Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut

What do you do when you're snowbound?  For me there is something so comforting about staying in and cooking and baking when there's a storm or in this case, a blizzard outside.  It's 6pm and it has been snowing this entire day...in fact, it is still coming down.  I decided to look for a recipe for cupcakes that 1) Steve will enjoy and 2) that I have all the ingredients to make.  I found this cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart.  I decided to use it because it didn't call for special chocolate, just simple cocoa powder.  I think that it could have used some additional chocolate flavoring such as melted chocolate chips (which I had). The flavor was good and they were very moist but it wasn't that chocolaty.  I decided on a cream cheese frosting because I had cream cheese that had to be used this week or I was going to have to toss it.  So there you go!  Oh and the addition of the coconut was simply because I just found out (after 4 years!!!) that Steve really likes coconut.  Who knew?!?  I picked some up last week so I can make him something.  Isn't he lucky? haha

Chocolate Cupcakes
by Martha Stewart, marthastewart.com

Makes 12 Cupcakes


Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with your choice of icing.


Cream Cheese Frosting
by Martha Stewart, marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.

Frost cupcakes and top with toasted coconut.  

Note :  I used a makeshift piping bag (freezer bag) to put the frosting on and it was fun.  It was my first time doing it and I'm definitely awkward when it comes to decorating cakes and cupcakes but you get the idea.

 

Click Here for a Printable Recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes.

Click Here for a Printable Recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut

What do you do when you're snowbound?  For me there is something so comforting about staying in and cooking and baking when there's a storm or in this case, a blizzard outside.  It's 6pm and it has been snowing this entire day...in fact, it is still coming down.  I decided to look for a recipe for cupcakes that 1) Steve will enjoy and 2) that I have all the ingredients to make.  I found this cupcake recipe from Martha Stewart.  I decided to use it because it didn't call for special chocolate, just simple cocoa powder.  I think that it could have used some additional chocolate flavoring such as melted chocolate chips (which I had). The flavor was good and they were very moist but it wasn't that chocolaty.  I decided on a cream cheese frosting because I had cream cheese that had to be used this week or I was going to have to toss it.  So there you go!  Oh and the addition of the coconut was simply because I just found out (after 4 years!!!) that Steve really likes coconut.  Who knew?!?  I picked some up last week so I can make him something.  Isn't he lucky? haha

Chocolate Cupcakes
by Martha Stewart, marthastewart.com

Makes 12 Cupcakes


Ingredients:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup muffin pan, or use paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, and mix until combined. On low speed, beat in half the flour mixture, followed by milk; end with remaining flour mixture. Mix just until incorporated (do not overmix).

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan, 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with your choice of icing.


Cream Cheese Frosting
by Martha Stewart, marthastewart.com

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.

Frost cupcakes and top with toasted coconut.  

Note :  I used a makeshift piping bag (freezer bag) to put the frosting on and it was fun.  It was my first time doing it and I'm definitely awkward when it comes to decorating cakes and cupcakes but you get the idea.

 

Click Here for a Printable Recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes.

Click Here for a Printable Recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

It looks like these little muffins are making their way around the blogosphere.  I saw them on Cooking with LT about a week and a half ago and she got them from Cook with Sara.  They are so cute and I had all the ingredients so I knew I could make them some time between Christmas and New Year's eve and I did.  I only keep skim plus milk on hand and wasn't sure if that would be okay.  After reaching out to my friends on Bakespace and facebook, I was assured that they would be just find....and they were!  Like Laura says, they make more mini muffins/cupcakes than 24 which is what the original poster stated. The more the better, don't you think?  If you're looking for an easy, yummy and cute recipe you should definitely try these.


Cinnamon Sugar Mini Muffins (that taste like cupcakes!)

from Cooking with LT

Ingredients:

Muffins:

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Topping:

1 Tbsp. butter, melted (I needed a bit more)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl, beat together egg and sugar until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat just until combined (the mixture will be crumbly).

2)In a measuring cup, combine milk, oil and vanilla; add to flour mixture and mix well.

3) Pour into muffin cups or mini muffin cups lined with papers or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4) Cool for 10 minutes. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Melt butter in a second small bowl. When muffins are cool enough to handle, remove from muffin pans and dip muffin tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

It looks like these little muffins are making their way around the blogosphere.  I saw them on Cooking with LT about a week and a half ago and she got them from Cook with Sara.  They are so cute and I had all the ingredients so I knew I could make them some time between Christmas and New Year's eve and I did.  I only keep skim plus milk on hand and wasn't sure if that would be okay.  After reaching out to my friends on Bakespace and facebook, I was assured that they would be just find....and they were!  Like Laura says, they make more mini muffins/cupcakes than 24 which is what the original poster stated. The more the better, don't you think?  If you're looking for an easy, yummy and cute recipe you should definitely try these.


Cinnamon Sugar Mini Muffins (that taste like cupcakes!)

from Cooking with LT

Ingredients:

Muffins:

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Topping:

1 Tbsp. butter, melted (I needed a bit more)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon


Directions:

1) In a mixing bowl, beat together egg and sugar until fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat just until combined (the mixture will be crumbly).

2)In a measuring cup, combine milk, oil and vanilla; add to flour mixture and mix well.

3) Pour into muffin cups or mini muffin cups lined with papers or sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

4) Cool for 10 minutes. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Melt butter in a second small bowl. When muffins are cool enough to handle, remove from muffin pans and dip muffin tops in melted butter, then in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Easy and Festive Patriotic Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I know, I know, it's a little late for the 4th of July but that's okay because you can use this idea anytime this summer. Change the fruit on top to whatever you like. I even saw someone put roasted banana chips on top of their cupcakes recently. It looked fabulous!

This is really simple because I used a boxed cake mix. It's just safer that way for me but if you have a great white cake recipe definitely use it. The directions actually called for egg whites and the result was a a very light fluffy cupcake. Didn't taste like it was missing anything at all. The real kicker here is the cream cheese frosting. Who doesn't like that, right? It also is great for holding toppings. My friend DD from DDPie's Slice helped me out with the frosting but I did add a little extra cream cheese and therefore doubled the extracts. This is basically her recipe but she gave me the option of using shortening mixed with butter and told me to use water to thin it out. I just used a splash of milk....well, just because I never follow a recipe completely! haha Oh and sorry about the crappy picture. It was a long day and I was tired and was too rushed to take a picture in the morning.

Ingredients:

1 Betty Crocker White Cake mix - made into cupcakes according to box directions.
1 8oz bar of cream cheese - cold
1/2 stick of butter - room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract - I used DD's homemade!
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar
splash of milk to thin it out

Directions:

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add in the extracts and salt and mix. Then begin adding the powdered sugar, half at a time, mixing in between additions. (You may need a little more or a little less sugar, depends on the humidity) You can also add just a few tablespoons of milk if you need to get it to spreading consistency.

Ice the cupcakes and then add whatever fruit you like on top. I slice the strawberries and put a strawberry slice and some blueberries on each one. I wanted all three colors, red, white and blue. You can do all blueberries or raspberries or anything else you want. You can even top them with nuts. Go to town!

I wasn't sure but I kept these refrigerated just in case. What do I know about baking? ;-)

Easy and Festive Patriotic Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I know, I know, it's a little late for the 4th of July but that's okay because you can use this idea anytime this summer. Change the fruit on top to whatever you like. I even saw someone put roasted banana chips on top of their cupcakes recently. It looked fabulous!

This is really simple because I used a boxed cake mix. It's just safer that way for me but if you have a great white cake recipe definitely use it. The directions actually called for egg whites and the result was a a very light fluffy cupcake. Didn't taste like it was missing anything at all. The real kicker here is the cream cheese frosting. Who doesn't like that, right? It also is great for holding toppings. My friend DD from DDPie's Slice helped me out with the frosting but I did add a little extra cream cheese and therefore doubled the extracts. This is basically her recipe but she gave me the option of using shortening mixed with butter and told me to use water to thin it out. I just used a splash of milk....well, just because I never follow a recipe completely! haha Oh and sorry about the crappy picture. It was a long day and I was tired and was too rushed to take a picture in the morning.

Ingredients:

1 Betty Crocker White Cake mix - made into cupcakes according to box directions.
1 8oz bar of cream cheese - cold
1/2 stick of butter - room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract - I used DD's homemade!
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups powdered sugar
splash of milk to thin it out

Directions:

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Add in the extracts and salt and mix. Then begin adding the powdered sugar, half at a time, mixing in between additions. (You may need a little more or a little less sugar, depends on the humidity) You can also add just a few tablespoons of milk if you need to get it to spreading consistency.

Ice the cupcakes and then add whatever fruit you like on top. I slice the strawberries and put a strawberry slice and some blueberries on each one. I wanted all three colors, red, white and blue. You can do all blueberries or raspberries or anything else you want. You can even top them with nuts. Go to town!

I wasn't sure but I kept these refrigerated just in case. What do I know about baking? ;-)