Cupcake Recipes

Cream Cheese Frosting (from The Joy of Cooking written by Irma S. Rombauer)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse just until smooth and creamy:

• 8 oz - Cream Cheese (cold)
• 5 tablespoons - unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons - vanilla
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups - powdered sugar, sifted

If the frosting is too stiff, pulse for a few seconds longer. Do not over process. If desired, stir in additional flavoring to taste such as: Grated lemon zest, ground cinnamon, or liqueur of choice.

Chocolate Guinness Cake (This recipe is from: The Cake Book written by Tish Boyle)

• 1 3/4 Cups - all purpose flour
• 3/4 - cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
• 1 3/4 teaspoons - baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon- baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon - ground cinnamon
• 21 tablespoons - unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 1/4 cups - firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons - vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Guinness Stout Beer (do not include foam when measuring)
• 1 cup - coarsely chopped pecans

1. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 Degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 3 inch cake pan or spring form pan. Dust with flour.
2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon, into a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the brown sugar and beat at high speed until very light an creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternation with the stout in two additions and mixing just until blended. Add the pecans and pecans and mix just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir a few time with a rubber spatula to make sure the batter is evenly blended. Scrape the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
4. Bake the cake for 70 to 75 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
5. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely.
6. Just before serving, duct the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.

Cupcake modification (from The Joy of Cooking written by Irma S. Rombauer)

1. Replace 9 x 3 inch pan with greased and floured muffin pans or muffin pans lined with fluted paper liners or . Another great options is to use 2 1/2 inch foil baking cups. Fill about two-thirds full and bake at the same temperature.
2. Bake between 20 to 30 minutes, checking them early. They are done when the tops spring back when lightly pressed and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.