"It Takes Two"

I fully acknowledge that the title of this blog was a grade C movie starring the Olsen twins from the 90s, but the following recipes/decadent photos should more than remedy my referencing such a mediocre flick. I gained a reputation as the “office baker” thanks to these cupcakes. An “unnamed” (you know who you are) coworker secretly crossed out all of the names on the Birthday Sign-Up Sheet (a list that shows who is in charge of providing a cake/dessert for the monthly birthday celebration) and volunteered my services for the next 5 months. In other words, these cupcakes mean business, and will surely create a cult following of sugar-addicted fans if you endeavor to recreate them. I baked these cupcakes (a total of 48!) for our CEO Jennifer Hurley-Wales’ surprise birthday party, which took place in lieu of an all-staff meeting. Knowing the entire office would be involved, simple cupcakes with frosting wasn’t about to cut it, so I took leap: Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Salted Caramel Filling and Dark Chocolate Frosting AND Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Ginger.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Filling

Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes

Time-consuming would be an understatement for these recipe – be prepared to devote an entire evening and morning to these little beauties. The result was well worth the effort. Considering I wanted these cupcakes to go above and, both are hybrids of several recipes. Let’s start with the one I know caught all of your attention, the chocolate! My go-to recipe for chocolate cake has and always will be Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake. Quite some time ago, I had come across a recipe by Martha Stewart on one of my go-to baking blogs, BakeorBreak, and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to try it! Unfortunately, the recipe was for mini cupcakes which, while cute and equally delicious, wasn’t quiote the angle I wanted for this surprise party. As such, I stole the salted caramel filling (no, you’re not dreaming – this is really happening) and dark chocolate frosting portions of the recipe, and used my favorite chocolate cake recipe. These cupcakes were unbelievably amazing!!!!!!!!!

Cooking tip: the recipe calls for a candy thermometer in order to register when the caramel is done – having never owned a candy thermometer; I go by sight and wait until the boiling sugar begins to turn deep amber. I also added 2 tbsp of butter for extra creaminess! For the frosting, be prepared to add a tablespoon or two of butter if the chocolate seems to be burning (a.k.a. gets too stiff to stir).

Confession time: per usual, I forgot a few things. For the chocolate frosting, I didn’t use the “best quality” chocolate for the frosting, but rather 2 bags of Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. The flavor, in my opinion, was still a sinfully rich texture, so I think either decision is a safe one. Additionally, I used kosher salt in place of the Fleur de Sel.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Filling

Adapted via BakeOrBreak

Yields: about 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes:

   - 2 cups sugar

   - 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

   - 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

   - 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

   - 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

   - 1 teaspoon salt

   - 2 eggs

   - 1 cup milk

   - 1/2 cup vegetable oil

   - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

   - 1 cup boiling water

Salted Caramel Filling:

   - 2-1/2 cups sugar

   - 2/3 cup water

   - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

   - 3/4 cup heavy cream

   - 2-1/2 teaspoons sea salt

   - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Dark Chocolate Frosting 

   - 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

   - 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

   - 2-1/4 cups (4-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

   - 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

   - 1/4 teaspoon salt

   - 1-1/2 pounds semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

For cupcakes: Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 

For caramel filling: Heat sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir occasionally until syrup is clear. Attach a candy thermometer to side of pan. Stop stirring, and cook until syrup comes to a boil, washing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed. Boil, gently swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is caramelized and turns a deep amber brown.

Remove from heat. Slowly pour in cream and wait until the simmering subsides; whisk with a wooden spoon until smooth, then whisk in butter 1 tbsp at a time. Stir in sea salt. Use immediately. If caramel begins to harden, reheat gently until pourable.

For filling: Combine cocoa and boiling water. Stir until cocoa has dissolved.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add melted and cooled chocolate. Beat until combined. Beat in cocoa mixture. Frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month. Bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth before using.

For assembly: Use a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece, about 1/2-inch deep, from the center of each cupcake. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of warm caramel filling into each cupcake. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over filling.

Fit a pastry bag with a medium open-star tip (Wilton #18). Fill pastry bag with frosting. Pipe onto cupcakes, swirling tip and releasing as you pull up to form a peak. Garnish with a pinch of sea salt. Cupcakes are best eaten the day they are filled and frosted. Store at room temperature in an air-tight container until ready to serve.

Note: The cupcakes can be stored, unfrosted, in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

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Now, let’s talk about the wild card: Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes. When I was first asked to bake the birthday cupcakes for the occassion, the coordinator had suggested this combination. My adventurous streak was intrigued having never tried such a flavor combination, and I set out to find the perfect recipe. It boiled down to two possible sources, and I went with my leading man –David Lebovitz. The balance of Guinness, molasses and sugar seemed perfect for the depth of flavor I wanted. Unfortunately, the thought of a lime buttercream frosting wasn’t exactly my ideal pairing, so I went with a standard cream cheese frosting and added lemon zest and juice. The result was perfect, and the minced candied ginger was the perfect finishing touch! I doubled this recipe since the original only produces 12, but somehow ended up with 30 cupcakes rather than 24!

Cooking tip: be sure to have the sugar pre-measured during the boiling of the Guinness-molasses mixture; you want to add it immediately after you remove the pot from the heat to ensure the sugar melts evenly.

Confession time: I completely forgot to include the minced candied ginger, hence using it instead as a garnish – simple solution, but still a beautifully delicious result!

Guinness-Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted via David Lebovitz
Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
For the cupcakes:

   - 1/2 cup stout beer, such as Guinness

   - 1/2 cup  mild-flavored molasses

   - 1/2 cup vegetable oil

   - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

   - 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

   - 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

   - 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

   - 2 tsp.ground ginger

   - 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

   - 1/4 teaspoons ground cloves

   - 1/2 teaspoons table salt

   - 2 large eggs, at room temperature

   - 1/2 cup finely minced candied ginger

For the frosting

   - 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
   - 1/2 cup butter, softened
   - 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
   - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   - half a large lemon, zested and juiced

   - Strips of candied citrus peel or candied ginger, for garnish

Directions:

For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. In a very large saucepan, bring the stout, molasses, and oil to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the baking soda until dissolved. (The mixture will foam up, then settle down.) Stir in the brown sugar, then let cool until tepid.

Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Whisk the eggs into the stout mixture, then whisk in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Don’t overmix. Gently stir in the minced candied ginger. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners and bake until the cupcakes feel just set in the center, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Add the lemon zest and juice. Store in the refrigerator after use. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin. Pipe rosettes of frosting in the center of each cupcake. (If you don’t have a pastry bag, you can spoon a mound of frosting decoratively in the center.) Garnish each with strips of candied citrus peel or a piece of candied ginger.

Note: The cupcakes can be stored, unfrosted, in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.

"Milk's Favorite Cookie" Takes The Cake!

Ever since we were children, we have appreciated the simplicity of Oreo cookies. Just the sight of the cream-filled sandwiches is enough to send anyone into a sugar frenzy. We just can't get enough of this cookie! In fact, oreos were the best-selling cookie of the 20th Century, having sold over 491 BILLION cookies since they were first introduced in 1912! The word "Oreo" is allegedly derived from the Greek term for "appetite" - orexi, which is also reflected in the terms orexigenic and anorexia, both of which are relevant to appetite (Wikipedia). Enough for our history lesson, let's talk Oreo Cupcakes! 

So these cupcakes were not entirely Oreo-inspired. In fact, the actual cupcake base was my favorite go-to for chocolate cakes: Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake. This recipe is always a winner, except for one very poor attempt at a Barbie cake than ended up being a frosted mess...(TBC). The Oreos made their debut in the frosting and (drumroll)...at the base of each cupcake! Granted, a few had the cookies float to the top of the cupcake, but the taste was still phenomenal! So for those who can't get enough of "Milk's Favorite Cookie," DEFINITELY give these a shot! 

Oreo Cupcakes
Adapted via DomesticPursuits
Yields: 30 cupcakes


Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 30 Oreos, 1 side twisted off and reserved for frosting *
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water


Frosting:
- 2 1-lb packages of confectioner’s sugar
- 1 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup Oreo crumbs, made from reserved sides (used above) and additional cookies


Garnish:
- 15 Oreos, split in half and placed atop the frosted cupcakes

Directions:  
For cupcakes: Heat oven to 350?F. Line muffin pans with paper liners and place 1 Oreo (cream side up) in each liner. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir until well blended. Add flour mixture to large bowl and beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with batter (about 1/4 cup). Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely


For Frosting: Beat shortening and water together. Gradually beat in confectioner’s sugar and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and beat in well. If needed, add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, to attain desired consistency. Beat in Oreo crumbs.


If frosting will not be used right away, store in an airtight container. Otherwise, frost the cupcakes and garnish with an oreo cut in half.

* You’ll probably need more than 1 bag for the cupcakes, frosting and garnish

"...it Don't Matter if You're Black or White"

For those of you who are unfamiliar with that title, I highly recommend you visit this link - it's Michael Jackson's "Black or White". My love of MJ goes back as far as I can remember, and these cupcakes were a token of said appreciation.  I had considered making a white chocolate and dark chocolate entry for a while based solely on this song. 

I baked these for a friend's BBQ birthday party who just so happened to be turning 24, and I wanted to bake 12 of each: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling and White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling.

                             

The dichotomy of white chocolate and dark chocolate is a beautiful presentation. Yet it should be noted that white chocolate is in fact NOT a true chocolate due to the lack of chocolate liquor. It consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and vanilla. Nonetheless, it has an amazing flavor that is highly complimented by tarter flavors, such as raspberry.
Dark chocolate, on the other hand, is the "true chocolate", where sugar and fat are the only additives to cacao, with no milk. Coffee, like my last entry indicates, pairs beautifully with chocolate.

While I appreciated the concept of white and dark chocolate being opposing flavors, I wanted to add another profile to the two cupcake types. As such, I chose to use the "cone method" (see left) and fill the cupcakes. The basic process behind this is dragging a knife in a conical fashion to create a basin, which can then be filled with whatever filling is desired. The cone end is then cut off, leaving a cap with which to cover the filling. For these cupcakes, I chose to use raspberry for the white chocolate, and peanut butter for the dark chocolate. While I simply used plain raspberry preserves for the former, I made a mixture of cream cheese, peanut butter, and milk for the latter. The basic measurements were 2 ounces of cream cheese, 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, and a splash or two of milk. I mixed these items together until the mixture resembled a caramel whipped cream. The result for each filling was absolutely delicious! 

One small side note: the white chocolate cupcakes turned out beautifully shape-wise, whereas the chocolate cupcakes had appearances that resembled mushrooms. Nonetheless, they still tasted wonderful!

White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling and White Chocolate Frosting 
adapted via CAKE ON THE BRAIN and Diana's Desserts
Serves 12


Ingredients:
Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 oz white chocolate
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp baking soda

• Raspberry preserves (optional)

Frosting

• 4 1/2 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp (3/4 stick/3 oz./85g) unsalted butter, softened
• Pinch of salt

Directions

For cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350F. Melt chocolate with butter and water. Allow to cool slightly.In mixer, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add melted chocolate mixture to flour mixture and mix lightly. Add sour cream, vanilla, baking soda and egg and beat for 2 minutes. Divide batter evenly into cupcake liners and bake for 30 - 35 minutes Place pan on a rack for 10 minutes to cool. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For filling: if choosing to fill these cupcakes, use the "cone method" mentioned above, then fill each cupcake with about a spoonful of the preserves.

For frosting: Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temp. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the butter and salt and beat until smooth. Stir in the cooled white chocolate. Refrigerate until firm enough to frost the cupcakes, about 30 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Filling and Dark Chocolate Frosting

adpated via Ghirardelli 

Serves 12

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

• 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 5/8 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso
• 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter 

Filling

• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2-3 tbsp milk

Frosting

• 4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 tbsp (3/4 stick/3 oz./85g) unsalted butter, softened
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

For cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 cupcake molds or muffin tins with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray. To make the cupcakes, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk in the milk, coffee, and melted butter. Whisk in the dry ingredients. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake molds, filling them about three-quarters full.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, remove the cupcakes from the pan. Continue to cool on a wire rack to room temperature. 

For filling: combine peanut butter and cream cheese and mix for several minutes - it should look light and fluffy. Add the milk as needed.

For frosting: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temp. Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the butter and salt and beat until smooth. Stir in the cooled white chocolate. Refrigerate until firm enough to frost the cupcakes, about 30 minutes.

In Honor of Germany's Performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Okay, so German Chocolate Cake is by no means of German origin, but instead owes its name to Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate; a dark baking chocolate bar created by Englishman Samuel German. But I felt Germany deserved to be acknowledged for an extremely valiant effort in the 2010 FIFA Tournament, and this decadent dessert seems to do them justice regardless of origin. I had also promised my coworkers at From the Top that I would provide them with baked goods after having circulated this blog link around the office. So the choice: German Chocolate Cupcakes.

Let me preface this blog entry by saying the following: these cupcakes are not your standard "Betty Crocker" cupcakes that mushroom 6 inches above the pan. In fact, the tops are almost completely flat. But looks can be deceiving, and this cupcake has a few tricks up its sleeve. The first secret? Separating the eggs. Emulsifying the yolks into the batter then folding in the (whipped) egg whites separately create a texture that is both light and rich! The yolks provide the leavening agent, while the whites incorporate just enough air into the mix to create a fluffy consistency. The second secret: buttermilk! Now I have mentioned this in previous posts - I never purchase buttermilk for baking (unless it is an essential component to the overall taste, in which case I shell out the extra dime). But the simplicity of adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a cup of milk will produce the desired effect, and it is an effect that is by and far a leading contributor to the beautifully moist texture of these cupcakes.

Now on to the recipe: these cupcakes are from one of my favorite blogs - David Lebovitz. As a resident of Paris, he has learned that the French palate prefers desserts that are not as sugar-laden as American recipes. I personally find it a welcome change of pace considering it presents a dessert that relies more on the quality of its ingredients than on that extra cup or two of sugar.it calls for cake flour, but having never had the energy/funds to stock up on said ingredient, I always resort to all-purpose. The trick? Loosely-measuring all-purpose flour will produce the same effect as cake flour (as illustrated above). The buttermilk and cake flour shortcuts are two constants in my baking, and saviors to my wallet.

Another change: I used a mixture of unsweetened coconut with sweetened. This combintation produced a well-balanced frosting that wasn't too overwhelming or lacking in sweetness. I also doubled this recipe wanting to create 24 cupcakes...I ended up with 32. Not sure how that happened, but just be aware that this is a possibility. WARNING: upon finishing all the steps required for the batter, you will be tempted to take a spoon and eat it straight from the mixing bowl (see above). RESIST this temptation by all means and proceed to fill those cupcake liners. Trust me, the baked product is way worth it. But definitely feel free to have a spoonful (or five) of the frosting ;)

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Adapted (and Doubled) from David Lebovitz

24-28 cupcakes

Cupcakes

• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup boiling water or coffee
• 16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups loosely-measure all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (125 ml) buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar/lemon juice)

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
• 4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 cups sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted (or 1 1/2 cups of each)
• 2 cups chopped, toasted pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For Cupcakes: Preheat the open to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Pour the boiling water or coffee over the chocolate, and stir until melted. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Then mix in the vanilla and the melted chocolate. Whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a clean, dry bowl, whip the two egg whites until stiff, then fold one-third of them in to the chocolate batter, then the rest. Fold just into there are no streaks of white remaining, but don't overfold. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes, until the batter feels just set in the center. Remove from the oven, then let cool for a few minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the cupcakes from the muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack completely before frosting

For Frosting: Whisk together the evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium saucepan. Add the butter, then cook the mixture, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula over medium heat, like a custard, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spatula. Do not let boil.

Remove from heat and immediately whisk in the chocolate, stirring gently until melted. Then stir in the coconut, pecans, and vanilla. (If using just unsweetened coconut, you can add an additional teaspoon of brown sugar if it's not sweet enough, to your taste.) Let cool to room temperature, then use the frosting to ice the cupcakes, topping the cupcakes with a bit of toasted coconut as a garnish after you ice them, if you wish.