Red Velvet/Cheesecake Marbled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Well it has started! I have officially begun checking recipes off the list I found starting with the Red Velvet/Cheesecake Marbled cupcake. I was really afraid I would fail at this because I have never made cheesecake before, and I have never done a marbled cake before. I did two batches of six because I was baking in my tiny toaster oven and both were different. I had to make some changes due to issues I encountered with the first batch.

First of all, these cupcakes sound complicated, but they were really pretty simple once you get the swing of it. The cheesecake mixture is very simple to blend and I am going to add a few tips I did not see in the recipe that will you help you in your endeavors :)

First comes the topping. Because it is so simple, I decided to make this first and then the red velvet batter. To make the cheesecake topping, you need the following:

One 4 oz package of cream cheese (make sure this is brought to room temperature and that it is not low fat)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp of vanilla

*tip: add some corn starch and flour to this if it is runny. Beat all the ingredients together until creamy and well incorporated.

Once you finish, your cheesecake mixture should look something like this:

Set this aside and preheat your oven to 325 (my toaster oven did not bake well at this temp, so I put my oven to 180 degrees celcius and it worked much better)

Now for the Red Velvet Cake You will need the following:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable or canola oil
  
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Once you have all your ingredients ready:

In mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, stir together the eggs and oil. In a mixing cup, mix together the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla extract and lightly whisk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and buttermilk mixture to the egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Then add the batter to the  cupcake liners and bake 22 minutes, or until done. Let the cupcakes cool completely.

Because you have cheesecake batter on top, you will want the top be firm but not hard because the cheesecake will continue to cook after it is taken out of the oven. Use the toothpick method to ensure the red velvet cake has baked completely.

The first batch, I filled the cupcake liners a little full and baked them at 325. They baked for what seemed like forever and the red velvet cake was still gooey and leaving traces on the toothpick. The second batch baked much better and the cake was fluffy :)

The first batch:

The second batch I used a little bit less of both batters and baked it at a higher temp. Next time I plan on swirling a toothpick through to actually marble the cake. This was more topped with cheesecake.

All that was left was to make the cream cheese frosting! Now I have a problem with the frosting melting very easily so I have changed the recipe a bit and it has really worked out for me.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting you will need:


1/2 cup of butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
up to 3 ounces of cream cheese

Cream the butter and then gradually add powdered sugar until frosting is crumbly. Then add vanilla and cream cheese. Add small amount of cream if still not creamy in consistency.

The finished product looked and tasted amazing! I hope you guys enjoy the recipe because we sure did :)

50 Best Cupcake Recipes on the Internet

Well I have not posted anything in quite some time because I have not been doing much recreational baking. I have been baking for Cafe Booth and they usually request a variety of 3-4 different flavors. I have missed baking just for us and was recently sent a link by a good friend. It gives a list of 50 cupcakes and calls them the best recipes on the internet. As a challenge, I have decided to try all of these cupcakes with the exception of cakes I cannot make due to lack of access to certain ingredients. Living in South Korea sometimes limits my ability to bake certain things. While originally I planned to just go in order, I am starting out of order because one in particular caught my eye: Red Velvet/Cheesecake Marbled cupcakes. The only thing I am changing is that it calls for orange cheesecake and I am using classic cheesecake. Pictures and reviews to come soon! Here is the list of cupcakes I will be trying in the near future. I found this list on Restless Chipotle's webpage:

1. Chocolate Cream Filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting
2. Gingerbread Hostess Cupcakes
3. Orange Clove Cupcakes
4. Chunky Hubby Cupcakes
5. Snickers Cupcakes
6. Browned Butter Banana Rum Cupcakes
7. S’mores Cupcakes
8. Vanilla Cupcakes
9. Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
10. Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
11. Hummingbird Cupcakes
12. Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
13. Red Velvet and Cheesecake Marbled Cupcakes
14. Root Beer Float Cupcakes
15. Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
16. Malted Milk Cupcakes
17. Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream
18. Creme Brulee Cupcakes
19. Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes
20. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
21. Carrot Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
22. Bomb Pop Cupcakes
23. Chai Latte Cupcakes (scroll down the page)
24. Dulce de Leche Cupcakes
25. Lychee Rose Cupcakes
26. Apple Pie Cupcakes
27. Chipotle Cinnamon Chocolate Cucpakes
28. Samoas Cupcakes
29. Black Bottom Cupcakes
30. High Hat Cupcakes
31. EggNog Latte Cupcakes
32. Cranberry Bliss Cupcakes
33. Apple Crisp Cupcakes
34. Devil’s Food Cupcakes
35. Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
36. Earl Grey Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream
37. L’Opera Cupcakes
38. Coconut Cupcakes
39. Turtle Brownie Cupcakes
40. Vanilla Bean Fig Cupcakes
41. Peach Cupcakes with Peach Buttercream
42. Caramel Cupcakes
43. White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes
44. Classic Red Velvet Cupcakes
45. Bananas Foster Cupcakes
46. Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes
47. Irish Cream Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting
48. White Buttermilk Cupcakes with Pineapple Filling
49. Caramel Macchiato Cupcakes
50. Cream Soda Cupcakes

Tyler and Lindsey's Going Away Party

Recently, our friends Tyler and Lindsey had a going away party and I decided to bring some cupcakes. I wanted to use the opportunity to experiment with flavors I hadn't used yet so Justin and I decided on German Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes, and Nutella Cupcakes. They all turned out good with a few kinks to work out, but every one loved them!


The Nutella Cupcakes were the first ones we made. I used my Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes recipe as the base. After filling each liner 1/2 full, I added 1/2 tsp of Nutella in the center of each liner like this:

I put them in the toaster oven for about 30 minutes. While those were baking I prepared the Nutella frosting which is classic buttercream frosting with 2 tablespoons of Nutella blended in at the end. The finished product looked like this:

The only problem I encountered with these cupcakes is because the vanilla cake recipe is so thin, the Nutella sank instead of baking throughout the cake. I plan on experimenting with different cakes to correct the problem. For now I have been using this recipe without any Nutella in the cake and they have been a big hit :)

The second cupcakes were the Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes. For these cakes, I used a recipe I use for my Oreo Cupcakes that can be found here. To make them Guinness cupcakes, I simply changed the amount of buttermilk to 3/4 cup and used 3/4 cup of Guinness.  Once they cooled, I cut a whole in the center for the ganache filling:

To make the Ganache you use 8 ounces of baking chocolate, 2/3 cups heavy cream, and 1-2 tablespoons of Irish Whiskey. You heat the milk then pour it over the chocolate, whisking it together until all the chocolate is melted. Once you finish this, the whiskey can be added as an option. Once the ganache is completely cooled you can pour it into the cake.

For the frosting, I used my Bailey's Irish Cream frosting which is two cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 2-3 tablespoons of Bailey's. Beat the butter and then slowly add the powdered sugar. Once this is completely incorporated, add the Bailey's and mix together.

And Viola! You have Chocolate Guiness Cupcakes with a Whiskey Ganache Filling topped with Bailey's Irish Cream frosting :)

The final cupcake that we made was the German Chocolate Cupcake . Because we were short on time, I used our Coca-Cola Cupcake recipe as the base for the cake. After that, we used Martha Stewart's recipe. The final product looked like this:

 

They were a huge at the party and I only had a few Guinness Cupcakes left after the fact! Here are some photos from the party :)

An Experiment with Booze

Well folks, I finally broke down and tried to incorporate one of my favorite drinks into a cupcake: Baileys Irish Cream. We had just gotten a huge care package from my mother-in-law that contained numerous cupcake supplies, including adorable new cupcake liners. I was itching to try them and after nursing a cold all week, I finally felt well enough to get into the kitchen.

First I had to decide what to bake, and since I have gotten a lot more comfortable with some of my regular recipes, I wanted to try something new. I brainstormed with my husband and we decided on chocolate chip cupcakes with a Baileys Irish Cream frosting. I found a recipe for the frosting and got to work. The cake turned out AMAZING. I used the coca cola cake recipe and added chocolate chips. When I opened the oven I saw these:

I impatiently waited for them to cool by starting dinner for the evening. About twenty minutes later, I started the frosting. By the way, here is a frosting tip:

Add your powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Slowly adding it reduces the grainy texture you can end up with sometimes and causes the frosting to thicken with less sugar. This is one of the best batches of frosting I have made yet.

After frosting them all up, I placed on my new cupcake stand shipped all the way to me from the U.S. I have to pat myself on the back here people, because these cupcakes are so pretty and they taste absolutely amazing. These are simple cupcakes that sound fancier than they really are. A great way to make people ooh and aah when you tell them what it is, when really it is less ingredients than classic buttercream frosting.

Like I said, they are super pretty and crazy delicious! For the cake, just use your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe. I used my Coca-Cola recipe which can be found here.

Just add some chocolate chips and you're good!

Bailey's Irish Cream Recipe:

3-4 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup butter (softened)
3-4 tablespoons of Bailey's Irish Cream

Beat your butter until light and fluffy.
Add icing sugar a few tablespoons at a time, incorporating the sugar completely until adding any more.
Once your frosting gets thick, drizzle the Baileys one tablespoon at a time.
If your frosting is too thin after thin, add a few more tablespoons of icing sugar.

The end! Told you it was easy. Pit in a piping bag and, once your cupcakes are completely cool, ice them and enjoy :)

Coca-Cola Cupcakes a.k.a. Heaven

Well I figured I should post this recipe, because it is one of the best cupcakes I am currently making. Coca-cola cake is a big thing in the South. It is amazing. The coke does something so great to the cake. It is moist, it is fluffy. It might be the perfect cupcake. This is saying a lot, because in the process of this new endeavor, I have learned I am not big on chocolate cake. I thought I was, but apparently not so much. While my favorite cake is still the German Chocolate, most of the chocolate cupcakes I have made, I have not liked very much. I thought they were bad cupcakes, but other people love them. So apparently it is me. Anyways enough rambling, here is the Coca-Cola cupcake recipe, complete with Coca-Cola buttercream frosting:

Coca-Cola Cake:

Ingredients Part One: 
1 cup coca cola
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup powdered cocoa

Ingredients Part Two:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with 2 teaspoons vinegar. let set for five minutes before using)
2 large eggs, beaten

Part One Instructions:
Combine coca cola, oil, butter, and cocoa powder in a saucepan. Heat until melted, whisk until integrated well.

Part Two Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
Add buttermilk and eggs, and vanilla. mix until well integrated.
Slowly pour in part one mixture until integrated with part two.
Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
Bake on 325 degrees for 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Coca-Cola Frosting

Ingredients:
 1/4 cup powdered cocoa
6 tablespoons coca cola
1/2 butter (softened)
3 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:
 Combine cocoa, cola, and butter in saucepan.
Heat on medium until melted and then bring to a boil.
Remove from heat
Add powdered sugar and vanilla.
Stir until blended well.
Let frosting cool until stiff enough to frost cupcakes.

I'm in Business!

Well it is official! I am in the process of baking my first paid order! The coffee shop down the road wants to buy my cupcakes. Of course this is very small scale, because it is such a small place, but it is something! I am delivering three jumbo lemon cupcakes, and three jumbo peppermint black and white cupcakes. I saw the samples I left with him for sale today in his shop and it was the coolest thing!

Like I said, they are really big! They wont be this big when I sell them at the Underground/First Alleyway starting in September. Part of the reason they requested them be so big is because they thought cupcakes and muffins were the same thing. I was actually told the cake is too soft because they thought they were muffins! So we will see how long the cakes last, the Koreans might not enjoy them, but even if not it is ok because I got to see them on sale! And I know in September, I have an expat market to sell to starting in September.