Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

Monday night the boys and I headed over to Fenton's Creamery.  Fenton's has been in Oakland for over 100 years and has the best ice cream sundaes around!  I have been visiting since I was a little girl and continued all through college and now I take my kids there.  Both of my boys were born in a hospital down the street from the creamery and my only request after each of their births was for an ice cream sundae, which my Mom hand delivered to the recovery room (snuck those suckers right past the nurse's station!)

They have all of these crazy sundaes with wild mixtures of flavors and fun names, but for me it's all about a single scoop hot fudge sundae.  I don't need anything super fancy, just really good ice cream and LOTS of hot fudge and of course, the cherry on top!

I came home Monday and couldn't stop thinking about how much fun it would be to make a cupcake that looked like a sundae.  I could make a fudgy cupcake to resemble the scoop of chocolate ice cream; the vanilla swiss meringue buttercream (big shocker) would look like whipped cream but taste more like a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream; drizzle homemade (or store bought) caramel sauce and homemade (or store bought) fudge sauce over the top and add a cherry!  VOILA....Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes!

I think these are the very epitome of a celebration cupcake, they just look so fun and festive!  Um...they are also irresistible, the boys and I actually ate them  before dinner!  What?!  There's nothing wrong with that!  Cupcakes make fabulous appetizers!  Really....trust me....I'm starting a trend!

Just look at how cute they turned out!  Don't you want to make some??

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

The Cupcake:  via Barefoot Contessa At Home

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


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 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 and bake in the middle of the oven for approx 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream:


5 large egg whites
11/2 cup sugar
4 sticks butter, diced and softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 150 degrees F while whisking constantly.

Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume, forming stiff peaks.

Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate.. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing (may take a few minutes on high) and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine.

Assemble Cupcake:

Frost cooled cupcakes to look like whipped cream.  Drizzle hot fudge sauce and caramel sauce  over the buttercream and top with a cherry!  Feel free to use store bought sauces or make homemade.  Keep it simple!  :)



Recipe Shared On:
Weekend Kitchen Creations
Adorned From Above - Wednesdays Blog Hop
21st Century Housewife - Hearth and Soul Blog Hop
My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays
Chocolate, Chocolate, and More - Thursdays Treasures
Foodie Friends Friday

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream

I'm still on the look-out for the perfect vanilla cupcake!  I actually don't have a problem with cakes made from a box.  I often doctor up box mixes to make cakes and cupcakes.  But I LOVE the taste of homemade cakes, especially when you can taste all of that fresh vanilla bean or whatever REAL ingredients you put in there.  The only problem I really have is that homemade cakes are rarely as moist as those made from a box and I am determined to find the perfect recipe.

I do really love my vanilla bean cupcakes but I'm still looking for the perfect recipe!  I thought I'd give Brown Eyed Baker's recipe a try.  Michelle makes some fabulous baked goods and I trust her to have a great recipe!  This one did not disappoint!  Very moist cupcake,  tight crumb but not too dense.  I was a little concerned with all of the egg yolks, but it was still fairly fluffy.  I added vanilla bean seeds as well as vanilla extract, I love to see those little seeds when I eat a cupcake.  

 Now for the shocker.....I did not make Swiss Meringue Buttercream!  (gasp!)  I know....I am getting a bit of a reputation as an addict, but I started my 12 step program and step 5 is "try another frosting".  So I did!  I actually just made a very simple vanilla buttercream....with extra vanilla extract.  Hey...you are lucky there were no vanilla bean seeds in it, I really have a problem!  The frosting was delish...I thinned it out with a little  bit of cream so it was not too thick and it was perfect for the cupcake!  Ok...I will admit it....not EVERY cupcake needs to have Swiss Meringue.  There, I said it!  Now go make a batch of these yummy and very easy cupcakes!

Hope you all have a great weekend!!

Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

makes 12 cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), room temperature

½ cup sour cream

1 large egg , room temperature

2 large egg yolks , room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pan with liners.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla and vanilla seeds; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.

Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons cream

Using mixer, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.

Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Add cream slowly and beat until desired consistency.

Frost cupcakes and enjoy!

Recipe shared on:
Weekend Kitchen Creations
Foodie Friends Friday
Chocolate, Chocolate, and More - Thursday's Treasures
The 21st Century Housewife - Gallery of Favorites

Lemon Cornmeal Scones with Dried Cherries

The boys and I decided to make the second week of winter break a week of gift card adventures.  We had gift cards for movie theaters, starbucks, restaurants, etc.  Believe it or not, you can plan entire days around your gift cards.  Soooo much fun!  On one of these days we went into San Francisco for the day and walked the park, visited an art museum, and drove around site seeing.  In the afternoon the boys were craving a treat from a bakery so I took them to a bakery I love, Arizmendi Bakery.  Arizmendi Bakery is a worker-owned cooperative specializing in morning pastries, artisan breads and gourmet pizza.  Lots of cool stuff!  I tried their Cornmeal Cherry Scone.....YUM!

Had to recreate!  One of my favorite bakers is the author of a cookbook called "Bake!", Nick Malgieri.  His books are awesome but you can also visit his website.  On his site I found a recipe for Lemon Cornmeal Scones with Dried Cherries.  

Very easy recipe, went together quickly and no need for any special tools, just your hands, a fork and a mixing spoon!

The cornmeal may sound a little strange but it is really good, adds a little texture that is different from a regular scone.  Not a very sweet scone, so I added a little glaze of lemon juice, zest and powdered sugar.  It is not in the original recipe but I like the added lemon flavor and the little flecks of zest on top of the scones.

These are perfect for breakfast, tea time, or brunch!  Pop open the champagne, make some mimosas and ENJOY!!!

Lemon Cornmeal Scones with Dried Cherries adapted from Nick Malgieri

Makes 12 Scones

2 cups all-purpose bleached flour

1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup dried sour cherries, about 5 ounces

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan covered with parchment or foil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and set a rack in the middle level.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Cut butter into 12 pieces and rub evenly into dry ingredients, until mixture has the appearance of fine cornmeal. Add cherries.

Whisk egg, milk, zest and vanilla together and stir into flour and butter mixture with a fork, to form a smooth dough.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces and form each piece into a 5-inch disk. Using a sharp, floured knife, divide each disk into four wedges. Place on pan, leaving 2 inches between scones on all sides.

Bake scones at 450 degrees until they are firm, but not dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Watch closely to be sure they do not color too deeply.

Recipe shared on:

Foodie Friends Friday

Chocolate, Chocolate and More - Thursday's Treasures

My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays

Confetti Cupcakes

Yes, I know....I disappeared again!  I spent the last three weeks of December baking for clients but had no time to do any photographing or blogging.  Right now I'm working on baking my New Years Eve specials.  For this holiday I offered Snowball Cupcakes (aka my Coconut Cupcakes) and Confetti Cupcakes.  I thought these were perfect desserts to offer for winter time celebrating!

I really wanted to offer a champagne cupcake but I still haven't had success with those, gotta keep working on creating the perfect champagne cupcake....maybe by NYE next year!

I have never actually had a "Funfetti" cupcake from the box but I have seen people serve them over the years and they look like a celebration cupcake to me.  I thought they would be so much fun to make from scratch and the perfect cupcake to offer for NYE (or a Birthday, for that matter).  I LOVE when people start tossing out the confetti at midnight on New Years.  I love to see the sky littered with colors, raining down over everyone.  That is what I hoped to capture with these cupcakes!

I bought several different colors of jimmies (the best candies to use for these cupcakes because they melt best) and mixed them myself.  I wanted all of the bright, happy colors!  Then I made a vanilla white cupcake batter and mixed them in.  

I probably could have added more jimmies to the mix, but I like that there's not too many.  I want to be able to taste all of that yummy vanilla bean and have the colorful jimmies just be there for the added color.

Most of the time people frost their Confetti Cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream but I am in love with my Seven Minute Frosting recipe and I think it is soooooo good on ANY cupcake.  Besides, who doesn't LOVE that marshmallow flavor laced with vanilla?  Plus, it's super light and fluffy and we have had enough heavy, rich foods to last us a few months!

I don't want to toot my own horn....but......"TOOT TOOT"!!!  I think these cupcakes are sooooo cute!  Plus....they are delicious!  My boys loved them and so did my clients!

Make these cupcakes, pop the cork on the champagne bottle and let's celebrate!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Confetti Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

6 tbsp butter, room temperature

1 large egg + 1 egg white, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (my preference)

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp rainbow sprinkles + more to decorate the top of the cupcake after frosting

Preheat oven to 350F and line cupcake pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a mixer, beat the sugar and butter until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating on low.  Add vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions, ending with the flour mixture. Fold in 2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for about 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack before frosting.  Pipe or spoon Seven Minute Frosting onto each cupcake and decorate with remaining sprinkles.

Seven Minute Frosting

makes enough frosting for 3 dozen cupcakes

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Place all ingredients, except vanilla, in top of a double boiler.  Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan.  Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and beat in vanilla.

Recipe shared on:
My Turn For Us - Freedom Friday's
Adorned From Above - Wednesday Blog Hop
Chocolate, Chocolate, and more - Thursday's Treasures
Foodie Friends Friday

Happy Blogiversary To Me!!! (Oh...and Jamoca Almond Fudge Cupcakes)

One year ago today my blog was born!  The blog was an idea I had played around with for a while and one final push from my niece Samantha got me going.  She was the one who encouraged me to go to blogspot.com and get this blog started!  I did it and I am so happy that I did.  This is a place where I can be creative and express myself.  I absolutely love baking, I always have and I am thrilled to be able to share this love with people!

Thanks to all of you who support me and encourage me and read my posts and make my recipes. A big thanks to my kids and my Mom and all of my friends who act as taste testers for my creations!  I am still amazed and thrilled that so many people follow me!  In one short year I have over 92 who subscribe via Google, 87 who subscribe via email and I just passed 300 "likes" on Facebook!  Not too bad for someone who squeezes blogging into an insanely busy schedule!

This being my blogiversary and my 85th published post, I thought it should be a special one!  Cupcakes seem to be my most popular posts so I created a special cupcake just for me!

When I was in college, I worked for a Doctors billing office.  My sister managed the office and there was a great group of people working there, including my Mom!  We had a blast!!  Lots of potlucks and office parties and for every Birthday, we would get a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Cake.  My favorite flavor was Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream Cake!  I Love the coffee ice cream with chocolate fudge ribbons running through it and toasted almonds.  So yummy!  These are the flavors I decided to use to create my special cupcake!  A chocolate fudge cupcake with coffee swiss meringue buttercream, fudge sauce drizzled over the top and a sprinkling of sliced almonds!

What a way to celebrate!  The taste of these cupcakes takes me back to all of those office parties and that yummy Baskin Robbins Ice Cream!

Thanks again for sharing this journey with me and for reading my blog!  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!

~ Becky ~

Jamoca Almond Fudge Cupcakes


Cupcake adapted from Alice Medrich
2 cup all purpose flour
2 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup plus 4 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and warm
4 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup hot coffee

Line cupcake pan with paper liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add half of the water and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining water. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour.

Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 16- 18 minutes (rotating the pan from front to back half-way through the baking time), just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool for ten minutes. Transfer the cupcakes from the pan to the rack and let them cool completely before frosting or filling.  Makes 24 cupcakes.

Coffee Swiss Meringue Buttercream

5 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 sticks butter, diced and softened
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder disolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water

Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water. Bring mixture to 150 degrees F (or until sugar is completely disolved) while whisking constantly.

Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixture cools and doubles in volume.

Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition. The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking-this is normal. Keep mixing and it will become even and smooth again. Add salt and vanilla and mix to combine. Add espresso mixture and mix to incorporate.

Assemble Cupcakes
1/4 cup Hot Fudge Sauce, heated to pouring temperature (then cooled to room temperature)
1/4 cup toasted almond slices

Pipe buttercream frosting on cupcakes.  Place hot fudge sauce into a piping bag or ziplock sandwich bag, cut  off the tip and drizzle over each cupcake.  Sprinkle with toasted almond slices and EAT!

Enjoy!

Recipe shared on:
Adorned From Above - Wednesday Blog Hop
21st Century Housewife - Hearth and Soul Hop
Chocolate, Chocolate, and More - Thursday's Treasures
Foodie Friends Friday

Peppermint Cupcakes

Happy Monday!  Let's start this post by saying that my Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are being featured on Foodie Friends Daily Dish!  Yay me!!  :)  Head on over and check out all of the wonderful cookie recipes!

Now on to these fabulous cupcakes!  This weekend was filled with TONS of baking!  The kind of baking weekend when you think "chocolate, please don't ever let me see chocolate again....or flour or butter".  Wait a minute....I can't live without butter, so scratch the end of that comment!  But I did bake a lot and will be doing a lot more this week.  

The highlight of my baking weekend.....Peppermint Cupcakes!  A rich chocolate cupcake topped with peppermint cream cheese frosting!  Trust me....the frosting was fabulous!  Cream Cheese frosting is one of my favorites so I had to see if it would pair well with the peppermint and luckily it was perfect!!!

Next time I make these, I might even put a little of the extract right into the cupcake batter and give it an extra kick!  The cupcakes can be made and frosted in advance.  Refrigerate any leftovers.  My tip for you is this....do not add the crushed candy canes too early, the candy canes will melt into the frosting after a few hours.  

Big shout out of thanks to my friend's daughter, Nina, who photographed my cupcakes this weekend! She has her own photography blog called Nina Ten Eleven - See The World Through My Eyes.  Click on the name to link to her blog and check it out! 

Somebody was getting herself into the holiday spirit!  My own little reindeer named Cocoa!  :)

Peppermint Cupcakes

Cupcake via Alice Medrich

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and warm

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

Line cupcake pan with paper liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly. Add the butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Add half of the water and beat for 20 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the remaining water. Beat for 20-30 seconds until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin enough to pour. 

Divide it evenly among the lined cups. Bake 16- 18 minutes (rotating the pan from front to back half-way through the baking time), just until a toothpick inserted into a few of the cupcakes comes out clean. Set the pan on a rack to cool for ten minutes. Transfer the cupcakes from the pan to the rack and let them cool completely before frosting or filling.  Makes twelve cupcakes

Frosting

1/2 C. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese 

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

4 C. powdered sugar

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. add peppermint extract and slowly add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Pipe or spread desired amount onto cupcakes.  Sprinkle with crushed candy canes if desired.

Recipe makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes so you will have to double that cupcake recipe or get your spoon ready to eat the left over frosting!! :)

Recipe shared on:
Food Frenzy
Chocolate, Chocolate and More Chocolate - Thursday's Treasures

My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays
Adorned From Above - Wednesday Blog Hop
Foodie Friends Friday

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Even though I am famous for my cupcakes....cookies are really my favorite.  I love them all.  Chocolate chip, oatmeal, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles......ALL of them!  It's funny that I am so experimental with cupcakes but more of a purist with cookies, so I figured it was time for me to branch out and make a cookie with a little more oompf!  This recipe comes straight to you from Better Homes and Gardens.  I followed it exactly as written for this post.

The cookie base is very chocolatey, I used Dutch process cocoa which made for a deeper, richer chocolate flavor.  Very much like a brownie!  The cookie dough is rolled into balls, dipped in egg white and rolled in the chopped pecans.  At this point a normal person would use their thumb to make the thumbprint in the cookie, but I'm not normal!  Plus, we all know I have dozens of wine corks laying around!  So if you don't want to use your thumb, you can use a wine cork, or the back of a measuring spoon, to make the indention in the cookies.

The baked cookies are filled with gooey caramel filling!  My tip to you would be to melt your caramels in cream and leave the pan on the stove with the burner turned off.  This will help keep the caramel pourable so that you don't have to keep re-heating it after each batch is baked.

I finished off my cookies by drizzling melted chocolate over the top!  So pretty and so yummy!

Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies via Better Homes and Garden
Makes 36 cookies

1 egg
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
3 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/4 cups finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon shortening

Separate egg; place yolk and white in separate bowls. Cover and chill egg white until needed. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat well. Beat in egg yolk, milk, and vanilla.

In another bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat until well combined. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan heat and stir caramels and whipping cream over low heat until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Slightly beat reserved egg white. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in egg white, then roll in the chopped pecans.  Place on cookie sheet and using your thumb (or a wine cork), make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are firm. If cookie centers puff during baking, repress with your thumb. Spoon melted caramel mixture into indentations of cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. (If necessary, reheat caramel mixture to keep it spoonable.)

In another saucepan heat and stir chocolate pieces and shortening over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly. Drizzle chocolate mixture over tops of cookies. Let stand until chocolate is set.

Recipe shared on:
Food Frenzy
The 21st Century Housewife - Hearth & Soul Blog Hop
Kristina & Kayle's Christmas Cookie Exchange - The Cooking Actress
Kristina & Kayle's Christmas Cookie Exchange - Whipped
Chocolate, Chocolate & More - Thursdays Treasures

My Turn For Us - Freedom Fridays
Foodie Friends Friday
Adorned From Above - Linky Party