Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Mint Infused Whipped Cream

This past weekend I attended (and spoke at) the Blogher food conference. I wish I had a great, in depth rundown for you, but I find myself still processing it. It was fantastic to finally meet my friends from the kitchen generation, overwhelmingly fantastic, actually. It was like we had known each other for years and years. We shared hotel rooms, went to dinner together, and laughed late into the night. I also met some other really fantastic people, folks who’s blogs I’ve read for ages. That was surreal.





I went to several of the sessions, but the one that has really stuck with me was the amazing photography & food styling session with Aran, Tami and Stephanie. It was the only session in which I took notes - pages of them. The way they talked about their evolution, passion & technique was inspiring.



As soon as I got home, all I wanted to do was take pictures. Monday & Tuesday were so busy though, today was the first time I’ve had the chance.





I tried implementing a few of points that they made, I’m not sure how successfully, but it was great to have that new knowledge to work from. Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!



While out running errands this morning, I picked up this pretty little mint plant. I knew immediately what I wanted to make, an idea that had been bouncing around in my head for a while. The cupcake it’s self is rich and moist, using the fantastic Scharffen Berger cocoa powder I received at the conference, and buttermilk. I’m in love with Scharffen Berger products. If you have a chance, pick up one of their mocha dark chocolate bars. They will blow your mind.

Since it’s been so warm lately, I decided I wanted to make this a little bit lighter than your usual cupcake, opting to use a whipped cream instead of buttercream. I infused the cream with the mint, and sweetened it lightly. I think this is my favorite cupcake topping, ever. Infusing it with real mint as opposed to using mint extract is what makes it so good.



Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Mint Infused Whipped Cream
Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
7 tablespoons buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, combine cocoa and 5 tablespoons hot water until a thick paste forms (this process intensifies the chocolate flavor). Add butter, buttermilk, egg, and egg white; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth.

Scoop batter into prepared tin. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Top with whipped cream, recipe below

Mint Infused Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream
3-4 sprigs, fresh mint (i used sweet mint, you could use spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, etc)
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar (more if you like it sweeter)

Crush mint leaves a bit, then place in a medium sized bowl, pour heavy cream over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours to overnight (i refrigerated for about 5 hours, and while the cream was minty, it wasn’t nearly minty enough. I’d recommend keeping it in the fridge overnight.)

Remove mint from heavy cream, add powdered sugar and by hand or using an electric mixer, whip until soft peaks form.

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These are need-no-special-occasion cupcakes. Actually, they aren’t really cupcakes at all, but muffins. Throw on some pretty white icing though, some sprinkles and some coconut, like a fancy new dress and a set of pearls, and it’s transformed into a cupcake. The muffin-like base, chock full of carrot and pineapple is accented perfectly by the sweet-tangy cream cheese frosting. Great for a Tuesday afternoon.



Especially if it’s a Tuesday afternoon like this one, all dark and gloomy. These are a sure fire way to brighten your day.



Carrot Cupcakes
adapted from epicurious
Makes about 9 regular sized cupcakes

2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil, hazelnut oil, or walnut oil
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out, as I’m allergic)
1/2 cup chopped, drained pineapple
1 cup finely grated carrot

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake pan with liners. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs until blended, and then stir the egg mixture into the flour with a rubber spatula. Fold in the walnuts, pineapple, and grated carrot.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 25 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.


Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounce bar cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
shredded coconut

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Frost cupcakes, and garnish with shredded coconut.

NOTE: This won’t make enough to generously frost each cupcake. You might want to double it.

P.S. The lovely Sean from Take Thou Food posted an interview with me today! You can see that here. Thanks, Sean!

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting and Michelle Branch

My family is kind of crazy. Our life is essentially one giant musical, we are constantly singing. Any word or phrase can set us off. You say close your eyes? We start singing The Bangles “Close your eyes...give me your hand, darling!” Down South? Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Headed down south to the land of the pines...”





Another one in rotation is Michelle Branch’s Breathe. It’s perfect for a real life musical, it just slips off the tongue. “If I just breaaatthhheee, let it fill the space between...” It’s a fun song.



Yesterday night I noticed that I was gaining a lot of followers on twitter, and lots of hits on my blog. I checked my site meter to see where they were coming from. Twitter, twitter, twitter, and then twitter.com/michellebranch. Michelle Branch? Seriously? I thought I was mistaken, it was Michelle B. Ranch or something. Then I clicked on the link, Michelle Branch had tweeted about me. She said my blog was one of her favorites. Um, what? That’s crazy.



Although it’s great to hear a famous person likes my blog, I have to say I appreciate every comment, tweet, and email I receive from you guys, famous or not. That’s part of the reason I love doing this, knowing someone out there enjoys it. So thank you for stopping by.

In celebration of life’s unexpected joys I bring you Pumpkin Cupcakes. These are really lovely, fluffy and light. I’m not crazy about the frosting though, the consistency didn’t seem right. You might want to experiment with something else. I topped mine with maple sugar that Brien Maple Syrup sent me a while back, but pumpkin spice would probably do the trick.



Pumpkin Cupcakes With Maple–Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from David Leite via Smitten Kitchen
Yield: 17 to 18 cupcakes

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans

1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk mixed with 1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin

Frosting

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.

2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.

3. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Make the frosting:

In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy.

Hummingbird Cupcakes with Orange Marmalade Frosting.

Several years ago my mom was catering a ladies tea at my church. She wanted me to do the dessert, and I instantly knew what I what I was going to make: hummingbird cake. A room full of church goin’ southern women? How could I pick anything else?

It’s said that hummingbird cake first appeared in Southern Living magazine in 1978, submitted by a Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, NC, since then it’s swept the south, charming us with it’s fruity sweetness.



When I was looking up recipes for the tea, I found this one for hummingbird cupcakes with orange marmalade frosting. It was so, so perfect, but I hadn’t made it since then. The other day, I was reminded of the event, and I got a hankering.

This cake can seem labor intensive, but it’s not, really. Buy pre-crushed pineapple and all you have to do is shred your carrots and zest your oranges. The end result is worth it.



The flour content is quite low in these, it’s mostly held together by fruit and veggies. They fall apart as soon as you bite into them. You might even have to eat them with a fork. But you will not be disappointed! I topped half of these with the yummy frosting and half with plain orange marmalade. Either way is delicious!



Hummingbird Cupcakes With Marmalade Frosting
makes about 12.

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup mashed banana
1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup flaked coconut

Frosting

1/2 cup sweet butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (i used about 3)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade (i used about 4)

Preheat oven to 350°; place 12 paper baking cups in a muffin tin. In a bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the sugar and oil with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs slowly; then stir in the dry ingredients in 3 batches. Add in the the banana, orange zest, carrot and pineapple; stir until combined. Spoon the batter into the cups; bake for 20-25 minutes or until test done. Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes; remove cupcakes and cool on wire rack.
Make the frosting: beat the butter in a bowl; add in the remaining ingredients; stir to combine.

Coconut Cupcakes

I woke up this morning with a serious hankering for coconut cake. Super coconut-y coconut cake. I love coconut, but I hardly ever eat it.

I want to make coconut cake that actually tasted like coconut - not yellow cake, vanilla frosting and some coconut stuck to the sides.

I searched high and low for a recipe that actually used it in the cake, but couldn’t find any I liked. So I decided to go with my tried and true favorite vanilla cake recipe.

It’s seriously good, guys. But how was I going to make it coconut-y? Coconut extract, that’s how. I didn’t have any, so I had to run to the grocery store.



It’s not a good idea to go to the grocery store on a saturday in a tourist town. OH MY GOSH. So. Many. People.

Anyway, all they had was imitation coconut extract, but whatever works, right?

So I had that under control, but then I had to work out what to do for frosting. As I’ve mentioned here, I’m terrible at frosting whole cakes. I should really take the time to learn how, but I just wasn’t feeling it today. Cupcakes were the obvious solution here. I still didn’t want to do vanilla frosting, so I looked around and found a coconut filling recipe (from the Magnolia Bakery Cookbook!) that sounded good. All I did was add a little more flour than it called for to thicken it up and it worked perfectly! It was delicious, I think next time I may use the coconut extract rather than the vanilla for extra coconut-y goodness.



These were so good! The cupcakes came out perfectly thanks to the super vanilla cake recipe, and the filling/icing was delicious. I just toasted some coconut in the oven for about 5-10 minutes for the top!

Adorable and tasty, best of both worlds. These would be great for a birthday party or any other kind of get together!



Basic Coconut (or vanilla, lemon, orange, etc) Cupcake Batter
Adapted from Southern Living
(just double this recipe if you want a two layer cake)

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 large eggs
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or just put 1 tbsp of vinegar per cup of milk to make buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in coconut and vanilla extracts.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. (batter will be thick)

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one comes out clean.

Coconut Filling an/or Icing
From The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (plus just a little more!)
1 seven-ounce package sweetened, shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium size sauce pan, whisk the milk with the sugar and the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook and stir constantly over medium-high heat (about 5 minutes) until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the coconut. Stir in the vanilla extract. Cover and cool to room temp.

pomegranate cupcakes.

I have a love/hate relationship with pomegranate juice. It’s pretty good when it’s flavored with other juices, such as blueberry, but I just can’t drink it on it’s own. It’s much too strong for me. But I wish I could!


When I first found this recipe I was a little apprehensive, it didn’t have any butter or eggs (OH NO!) and it just straight up pomegranate juice. I printed it out and it sat in my recipe book for a couple of months.



Then, when I was in the grocery store the other day, trying to figure out what I wanted to bake for the week, I saw all those bottles of POM wonderful, calling out to me. It was destiny.

These are pretty good, but not knock-your-socks-off good, if you know what I mean. They are good for being totally vegan, and the frosting is VERY good. But it’s not vegan. I used the Pioneer Woman’s frosting recipe from her chocolate sheet cake and used pomegranate juice instead of milk. The frosting is actually more pom-y than the cupcakes. Overall, a pretty good cupcake, I’d definitely make them again.



Pomegranate Cupcakes
adapted from here.
Cupcakes:
1 cup POM Juice
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, heated to boiling
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar (not wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 350F with rack in the center.

Place a paper baking cup in each of 24 regular sized muffin cups.

Whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well.

In a large measuring cup, combine pomegranate juice and boiling water.

Add oil, vinegar and vanilla to the pomegranate juice mixture.

Add to the flour mixture all at once and whisk to combine (batter will be lumpy).

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups (about half full).

Bake 25 minutes (mine only took about 19 mins.) or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


For the icing:

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons Pom Juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Pour over cupcakes


NOTE: I halved this recipe and it gave me a lot more than 12 cupcakes!

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting.

It’s felt like spring today, sunny skies and a lovely 70 degrees, trees blooming and birds singing. This called for pink cupcakes.



I’ve been on the search for the perfect vanilla cake batter for a while now. Many I’ve tried are good, but they come out just a little too sweet, too dry, etc. The recipe I used comes from the latest Southern Living. It came out perfectly, they rose evenly and were so moist and tender. I halved the recipe and it gave me almost exactly 12 cupcakes, it might have done 13 or 14. It works so well for super sugary frosting, the cakes themselves aren’t so sweet. This will be my go-to recipe now.

The strawberry buttercream is so good - it tastes like spring. Plus the strawberries turn the icing an amazing shade of pink, it’s adorable.



Basic Vanilla Cake Batter
(this is for a layer cake, I halved it to make 12 cupcakes)

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. (batter will be thick)


For two 9 inch pans, cook for 32-36 minutes.

My cupcakes baked for about 20 minutes.


Strawberry Vanilla Buttercream

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar
1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, chopped

Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with strawberries, beating at low speed until blended and smooth after each addtion.

Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Earl Grey Buttercream.

When I first saw this recipe I thought “earl grey....cupcakes?! how can this be!”. I soon calmed down and resolved to make them very soon.



I’ve always been a tea drinker. I can’t for the life of me see what the allure of coffee is. But tea...with is simplicity and deliciousness, it’s always drawn me in. I rarely drink earl grey, it’s a little too floral for me, irish breakfast is more my style. But it was so good in these cupcakes.



The flavor isn’t really what you expect when you bite into a cupcake. At first, you don’t really taste it, you just smell it. And it smells wonderful. But then after a few bites, you really start getting the flavor. It’s fabulous. And the lemon earl grey buttercream is SO GOOD! I could just eat it with a spoon. I will definitely be making these again.



look at me trying to distract you from my awful icing skills with crazy patterns!


Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Earl Grey Buttercream
Makes about 15

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 bags of earl grey tea, just the leaves


For the frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups of powdered sugar
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tbsn. lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons of earl grey tea leaves

Preheat oven to 350 F. Fill a cupcake pan with liners. Beat the butter until creamy, then add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that they are incorporated thoroughly. In a bowl, combine the rest of the dry ingredients, including the tea leaves. Next, add half of the dry mixture. Add the milk then the remaining flour, stir until combined. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, rotating halfway to ensure even baking. Let cool completely before frosting.


For the frosting, cream the butter until nice and smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Next, add the lemon zest, lemon juice and tea, making sure it is well incorporated. Frost and enjoy.

Some notes: Mine completely sunk in the middle. But that’s why God made icing, right? Right. Also, mine were done in about 12 minutes, but it may be different for you. You don't do anything with the tea bags but rip them open and pour the leaves in when it says to.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting.

Ohhh this one is a keeper.

Sometimes I come upon a recipe, think it sounds alright, print it out and then forget about it. That’s what I did with this one. Today I made these, and I’m trying to come up with a word to describe them. Delicious doesn’t seem strong enough. My father, who hates chocolate, even liked these.

They are so light and airy, and the chocolate flavor isn’t overwhelming, which I like, because like my dad, I’m not a huge chocolate fan. The frosting, while tasty, is super sweet, so I plan on using very small quantities next time.

I found the recipe here, it originates from here. I tweaked it just a itty bitty bit.



Devil’s Food Cupcakes
makes about 2 dozen

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups cake flour or all purpose
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup strong coffee
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift together cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.
3. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)
4. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.
5. Pour into lined cupcake pans, about 3/4 of the way full, and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Raspberry frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
6-8 cups powdered sugar

1. Place butter and jam in a mixing bowl or an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cream until well incorporated, about 2 mintues.
2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency.