKS of
Definetly Not Martha

Hunk of Burning Love (The Elvis Cupcake)
By Sher of
What Did You Eat?

Chempedak Cupcakes with Mango Drizzle
By Noraishah Hamid of
My Gastronomic Adventure

Passionfruit-Coconut Cupcakes
By Ann Martin Rolke of
Sacatomato

Figgy Cupcakes with Mascarpone Icing
By Kelsey of
ironskillet90

Lime-Vanilla Cupcakes with Cucumber Buttercream
By Andrew of
Real Butter and Clean Milk

Coconut Cloud Cupcakes
By puddingpop of
Wait and See Pudding

Avocado Cupcakes with Palm Sugar Buttercream
By Ratna of
Simply Cake

Lammas Cupcakes with Lemon Curd and Whiskey Cream
By Pancha of
Panxa

Almond Brown-Butter Cakes with Sour Orange Meringue
By Lara of
Cook and Eat

Double Seville Orange Cupcakes
By Gemma of
Dressing for Dinner

Almond-Ricotta Cupcakes with Lemon Royal Icing
By Sean of
Hedonia

Carrot Cupcakes and Banana Cupcakes
by Brilynn of
Jumbo Empanadas

Banana Tropical Pomegranate Surprise Cupcakes
by Sandra of
Yes, I Am a Bitch, Get Over It

Spicy Cupcakes

Vanilla-Cardamom Cupcakes with Grand mariner Buttercream and Candied Orange Zest
By Julie O’Hara of
A Mingling of Tastes

Saffron Vanilla Cupcake
By Kerry Alice of
a Tasty Pedia’s blog

Ginger-Cardamom-Jaggery Cupcake
By Mandira Banerjee of
Ahaar

Spice Cupcakes with Maple Marshmallow Frosting
GLUTEN FREE!
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Sometimes I am just so enamored with a cupcake. This is one of those times. These little babies are tasty. Deliciously chocolately while not being too sweet, the burnt taste of the toffee with the cool cream, and add to that the texture and flavor of the nuts!?! Yum!

I had a little trouble with this recipe. The trouble lied mostly with getting all the bread soaked with the chocolate mixture and into the cupcake papers. My first attempt involved filling the cupcake cups with bread chunks then pouring in the batter. This proved very messy. My second, more successful attempt, which I really should have done in the first place, involved pre-soaking the bread chunks in the batter then scooping into the cupcake cups… One simple change and all was well.

Aside from that, I can’t say enough about the flavor experience that these cupcakes provide. The chocolate is right there, not too sweet, the sort of chocolate flavor you get from a perfect warm chocolate cake… The toffee, oh, the toffee… you can use store-bought toffee to save time, but I plead of you, do not! The deliciously complex taste of a slightly burnt, homemade toffee is the perfect crunchy companion to the already stellar chocolate thing going on. Seriously! Well worth the effort. The walnuts and whipped cream round things off resulting in what I consider to be my favorite cupcake creation so far.

The flavor combination was by request from my husband whose birthday is tomorrow. Unfortunately, between the two of us we have already devoured a number of his birthday cupcakes… Oops.

Toffee

3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 cup sugar

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring everything to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
2. The mixture will start to boil with vigor. Do not stir. Let the mixture boil over medium-low heat until the mixture turns a deep nutty brown, about 20 minutes
3. Pour on to a prepared baking sheet (either covered in a silpat or oiled parchment paper) and leave it to cool.
4. After the toffee has cooled, break it into small chunks.

Note: I like my toffee very dark – almost burnt. Getting the toffee just right for your taste can be a challenge. I think a nutty brown is a good place to start. One additional warning, if you cook it very long you could nearly ruin your pan or at a minimum create bunch of cleanup work for yourself. Don’t use your favorite pot or pan!

cooled toffee

Chocolate Bread Pudding Cupcakes
27 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1-pound loaf dense white bread, 1 or 2 days old (I used Acme Pan de Mie, but you could use challah or brioche)
10 ounces Valrhona or any bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup walnuts, chopped
toffee from recipe above, chopped

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the cream, milk, vanilla, and cocoa. Bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from heat, cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Chop bread into 1/2″ cubes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Bring mixture back to boil and stir in chopped chocolate. Take off the heat and continue to stir until chocolate is melted.
4. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture, whisking constantly until combined.
5. Pour the mixture carefully over the bread cubes. Stir until all cubes are covered. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.
6. Set aside about 1/4 cup each of the walnuts and toffee. Sprinkle the remaining into the bread cubes. Stir to combine.
7. Scoop soaked bread cubes into cupcake papers until bread cubes are level with the top of the rim.
8. Carefully pour the remaining liquid into each cupcake filling until nearly full.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for ~22-25 minutes until set.

baked cupcakes

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and whisk until combined.

Assemble
1. Top cooled cupcakes with some cream
2. Topped with crushed toffee and chopped walnuts.