Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream

I totally swiped this recipe from Amy at fearlesshomemaker.com. Dark chocolate? Coconut? Oh yeah, I'm in. I did very little altering as she knows what she is doing. 

These are absolutely amazing. Moist dark chocolate paired with creamy coconut frosting. The combination of textures and flavors, you can't get that from a box. Plus, these are cupcakes, and I have never been one who could pass up a cupcake. Like ever.

Make sure you give yourself some time to make these. Your life will be changed for the better.

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. coconut extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions for cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with liners.

Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa in a heat proof  bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat until combined and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl. Whisk eggs in a separate bowl. Add sugar, vanilla and salt to eggs and stir well. Add cooled chocolate and whisk until combined.

Sift about a 1/3 of the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add sour cream, then remaining flour mixture. Whisk until thick. Add coconut, mixing well. 

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 12 - 14 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Ingredients for coconut buttercream:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp. coconut extract

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions for buttercream:

Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time beating well after each addition, about 5 minutes.

Add coconut extract and beat until buttercream is smooth. Add coconut and blend until well combined. 

Frost cooled cupcakes.

Christmas Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I think we can all agree that I am not the best cupcake decorator out there. These originally started out as Christmas "tree" cupcakes but the tree part got lost when I just started making leaning towers of frosting instead of anything that resembled a tree. I am perfectly OK with that since these are festive enough for me and were so much fun to make. They are also really really moist and delicious!


I used Baker's Corner Holiday Confetti box cake mix for the cupcakes. I have not used Baker's Corner products before and can I just say I am extremely impressed?! John found the cute cupcake present liners at our local Dollar store. 

confetti Christmas colors - love it!

So start off with your favorite cupcake recipe, boxed or otherwise. Then whip up this vanilla buttercream frosting.


Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract


In a bowl, combine butter, sugar and salt. Beat until blended.


Add the milk and vanilla. Beat for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy.


I then used this handy little bottle of Wilton's Leaf Green Icing color. 4 dipped toothpicks produced this green which is exactly what I was looking for. I also saved about 4 tablespoons and used liquid yellow egg dye (food coloring) for the yellow tops.

 I used the small star shaped tip on my Wilton's cake decorating tool to make the frosting more "fun" than just using a frosting knife. Your choice. Add sprinkles for even more fun.

I keep these in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Get the kids to help with these too! Have fun. :) 

Thanksgiving Tepee Cupcakes

 recipe from stiesthoughts.blogspot.com

Aren't these just so darn cute?! I love creative people. I love it even better when creative people are willing to share their "how tos" for the rest of us to try! These were so much fun and the whole family helped, giving us some quality time together in the kitchen. 

I'll get right down to the good stuff!

Ingredients:

1 cake mix, flavor of your choice

sugar cones

pretzel rods

handful of chocolate chips

sprinkles

disposable aluminum baking pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix according to package instructions.

Turn disposable baking pan upside down and poke with small holes. (use something small and round if you can compared to horizontal slits in the pan. This will help keep the cones upright while baking) Fill sugar cones 2/3 full and stand them in the holes made in the pan.

*Keep an eye on them to make sure they don't topple over while baking. You WILL have to reach in your oven and stand most of them back up as they are baking. Please be careful not to burn yourself!

Bake on lowest rack in oven for about 10 - 12 minutes or until batter springs back lightly when touched. Remove from oven and immediately snip off the bottom of the sugar cone - the pointed end- (which will now become the top of your tepee). You must do this immediately while the cone is warm and soft or it will break into pieces.

You can also snip off the end of the cupcake too if it is too rounded (to ensure your tepee stands up straight).

Take 3 pretzel rods and stick them on the top of your tepee. Melt a handful of chocolate chips in the microwave and stir until smooth. Dip the bottom of your tepee in the chocolate. This seals the bottom of the cupcake in and also gives you your frosting.  Then roll it in green sprinkles (for grass).    

Lastly, take a little melted chocolate and pipe it around the pretzels to hold them in place.

Daddy helping Spencer dip his tepee in the chocolate.

Sprinkle time!

 I used some scrapbooking supplies to decorate some marshmallows for my Pilgrims and Indians. Our friend "Nicole" (far left) stopped by our village.

Hootin' Halloween Cupcakes

recipe idea from 6bittersweets.com

Boy, did I have fun making these cupcakes! They are part baking and part craft and would be so neat to share at a Halloween party. The kids would also have a blast helping and making some great owl faces. 


You could go the easier route and buy a packaged cupcake mix and frosting. However, if you can, you have to make these cupcakes as they were so good! I had a very hard time not eating them in mass quantities. Luckily I made them for Spencer's birthday party last week and sent some home with friends. 


Cookies and Cream Cupcakes


Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped Oreo cookies (about 10 cookies)


Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 muffin pans with baking liners.


Whisk together milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Then add sugar and vanilla and beat until foamy with a hand mixer. 


In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add, in two batches, to the wet ingredients. Beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are ok). Gently fold in chopped Oreos.


Fill liners 3/4 full with batter. Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to cool rack and cool completely before frosting.


Chocolate Ganache Frosting:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 oz. semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 & 1/2 Tbls. light corn syrup


Combine the chocolate and cream in medium microwave safe bowl. Try to submerge the chocolate as much as possible. Microwave on medium for 1 minute. Stir and heat again in 15 second increments, stirring thoroughly each time until melted. Stir in corn syrup. Let cool and thicken (in fridge if needed) before using.


Making owl faces:


Ingredients:


1 package Oreo cookies, original
1 box Junior Mints
1 small bag of M&M or Reese's Pieces


Split Oreos crosswise, keeping the cream side whole. Microwaving 5 cookies at a time for 5 seconds helps keep the cream side solid. Use the dull side of a pairing knife to remove crumbs and to smooth the cream.


Sides without cream will be used for ears. Make 2 parallel cuts with a serrated knife 1/2 inch from rounded side, discarding the center strip left over.


Pair up the cream sides similar in amounts of cream. Gently push Junior Mints into the cream for the eyes. Be creative and put them in different directions or even cross eyed!.


Use a small spoon to smooth the Ganache frosting onto the top of the cooled cupcakes. Place decorated cream side cookies cream side up halves on the middle of the cupcakes. Gently push into frosting.


To make the ears, attach the cut cream-less Oreo cookie parts above the eyes, textured side facing up and rounded edges inward. These should hang over the edge of the cupcakes but be sure to press them into the frosting where possible.


Lastly press the M&Ms/Reese's Pieces (standing on their sides), between and slightly below the eyes, as beaks. 


Now show them off  to everyone!!

A girl owl! I used a scrapbooking bow I had for this. I put a small amount of chocolate frosting on the tip of the ear and pressed the bow into it. Too cute!

Shark Cupcakes

recipes from MarthaStewart.com

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup (1 &1/2 sticks unsalted butter), room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin tins with paper liners.

Sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in two batches; alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. 

Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 cups full. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, transfer to wire rack to cool completely, then frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese

8 Tbls. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter and continue beating until smooth. Sift in confectioner's sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla, stir to combine.

To color frosting blue (like the ocean), gradually add blue food coloring until you get desired color. Use blue construction paper to cut shark fins. Great activity to include the kids in!