My Cupcake Past

For my birthday last year my thoughtful mom gave me the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook. I was so excited! For a couple months I was a crazy cupcake baking lady. So far, every recipe I have tried from this book has been awesome. I made these before I started blogging, so I don't have step-by-step pictures. Luckily I took pictures of the finished product! Let's take a trip down memory lane shall we?

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Yield: 24

2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted 

2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups sugar 

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 

2 large eggs, room temperature 

1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)

1 cup buttermilk 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 

2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard tin with cupcake liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Mix in food color and vanilla bean paste. Cooks Note: Gel-paste food color is much more concentrated than the supermarket liquid variety; if you substitute the liquid, you may need to add an entire bottle (1.5 ounces) to achieve the desired shade.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (have no fear when it foams!); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds. 

Divide batter evenly, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before frosting. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart

Yield: 4 cups

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)

1 seven ounce container marshmallow creme

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Add marshmallow creme until combined.

Frost cupcakes and ENJOY!

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Yield: 36

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 1/4 cup malted milk powder

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs, room temp

1 cup sour cream, room temp

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard tin with cupcake liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, sugars, baking soda & salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until dissolved. 

With mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until just combined. 

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cake tester comes out clean or baked about 20 minutes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temp, or frozen up to 2 months in airtight container. Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight containers.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart 

Yield: 4 cups

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting should be very pale and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

Frost cupcakes and pop 'em in your mouth!

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes 
Yield: 36 

3 cups cake flour, (not self-rising) 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
2 1/4 cups sugar 
5 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature 
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla bean paste (or extract) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard tin with cupcake liners. Sift together both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium. Add whole eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add yolks, and beat until thoroughly combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in vanilla. 

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until cupcakes spring back when lightly touched and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. 

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

Source: adapted from Martha Stewart 

Yield: 4 cups 

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste (or extract)

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting should be very pale and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

Frost cupcakes and Eat 'em up!

Source: Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

Yield: 36

8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa, sifted
12 small chocolate covered peppermint patties, such as mini York Peppermint Patties

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard tin with cupcake liners. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove bowl from heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until mixture is smooth; whisk in eggs to combine. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa just until smooth (be sure to not over mix).

Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each lined cup. Place 1 peppermint patty on top, gently pressing into batter. Top with 2 tablespoons batter, covering patty completely. Bake, rotating tin halfway though, until a cake tester inserted halfway in centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Don't hit the mint patty when you insert tester. Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight container.

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I still bake cupcakes, just not as frequent these days. I plan on baking my way through that book though!

P.S. I had to share this picture. It's my first batch of cupcakes. I made them for Christmas a few years ago. I had glorious visions of a rich green color and a deep red color. They turned out a little different!