Recipes...

Sort by date Most Liked Posts
I love to make cupcakes.

I can't tell you my secret.. because if I did, then I'd have to kill ya!

Just like most baking, use cake flour, I use salted butter (some prefer unsalted) ....correct oven temp, and timing is important (not as critical as cookies, but still... stick within a couple of minutes.)
 
OK bean I'll share mine... I have a couple recipes but start with this...

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes (or fairy cakes as we called them when I was younger)... I usually double the recipe. ( I once made 6 dozen of these for a school bake sale)
My secret to baking cakes or cupcakes is have all your ingredients room temperature

1 stick + 1 TBL soft butter
1/2 cup + 1 TBL sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour (sifted with the soda and baking powder)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 TBL milk

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners
Put all ingredients (except the milk) in a food processor and run until smooth. Add the milk through the feed tube until it's a smooth dropping consistency.
Divide the mixture between the prepared cupcake pan and bake for 15 minutes or so until they have risen and are golden on top. Let them cool on a rack for a few minutes and then remove them from the pan and let them completely cool in their papers on the wire rack.

I have different recipes for frostings if you need them. I like to play with food sprinkles and sugars and it makes them more festive. (If you are using sprinkles and/or sugars use them before the frosting is set)

I have a few more recipes so let me know when you are ready.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deleted1264960
nudeyorker Chocolate Cupcakes Makes 2 dozen

Again it's very important to have all your ingredients at room temperature and I always tell people use the best and freshest ingredients possible.

2 cups all purpose flour sifted with 1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks (1cup) unsalted butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
6 oz unsweetened chocolate (melted in a double boiler)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water until completely melted and set aside.
Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. In a small bowl sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.
In a bowl on or with your electric mixer cream the butter until smooth and add the sugars and continue to beat on medium until fluffy (about three minutes) Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add the chocolate and mix until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides and mix briefly and spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners (they should be about 3/4's full) Cook on the center rack for about 20 minutes. 9If your rack only holds one tin then put a pan on the upper rack and middle rack and alternate them after 10 minutes) A cake tester or toothpick should come out clean. Cool on a rack in the tins for about 15 minutes. Remove from rack and cool completely on rack before frosting. I frost these with either vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream (is more popular with my peeps)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) soft unsalted butter
2 TBL milk
9 oz semisweet chocolate melted in a double boiler and cooled to lukewarm the same method as the cake)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted confectioner's sugar

In large bowl with an electric mixer cream the butter until smooth and the milk and beat until creamy, add the melted chocolate and beat for a couple of minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat until creamy and desired consistency.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: deleted1264960
Bean_head since you are baking novice I'm going to give you some of my tips...
  • When baking; butter, eggs and milk should be room temperature (this is especially important when making a cheesecake)
  • Always use the best and freshest ingredients you can get.
  • You will know that butter if properly softened if you poke it with your fingertip and will leave an indention but retain it's shape.
  • If butter is too soft it's difficult to acheive the proper baking reslults.
  • Eggs are easier to separate cold and let them become room temperature in a bowl.
  • When buying baking pans they should be smooth or they will absorb heat unevenly.
  • Baking pans are easir to butter and grease using a pastry brush.
  • When making cakes it's really important to line the prepared pan with parchment paper on the bottom
  • If you are uncomfortable about measuring batter between pans then use a measuring cup.
  • When creaming butter it's really important to let the mixer run for three minutes. Most new cooks are not good at gaging three minutes when running a mixer. Check your watch or set a timer. Butter at the right consistency is one of the major factors for success or failure when baking.
  • When you start baking it's really important to learn from your mistakes and failures should not be discared if you can repair them with frosting, whipped cream, or melted chocolate.
  • Baking should be fun and relaxing so don't let complex recipes stress you out... always read a recipe through from begining to end the first time you make it.
:smile:
 
Betty_Cocker said:
Great tips, nudeyorker... I use all of these

with the exception of my decorated cookies. This is the only recipe where I use cold butter.

He is exactly correct about butter are right temp and right consistency being key to a great recipe!
Click to expand...

With cookies I always refrigerate the dough so I guess it's a mexican hat dance... but I just think ingredients mix and incorporate better with butter at room temperature.
 
OMG Nudey you are so flippin' awesome THANK YOU!!!

I think its about time I invest in an electric whisk too.

/

Funny you say that Betty near enough everyone I know asked about cupcakes has said the same thing. I think cupcake recipes seem to be as very personal private thing anyone wants to give away.

Except Nudey who is awesome.
 
Bean_head said:
OMG Nudey you are so flippin' awesome THANK YOU!!!

I think its about time I invest in an electric whisk too.

/

Funny you say that Betty near enough everyone I know asked about cupcakes has said the same thing. I think cupcake recipes seem to be as very personal private thing anyone wants to give away.

Except Nudey who is awesome.
Click to expand...


he's super awesome, and obviously and fantastic cook, from the looks of things.

Cupcake recipes can be altered slightly to give them your own unique "personality"... You might say I "rear-end" mine for a special twist!:tongue:
LOL
 
Lol, I'm sure your 'rear-end' is very nice, lol.

I just see so many awesome cupcakes and decorated like little pieces of art; its always scared me to attempt them.

Wanna start off simple and work my way up.
 
Bean_head said:
Lol, I'm sure your 'rear-end' is very nice, lol.

I just see so many awesome cupcakes and decorated like little pieces of art; its always scared me to attempt them.

Wanna start off simple and work my way up.
Click to expand...

Icing cupcakes is "a whole 'nuther story". If you plan on doing a lot of baking, you might want to invest in a decorator, like one of these:

The Pampered Chef, Ltd.

This is inexpensive, and I love mine. I use it to decorate everything from cakes and cupcakes to deviled eggs.
 
These are probably my most requested cupcakes... (If I'm taking them to the beach or a BBQ I leave them unfrosted but if I'm taking them someplace that is climate controlled I frost them with the chocolate buttercream frosting)

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Filling
12 oz cream cheese (not softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate ( coarsely grated or broken into very small pieces)

Batter
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners.
In a bowl beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the grated chocolate and set aside.

In a bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and sift a couple of times and set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer combine the oil and sugar on medium speed and add the dry ingredients alternating with the buttermilk and add the vanilla and mix until blended.

Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners (about 2/3's full) Drop a small scoop of the filling on each (about 1 heaping Tablespoon) Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester or tooth pick comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in the tins for about a half hour and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deleted1264960
Well Bean_head here are a few more tips from my kitchen...

My motto with butter is "Nothing else tastes like butter and nothing else bakes like butter" so if you substitute with margarine then all of your work has been for nothing...

Clarified Butter: is butter that the milk solids have been removed so you can use it at higher temperatures without it burning. (It's easy to make and I keep some in the freezer for up to four months.

Buttermilk on the other hand I'll substitute. If I'm marinating chicken in buttermilk overnight I use buttermilk, but if I'm baking and it's not available I'll substitute 2/3 cup plain yogurt with 1/3 cup plain milk.

Buy the best chocolate you can afford and store it in a cool dry place. Once you open chocolate it should be wrapped in foil.

Always buy eggs from a store where they are kept refrigerated. If a recipe calls for eggs at room temperature (as most of mine do) let them sit out for 20 minutes. Never use an egg that has been kept at room temperature for more than two hours.

Cream: Recipes calling for heavy cream is 36-40% butterfat, whipping cream is between 30-36% butterfat. Both can be whipped.

Creme Fraiche: is similar in taste and consistency to sour cream but it can be heated without separating and it can be whipped when chilled. (This is the secret ingredient in one of my cookie recipes that I made a promise to never share by the person who gave me the recipe) (I've already said too much)

There are many kinds of flour I tend to keep on hand...
Bread Flour: it's high gluten flour with a higher proportion of protein.

All Purpose Flour: You can use bleached or unbleached it's generally a blend of high gluten hard wheat and low gluten soft wheat. As a rule of thumb unbleached flour is generally higher in protein. If the flour bag says "Bromated" it means that potassium bromate was used to oxidize (bleach) the flour)

Cake Flour: generally is lower in protein and slightly chlorinated. I offered an alternative to making your own cake flour in a pinch earlier in this thread.

I keep whole wheat flour around if I'm making gingerbread and I keep rice flour because I have some asian recipes that call for it.

I always keep a small bag of flour in the freezer (I don't use it for cooking) but If you get a really bad burn while cooking or baking if you plunge your hand into the cold flour the burn heals faster and won't blister.

You should alway store flour in an airtight container in a cool dry place and it will last for about six months (I've never had flour around that long)

Spices like cinnamon and cloves etc should also be stored in a cool dry place and checked once and a while for potency. (Just give a sniff) If you don't smell a powerful fragrance you won't get a strong flavor (I think herbs and spices have a shelf life of about a year in good conditions)

I could write a whole book on chocolate because I love cooking with and eating chocolate... But the basic thing you need to know is that tempering refers to the process of melting and cooling chocolate so that the cocoa butter in the chocolate is stabilized. When you buy a hunk of chocolate it is tempered (that is why it's shiny and smooth and snaps) Chocolate goes out of temper when it's melted (which is what you want if you want to use the chocolate in a cake, filling or cream) But if you want to mold the chocolate and use it as a coating or make candy then you need to temper it again. Tempering chocolate takes time, patience and practice and I recommend a marble surface for tempering chocolate.

I'll write something about baking pans and knives sometime soon but I will close with... you need a set of metal mixing bowls and a set of glass mixing bowls and a good electric mixer (I don't know how I ever cooked without a KitchenAid mixer) and you can accomplish almost anything in the kitchen.
 
Last edited:
Betty_Cocker said:
Icing cupcakes is "a whole 'nuther story". If you plan on doing a lot of baking, you might want to invest in a decorator, like one of these:

The Pampered Chef, Ltd.

This is inexpensive, and I love mine. I use it to decorate everything from cakes and cupcakes to deviled eggs.
Click to expand...

Me, too! I love, love, love it! Even did the gingerbread houses with it this year. Used to use bags, but this thing is so much easier.
 
Betty_Cocker said:
I used those for years before I got this Pampered Chef tube.

Both work well, but I seem to have better control with what I am using now.


It is also great for stuffing pastry like eclairs and homemade ding dongs.
Click to expand...

I find it easier as well. I decorate everything with it. And like Betty says, stuffing pastries, cupcakes etc is easier. I haven't tried rosettes yet, but I think there's a tip for those as well. Lettering is dead easy though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

DanXWrites
The Dessert Exchange
Replies
23
Views
10K
Erotic Stories
michaelnola
M
Top Bottom