Recipes Discovered – Recipes

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes:

• 1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream

Whiskey Ganache Filling:

• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (such as Jameson)

Irish Cream Frosting:

• 3 to 4 cups confections sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperate
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Irish Cream liquor (Bailey’s)

Directions:

Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey  and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out (great snacks!). Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Frost and decorate the cupcakes. The frosting only makes enough to make for a small amount on each cupcake. Between the filling and frosting, the cupcakes are incredible rich and don’t really need a lot of frosting. However, if you like a heavily frosted cupcake, double the amounts.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I think I would skip the butter in the ganache filling if I make these again. It tended to separate if it wasn’t stirred a lot and didn’t really add a lot (except a nice shine, but that’s hidden inside the cupcakes).

Recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 heaping teaspoons grated key lime zest
• 3 tablespoons key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 2/3 cups loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (7 ounces)

Frosting:

• 5 ounces white chocolate, chopped into small chucks
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
•  1/4 cup sour cream
• Finely grated key lime zest and coconut, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. Melt the chocolate and then let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated.

Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest and coconut.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Ultimate Recipe Showdown.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

nocoupons

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 cups grated carrots (less than 1 pound)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pound confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Beat the sugar, oil, and vanilla together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs, 1 at a time. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the grated carrots, raisins, and walnuts to the remaining flour, mix well, and add to the batter. Mix until just combined.

Line muffin pans with paper liners. Scoop the batter into muffin cups until each is 3/4 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and cook for a further 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack.

For the frosting, cream the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.

When the cupcakes are cool, frost them generously and serve.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I changed the recipe quite a bit: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 2/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce, 2/3 cup oil, 1 1/2 cup white flour, 1/2 cup wheat flour, and only 1/4 pound (1 stick) of butter in the frosting. I think the changes would have been perfect (except I would only use 1 1/2 cups sugar total next time), except the baking time is way off. I would say bake them at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. The recipe makes a lot of frosting – it could easily be cut down, probably even in half.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 3/8 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Batter:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-3 tablespoons milk or cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake papers.

To make the filling, cream the butter and both sugars. Beat in the flour and powdered sugar until blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Divide into 24 balls and set aside.

To make the batter, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Drop a filling ball into the center of each cupcake.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Combine the melted chocolate with the butter, and beat until well blended. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk or cream to make a spreadable frosting.

When cupcakes are cook, spread a thin layer of frosting over each cupcake.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

I spread some of the cupcake batter over the filling balls and they ended up sinking to the bottom – not sure if that’s why or not, but something to think about for next time. The frosting was a little too sweet for me as well. I liked the chocolate though, so maybe a ganache would be better. The cupcakes themselves were good, just need a little tweaking to get a thumbs up.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home and Magnolia Bakery.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Glaze:

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 6 pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease 12 muffin tins or use paper liners.

Whisk together the flour,cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then yolk, beating for 1 minute, after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce mixer speed to low, and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes, before unmolding them. Cool to room temperature.

To make the glaze, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for 5 minutes. Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter. The glaze may be very thin at this point or may be perfectly spreadable. If it is too thin to spread or use as a dip (dip the tops of the cakes into the ganache, then give the cakes a little twirl as you pull them out, so they have a squiggle of glaze in the center), stir it over ice water for a few seconds – really less than a minute. With a small metal icing spatula, give each cupcake a crown of shiny ganache, and let the glaze set at room temperature (or in the fridge if you are in a hurry). If the ganache loses its gloss and you miss it, give the tops of the cakes a puff of hot air from a hairdryer right before serving.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Although the chocolate glaze is delicious, my love of peanut butter prevailed, so I filled and frosted the cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

Recipe courtesy of Baking: From My Home to Yours

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup plus 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
• 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Beat cream cheese, egg, and 1/3 cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stir in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center, and add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix just until blended.

Fill each muffin cup one-third full with the chocolate batter. Top with a spoonful of cream cheese mixture, until cups are about two-thirds full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops spring back lightly when touched.

Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

The original recipe calls for double of the chocolate batter, but I think the recipe as written here provides a better chocolate/cream cheese balance.

Recipe courtesy of Kristy Frey.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
  
• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup good cocoa powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Peanut Butter Frosting
• Chopped salted peanuts, to decorate, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended.

Divide the batter among the cupcake pans (1 standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount, about 1/4 cup). Bake in the middle of the oven for 12 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting and sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

One batch of the Peanut Butter Frosting barely covered all 24 cupcakes, so next time I will make one and a half batches.

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup granola
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the melted butter and blend. Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and mashed bananas, and add them to the flour-and-butter mixture. Scrape the bowl and blend well. Don’t overmix.

Fold the walnuts, granola, and coconut into the batter. Spoon the batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. Muffins can be topped with dried banana chips, granola, or coconut, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.

Makes 24 muffins.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples (about 2 small apples)

Crumble Topping:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted cold butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffins tins with paper liners.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after the addition of each. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients, alternating with the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the apples. Divide the batter equally between the muffin tins, filling each about 2/3 full.

To make the topping, in a bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, pecans, and butter, and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the topping over each muffins. Bake until golden brown and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before removing from the tins. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 muffins.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse.

Read my review of this recipe.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk

Pastry Cream:

• 2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:

• 16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Cupcakes: Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners or grease pans.

In large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds or until mixture is smooth and satiny. Divide batter evenly among 24 cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks. (Never let the mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.) Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste. Set aside. Meanwhile in a saucepan bring the milk to boiling over medium heat. (The milk will foam up to the top of pan when done, so watch carefully.) Remove from heat and add slowly to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.)
Place the egg mixture back into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, continue to whisk constantly for another 30 – 60 seconds until it becomes thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let the cream cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Chocolate Glaze: Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Set aside. Bring the cream just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a 3-5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Set aside until it has thickened to pouring consistency.

To assemble: Fill a pastry bag with the pastry cream. Using a long, narrow tip, press into each cupcake and fill accordingly. Spread ganache over each cupcake. Refrigerate a few hours before serving to allow the glaze to set and flavors to mingle. Allow cupcakes to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) before serving.

Nutrition:

Substitutions:

Recipe courtesy of epicurious.