Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Makes 10 large cupcakes (can easily be doubled)

Cupcake Batter:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (8 ounces), not pie filling
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 extra-large egg
• 1/3 cup sugar

Chocolate Ganache

• 10 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (chocolate chips are fine)
• 8 oz. whipping cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Brush the top of 10 muffin tins with vegetable oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray; line them with paper liners.
2. Prepare the cream cheese filling by beating together the cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/3 cup sugar until smooth.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.* In a larger bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.  Add the flour mixture and stir until combined.  Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Fill each paper liner about 1/3 full.  Top with a generous tablespoon of the cream cheese filling (you will have left-over filling) and then divide the remaining pumpkin cupcake batter among the the liners, placing on top of the cream cheese filling.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set aside to cool; at least 1 hour before frosting the cupcakes.
6. To make the frosting, bring the whipping cream to a boil, then turn off heat.  Pour over chocolate and let sit 5 minutes.  Then stir until blended and smooth.  There are two ways to ‘frost’ the cupcakes.  You can dip each cupcake into the melted chocolate for a thin, glossy glaze (the cupcake on the left).  Or, you can put the frosting in the fridge for a bit (check after 20 minutes) to thicken a bit, and then frost them (the cupcake on the right).  I realize that in the picture you can’t see much of a different between the two cupcakes but the one on the right isn’t quite as glossy as the left cupcake and its layer of frosting is thicker.  If you have leftover frosting ( if you use the ‘glaze’ method you will), you can freeze it to use later.

*Nearly all cake and cupcake recipes call for mixing the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another.  Then adding the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.  I tend to be a tad lazy and I simply combined the wet ingredients in the bowl and then whisked in the dry ingredients.

Apple Cider Spice Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from a recipe from Phyllis Hoffman Celebrate)

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 1/3 cups apple cider
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cardamon
• 2/3 cups grated apple (Granny Smith, Braeburn and Gala are good options)

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, apple cider, oil and eggs.  Beat, first at low speed and then moving up to high for 2 minutes.  Add spices and beat to incorporate.  Fold in shredded apple by hand.
3. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling two-thirds full.  Bake 18 to 21 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and maple syrup until smooth and fluffy.  Add the cinnamon and beat just to incorporate.  Frost cupcakes.  Serve & enjoy!

Strawberry Cupcakes

Makes 16 – 24 cupcakes depending on how large you make them

• 1 package white cake mix
• 1 whole egg (use this as a replacement for 1 egg white in package directions)
• 1/2 cup plain, Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
• 16-24 medium size strawberries, tops removed

1. Make cupcakes according to directions but with the addition of the whole egg and the 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt.
2. Fill each cupcake liner as directed to in package direction.  Place a strawberry, pointy side up, in the middle of each cupcake and gently push down.  The top of the strawberry will poke through the batter but no worries; as the cupcake bakes the batter will rise and cover the strawberry.
3. Bake as directed except start checking the cupcakes 5 minutes before package directions.  And, to test doneness, stick a toothpick in the cupcake not in the center of the cupcake but more to the side (you want to test the batter for doneness, not the strawberry).
4. Cool to room temperature.  Then, 1 hour before frosting, put the cupcakes in the freezer to firm.  It will make frosting the cupcake much easier.

Homemade Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook, “Baking: From My Home To Yours”)

Makes enough for 24 cupcakes or one layer cake

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons), optional
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1. Put the sugar and the egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmered water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes.  (I actually just put it over very low heat, without the pan of simmered water, and watch it like a hawk).  The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.  Remove bowl from heat.
2. Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.  Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.  Once the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes.  During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.  On medium speed, gradually beat in the the lemon juice, if using, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla  You should have a shiny, smooth velvety, pristine white buttercream.  Cover with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the buttercream if not using immediately.

To Assemble Cupcakes

• sweetened, flaked coconut

1. Put coconut on a plate.
2. If cupcakes have a large overhand\g over the liner, you may want to trim the overhang a bit.
3. Put a large dollop of buttercream on the center of each cupcake.  Spread over top of cupcake so that it is well-covered.  Holding the cupcake with one hand, hold a knife or icing spatula upright in the other and run it around the edges of the cupcake so that a small ‘wall’ builds around the edge of the cupcake.
4. Take the cupcake and roll the ‘wall’ of the cupcake in coconut so all sides are lightly covered.
5. keep frosted cupcakes in refrigerator until ready to use.  (They can be frozen too!)

My Mom’s Doctored Up Cake/Cupcake Mix Recipe

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 1 (18.25 oz.) package chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup strong, black coffee
• 24 mini chocolate peanut butter cups

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Fill 2 cupcake pans (12 cupcakes each) with cupliners.
2. Add the first four ingredients (through coffee) to a bowl and beat until well blended, approx. 2 minutes.
3. Divide batter between the 24 cupcake liners.  Place one mini chocolate peanut butter cup in the middle of each cupcake and push until the top of the chocolate peanut butter cup is flush with the top of the cupcake batter. (The chocolate peanut butter cup will sink into the batter as it cooks).
4. Bake according to the instructions on the cake mix box except start testing for doneness five minutes before the stated time on the package.  Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out either clear or with a few, moist crumbs.
5. Let cupcakes cool while you make frosting.

Homemade Chocolate Frosting (adapted from Kimberly Sklar’s recipe that was printed in Food & Wine Magazine, 2006)

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• chopped chocolate peanut butter cups

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, cocoa and water and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add chocolate.  Let sit five minutes, then stir until the melted chocolate has been fully incorporated and the saucepan contents are smooth.
2. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle each with the chopped chocolate peanut butter cups.

Mocha Buttercream Cupcakes:

24 Chocolate or Vanilla Cupcakes from your favorite recipe or your favorite mix.

• 1 T. instant espresso powder
• 1 T. cocoa
• 1 T. cold water
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 to 2 tsp. of milk or cream (if necessary to thin out buttercream)

In small bowl, mix espresso powder, cocoa and cold water until blended.

Using either a stand mixer or electric beaters, mix the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add all of the espresso mixture and beat until incorporated.  If the buttercream is too thick, thin it with a tsp. of milk or cream.  Add more if necessary.

Of course you can simply, with a knife or spatula, frost each cupcake.  To achieve the look above I used a disposable pastry bag (purchased at Michaels) and snipped off a 3/4″ opening off the tip.  I filled the bag with the buttercream and simply piped it on the cake in circles.

Chocolate Glaze (from Womans Day magazine, March 2010)

• 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped*
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 T. unslated butter, softened.

Place chocolate, sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat.  Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in butter until it melts and mixture is smooth.  Let cool before drizzling on each cupcake (otherwise you might ‘melt’ the buttercream).

*I used chocolate chips.