Graveyard cupcakes

GRAVEYARD CUPCAKES

 

 These cupcakes are made with greek yogurt, which adds 14 grams of protein to the mix, as well as grated, fresh zucchini. It's a great way to "trick" your kids with a treat.



 

Cupcakes:

 

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dutch processed cocoa, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line two muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter, and yogurt. Beat in eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract, buttermilk, zucchini, and chocolate chips.

In a separate large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and mix until well combined. Using an ice cream scoop, spoon batter into liners. Bake in the center of the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack completely.

Once cooled, core the center of the cupcakes and pipe marionberry preserves into them. I use a small pumpkin carving knife to core my cupcakes.



Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (but not melted)

3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

 

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed, so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere, until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pipe onto cupcakes.

 

 

 

Garnish:

 

Crushed chocolate graham crackers

Gummy worms, halved

Ginger cookies

     See recipe link:

         http://tastebudsgrubonthis.blogspot.com/2012/05/ginger-snaps-to-snap-up.html

 

Roll out dough onto floured surface, and cut into desired tombstone shape. Bake as directed.

 

Pour crushed crackers into bowl. After piping frosting onto cupcakes, turn upside down, and dip into crumbs. Insert cooled cookie into the top of the cupcake, and garnish with a worm.

 

 

Dark Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

My husband, Sence, was hinting (not so subtly) that he wanted peanut butter cookies, but I wanted something chocolate-y, so this is my compromise: dark chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal cookies.

1 cup quick oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dark chocolate chips, as desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter together with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in both sugars, then the eggs and vanilla until well blended.

In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Slowly add dry mixture to the wet mixture until blended evenly. Add the chocolate chips.

Drop dough by the rounded spoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13 minutes, or until slightly golden. Remove the cookies to a wire rack and cool.

Makes 3 approximately 3 dozen.

The boys are hovering over them on the counter, eyes wide, chocolate moustaches...

ROOT BEER FLOAT CUPCAKES

 

Who doesn't enjoy a Root Beer Float?

 

 

CUPCAKES:



makes 12 cupcakes
1 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons root beer concentrate
1/3 cup root beer
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk the egg and brown sugar together until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the cream, butter, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Stir in the sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together, then add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Add the root beer concentrate and the root beer. Mix until the batter is smooth. Line a muffin tin with liners and using an ice cream scoop, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, then core the center. I use a small pumpkin carving knife to core. 





My husband brought me this bottle of root beer for the batter.

 

 

VANILLA ICE CREAM FROSTING FILLING:

 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup vanilla ice cream, softened

 

Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and blend well. Slowly add in the confectioners' sugar, and alternate with the vanilla ice cream until desired consistency is reached. Scoop into a piping bag, and pipe into the center of each cored cupcake.

 

 

ROOT BEER FROSTING:

 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon root beer concentrate
1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 heavy cream

Beat the butter in a large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Addthe root beer concentrate, and mix well. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, beating until well blended after each addition.  Add the heavy cream, and beat until light and fluffy. If frosting is too thick to spread, gradually beat in additional cream. Scoop into piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes.

I garnished these with large sugar gems and alternated root beer and cream soda jelly beans. You may also add a halved pixie stix for a straw effect.

Chocolate-Dipped Cheesecake Filled Strawberries

These are sinfully delicious. I made them for my husband for our first wedding anniversary, and they were a hit. I recommend prepping the ingredients in advance, and waiting to pipe and dip them until you are nearly ready to serve, since the berries don't keep for long periods of time and start breaking down by the following day. First, I baked a crust-less cheesecake and allowed it to cool. Then, I took a small pumpkin-carving knife and hollowed out the berries. My son served as a disposal for the remnants. Next, I whipped the cheesecake with heavy cream to my desired consistency with an electric mixer, then piped it into the berries. I dipped the open ends into a bowl of graham cracker crumbs, then into a heated bowl of melted dark chocolate wafers, and cooled on wax paper.

Cheesecake Filling:

2-8 oz packages of cream cheese, softned
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
Heavy Cream

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the eggs and blend well. Pour into an 8" spring form pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set. Cool completely.

With a spatula, empty spring form pan into a large bowl. With an electric mixer, slowly add heavy cream while blending to desired consistency. You want cheesecake to be thick, yet pipe-able.

Ginger Snaps To Snap Up

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c unsalted butter
• 2 c light brown sugar
• 1/2 c molasses
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 1 c candied (crystallized) ginger, finely chopped
• Saigon cinnamon, to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add molasses and eggs and mix well. Combine flour, ground ginger, baking soda and salt, and add to butter mixture. Blend in fresh and candied ginger. Add a few shakes of cinnamon, as desired. Roll into small balls and place onto a cookie sheet, then press down with a fork. Bake about 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool. Very cool.

This makes 8 dozen ginger snaps.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Coffee Cupcakes with Nutella Creme Frosting

Cupcakes:
8 oz sour cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 c all purpose flour
2 1/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c strong brewed coffee
1 c vegetable oil
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and pour into liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely. I used dark chocolate cherry flavored coffee, which in turn, flavored the cakes. You can alter the coffee to your taste.

Frosting:
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 c Nutella
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c heavy cream
3 c confectioners' sugar

Cream the butter, Nutella, and salt together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar.

I stuffed the cupcakes by cutting the centers out with a small pumpkin carving knife and piping in berry preserves. I wanted to pipe chocolate ganache, but ran out of time. Next time! I piped the swirled frosting on top, and garnished with Saigon cinnamon and a dark chocolate-covered coffee bean. (Then I ate a cupcake, and nearly passed out on the floor in a sugar coma.) 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

This is a smaller take on an earlier cake I made to look like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cake for my son's birthday. I made chocolate cupcakes, hollowed them out using a small pumpkin carving knife, and then piped triple berry preserves into the centers. I made peanut butter frosting, using the following recipe, and piped it onto the tops, and garnished with milk chocolate-covered peanuts.

Cake:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 
  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular size cupcake pans with cupcake liners.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, half-and-half, oil, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the boiling water until fully combined.

Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full with batter and bake until the cupcakes spring back when touched with your finger, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the pans for a few minutes, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 cup peanut butter
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar

Cream the butter, peanut butter, and salt together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and cream. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar.

Easter Chick

This Chick hatched just in time for Easter. The recipe, given to me by my mother, is super moist, and the cream cheese frosting is rich, yet not overwhelmingly so. My husband, who claims he doesn't like cake, helped himself to two pieces. 

Cake:
2c flour
2c sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2c nuts (your choice-walnuts or hazelnuts)

Frosting:
1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened)
1/4c butter (softened)
1 1/2c confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

yellow food coloring
unsweetened flaked coconut
2 chocolate peanut butter malt balls
1 gummy grapefruit slice
peach mango preserves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the mixture, then add eggs, vanilla, and can pineapple with juice. Add nuts. Blend well. Grease 2-9" round cake pans, and pour batter, dividing equally between the pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool completely.

In a separate medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add yellow food coloring to desired hue.

In a large freezer bag, combine coconut and yellow food coloring, and shake and blend well. In a small sandwich bag, add yellow food coloring to the grapefruit slice and seal, then rub color into the slice.

Place the first cake layer face down onto a cake dish, and top with peach mango preserves. Add the second cake layer, flat side down, onto the preserves. Frost with cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with coconut as desired, then place malt balls as eyes, and grapefruit slice as the beak, and enjoy!