COLUMN: Following the trend with original cupcakes
Have you ever had that experience where you start to get into something cool and before you know it, everyone else seems to be into it, too? It makes you start to wonder, “Did I really like it first, or am I just the same as everybody else?”
And it just gets worse from there, because then you start thinking that maybe you should pretend not to like whatever it was you liked to save yourself the humiliation of being an unoriginal follower.
This is what happened to me with cupcakes. I suddenly starting thinking that cupcakes were the best things ever around the same time Martha Stewart decided to write an entire cookbook on them, and just slightly before a shop opened in Logan that sells nothing but every variety of cupcake you could ever imagine.
I will admit, my pride wanted me to pretend that cupcakes were not really that great and act like I had no interest in making my own cupcake inventions, but in the end it wasn’t worth it. Cupcakes are just too cool.
So it’s up to you. You can be a pathetic, trendy sheep and make these cupcake recipes and impress all of your friends, or you can be original and make something like…cookies. The choice is yours.
Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
For the filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
11/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
For the frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans with paper liners.
To make the filling, combine the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla and mix until well combined. Roll into 24 1-inch balls and set aside.
To make the cake batter, combine the butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, combine the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients to the butter mixture and beat just until incorporated.*
Spoon a tablespoon of batter into the bottom of each baking cup. Place a ball of peanut butter filling in each cupcake well and top with remaining batter so that all of the cups are filled. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until smooth. Slowly mix in the powdered sugar, beating until smooth and well-blended. Fold in the whipped topping until well mixed and fluffy. Frost as desired.
* Note: The reason you want to be careful not to over-mix cake batters is because when you mix the protein in flour with liquids, gluten forms, and cakes can get tough and chewy when there is too much gluten in the batter.
Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Meringue Buttercream Frosting
This recipe is all about the frosting. In fact, I often just make cupcakes using a cake mix (it saves time, and to be honest is just as good as anything I could make) and then put all my energy into making this delicious topping for them. This frosting also tastes great on chocolate cupcakes.
1 1/2 cups (8 oz.) fresh strawberries, rinsed and coarsely chopped
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
Puree the strawberries in a food processor and set aside.
Combine egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan and set over another saucepan of simmering water.
Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
Continue mixing as you add the butter, a little at a time, until totally incorporated.
Add strawberries and beat just until combined.
– jennelle.clark@aggiemail.usu.edu