Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Bark louder, little dog.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

I’d try pessimism, but it probably wouldn’t work.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

“woke” is the new caravan.

This year has been the longest three days of putin’s life.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

But frankly mr. cole, I’ll be happier when you get back to telling us to go fuck ourselves.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

They’re not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

He really is that stupid.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Not all heroes wear capes.

Joe Lieberman disappointingly reemerged to remind us that he’s still alive.

You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Food / Friday Recipe Exchange: Cupcakes – Updated

Friday Recipe Exchange: Cupcakes – Updated

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We’ve once again reached Friday and my never ending war against dog hair has ended for another day. In fact I’ve begun to modify the lyrics of Butterfield’s Lullaby, better known as Taps, for this war:

“Day is done, dog hair has won;

On the floor and the sofa and the bed….”

Its clearly a work in progress.

Anyhow, once again, I’m donning the frilly apron and the tiara to serve as fill in food goddess while our Doyenne of Digestibles is off doing fabulous things with fabulous people – or whatever it is she’s actually doing.

Per a request from last week, we’re going to do cupcakes tonight. I’ve got two recipes – one for a dark chocolate cupcake and one for a vanilla flavored white cupcake. Both the recipes are the same as for layer cakes, so if a layer cake is your thing, or even a sheet cake, just adjust accordingly. We’ll start with the chocolate one.

Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot coffee
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cup cake liners/cups in the wells of four to six muffin pans (depending on how big you want your cupcakes). In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour into the prepared cupcake cup lined muffin pans and bake until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay). For a layer cake this would about 35 minutes, but for cupcakes it shouldn’t take as long. So check at the 20 minute mark and then every five minutes thereafter so you don’t burn them. Halfway through the baking, quickly rotate the pans in the oven to ensure even baking, but otherwise try not to open the oven. Let cool in the muffin pans for 10 minutes. The remove onto wire racks and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup cooled coffee
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Drizzle in the melted chocolate and mix. Add the coffee and vanilla and mix. Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until well blended and fluffy. To frost the cake, use a spatula to cover 2 of the cake layers with frosting. Stack them together. Flip the third cake layer over and rest it on the top to create a very flat top for the cake. Frost on the sides and top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
I like to sprinkle multi-color sprinkles on my chocolate frosted chocolate cupcakes, but your mileage may vary.
Caramel Cupcakes

Ingredients

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3¼ cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6¼ cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
1¼ cups milk
16 tbsp. salted butter
2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
Directions
Heat oven to 350°. Making sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Place cup cake liners/cups in the wells of four to six muffin pans (depending on how big you want your cupcakes). Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together; set aside. Beat remaining unsalted butter and 2½ cups sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour mixture and milk alternately in 3 batches, beating smooth after each addition. Divide batter between the cups in the muffin pans. Bake until golden. For a layer cake this would be about 30–35 minutes.but for cupcakes it shouldn’t take as long. So check at the 20 minute mark and then every five minutes thereafter so you don’t burn them. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes; remove cakes; let cool completely.
Frosting
To make icing, cook remaining sugar and salted butter in a pot over high heat, stirring constantly, until light brown, 7–8 minutes. Carefully stir in evaporated milk; reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, 8–10 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until icing registers 240° on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; beat with a wooden spoon until thick, glossy, and spreadable, 20–25 minutes. (A dollop dropped on a plate should ooze only slightly.) Ice bottom layer of cake; top with second layer and ice the outside. Chill cake until set.
——Update—–
Here’s an easier, as in less complicated way, to make a caramel frosting. Take 8 ounces of caramels, remove the wrappers and place aside in a mixing bowl. Bring 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream with a teaspoon of vanilla to a boil. Remove it from the heat and pour it over the caramels. Let sit about five minutes and then whisk the melted caramels and heated cream together until smooth. You now have caramel ganache.

In a mixing bowl cream one stick of unsalted butter and a teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk in the caramel ganache until it is thoroughly incorporated and you have caramel buttercream. Then frost.

Reader Interactions

109Comments

  3. 3.

    chopper

    nice. i just made four 8″ round chocolate cakes for my son’s 3rd birthday cake. it’s gonna be off the chain.

    strangely enough, the day we’re celebrating it is actually my birthday, not his, but that’s when everyone can come over so it’s both of ours together. but he gets the special crazy cake.

  6. 6.

    debbie

    I’m as much of a butter freak as there could be, but two sticks plus another for frosting seems like a lot.

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    Shortcut cheat to make cookies from any flavor boxed cake mix when in a hurry.

    Ignore directions on the box. Preheat oven.

    Mix dry cake mix from 1 box with 2 room temperature eggs, beaten, and a smidge less than ½ cup cooking oil in bowl until a thick batter consistency.

    Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet or baking mat, leaving enough space between each one to allow for spreading.

    Optional: very lightly sprinkle with sugar.

    Bake at 350 degrees for about 9 – 10 minutes.

    Take baking sheet from oven and tap it lightly on a flat surface (counter, cutting board, etc.) to loosen contents. Carefully use spatula to move each cookie to a wire rack to cool.

  11. 11.

    Nate Dawg

    Not to ruin *everyone’s* appetite, but what do you all think about the #tedcruzsexscandal ?

    Does this have legs?

    More than just two?

  16. 16.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Currants: I’m pretty sure its a typo when I transcribed the recipe when I first found it. I’ll fix it. Thanks for catching it.

  19. 19.

    Gvg

    Does anyone have a recommendation for a cupcake carrier? 1st grader and it looks like the next few years are going to involve a lot of little events with about 20 cupcakes. I may need both full sized and those cute mini cupcake carriers…..

  21. 21.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Currants: There’s an easier, as in less complicated way, to make a caramel frosting. Take 8 ounces of caramels, remove the wrappers and place aside in a mixing bowl. Bring 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream with a teaspoon of vanilla to a boil. Remove it from the heat and pour it over the caramels. Let sit about five minutes and then whisk the melted caramels and heated cream together until smooth. You now have caramel ganache.

    In a mixing bowl cream one stick of unsalted butter and a teaspoon of vanilla. Whisk in the caramel ganache until it is thoroughly incorporated and you have caramel buttercream. Then frost.

  23. 23.

    NotMax

    OT;

    Flash flood warning broadcast just now, announcing it will be in effect until “5:28 p.m.”

    Cut me a break on ridiculously pinpointed temporal specificity.

  24. 24.

    jl

    @Adam L Silverman: I can make that! Sounds good. I’ll prolly make some and get sick on it some day.

    The cup cake recipes look great, but cupecake is the kind of thing that has always ended in a mess when I have tried to make them before. Not as much a disaster as cookies, but almost.

  25. 25.

    Adam L Silverman

    @LAO: If I was really cheating I’d get a bottle of the Smuckers caramel ice cream topping and just mix that into the buttercream.

    You ever try to unwrap 8 ounces of wrapped caramels? I have two words for you: “thumb cramps”.

  26. 26.

    Mnemosyne

    @Gvg:

    I like my Snapware carrier. The removable bottoms have cupcake holders on one side and are smooth on the other so you can use it for more than just cupcakes. Sometimes with mini cupcakes, it’s easier to just cram them together on the smooth side.

  28. 28.

    Adam L Silverman

    @NotMax: I had to run to the store about 1:30 today, which was just as the heavy thunderstorm cells were moving onshore (I’m about fifteen minutes from the gulf). I get to the store and we’ve got heavy wind and a dark charcoal colored sky that was moving quickly and had a mild rotational element to it. Instead of either getting inside to shelter or getting in their cars and heading home/office/wherever to shelter, people are standing in front of the store and taking cell phone pictures and videos. I’m really no longer sure that we, as a society, should be allowed to endure.

  29. 29.

    Amaranthine RBG

    It for this thread… Adam posted yesterday that Feds estimated that Malheur nut jobs had done 6 million in damages.

    I saw a breakdown today. 2MM if that was for costs of relocating refuge employees to hotels and out of their houses for protection during the occupation.

    The remaining 4MM is for “repairs and upgrades”

    So I’m guessing about 200K to haul out the garbage, patch drywall, and fix the fences they cut and the land they dozed. The rest is unrelated to occupation itself

    [and just to be clear since at least one person missed the point the other day – none of this is a defense of the Malheur nutjobs]

  30. 30.

    jl

    Been waiting a chance to post his recipe. I saw a sniggering post about it at LGM blog couple of weeks (or last week?). But following links, I got to taste test and the guy says that they are good.

    This is another kind of recipe that I can’d make, so I don’t have to worry about stuff like this infiltrating my kitchen.

    Beef Fudge,1967 – A Vintage Recipe Test

    [The results:]

    ” It smells steaky.”

    “Just eat it.”

    “I don’t want to.”

    I almost threw down the camera. “You’re freaking kidding me.”

    “Nope, this is delicious.”

    “It doesn’t taste like beef?”

    “Nope.”

    “How can that be? It smells like steak!”

    “I don’t know.”

    “No one is going to believe this.”

    “I don’t know if I even believe it.”

    http://www.midcenturymenu.com/2016/02/beef-fudge1967-a-vintage-recipe-test/

  31. 31.

    Adam L Silverman

    @jl: I saw that at LGM earlier in the week. I’d seen it before that, years ago, but can’t remember where.

  33. 33.

    Mnemosyne

    @LAO:

    That’s the same carrier! I can’t remember where I got mine, though. It may have been Target.

  34. 34.

    NotMax

    @Adam L. Silverman

    One can play ganache r0oulette by picking at random about 1 dozen soft center candies from a Whitman’s sampler box.

    ;)

    @jl

    Would append letting the cream come just to a boil and then removing from heat for use as directed. If kept at a boil, it will thicken and even burn.

  35. 35.

    Mnemosyne

    @Amaranthine RBG:

    I’m guessing that some of the “upgrades” are security-related in case some other mopes get the same idea. I think it’s fair to say those are also the fault of the occupiers.

  38. 38.

    Adam L Silverman

    @NotMax: Yep, you don’t want the cream to do anything but come to a boil. Beyond that it’ll be bad. And if you don’t watch it while you’re bringing it to a boil it could be fire department bad.

  39. 39.

    Amaranthine RBG

    @Mnemosyne: that would be a truly idiotic waste of money given the nature and purpose of that facility but you may be right.

  40. 40.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Amaranthine RBG: @Mnemosyne: Here’s the breakdown:
    $2 million for relocation and security for refuge personnel
    $2.3 million on the Federal law enforcement response
    $1.7 million estimated for cleanup and repair of the refuge itself.

    This isn’t counting what Oregon, Harney, and other counties spent on their law enforcement responses, which is more than $3 million.

  41. 41.

    LAO

    @Adam L Silverman: I acknowledge that making caramel can be a pain. 4 or 5 years ago, I took a pie making class at sur la table. One of the pies we learned to make was a salted caramel apple crisp. I make it several times a year and invariably the caramel sauce will take 2 tries.
    But still cheating.

  42. 42.

    Adam L Silverman

    @efgoldman: If I don’t include “remove the wrappers” someone will complain that I didn’t include complete instructions. I’ve seen how this place operates!

  47. 47.

    satby

    Adam, how do you think the first recipe would work substituting plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
    I realize that “making a cake more healthy” is a fool’s errand. But still.

  49. 49.

    Amaranthine RBG

    @Adam L Silverman: I think that 1.7mm includes “repairs” and separate “upgrades”. The snippet
    I heard from Ashe this a.m. Was talking about making it a “showplace” or words to that effect.

    That could actually be a wise use of money… Put up a building with an interactive display showcasing what dumbasses the occupiers were, demonstrating how grazing welfare cattle destroy riparian ecosystems, etc…

  50. 50.

    Adam L Silverman

    @satby: I’ve made it kosher for passover by substituting kosher for passover parve (non-dairy) mayonnaise. It worked pretty well. Try it. The worst that can happen is you don’t like the way it comes out and you don’t do it that way again.

  51. 51.

    satby

    @Adam L Silverman: cool, thanks because it sounds great and I have all the stuff for one. Except sour cream.

    Oh, and it sounds like I could be in your neck of the woods when I get to FL. My mom’s condo is on Isla del Sol. If you have advice on good places to eat, etc I’d appreciate hearing them.

  52. 52.

    Adam L Silverman

    @satby: An important note: this chocolate cake is incredibly rich and moist. So you may want to refrigerate it for a bit after it reaches room temperature if you’re doing layer cakes so you can trim the tops flat and frost it without a problem.

    For a layer cake separate the batter evenly into three 9 inch cake rounds. Bake for 35 minutes and remember to turn halfway through. When the cakes are cool, I trim the tops flat and usually cut each cake in 1/2 for a total of six layers.

    I also frost in between the layers with a chocolate mousse – the same recipe I’ve posted here before (Let me know if you need it). And then I frost it with the mousse as the crumb coat and chocolate ganache the cake after I let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you pull up the chocolate layer cake recipe I did back in the Fall, it has all of this or let me know if you need it and I’ll email it to you.

  56. 56.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Origuy: YEp, that’s why I corrected to some versions indicate it was Zedekiah instead. The book I’m specifically referring to isn’t the Book of Tephi, its a book written by a now retired professor at Claremont College. It includes the mythology from Tephi to establish the mythological/apocraphyl link.

  59. 59.

    Miss Bianca

    @Adam L Silverman:

    Oh, serious, serious drool factor. I may have to branch out from biscotti and truffles…

    btw, completely o/t but I had one of those moments today at work where Dog Catches Car, and had to take an “OK, now what?” break. So for some reason I remembered that you had posted a doggie video yesterday and I clicked on it and my office mate and I LOAO, thank you very much.

    Particularly because that first Siberian Husky puppy looked so much like my dearly departed and lamented Sovay, who was about that age when I was teaching her to navigate stairs – and very proud of her I was! Then I realized two things: first, that she was a supposedly a little too young for that activity, and second: that I had inadvertantly deprived myself of a “puppy-free zone” for two precious weeks before she would have caught on! Ay me!

    Oh, and I ended up forwarded it on to a bunch of people and one of my friends wrote back to say that it had totally made her day. WIN. Congratulations – you negotiated a mitzvah.

  60. 60.

    mclaren

    Anyhow, once again, I’m donning the frilly apron and the tiara to serve as fill in food goddess…

    But are you wearing heels?

    I bet you look super-femme in a tiara and spike heels. Images of Ann-Margaret in the 1964 film Kitten With a Whip come to mind…

  61. 61.

    Punchy

    7 B10 teams in the tourney, and none in the final 8 (unless Indy does the impossible). Weak sauce, (mostly) flyover states. Weak sauce.

  64. 64.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Amaranthine RBG:

    So I’m guessing about 200K to haul out the garbage, patch drywall, and fix the fences they cut and the land they dozed.

    So basically what fraternities have their pledges do every Saturday and Sunday morning, but costing a lot more cash

  66. 66.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Steve in the ATL: @Amaranthine RBG:

    I can’t recall how much was for the vastly increased cost of remediating the carp invasion. Prior to the occupation, the plan was to divert a much smaller area of lake water to a separate pond to remove them. With 6 weeks lost during a rainy period, it’s likely that commercial fishing contractors will be required. Leaving the invasive carp is not an option because they destroy the habitat for other fish and for the birds.

    Fuck the domestic terrorists. With oxidized farm implements soaked in acid.

  70. 70.

    Keith P.

    I just came off dialysis and am about to dig into a Smashburger and Smashfries. Then it’s binge watching Curb Your Enthusiasm on Amazon Prime. It was either that or meet up with old college friends at a dive bar, which is just not something I really gain a lot of enjoyment from any more.

  71. 71.

    burnspbesq

    One foul, one offside, and the USA trails Guatemala, 2-0. There is no truth, apparently, to the rumor that mclaren is the referee.

  72. 72.

    Omnes Omnibus

    So I am watching my very first episode of Luther – Season 1, Episode 1. All I can say is “Damn!”

  83. 83.

    laura

    @Gvg: the cheapest of carriers is a cardboard soda can case that you get for free from the grocery store. It holds a dozen plus easily and can be lined with wax paper if needs must.
    My SIL made a fabric holder with a velcro latch that wraps around that size box or baking pan so you can tote it hot or cold.

  88. 88.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @LAO: I am going to proceed carefully. I don’t need to end up like you and Bella Q with Bundy updates.

  92. 92.

    Miss Bianca

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    What is “Luther”? As in, “Martin Luther”?

    Sorry, I am DU (Deeply Uncool).

    ETA: Wait, am I to understand from Some Others that *Idris Elba* is in it?

  94. 94.

    Cckids

    @Adam L Silverman:

    You ever try to unwrap 8 ounces of wrapped caramels? I have two words for you: “thumb cramps”.

    Just FYI, but you can buy Kraft caramel “bits” in the baking aisle. They’re little chocolate-chip-sized caramel nuggets, no wraps & easy to melt.
    You’re welcome.

  95. 95.

    Adam L Silverman

    @Cckids: I have never seen those at any store I’ve ever shopped at, but I will now start to look much more closely. Thanks!

    After 30 years of martial arts, my thumbs have been stretched in some interesting and unpredictable ways.

  108. 108.

    karen marie

    @debbie: I have that beat – making these tomorrow. A full pound of butter, only 8 oz of cream cheese, but 1/2 cup of sour cream to make up the difference.

  109. 109.

    karen marie

    @satby: You can substitute yogurt for sour cream but yogurt is tangier and will affect the taste. I wouldn’t do it except if I were willing to toss the results, and it’s a lot of butter and chocolate to toss.

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