French Toast Cupcakes

I'm having major baking nostalgia. The first really extravagant cupcakes I ever made were french toast cupcakes. I had always loved baking but these cupcakes just threw my love for baking over the top. Of course I knew baking from scratch was a real thing but the cake mix Betty Crocker so selflessly provided in the grocery store seemed so much easier. I didn't realize how creative baking from scratch could be and how limiting baking with the box of cake mix could be. So when I happened upon a french toast cupcakes recipe, I decided to take a little risk and try it out. Who doesn't love breakfast and cupcakes, right? And I am SO glad I did. Without this recipe, my baking extravaganzas would be pretty non extravagant. I owe a lot of thanks to this recipe and Bakingdom for sparking my interest in cupcakes. So to show my gratitude, I made these cupcakes for a rotoract meeting. The recipe seemed so much easier the second time around after about a million other recipes of practice. So, with great honor, I present to you the magical French Toast Cupcake recipe!

Just some lovely rotoracters enjoying their cupcakes

CINNAMON STRUESEL

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 T sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

5 T cold butter, cut into pieces

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix in the butter but squeezing the pieces into the sugar mixture. I found using my hands was much more effective than using a fork. Pop the bowl in the freezer while you make the batter. 

FRENCH TOAST CUPCAKES:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 t baking powder

22 t cinnamon

1/4 t pumpkin pie spice

1/4 t salt

1 stick butter at room temp

1 container of plain yogurt

2 eggs

Plash of vanilla

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy add the eggs, one at a time, and blend until combined. Mix in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with the yogurt. Blend until just until combined. Divide the batter among lined cupcake tins. Top with the struesel and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

MAPLE SYRUP BUTTERCREAM:

1 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

Splash of vanilla

Beat the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar slowly and blend until combined. Add the vanilla and maple syrup an mix until think and creamy. (Note: add the maple syrup slowly. It can get a little sticky and mess up the consistency of the frosting and/or become to maple-y flavor. The 1/4 cup is mostly just a guideline). Spoon or pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes! I dusted mine with a little cinnamon and powdered sugar because that is what I like on my french toast.

It was so nice to make these cupcakes again. It was even nicer when they turned out about hundred times better than they did the first time I made them. All of my practice has definitely paid off. Though you can't experience the taste difference, you can clearly see the technique differences. 

The first time I made them. My frosting collapsed and they weren't the prettiest cupcakes to ever walk this earth

Much better execution. I'm a sucker for a pretty cupcake.

I'm getting better everyday! This recipe was such a nice little confidence boost. 

Try something new today! You never know, you might be blogging about it later :)

xoxo,

KG

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

I LOVE birthdays. I love my own birthday but I also love when other people get that joy of "today is my day". It's the best. There just seems to be a glow about people on their birthdays. I also LOVE giving presents, and as a cupcakes baker and blogger, what birthday present is more appropriate than cupcakes? Am I right? My love of birthdays only swells larger when I have the opportunity to bake. So for this birthday, I made peanut butter chocolate cupcakes. Along with birthdays, I also LOVE peanut butter. On my list of favorite condiments, it ranks #2, just after ranch dressing. And of course I am totally fond of chocolate. I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Reese's, Tagalongs, anything with peanut butter and chocolate in the mix, I will eat it. My mouth is watering just thinking about all of the chocolate peanut butter possibilities. Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes are no exception.

Happy Birthday Qdoba Brian!

PEANUT BUTTER CAKE:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until completely combined. Add the vanilla and peanut butter. Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk until completely combined. Divide batter among lined cupcakes tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat the cream until almost boiling. Pour over chocolate chips and stir like crazy until the chocolate chips have completely melted an the mixture is thick and gooey. Let cool in the fridge until the cupcakes are completely cooled. When they are ready, dip the tops into the ganache until coated thickly. Let cool in the fridge for a few minutes so you don't get ganache/ frosting mixing happening. If spooning the frosting onto the cupcakes, putting them in the freezer may be better so you aren't smearing them all together over the top of your cupcakes.

PEANUT BUTTER BUTTERCREAM:
1 1/2 sticks butter (room temperature)
3 cups powdered sugar
splash of vanilla
about 1/4 cup peanut butter (this is to taste and texture. Add slowly because too much peanut butter can make it really sticky or make the frosting collapse)
heavy cream (optional)

Beat the butter until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar until combined. Add the vanilla and peanut butter until thoroughly combined. If the frosting gets too thick or sticky, add a splash of heavy cream to calm it down a bit. Whip until fluffy.

Once cupcakes have cooled, dip the tops into the ganache until coated thickly. Let cool in the fridge for a few minutes so you don't get ganache/ frosting mixing happening. If spooning the frosting onto the cupcakes, putting them in the freezer may be better so you aren't smearing them all together over the top of your cupcakes. Once cooled, spoon or pipe the peanut butter buttercream over the top of the ganache!

These were an excellent combination of peanut butter and chocolate. The peanut butter makes the cake and the frosting pretty thick so these cupcakes are perfect with a glass of milk. I think next time, I want to drop a mini Reese's in the middle of the cupcakes before I bake them. It would be such a nice surprise when biting into them!

Don't get these cupcakes stuck to the roof of your mouth!

xoxo,
KG

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chai Buttercream

It is only week 2 of the term and I am about 3 posts behind on the blog. Spring term is supposed to be mellow and sunny! I'll get caught up this week hopefully. The busy term hasn't kept me from baking, though (duh). Anyways... I digress. After spring break, I came back to Oregon with nothing but pickles and beer in my refrigerator, neither of which are good cupcake ingredients. Well beer might be (see Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes), but I was in the mood for something else. I decided to make this baking endeavor a little challenge. If I couldn't get the ingredients either out of my kitchen or from the 7-11 down the street, I couldn't use the ingredient in the recipe. After rummaging around in my pantry, I came across a can of pumpkin puree from my "OH MY GOSH I CAN'T GET ENOUGH PUMPKIN, I'M OBSESSED WITH PUMPKIN" phase this fall. So I made pumpkin cupcakes. Yes, I realize it is totally the wrong season for them but in my defense, I successfully completed my challenge and it was rainy outside (duh) so it might have just been fall anyways. And let me tell you, they were divine with a cup of black tea with honey and a splash of milk (my new drink of choice, after coffee (duh)). I also brought my good camera back to school after leaving it at home over Christmas. So hopefully my picture quality will be a little better. My equipment is better at least, but I'm hoping I also got the photography eye gene that seems to run in the family. So far, it hasn't quite established itself yet.

Just Garrett and his cupcake.

PUMPKIN CAKE: 

1 1/2 cup flour

1 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

A few shakes of cinnamon

2 eggs

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

A splash of vanilla

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup milk

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and blend until incorporated. Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, alternating with additions of milk. Blend until fully incorporated. Divide among lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.

CHAI BUTTERCREAM:

1 1/2 sticks butter (room temperature)

3 cups powdered sugar

Splash of vanilla

A couple shakes of cinnamon

About 1/4 cup chai concentrate (I used oregon chai. This is too taste and also too consistency. The more chai, the more runny the buttercream will be)

Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and the chai and blend until light and fluffy. If the frosting gets too runny, add some powdered sugar. Spoon or pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes.

Just trying to find my photography eye with some artsy shots

So these cupcakes were pretty good! I like dense cupcakes but these were just a little too dense. The pumpkin was a little hard to incorporate into the batter so I think I over mixed a little, so the cupcakes got pretty thick. Taste wise, they were quite yummy and I will definitely have to make these when its actually fall and not just seasonally confused. (Oregon, IT'S SPRING RIGHT NOW).

Wishing you lots of sunshine and spring weather!

xoxo,

KG

Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

I'll be honest. I was sort of saving this recipe to cook in my mom's kitchen instead of at school. Not only does she have nicer cooking appliances than I do, her refrigerator is much more well stocked than mine is and the ingredients in this recipe were a little on the expensive side. Strawberries, mascarpone, lemon extract, which are all rather expensive, went into this recipe and that didn't exactly sit well with my grocery budget at school. But, money aside, it was lovely to be cooking with my sister in a kitchen with ample stove and counter space for this recipe. These cupcakes were so luxurious. They were originally blueberry cupcakes filled with lemon curd and topped with a lemon mascarpone frosting but Gracie doesn't like blueberries so I made strawberry  instead. But the original recipe was from There goes the cupcake.

Weirdos. Like mother like daughter. 

STRAWBERRY LEMON CAKE:

2 cups flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

3 cups chopped fresh strawberries

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

2 T vanilla

3/4 t lemon extract

1 T lemon zest

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a tablespoon of the flour mixture, coat the strawberries and set aside. In a small bowl, mix sour cream, milk, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon zest. In another bowl, large or one belonging to a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until well combined. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the batter and mix until combined. Gently fold in the strawberries. Divide among lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 for 22 minutes. Let cool completely before filling and frosting.

LEMON CURD:

2 sticks butter

1 cup lemon juice

Zest of 2 large lemons

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 t cornstarch

pinch of salt

9 egg yokes 

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice and zest. Mix together the sugar, salt and cornstarch and add it to the saucepan. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs yokes until broken and combined. Add the egg yokes to the saucepan and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. The mixture should be think and smooth. Don't allow it to boil. When the curd has thickened, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Chill in the refrigerator completely before using. 

Using a small knife, remove the middles of the cupcakes. Pipe or spoon the lemon curd into the center of the cupcakes.

LEMON MASCARPONE FROSTING:

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

2/3 cup lemon curd (or whatever you have left after filling the cupcakes)

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and blend until combined. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon curd and mascarpone. Gently fold in the whipped cream mixture. Spoon or pipe onto the lemon curd filled cupcakes.

This was a pretty labor intensive recipe but so much fun. The textures of the strawberries, cake, lemon curd, and frosting came together really well. These were super rich though. I could barely finish one! But super delicious. I think they would be good with other fruits as well, like blueberries or blackberries. It seems as though all of my recipes just open doors for even more recipes to try! Not that I'm complaining about that!

 Happy eating, friends!

xoxo,
KG