Working Girl, Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes and Camping Fun

Chocolate Strawberry Cupcakes

Been a little busy lately and had to shelf the blog so I could actually get some sleep at night.  

About 6 months ago, right around the time of my last post, I decided to do a big job change.  Usually a job change along with the already hectic lifestyle of a single Mom is enough to cause some anxiety.  I decided to take that anxiety and add a little jet fuel.  You see, this job change also entailed quite a bit of travel and in the midst of the job ramp up work and the travel, I also decided to move back to Oak Park.  Hooray for that but holy stress attack.  Not only did I have to shelf my blog and cooking but my running and spinning also went on hiatus.  

Despite the craziness, I am absolutely thrilled with the new job and I love being back in Oak Park.  This is a wonderful neighborhood where I can walk my son to and from school every morning and afternoon down gorgeous tree lined streets.  Along those lines, my son did start Kindergarten a few weeks ago and I have been enjoying the experience of yet another chapter in this great adventure of raising a child.  

          

Tyler - First Day of Kindergarten

S'mores Cupcakes with Kahula

The kid in me is out and raging. Enter the most fantastic of all fantastic treats from childhood with a little grown up injected inside and you have S’mores cupcakes with a hit of Kahula. Somebody pinch me.

I first saw these cupcakes on Annie’s Eats and then it seemed like the S’mores influence was everywhere with S’mores cakes, snack bars, energy bars, candy bars, you name it. So, this has been on my must bake list forever and I finally got around to making them. The cupcakes shown on Annie’s Eats were beautiful and refined and I wanted mine to be more rustic and, for lack of a better term, sloppy. In my mind, that’s what S’mores are, sloppy kid food that are a mess to eat. That’s the fun of them and being a kid, permission to be sloppy and unrefined. I also have to be buttoned up in a corporate office all day so I like to take a more laid back approach to my baking.

So, I used the Annie’s Eats recipe but I put my own spin on it with the Kahula injection. I also made some minor alterations to bits and pieces to suit my palate.

Enjoy! AJ – xo

Pink Lady Cake and Cupcakes

I love having my own place. I am coming up on my one year anniversary in my apartment and I would like to take a moment to point out all of the stellar points of single living. I can bake pink cakes late at night and no one cares. I can bathe my place in shades of pink and purple and no one is around to complain. I can fall asleep on the couch while watching the Golden Girls, fill my fridge with sweets, make whatever I want for dinner, workout when I want, play whatever music I want, have my kitchen table piled high with newspapers, bills, my camera, my cooking magazines and no one says a word! Yes, I do have a little man that lives with me the majority of the time and he has absolutely no objection to all of my little quirks as long as I give him a ton of love and play monster trucks with him. To say that I am one lucky lady would be an understatement.

So, now you know that I was baking pink cake and cupcakes a few nights ago while the rest of the world slept. I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen and as soon as I saw it, I knew I had to make it as soon as possible. The thought of a strawberry puree inside a cake with cream cheese frosting was just too fantastic to pass up. Of course, my inner child was inextricably drawn to the pink cake with mounds of white and pink frosting everywhere. That same child was also over the moon upon tasting the finished product. Delicious! The taste, smell and look of the cake reminded me of my Strawberry Shortcake obsession when I was young. I wanted to live her fantasy life of strawberries and sweets. I would say this cake and my life are pretty close to that fantasy, complete with the freckles sprinkled across her nose. All I need now is that huge pink hat she always had on and my childhood fantasy is complete.

Cheers to happy living and pink sweets everywhere! xoxo - AJ

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Cake/Cupcake:

4 1/2 cups cake flour
3 cups sugar
5 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pureed fresh strawberries
8 egg whites
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 drops red food gel

Cream cheese frosting

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 cups (2 sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cake/Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray PAM and flour two 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pans. If you are doing cupcakes, line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the electric mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and strawberry puree and mix to blend the ingredients. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes; the batter will resemble strawberry ice cream at this point. Add in the balsamic vinegar and mix to incorporate.

In another large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk and red food dye to blend. Add the whites to the batter in two or three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only to incorperate after each addition. Divide the batter among the two prepared pans and one muffin pan.

Important note: the cupcakes have a much shorter bake time! Bake the cakes for 30 to 34 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Bake the cupcakes in the same oven, next to the cakes for about 12-15 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cakes from the sides. Invert and turn out onto wire racks. Let stand until completely cooled before assembling the cake, at least an hour.

Cream cheese frosting:

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add in the vanilla and then the confectioners’ sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl 3 to 4 times throughout the mixing process. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Frost and assemble the cake and cupcakes:

Place one cake layer on a cake board or platter. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting over the layer, spreading it to the edge. Add the top layer and frost the top and sides of cake with remaining frosting, reserving a small amount if you wish to tint it and pipe a decoration on the cake. If not, you can decorate the cake top with thinly-sliced strawberries. Decorate the cupcakes with the same icing and sprinkle on sparkled pink sprinkles.

Easter/Spring Cupcakes

Why do little boys love dirt? I am sure every Mother of a boy has witnessed their little darling's fascination with rolling in it, eating it, thrashing through it with their bikes and when it is wet, well, game on! Note, when it comes to boys, the messier and more dangerous, the better!

The weather has been warm here in Chicago which means my little guy has been in all of his dirt glory! When life hands you a boy, you might as well just jump right in and roll in the dirt with the little bruiser. In that spirit, you will notice three cupcakes in the pictures, one of which has ground up Oreos covering it to make it look like dirt with the addition of a gummy worm. Not only did my son love these cupcakes, I also brought a few into the office and yes, you guessed it, I had grown men rushing in to get the dirt cupcakes with their eyes lighting up like little boys with, "Oh cool, dirt!" Apparently, not a whole lot changes with with these guys when they become men and I would never want it any other way!

Please also note that since it is almost Easter, I made bird's nests with coconut and a few candy eggs on top along with the water looking cupcakes with a peep as the best edible replica of a duck that I could find. A little more fun that the usual cupcakes and just as delicious! Enjoy!

Cupcake recipe adapted from Cook's Country

Ingredients:

3 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Whisk eggs and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Pour sugar into eggs while mixing. Mix in butter then buttermilk until all fully combined. Add in dry ingredients and gently combine with a whisk or rubber spatula. Mix until all lumps are gone but do not overmix!

Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds full and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!)

Method:

In a saucepan, whisk flour into milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (Do not skip this step as I did the first time, it will make piping/spreading difficult and runny) Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Best Frosting and Cupcake Ever!

I know I am on a bit of a cupcake kick these days and I would like to kindly ask for forgiveness for my lack of variety. I actually was swearing off cupcakes until I came across the two gems below. Any cake or frosting that boldly proclaims to be the "best ever", begs to be tested. Well I tested and wow! Seriously, wow!

Let me give some serious credit to that Pioneer Woman. Out of all of the amazing recipes that are submitted to her Tasty Kitchen blog, she singled this one out and with good reason. I know the ingredients do not look like they could produce such a divine taste but trust me, they come together beautifully. This frosting was so good that I have to admit, they barely made it on to the cupcakes. I actually had to make another batch because I, ahem, "ran out" and not so much from just putting the icing on the cake.

So, without further ado, here are the recipes. Please, go make them immediately! xoxo - AJ

Cupcake recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman's Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
¼ teaspoons Kosher salt
4 tablespoons (heaping) Dutch Process Cocoa
2 sticks butter (Irish Kerry Gold)
1 cup boiling water
½ cup shaken buttermilk
2 whole beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together.

Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way up and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from a center of the pan cupcake.

Cool cupcakes completely before piping or spreading on the frosting.

Frosting recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup salted butter
1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!)

Method:

In a saucepan, whisk flour into milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (Do not skip this step as I did the first time, it will make piping/spreading difficult and runny) Stir in vanilla.

While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

Not so long ago, that wonderfully discreet young man with an amazing voice and even more amazing words, John Mayer, made some headlines when he said that Jessica Simpson was "sexual napalm". Poor Jessica was so upset by his comment that she had to grab some couch time...with Oprah. Question; can someone please explain to me why it is so horribly upsetting to be called sexual napalm? If John Mayer or anyone else described me in such a manner, I would rip that article out and have it framed. Ok, granted I can be pretty tasteless about this sort of thing but going on Oprah to cry about something like that seems like a pathetic ploy to give her flailing career a jump start.

Anyway, I digress. My point in my little diatribe above is to say that if Jessica Simpson is sexual napalm, these cupcakes are chocolate and peanut butter napalm. Yes my darlings, they are that good. They are also rich, very, very rich so consider yourself warned. I went through many recipes to put these cupcakes together and modified them ever so slightly to produce deep chocolate flavor mixed with creamy peanut butter, cream cheese, sour cream, cocoa and espresso.

If you choose to make these please be sure to use Dutch process cocoa powder as anything less will produce a cupcake that is not as heartily robust as this one. Also, please watch the baking times. I have received a few comments that other cupcakes from this site were not as moist as the ones they tasted from me. Whenever I hear that I always ask if the person has a gas oven and 9.9 times out of 10, the answer is yes. Please remember that I have an electric oven which tends to cook slower than a gas oven. If you have a gas oven, check the cupcakes with a toothpick after 15 minutes to see how they are coming along. When the toothpick comes out clean, take them out immediately. Enjoy!

Chocolate cupcake recipe adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home, by Ina Garten. Filling recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

For the filling:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream

To make the filling, combine the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, sour cream and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside on a baking sheet.

For the cupcakes:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tablespoons brewed coffee
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows
Peanut butter cups or peanut M&M's, to decorate, optional

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

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it's completely blended.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and add the heavy whipping cream and whip until stiff peaks form. Add in the vanilla extract and mix until blended. Switch to a paddle attachment and add the cream cheese, sour cream, butter and peanut butter and whip until smooth and shiny. Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth and well blended.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Ever notice how it's the little things that make living so amazing? I have had the good fortune to experience many adventures in my life but at the end of the day, the things that are really etched in my brain are my son's little laugh, when he insists on holding my hand or says, "I love you so much Mommy". I also think of the family dinners that I grew up with that would include a ton of laughter or the first bite of a dish or food I had never had before that ends up completely overtaking every taste sense I have. That euphoric feeling of tasting something that is utterly indulgent is how I feel about these cupcakes. They are truly decadent and I believe that eating a rich dessert like this ranks among the little things in life that make it all so sweet.

So, with the gushing out of the way, allow me to provide some disclaimers. These cupcakes are insane concoctions of deep chocolate, rich buttercream frosting and laced with a whole lot of alcohol. How rich you ask? I could only eat half of one before I gave up and put the rest away for later. Also, despite the fact that these have red sprinkles and shiny wrappers that any kid would adore, they are not meant for kiddie consumption and I will not be held responsible for a child that falls over blitzed after devouring one of these little treats.

Now for the story behind the cupcakes. An Irish Car Bomb is a drink that is made with a mix of Baileys Irish Cream and Jameson’s Irish whiskey in a shot glass and dropped into a three-quarters full pint of Guinness that some crazy person must chug all at once. Yikes! Where do people come up with these mixtures and let me just say, god bless it! The only person more brilliant than the one who came up with the drink is the person who came up with these cupcakes. I cannot say enough about them so I will stop here by saying that they are divine and should be made immediately. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats who adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:
1 cup stout (Guinness)
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
4-5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats who adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Directions:

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Add the butter, vanilla and Bailey’s and stir until combined.

Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.) Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s and vanilla until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Hot Pink Coconut Cupcakes

Is there anything cooler than little sweet treats all wrapped up in animal prints and colored in hot pink? For me, there is not much that can top that on my cool scale but I realize that with the kid, my expertise on what is and is not hip has diminished considerably. I also have a slight obsession with the color pink but I am comfortable enough with my quirks at this point in my life to flaunt them shamelessly.

So let me talk about the cupcakes themselves for a moment. I have been making Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes for years and although everyone fell over themselves for them, I was never completely satisfied. I adjusted the baking time a million times and they still seemed a little bit dry for my taste. Then I came across a coconut cupcake recipe on Epicurious that promised the moistest cupcakes ever. I can safely say, they delivered. The secret is in the reduced coconut milk and although it takes a little more time and planning, it is totally worth it. I added in a few more ingredients to heighten the coconut flavor and I threw some rum in also because quite frankly, I think I am bordering on recipe alcohol abuse. I also use a variation of Ina's frosting recipe since I think nothing can top her concoction of butter and cream cheese. Since I am addicted to cream cheese and really like that flavor to shine, I use much less sugar than what her recipe calls for. So, if you prefer a sweeter frosting, just add more sugar to taste. xoxo - AJ

Recipe adapted from a combination of Epicurious and The Barefoot Constessa Cookbook

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Reduced coconut milk:
2 13-to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk* (preferably organic)

Cupcakes:

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
Seeds scraped from 1 split vanilla bean or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 cup reduced coconut milk (see above), room temperature

Method:

For reduced coconut milk:

Bring coconut milk to boil in large deep saucepan over medium-high heat (coconut milk will boil up high in pan). Reduce heat to medium low; boil until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely. Transfer to small bowl. Cover; chill (coconut milk will settle slightly as it cools). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

For cupcakes:

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line eighteen 1/3-cup muffin cups with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in seeds from vanilla, almond extract, rum and remaining egg. Add half of flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Add 1 cup reduced coconut milk; mix just until blended. Add remaining flour mixture; mix on low speed just until blended. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until tops spring back when gently touched and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes in pans to rack; cool 10 minutes. Carefully remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

For frosting:

1/2 pound cream cheese at room temperature
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted
2-3 drops of Wilton Rose Icing Color #610-401

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Add in the food coloring and mix until desired color is achieved. Add more according to your taste for pink!