The Greatest Apple Muffins

 

 These apple muffins are just as good as any cupcake. I've made them several times and they never fail to delight. The batter is packed with delicious apples and still bakes to be sweet and fluffy. These muffins are great for breakfast, dessert or a snack.

 

Apple Muffins

Source:thegirlwhoateeverything.com
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar (or use 1 1/2 cups for a less sweet muffin)
2 eggs
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups peeled, cored, diced apples (around 3 apples)
Brown sugar for topping (around 1/2 cup)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with paper liners.
Cream together sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon (I never sift and they turn out fine). Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix until combined. The batter will be very thick. Add the diced apples.
Fill paper liners almost to the top, about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle with brown sugar.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes. Makes 18 muffins.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Now that it's officially fall, I thought it would be great to try out some classic fall flavors. I love pumpkin, so I decided to give these cupcakes a try.

Pumpkin Cupcakes
makes 24

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together 4 eggs and 2 cups sugar. Add oil and pumpkin and beat again.  To this mixture add flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix until ingredients are completely blended.
2. Fill baking cups 3/4 full.
3.Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes Three Ways: Caramel, Mint and Raspberry

Now that my chocolate cupcake recipe is out there, it's time to share my 3 favorite versions! All use the chocolate base shared in Chocolate Cupcakes.
Chocolate Caramel -Chocolate cupcakes with caramel frosting and a caramel drizzle
Caramel Frosting

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Start the frosting by melting the butter in a small saucepan.  Once melted, add brown sugar and heavy cream. Stir constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add salt.  Allow to bubble for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Set aside a little bit for the drizzle, then beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency.

Chocolate Raspberry-Chocolate cupcakes with a homemade raspberry filling and chocolate buttercream.
The filling is wonderful and you can't have enough, but if your short on raspberries it works fine to half the recipe.

For the filling:
1 (12 oz.) bag frozen raspberries, thawed or 12oz fresh raspberries
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch

 To make the raspberry filling, put all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat, stirring frequently until the mixture boils.  Once it has thickened, remove the pan from the heat.  Chill before using.

For the buttercream: 

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or 1/2 pound), softened (but not melted!)
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Cream butter for a few minutes in a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Turn off the mixer. Sift 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
 

Chocolate Mint- Chocolate cake topped off with a mint frosting and mint candies

 

ADD 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract to the CAKE batter

 

For the frosting: 

 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Green food coloring, if desired

 

 Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter until the mixture is crumbly, about 1 minute. Add the heavy cream, vanilla, mint extract salt, and food coloring (if using) and beat on high until sooth, about 3 minutes. Top each cupcake with bits of Andes or York candies.

 

Thanks to Annies Eats, Sally's Baking Addiction, Savory Sweet Life and more from whom the cupcakes were modified!

Chocolate Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, I was looking for a recipe to make chocolate mint cupcakes when I came across this recipe. After omitting the mint, it becomes the greatest chocolate cupcake ever! It so moist and the chocolate flavor is nice and strong. Don't be put off by the watery batter or long bake time its what makes the cake great! Sorry, no pics right now but hopeful I'll be able to add some soon.

Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 24 cupcakes)
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 muffins pans with cupcake papers and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour in boiling water and whisk to combine. Batter will be thin.
Fill each cupcake paper 2/3 of the way full with batter and bake for 16-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Thanks to cakeandallie.com for the original Chocolate Mint recipe!

First Post!!

Hey! Welcome Katie's Cupcakes! Recently I've discovered a love of baking, especially cupcakes, so I'll just share what I make with all of you! Enjoy!