Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes

i'm not use to baking "simple things"

when i bake, i like it to be an experiment.

however, when my good friend asked me make him plain vanilla cupcakes for his birthday, i knew exactly which recipe i would use.

it's from none other then Magnolia's Bakery

recipe here

You Need:

Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Icing

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 12 capacity muffin tins with liners

2) In a bowl, combine flours

3)  In an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft.  Add the sugar slowly, and beat.  Add the eggs one at a time, and combine.

4)  Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating between the milk and the vanilla.  Feel free to add a little extra vanilla.

5)  Beat until combined.  Using a spatula, spoon batter into tins 3/4 of the way full.

6) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7) For the icing, in an electric mixer add the butter, 4 cups of the sugar, milk and the vanilla.  Beat until combined, about 3-5 minutes.

8)  Gradually add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

9)  Decorate and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

i had a sudden craving yesterday for anything chocolate or peanut butter.

so i found this recipe and whipped up a batch of peanut butter chocolate cupcakes.

and they were incredible.

i don't know if it was the ganache filling or the light cream cheese icing or the sour cream in the cakes that made these cupcakes amazing, but whatever it was they were just that - amazing.

i brought them to swim practice tonight for my team and everyone ate them within 5 minutes flat.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

with ganache filling

from Squirrel Bakes

You'll Need:

Cupcakes

1 cup flour

1 and 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup and 2 tsp dutch cocoa powder (unsweetened)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup water

1 tbsp distilled white vinegar 

1/2 tsp vanilla ***I used 1 tsp instead

1 egg

Ganache

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp light corn syrup

1/4 cup whole milk

Icing

5 ounces softened cream cheese

4 tbsp softened unsalted butter

2 and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

1/3 cup smooth peanut butter

What to do:

For Cupcakes

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

2) In a mixing bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

3)  Add in oil and sour cream and combine.

4)  Gradually add water.  Combine in vinegar and vanilla.

5)  Add egg.  Combine until blended.

6)  Spoon into cupcake liners.  It will be very soupy.  Don't worry!

7)  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  **I baked for 30 minutes.  It probably could have even baked for 32 minutes.

8)  Let cool

For Icing

1)  In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine cream cheese and butter until whipped.  

2)  Slowly add confectioner's sugar until whipped.

3)  Beat on medium for 4 minutes.

4)  Add peanut butter and combine

For Ganache

1)  Melt chocolate in a bowl over simmering water.

2)  Add peanut butter and corn syrup, mixing until melted and combined.

3) Remove from heat.  Add milk and whisk until combined.

To Assemble:

This is the first time i've ever filled a cupcake.  I liked the way I did it thought.

Taking a sharp knife, pierce the cake about halfway between the center of the cupcake and the edge. 

Pointing the knife inward, cut a circle so you get a dome shaped piece of the cupcake loose.

Fill the hole with ganache.

Cut the tip off of your dome and place the flat piece of cupcake on top of whole.

Ice cupcake

Now guys, I don't normally like cream cheese icing.  But oh my are these amazing!