Chai Tea Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

A good friend of mine from work had a birthday last week, so I decided to make her some treats. These cupcakes were a huge hit so I promised the ladies from work that I'd post them here.

Chai Tea Cupcakes
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/2 heaping tsp ginger
1/2 heaping tsp nutmeg
1/2  heaping tsp cloves
1 C sugar
1/2 C butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil or apple sauce
1 C Almond milk

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Scrape the bowl, then add the oil and mix until just incorporated.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over batter and mix until just combined. Add 1/2 of the Almond milk mixture, mixing on low until combined. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, and beat until just mixed. Scrape the bowl, then add the remaining milk and mix until combined. Finally, add the remaining flour mixture and mix until the batter is thoroughly combined.

Fill each cupcake liner about half full of batter and bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
1 C butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
3 C confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar and cream together. Once combined, beat in another cup of sugar, then mix in the vanilla. Add the cinnamon and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, and mix until the frosting is light and fluffy. If your frosting is too stiff or dry, beat in up to 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

I scream, You scream, We all scream for ice cream!

My best friend and I just did our Christmas exchange last week (yes, we're a little late, but sometimes it's hard for busy ladies to coordinate schedules - especially around the holidays!); she surprised me with the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt - Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker. What a treat! I have been wanting one for several years so I couldn't wait to get started. I immediately made a grocery list and started dreaming of which flavors to try, which one to try first, and how many I could have in the freezer at once - then I gained control over myself and decided to start with just one. Although my boyfriend wanted to start with classic vanilla, we already had a carton of Breyer's Vanilla Bean in the freezer. So, we decided to make coffee ice cream. We used a recipe that came with the ice cream maker and it turned out great! I served the ice cream with my favorite homemade brownies.

Coffee Ice Cream
1 C whole milk, well chilled
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 to 3 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee, to taste (I used 3 Tbsp)
2 C heavy cream, well chilled
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to combine the milk, sugar, and espresso powder until the sugar and espresso are dissolved, about 1-2 minutes on low speed. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Turn the ice cream maker on, pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let mix until thickened, about 25-30 minutes.*

*Or follow the directions for your particular machine.

Please check out my best friend's blog for more delicious ice cream recipes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

My dear freind, A Part-time Happy Homemaker, celebrated a Birthday this weekend, which was a great reason to try some new cupcakes. So I set out on a search for the perfect recipe and this one did not disappoint. Seriously, how can you go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter?!

Chocolate Cupcakes
8 Tbsp butter at room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 C cocoa powder
3/4 C all purpose flour
2 large eggs
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sour cream

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees F.) Line standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. (Alternately, you can microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted.) Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine. 

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick. The consistency will be like a thick chocolate mousse.

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 C confectioners’ sugar
1 C creamy peanut butter

5 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp kosher salt

1/3 C half-and-half

Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Lemon Ricotta Cake

I made this delicious cake twice over the summer and thought I'd posted the recipe, but alas I had not. It's very dense, like a pound cake, and full of lemony goodness. I paired it with a sauce made of fresh blueberries, but it is just as good all on it's own. It also makes a tasty breakfast treat when paired with a cup of Joe.

Lemon Ricotta Cake

1 C softened butter

2 C white sugar
½ C ricotta cheese
½ C milk
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
4 lg eggs
3 C all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar for dusting


Preheat oven to 350° F.

Butter and flour a spring form pan.

Beat the flour and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the ricotta, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and eggs, mix until combined. With mixer running, gradually add the flour and mix until incorporated.

Pour the cake mix into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool cake on a wire rack. Once cooled, lightly dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.

Cheesecake

Almost everyone has a favorite cheesecake, whether it's from a restaurant or an old family recipe. This one is my favorite because I think the vanilla and almond extract ratio is perfect. It is best when made with full fat cream cheese, but is also good, albeit not quite as thick, when made with a combination of full and reduced fat varities. Either way, it's always a crowd pleaser!

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp butter

Filling Ingredients:
3 packages cream cheese, softened
5 eggs
1 C sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

To make crust: Put graham cracker crumbs in a bowl and add sugar. Melt butter and pour over graham cracker mix, stir to combine. Grease bottom and sides of a spring form pan. Pour crumbs into pan and press to the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

To make filling: Put cream cheese, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts in the bowl of mixer. Mix until mixture is smooth, without any lumps. Pour filling into spring form pan, covering the crust.

Place pan on a baking sheet and surround with 1/2 inch or so of water. Place sheet, with cake, in the center of the oven. Cook for 1 hour, or until set. Remove cheesecake from oven and cool on a wire rack. Chill cheesecake before serving.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
The Great Book of Chocolate, David Lebovitz

For the Filling:

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

For the Cupcakes:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 C firmly packed light brown sugar
5 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C water
/3 C vegetable oil
1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

To Make the Filling:

Beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces. Set aside.

To Make the Cupcakes:

Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

Butter a 12-cup muffin tin, or line the tin with paper muffin cups.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth. Stir any longer and you will over mix the batter.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons* of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly. This will fill the cups almost completely.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and the cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.

Yield: 12 full-size cupcakes. The cupcake will keep nicely unrefrigerated for 2 to 3 days if stored in an airtight container.

* I only used 1 heaping Tbsp of the filling for each cupcake.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

After being stuck in the house for a few days due to an unprecedented snow storm, I was craving some sweets. So, I surveyed my pantry and took a spin around some baking websites and decided this chocolate cake might satisfy my sweet tooth - it didn't disappoint!

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

2 C sugar
1-3/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 C boiling water

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour bundt pan.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

TWO-9 INCH ROUND BAKING PANS: Grease and flour baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 C (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 C HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.*

* I did not have enough powdered sugar to make a full recipe, and I don't like to overdo it on chocolate (yes, in my case that is possible), so I made a drizzle instead of icing the full cake.

Cinnamon Espresso Bars

I was looking for something easy and light to make for a work gathering and came across this recipe on the Eat Better America website. The bars turned out great, but didn't have enough coffee flavor for my taste. I made a few alterations and posted the new recipe below.

Bars
1 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp instant espresso coffee (dry)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 C water

Cinnamon Espresso Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
4 to 5 tsp cold espresso coffee or strong coffee

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray; coat with flour. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until blended, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining bar ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until top springs back when touched in center.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients with spoon until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over bars while warm. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Brownies!

I don't do much baking these days, so you know when I do it's for something or someone I really love. In this case I was motivated by both my love of brownies and my love for my boyfriend. This is a fantastic, quick, easy recipe for brownies from scratch. They are heart healthy, but you wouldn't know it from the taste of them. Enjoy!

Sugar Dusted Mocha Brownies
Adapted from American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook

Vegetable oil spray
1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp light stick margarine
1 Tbsp instant coffee crystals
1 C sugar
Egg substitute equivalent to 2 eggs, or 2 eggs
1/4 C prune baby food
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray an 8-inch square cake pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Set aside.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the margarine over medium-low heat. Stir in the coffee crystals until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the sugar, eggs, prunes and vanilla into the coffee mixture. Fold the cocoa mixture into the sugar mixture until well combined.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake uncovered, for 18-20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean.

Cool brownies in the pan on a wire rack. Sift confectioners' sugar over the brownies.


Tips: I used a tea steeper to sift the sugar over the brownies.
These brownies are cake-like so they are really tastey when served with ice cream.

Blueberries

When I was a kid Blueberries for Sal was one of my favorite books; to this day, I can't eat a blueberry without feeling nostalgic. Perhaps that's because I have so many other fond memories tied to blueberries - fresh pints sold at the old hotel near our family summer cottage, going picking with my cousins, being taught the most amazing cobbler recipe as an adolescent and the Saturdays of my childhood when my bestfriend's mother served us blueberry muffins right out of the oven. Since the blueberry season is approaching, I've been pulling out some old, and new, recipes to make the best use of this amazingly healthy fruit. Below are two of my favorites:

Blueberry Muffins
3 C of all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened
1 C sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 C vanilla yogurt
1 tsp grated lemon peel
2 C blueberries

Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the grated lemon peel.

Beat in one half of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat. Fold in the berries. If you are using store bought frozen berries, defrost them first, drain the excess liquid, and then coat them in a light dusting of flour. If you are using fresh berries you froze yourself, do not defrost them, add them to the mixture while they are still frozen.

Use a standard 12-muffin muffin pan. Coat each muffin cup lightly with butter or cooking spray. Distribute the batter equally among the cups. Bake until muffins are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and serve while still warm.

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Blueberry Cobbler

Fruit Mixture:
3 C blueberries
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp butter

Cobbler Dough:
1 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cold butter
1/3 C heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine berries with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Place fruit mixture in a 1 quart baking dish. Cut the butter into several pieces and scatter over the fruit.

Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into the workbowl of a food processory and pulse twice to sift. Cut the butter into pieces and place on top of the flour; pulse 8-10 times. With the motor running, pour cream through the feed tube. Stop the motor when the dough clumps together.

Turn the dough onto lightly floured surfice and roll to shape the dimensions of the baking dish. Place dough over the fruit mixture. Cut several deep slashes in the dough.

Bake 20-25 minutes.

This recipe was taught to me by a woman for whom I babysat when I was about 14-15 years old. I don't know where she got it, but I cannot claim credit for it. You can also substitute fresh peaches for the blueberries - equally as delicious!