Mudslide Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcake with a Bailey's and Kahlua Frosting Swirl

I came across this recipe from Endless Simmer a few months ago and it has been on my to-do list for forever! I love Mudslides and turning them into a cupcake sounded AMAZING! ... And it was!

I made these when we went away for the weekend to Bennett Springs for trout fishing. The cabin had limited cooking utensils and measuring cups (only teaspoons and a 2-cup glass measuring cup... No Tablespoons! I had to do a lot of converting!) But they seemed to turn out pretty good. still. I made the frosting with a hand mixer... because I wasn't about to transport my stand mixer....well I was, but my fiance convinced me to leave it behind.

Doesn't the frosting look kind of like soft-serve ice cream?

And now for the recipe. I actually started sifting my flour a few weeks ago. Before, I always thought that was too much work and it couldn't possibly make a difference. Well, let me tell you, it absolutely does make a difference! The cupcakes come out super light and fluffy when you sift the flour, it is worth the extra step!

The only thing I really changed about this recipe was the Bailey's. The original recipe had you making your own home-made bailey's... but I used store-bought Bailey's instead. And it was delicious in my hot chocolate later that night! ;)

Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.
2. Sift together cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. 
3. Add eggs, warm water, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl to assure batter is well mixed.
4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. 
5. Bake until tops spring back when touched, about 20 minutes, rotating pan once if needed. (It took only 15 minutes for me so make sure to check them early!)
6. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

Now for the frosting. You make one frosting base, then split it into two bowls. And turn one into Bailey's and one into Kahlua.

Butter Cream Frosting Base

• 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 16 pieces

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a large heat proof bowl. Set the bowl over (not on) simmering water in a sauce pan and heat, whisking constantly until sugar has dissolved. The mixture is ready when with it is very warm to the touch, about 2 minutes and approximately 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
2. Remove from mixture from heat and transfer to a stand mixer bowl and beat on high until egg white mixture is fluffy, led to room temperature and holds stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
3. Turn the speed to medium low, add salt and the butter a few pieces at a time, beating well after each addition. Turn the speed to high and beat until mixture is creamy, about 3-5 minutes more. Evenly split buttercream into two separate bowls.

Bailey’s and Chocolate Kahlua Frostings

• To make the Baileys buttercream add 3 tablespoons of Baileys into one bowl and beat until combined.

• To make the Chocolate Kahlua Frosting in the other bowl, add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 oz of melted semi-sweet chocolate and 3 tablespoons of Kahlua and beat until combined.

SoCo Red Velvet Cupcakes

Southern Comfort Red Velvet Cupcakes from the Boozy Baker Cookbook!

My cousin gave me the Boozy Baker cookbook awhile back and I have never tried anything from it before! Well, I was really bored last night and decided to give it a go. I love Southern Comfort and happened to have a bottle in my cabinet, so I went with the Red Velvet Cake and turned it into cupcakes.

Now, this recipe was for a cake, and called for 3 eggs, so unfortunately it couldn't be cut in half! I ended up with 24 cupcakes and some leftover batter! I probably could have cut it into thirds, but oh well. 

Red Velvet Cake:

• 3 cups cake flour
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup Southern Comfort (I added a splash more)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 (1-ounce) bottle red food coloring
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, Southern Comfort, vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. 
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
6. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans on a wire rack, and then remove them from the pans and cool completely.

The buttermilk mixture was very very RED!

Frosting (I cut the recipe in half and had plenty):

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1/8 cup Southern Comfort (I added a splash more, but probably shouldn't have)

1. Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. 
2. Add confectioners’ sugar, the milk, and the Southern Comfort. 
3. Beat on low speed until creamy.

This was a very dense cupcake, perfect crumb!

I loved the cake part of this recipe! You could taste the subtle flavor of Southern Comfort in it and the cake was the perfect consistency. 

As for the frosting, I should have stuck with the recipe, because it had waaaay too much booze in it! I think I probably would have used a different buttercream recipe and added the SoCo in. Was not a big fan of the frosting. 

Mimosa's for Brunch

A.K.A. The Champagne Adventures: Part 3

You might wonder where parts 1 and 2 are, well my adventures with Champagne started several weeks ago with the ‘Strawberries and Champagne’ idea. Sounds perfect right? Well, getting the Champagne part of the equation right proved to be more difficult than expected.

First I tried a Champagne Glaze from the Cupcake Project, but that just made the cupcakes soggy and sticky, not to mention the mess it made of my kitchen!

Then, I tried a different recipe from the Cupcake Project for a Champagne Mascarpone Frosting. It was good, but not great. It didn’t quite taste like Champagne. Probably because it didn’t actually have Champagne in it; Champagne Flavoring was the substitute. It also started to melt off the cupcakes when sitting out on the counter for a couple of hours.

Well, I didn’t want to settle for just a good recipe, so I was still searching for the perfect Champagne frosting. Since my White Wine Cupcakes turned out fantastically, I thought “Why not substitute the wine for Champagne?” I also thought, since Champagne has a weak flavor, I would add a couple drops of the flavoring I had left over. It turned out great! Sweet, with a subtle Champagne flavor and was a stiffer consistency.

Now on to the Mimosas! We had a family brunch (well brunch/lunch...i'm not sure you can call it brunch after 11am) this morning, so I figured Mimosa Cupcakes would go along perfectly. An orange cupcake with Champagne frosting in one hand and a mimosa drink in the other!

Orange Cupcakes (From the Cupcake Project)

These were denser cupcakes, but tasted good. The batter was VERY orange-y, but it baked out to a light orange flavor.

Ingredients:
2/3 C sugar (for the zest)
finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 C orange juice concentrate
1/2 C sugar (for the concentrate)
2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 C butter, room temperature
2 eggs
2/3 C plain yogurt

Directions:

1. A few hours before you are ready to bake, combine the orange zest and the sugar in a bowl. This will let the orange flavor infuse into the sugar.

2. While you are waiting, prepare an orange syrup by bringing the orange juice concentrate and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Stir continuously until it is thoroughly combined and gets slightly thicker (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and return to room temperature. 

Should look like this:

3. With a fork, whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.

4. Beat butter and the sugar with grated orange zest in a large bowl for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in eggs and yogurt until blended.

6. Alternately fold in flour mixture and 2/3 cup of the orange syrup (that should be pretty much all of the syrup) in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.

7. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.

8. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

White Chocolate Champagne Buttercream Frosting (Adapted fromWe are not Martha)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
6 oz. white chocolate (I use Ghirardelli Bars)
3 1/2 C powdered sugar
4 teaspoons Champagne (you can add extra to taste)
3 drops Champagne Flavoring (you can order it here)

Directions:

1. Melt white chocolate on the stove in a double boiler

2. Cream the butter at medium speed until it looks light and fluffy (3-4 minutes)

3. Beat in melted white chocolate

4. Add 1/2 C powdered sugar, then 1/2 teaspoon Champagne, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next. Repeat until all the powdered sugar and Champagne are blended in. Add in the Champagne flavoring.

5. If it's too thin, put the bowl of icing in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to thicken it up, and then give it a good beating with the mixer before filling your piping bag.

6. Pipe icing onto cupcakes. I used my mom's new tip # 2D for these.

 

Irish Car-Bomb Cupcakes

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes filled with Ganache and topped with Irish Whipped Cream Frosting 

My first experiences with baking with alcohol was through my Champagne Frosting adventures (more to come on that subject later), and then just recently with my white wine frosting. I’ve never tried to bake it in, but I recently came across a recipe from the Craving Chronicles and decided to use it in conjunction with a Bailey’s Whipped Cream Frosting from the Cupcake Project.

At first bite, the cupcakes were quite boozy! I’m hoping that as they settle they will get better. The Bailey’s Frosting was divine, I could eat it with a spoon, no cupcakes needed!

Update 10/6/11: The cupcakes were 100% better the next morning! The strong alcohol flavor has subsided and you are left with a subtle hint of Bailey's. The Ganache blended really well into the rest of the cake. Everyone loved them at work (took them to a staff meeting) and only have one or two left! If you are worried about the alcohol flavoring, or don't want to leave them in the fridge overnight,  leave the whiskey out of the Ganache, that's where the strong flavor came from. 

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes (From the Craving Chronicles)
1 cup Guinness
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup full-fat sour cream

Ganache Filling
 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (I used Jameson, and had to buy some so now I have an almost full bottle in my cabinet!)

Baileys Frosting (from the Cupcake Project)
4 C heavy whipping cream
1 1/3 C sugar
4 T Bailey’s Irish Cream

Step 1: Make the cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
2. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
4. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend.
5. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend.
6. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine.
7. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed.
8. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined.
9. Fill cupcakes and bake for about 17 minutes.

Step 2: Make the filling:
1. Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl.
2. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth.
3. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined.

Step 3: Fill the cupcakes:
1. Let the Ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (I put mine in the freezer for about 5 minutes, stirred, then put back in freezer for 5 more minutes)
2. Cut a conical shape out of the cupcakes
3. Put the Ganache into a piping bag, cut the corner off, and pipe into cupcakes
4. Remove excess cupcake from core, and replace the top

Filled Cupcakes:

Step 4: Make the Frosting: 
1. Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
2. Mix in sugar and Bailey’s Irish Cream until just combined.
3. Pipe onto cupcakes
4. Garnish with Chocolate Shavings

The finished product:

White Wine Cupcakes

A Vignoles Cupcake frosted with White Chocolate Vignoles Buttercream,  Yummy!

Over the past few years, I have become obsessed with two things: Cupcakes and Wine. Strangely, I have never married the two obsessions....until now!

Last weekend, I took a trip out to the wineries in Hermann, MO. We stopped by Hermannhof first, which is usually my favorite, but they were a bit stingy with the tastings this time. Then it was on to Oak Glenn, which has mediocre wine but a great view. And we saved the best for last: Stone Hill Winery.

It was then I discovered a buy one, get one free deal on cases of Vignoles wine, one of my favorite sweet wines. Needless to say I came home with 24 bottles of it! As I was unpacking my wine, I got the idea to try and create a cupcake out of the delicious stuff. I went searching and found this recipe from 'We Are Not Martha'. I have only adapted it slightly.

Here it is re-posted with my edits:

Vignoles Cupcakes

Ingredients
• 2/3 C unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 C sugar
• 2 3/4 C flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 C Vignoles Wine (It originally called for Riesling, but Vignoles substituted nicely)
• 1 C egg whites (I use the kind already made up called All Whites)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cream together the butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the wine.
5. In yet another separate small bowl, beat your egg whites until stiff peaks form. This took about 3-5 minutes and will not resemble egg whites anymore. It looks more like fluffy, airy....something.
6. Fold the egg whites into the batter.

7. Scoop batter into pans and bake for 18 minutes. 

They come out nice and golden:

White Chocolate Vignoles Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
• 6 oz. white chocolate (I use Ghirardelli Bars)
• 3 1/4 C powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vignoles Wine

Directions

1. Melt white chocolate on the stove in a double boiler

2. Cream the butter at medium speed until it looks light and fluffy (3-4 minutes)

3. Beat in melted white chocolate

4. Add 1/2 C powdered sugar, then 1/2 teaspoon Vignoles wine, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next. Repeat until all the powdered sugar and wine are blended in. 

5. Put the bowl of icing in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to thicken it up, then give it a good beating with the mixer before filling your piping bag. 

6. Pipe icing onto cupcakes. (To get the pretty swirl, use the Wilton 1M tip. I tend to use this tip ALL the time because that's the only one I have...I need to stock up my tip collection!)

The finished product:

This cupcake was very light and airy, the perfect cupcake to enjoy on a nice evening with a glass of wine! It was sweet, but not too sweet, and the cake itself had a very nice texture! This one is for sure a keeper!