Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

Happy Halloween!

How's everyone doing on the east coast? This hurricane sandy was just crazy! But I just didn't want to let this hurricane keep me away from my baking. While I still have power, I wanted to bake up some very yummy Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes. Just in time for Halloween too! I wanted to incorporate some pumpkin into my chocolate cupcakes, so I found this wonderful recipe on I am Baker. This is the most moist cupcakes I've ever tasted!

For the Cinnamon Buttercream, I found this recipe on My Kitchen Addiction. I minus the brown sugar in this recipe because I didn't want it overly too sweet. This frosting is so darn good! I love the added cinnamon in this frosting, gives it a kick. Combine together makes the most delicious cupcakes, I've tried!

I also love these cute Halloween baking cups I bought from Tops. I think I'm going to go back and get some more for next year! ^_~

 For the finishing touch I drizzle some Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce on these babies! This caramel sauce is so so good! I drizzle this sauce on everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! I love drizzling this on top of ice cream. Oh man...I think I'll have some when I'm done with this blog post...lol I will post this recipe soon!

This is a wonderful treat for Halloween. If your going to have a party, make them. If you have kids, make them, and if you don't and it's just you...make them!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 tablespoon vanilla

3/4 cups softened butter

4 Eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cups cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350

In a small bowl combine buttermilk and pumpkin. Just mix together until incorporated.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.

Alternating, add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the sugar mixture. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Mix for 1 minute on low until fully combined. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, place batter in prepared cupcake pan.

Bake for 16-20 minutes. Cupcakes are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Source: I am Baker

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed (I excluded this ingredient)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups powdered sugar (varies based on temperature/humidity)
3 tablespoons half and half (varies based on temperature/humidity)

In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and shortening. Whip together with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. 

Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk until well combined.

Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Alternately add the half and half, whipping the icing on medium-high speed after each addition, until the desired consistency is reached.

Fill a pastry bag with the icing and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. Top the cupcakes with Halloween candy and a sprinkle of cinnamon, if desired.

Source: My Kitchen Addiction

Bakery-Style Cupcakes

 

 I couldn’t resist, I just couldn’t…I’ve been in the mood to make some delicious Bakery-Style Cupcakes. Found this recipe online at Sweetapolita.com. I noticed I’ve been baking delicious recipes from her site and I’m going to keep them coming! Her blog is just irresistible! I’ve fallen in love with these cupcakes, there just so yummy and so cute cause there PINK! Well the frosting is, if I had it my way I would make the batter pink too!

This recipe is inspired by Magnolia Bakery cupcakes. I live in New York City so I’m familiar with this Bakery. Though I never had one before (I know, I know…) but I’ve always wanted to try one. So I opted for this recipe instead! I’m glad I did cause at least I get the sense of what I’m missing. Now that I’ve had a taste I really want to try out Magnolia’s cupcakes!

The batter itself is very moist and delicious, not overly sweet. Instead of whole milk I used coconut milk. It tasted really good. The reason I used coconut milk is because  my boy friend is lactose intolerance and he seems to handle coconut milk well. The frosting is very sweet, I loved it and so did my family who had some. They especially loved the frosting. My brother and boy friend found it a be a little bit sweet but they still loved it non-the less. These cupcakes are finger licking good!

To achieve pink frosting I used Americolor in Electric Pink. I piped a generous amount of Vanilla Frosting with a Wilton #1A. To finish them off, I added a bunch of different types of sprinkles to the tops of these cupcakes. These cupcakes are super yummy and great for any occasion.

Good Luck!

Bakery-Style Cupcakes 

Yeild: 24 standard cupcakes

Source: Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes from Food Network

Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (190 grams/6.5 ounces) self-rising flour (made my own self-rising flour)

1 1/4 cups (160 grams/5.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 cup (2 sticks/227 grams/8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups (400 grams/14 ounces) white sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (250 mL) milk (used coconut milk)

1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners of your choice (24 total).

In a small bowl, combine the flours and 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 and bake in middle of oven until tops turn golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out just clean (a few crumbs is okay), about 18 minutes.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Frosting

Bakery-Style Vanilla Frosting

Source: Sweetapotila

Ingredients:

3 sticks (340 grams/12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes

5 cups (625 grams/22 ounces) confectioners’ sugar (icing, powdered)

2 tablespoons (30 mL) milk (used coconut milk)

2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Method

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.

Add touch of gel food color, if desired and mix until blended.

Best used right away.

Vanilla {or Funfetti} Cupcakes

It's been a while and I mean a long while since I baked cupcakes. It's not that I didn't have a good cupcake recipe, cause I have lots. It's cause I've been busy baking other yummy treats. I missed baking cupcakes so I'm glad I got in the kitchen today and baked up these Vanilla {or Funfetti} Cupcakes! 

This recipe is originally called Super-Duper Vanilla {or Funfetti} Cupcakes. I cut the name short because I didn't have any vanilla beans. (insert sad face here)

Not only has it been a while since I baked cupcakes but also with rainbow sprinkles. I love sprinkles so I was super excited when I found this recipe on Sweetapolita Blog. I'm in love with her blog and all her yummy creations! So very glad I've made this cupcake recipe!

The vanilla cake batter is really silky smooth and very moist. I added sprinkles in the batter which makes it even extra fun and oh so good. Once I let these cupcakes rest, I just couldn't hold myself back so I had to bite into one. So darn good! (minus the frosting!) Then after making the frosting and adding it to the cupcakes, I added more sprinkles to the tops of these babies. I had to finally have another one, once again. (added frosting and sprinkles!) So, so good! I' am not kidding this cupcake recipe is really delicious! 

This recipe made so many cupcakes that I don't know what to do with! You can cut this recipe in half if you don't wanna bake some many. (like me!) Guess I'll be having them for breakfast tomorrow morning...Let's be real, also for lunch and dinner! lol

Oh yeah! Look at all that goodness!

I didn't have any vanilla beans for the Vanilla Sugar. So I just used granulated sugar without the vanilla beans. They come out just as good but next time I make this I will make it the cake version with the vanilla beans.

In conclusion these Super-Duper Vanilla {or Funfetti} Cupcakes will leave you speechless and coming for more!

Super-Duper Vanilla {or Funfetti} Cupcakes
Source: sweetapolita.com
Yield: 24-28 standard cupcakes or two 8″ or 9″ round cake layers.
*If you are going with the cupcakes, you can always make 1/2 of this recipe, for 12-14 cupcakes.  

Ingredients
1 cup whole milk (237 mL/8 liquid ounces), at room temperature
4 large egg whites (4 ounces/120 grams), at room temperature
1 egg, whole, at room temperature
2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) almond extract
3 cups (12 oz/350 g) cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups vanilla sugar (10.5 ounces/300 grams)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder (19.5 grams)
3/4 teaspoon salt (5 grams)
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter, softened but cool, and cut into cubes
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) vegetable shortening (I used Crisco)
1/2 cup Rainbow Jimmies or Confetti Quins


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Prepare two standard muffin pans with your favourite baking liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the egg whites, whole egg, 1/4 cup of milk, vanilla and the almond extract. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients, including the vanilla sugar, together on low speed (I use the “stir” setting on my mixer) for 30 seconds.

Add the butter and shortening, and blend on low speed for about 30 seconds, then add remaining 3/4 cup of milk, and mix on low speed until just moistened. Increase to medium speed and mix for 1 1/2 minutes.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and begin to add the egg/milk mixture in 3 separate batches; beat on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition. If you’re making Funfetti cupcakes, simply fold in the rainbow jimmies or confetti quins, until just combined.

Divide the batter into your prepared pans (I always use this cookie scoop for perfectly even cupcakes), no more than 2/3 full.

Bake until a toothpick comes clean when inserted into the center of the cupcake (about 16-18 minutes). Be so careful to not overbake.

Place hot baking pans on wire racks, then carefully (they’re hot!) remove the cupcakes from the baking pans immediately, to let cool.

Let cool completely before frosting.

Whipped Vanilla Frosting 
Yield: Enough to generously frost 12-14 standard cupcakes.

Ingredients
3 sticks + 2 tablespoons (375 grams/13 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
3.5 cups (400 grams/14 oz) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons (45 mL) milk
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
a pinch of salt
a medley of sprinkles for decorating

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 8 minutes on medium speed (I use "4" on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale & creamy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.

Best used right away (for ideal spreading consistency). To get frosting super smooth (no air bubbles), use a silicone spatula and in an aggressive side-to-side motion, pushing the frosting back and forth against the sides of the bowl. You will hear a sort of paddling sound. Do this every so often while you use the frosting–it keeps it super smooth.