Browned Butter Cupcakes with Fig Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Fig Filling

Did I totally miss my blogiversary? Yes, yes I did. Gawd! I'm like a man! It's been two years since I started this little blog and I totally missed it. Does it count that I made these totally awesome cupcakes a week later? Well it should because these cupcakes are definitely worthy. They smell so delicious even before they bake because of the browned butter. I actually ended up creating this recipe on accident.

You see I attempted to make my very first batch of macarons. Unfortunately, I have not perfected the technique yet. I need more practice. You can see large grains of the almond flour in the cookie. They tasted wonderful though.

I used the italian method. Check out my fail and let me know if you have any tips.

So...I had whipped up a batch of amazingly delicious fig butter swiss meringue buttercream and had quite a bit left over....so I had to do something with it....I couldn't just eat it out of the container off the spoon....ok....so I do that too...it just seemed destined for better somehow.

So I came up with these...your're welcome.

Browned Butter Cupcakes with Fig Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Fig Filling

CUPCAKES
Ingredients:
1/2 cup browned butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1.  Pour glass of wine, set aside for yourself. Baking with a glass of your favorite beverage always makes it better.

2.  First brown the butter in a small sauce pan. (I started on low and gradually raised the temperature little by little, swirling occasionally, until the milk solids started to turn brown and it started to smell nutty.)

3.  Then place the browned butter in an ice water bath. (You can do this early and let it cool completely on the stove or use a water bath, which ever you prefer. I let it cool in an ice bath in the sink and let it sit there while I got everything together and preheated the oven.)

3.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking tin with cupcake liners.

4.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the browned butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.

5.  Beat the eggs in one at a time then scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla, milk and mix. Then add the cake flour and baking powder.

6.  Mix until batter is smooth. Then pour evenly (I used a ¼ cup measure) into prepared cupcake tin. Bake for 12-17 minutes until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. (In my oven, mine came out perfect at 15 minutes)

7.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing them and letting them cool completely on wire rack.

FILLING
Ingredients:
1/2 cup or so Fig Butter (I used Trader Joe’s)
Slash of apple juice

Directions:
1.  Core the middle of the cupcake out to make room for the filling. (I used my nifty cupcake corer, love it, but you can also just use a paring knife.)

2.  Add a splash of apple juice to the fig butter to thin it out just a tad and then put it in a large ziplock bag and snip off the corner of the bag to just pipe in the filling.

FIG SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Ingredients:
5 large fresh egg whites (150 g)
1-1/4 cup (250 g) superfine granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (340 g) (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/4 + 1/8 cups fig butter (I used Trader Joe’s)

Directions:
1.  Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 160°F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2.  Place bowl back on mixer and fit with whisk attachment. Whip until the meringue is thick, glossy, and the bottom of the bowl feels neutral to the touch (this can take up to 10 minutes, or longer).

3.  Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth).

4. Add vanilla, salt, and fig butter and continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe reprinted from Sweetapolita

Chocolate Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Pudding Frosting

I wish we really got to feel the different seasons here in Texas, but unfortunately it just doesn't really happen. Oh sure we have had a "cold front" come through now and then, but it only drops into the 50's for one maybe two days and then jumps right back up to the 80's again. So we have to use other things to make us feel like it's fall. I have been waiting for it to get cold enough to go and enjoy my first pumpkin latte of the season, but it never did so I decided to go anyway. I sure am glad I did because the winter flavors are already out and I almost missed it!

I absolutely love fall baking. I love the flavors and the smells of all the spices, it makes a home feel so warm and comfy. That was what I was trying to recreate when I came up with these cupcakes. I have had spice cake before, but never a chocolate spice cake. I knew chocolate and cinnamon went wonderfully together so I knew it would be good. Bake a Holiday Spice Lindor Truffle in the middle of it and top it with Pumpkin Spice Pudding Frosting and you have a winner.

I am always on the hunt for a not-so-sweet frosting. The other half hates frosting, I know such a strong word for a sugary topping, but he just will not eat it. I have to agree with him on the sickening sweet buttercreams, I really can't stand those either, but I sure do love a swiss meringue buttercream. So I'm always trying new frosting recipes to prove him wrong and show him how great it can be. This one did the trick, I got two thumbs up from the non-frosting lover of the house, so you know it's good. I found it on The Hungry Housewife and knew I had to try it right away. For the cake I spiced up my go-to chocolate cake recipe.

Chocolate Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Pudding Frosting 

Chocolate Spice Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour

2 cups of sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. allspice

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup of cocoa

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Line two cupcakes tins with liners.

3. Place all the dry ingredients (except for cocoa) into a large bowl and combine.

4. Then add the eggs, buttermilk, and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients.

5. Add the cocoa and the vanilla extract to the boiling water and add the mixture. (I usually let my mixture cool a bit before I add it to the mixture)

6. Mix everything together at medium speed until everything is combined.

7. Pour into prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. (I used a measuring cup with a spout and poured my batter into the liners and mine baked perfectly at 23 minutes and I baked a few mini cupcakes and they baked for 17 minutes)

***Now I added a little something extra by baking a Lindor Holiday Spice Milk Chocolate Truffle in the middle of my cupcakes, but you can add any filling you would like or leave it out all together.***

8. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and cooling on baking rack.

Pumpkin Spice Pudding Frosting

Ingredients:

2 3.4 oz package Pumpkin Spice Instant Pudding Mix

3 tablespoons Meringue Powder

2 cups Cold Whole Milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

16 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, mix together the pudding and meringue powder.

2. Add the milk and vanilla extract.

3. Beat for about 1 minute or until the mixture becomes thick.

4. Beat in the Cool Whip and beat until just combined.

5. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and set.

What I baked...

I've been lazy.

Have you ever used baking as an excuse to get out of something else? I swear if I do it one more time to get out of cleaning the bathroom things are going to start growing in there. Too bad scrubbing bubbles really doesn't just do the job for me.


I have been baking though, just not much else. That includes not taking pictures, just a few snapshots on instagram. But! I tried out a few great recipes that I would love to share.

Like this one...

This is a simple blueberry cobbler and it's topped with a homemade honey-peach ice cream. I found the recipes while flipping though a taste of the south magazine. I made it for a July forth BBQ and everyone really enjoyed it. I think you have to have some kind of berry pie or cobbler in the summer it just screams summertime. I have been loving my ice cream maker this summer, and have been experimenting with different flavors. This honey-peach ice cream was delicious and plan on making it again soon.

I also made some lemon cupcakes for our 4th of July luncheon at work. I used Martha Stewart's lemon meringue cupcakes recipe for the cake and Sweetapolita's recipe for swiss meringue buttercream. (my all time favorite frosting) For the frosting, I just dyed a third red and a third blue put them all in a piping bag and swirled away, love the effect it gave them. The cupcakes were very fresh and lemony.  

Now I'm off to go make some more ice cream. What's your favorite flavor?

Celebration Champagne Cupcakes

Well, well, well I'm a little late on the New Year's Eve bandwagon. I wanted to post these little babies before the big night, but ended up making them the day of.  Then I realized, these are super awesome and good anytime of year, for any celebration, even if that celebration is waking up with enough energy to bake these marvelous little bites of yumminess. So...if you've got any left over champagne in the fridge from New Year's Eve? Wait, what am I saying? Of course not, it's champagne and who would have any left over? Well, just in case you saved a little, I've got a perfect way to use it. It's time to pop some bubbly and make some champagne cupcakes. These cupcakes are my new favorite, seriously, you have to try these.

Soooo guys, did you come up with any New Year's good intentions resolutions this year? I would like to try and be more creative this year and develop some new recipes. I would also like to work on my photography, let's be honest, it needs work. I may even purchase a couple of new toys to help me out with that. I also want to try (experience) something new at least once a month. This month I am going to the symphony. It's such a romantic idea, and an excuse to dress up. It's the first concert to start of the city's Beethoven festival. I would also love to eat a lot more sweets and not get fat...haven't quite figured that one out yet.

Anywho, if you are craving a delicate, moist cupcake, stuffed with a creamy white chocolate ganache, with the best buttercream you have ever had, in the entire world, you better get that oven preheating. :)

Oh by the way, I broke down and bought a cupcake corer.  Handy little dude if I do say so myself.

Celebration Champagne Cupcakes

Champagne Cupcakes 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup butter softened 
• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1 3/4 cups flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 cup champagne

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix. 

4. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. 

5. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup champagne and 1/2 cup sour cream (mixture will fizz and bubble a little).

6. Add flour and champagne mixture alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Batter will be thick.

7. Fill cupcake papers with 1/4 cup level measures of batter. Bake for 17-22 minutes. Set aside.

Champagne Whipped White Chocolate Ganache 

Ingredients: 

• 8oz white chocolate 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1/8 cup champagne 

Instructions: 

1. Melt chocolate in a double-boiler over hot water.

2. In a saucepan, bring to boil the heavy cream to boiling; remove from heat when it froths and add champagne. 

3. Whisk 1/3 of cream into chocolate until smooth. Slowly whisk in remaining cream. Refrigerate overnight or freeze for a few hours. 

4. Whip until stiff. 

Champagne Swiss Meringue Buttercream 

Ingredients: 

• 5 large egg whites 
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar 
• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 4 tablespoons champagne 
• Pinch of salt 

Instructions: 

1. Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with vinegar on paper towel, to remove any trace of grease. Add egg whites and sugar, and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), whisking constantly, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F, or if you don't have a candy thermometer, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot.

2. With whisk attachment of mixer, begin to whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, and cool. 

3. Switch over to paddle attachment and, while mixing on medium speed continuously, add softened butter in chunks until incorporated, and mix until it has reached a silky smooth texture (if curdles, keep mixing and it will come back to smooth). 

4. Add vanilla, champagne, and salt, mix well. 

5. Keep in airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week, leaving out at room temperature when needed, rewhipping in mixer for 5 minutes.

For the topper, I just piped the 2012's out on wax paper with white chocolate.  Make sure your numbers are thick or they can easily melt or fall over.  You could do anything though, a heart, the number of years for an anniversary, what ever you'd like.


The wonderful cupcake recipe came from Sprinkle Bakes, and I added the champagne to Sweetapolita's swiss meringue buttercream.

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Oh the Irish Car Bomb, if you've never had one, they are quite yummy. It’s a shot that consists of about a half a pint of Guinness, and a shot glass of half Jameson’s Irish whiskey and half Bailey’s Irish cream, you drop the shot into the pint glass and chug. The other half requested these for his birthday, and I thought they were perfect for a guy. Chocolate with three different types of alcohol, how can you go wrong? He was lucky to be home while I was baking because he got to have an actual Irish car bomb with the left over liquor. And I'll admit I did have a Guinness too while I was baking, even though I started at 11:30am. (Hey! I must check the quality of the ingredients I'm using!) Most of the similar recipes I've seen call for an Irish cream buttercream, but the other half hates frosting so I opted for an Irish cream whipped cream frosting instead. The end result was perfect! If you are looking for a well balanced cupcake, this is the one for you. I think that if you had topped this with a sugary buttercream it would have been too sweet. The whipped cream complimented the rich ganache center very well. I also would like to add that I could bake everything with beer because it gives it such a rich flavor and moist texture. (Which I may try) So you guys have got to try this one, they’re awesome!

The other half says it's the best cupcake he's ever had. (And I didn't make him say that)

Cupcakes 

Ingredients: 

1 (11.2 fl oz) bottle Guinness 

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 eggs

1 (8oz) container sour cream 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

In a medium saucepan, combine Guinness and butter and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then whisk in cocoa powder until smooth and let cool. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture to the sour cream and eggs and beat until just combined. 

Slowly add dry ingredients and beat briefly on a slow speed, scraping down sides as needed. 

Fill each cupcake paper 3/4 of the way full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 17-18 minutes (Mine baked for 18 minutes and came out perfect) 

Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on wire rack. Cool completely before filling. 

Ganache 

Ingredients:

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

4 teaspoons Jameson whiskey 

Directions: 

Place chocolate in a medium heat-resistant bowl. In a small saucepan, heat heavy cream until bubbling.

Carefully pour it over chocolate and let sit untouched for 20 seconds. After that, stir until smooth and combined. 

Add in butter and whiskey. Let cool until it’s a pipe-able consistency, using the fridge if needed. If you use the fridge, make sure to stir every 10 minutes.

Irish Cream Whipped Cream Frosting 

Ingredients: 

2 C heavy whipping cream 

2/3 C sugar 

2 T Baileys Irish Cream (I added a little extra) 

Directions: 

Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream. 

Mix in sugar and Baileys Irish Cream until just combined

Cupcakes and ganache adapted from Cake and Allie

Irish cream whipped cream from Cupcake Project

Chocolate Coconut Porter Cupcakes

Thank goodness I am not one of those types of people that just run into the grocery store for exactly what I need and run out. I enjoy going to the grocery store; I like to look around and find new things and ingredients.  If I didn’t do that I would have never found the coconut porter by Maui brewing company. I enjoy beer very much, in fact the other half and I brew our own beer, but I love to try new ones. When I saw the coconut porter I knew I had to try it and I knew I had to bake with it. So you guys get to reap the reward of my fondness of beer and cupcakes.

When I took them out of the oven, I couldn’t believe how perfect they looked. These were the best looking cupcakes I have ever baked. I could smell the chocolate and coconut and a faint smell of the beer. (Maybe it was the one I was drinking, but I still smelled it none the less) I could not wait to get these put together so I could devour one. And boy did I! They are perfectly moist with just right balance of chocolaty and coconuty goodness. The beer just adds richness to the cupcake. The co-workers loved them, and a couple even said they were the best cupcake they have ever had.

Chocolate Coconut Porter Cupcakes 

(Makes 24 cupcakes) 

Cupcakes 

Ingredients: 

1(12oz) can Maui coconut porter 

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 ½ tsp coconut extract 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 eggs

1 (8oz) container sour cream 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F and line muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut porter and butter and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Then whisk in cocoa powder until smooth and let cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sour cream, and coconut and vanilla extract until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture to the sour cream and eggs and beat until just combined. 

Slowly add dry ingredients and beat briefly on a slow speed, scraping down sides as needed. 

Fill each cupcake paper 3/4 of the way full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 17-18 minutes  (Mine baked for 17 minutes and came out perfect) 

Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and placing on wire rack. 

Cool completely before filling.

Filling 

Ingredients: 

1 (5.1 oz) box vanilla pudding 

1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk 

1/4 cup heavy cream 

1 cup flaked coconut 

¼ tsp coconut extract 

Direction: 

Whisk together until thick and creamy. Stir in coconut. Chill until ready to use.

Frosting 

Ingredients: 

1 cup butter (2 sticks, room temp) 

4 oz unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup cocoa powder

6 cups confectioners’ sugar, divided

5 fl oz coconut milk 

1 tbsp Maui coconut porter

1 tsp coconut extract 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

toasted shredded coconut (for garnish, I made about a cup) 

Directions: 

In a small, microwave safe bowl, melt unsweetened chocolate. Heat in 30-45 second intervals, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth. (I let mine sit on top of the stove, in a glass bowl, on top of a burner, while the oven preheated and in melted perfectly.) Let cool to room temperature. 

Transfer chocolate to a larger bowl. Beat in butter, cocoa powder, confectioners’ sugar, coconut milk, coconut porter, coconut and vanilla extract, and salt, (basically everything else) :) beating until frosting is smooth and fluffy.  

Add more confectioners’ sugar for a thicker frosting if desired.

Orange and Raspberry Mini Cupcakes

This recipe is inspired by an orange and raspberry cake that Giada De Laurentiis does. She uses a cake mix which would be a great shortcut if you need a quick cake, but I can’t help feel like I’m cheating. Box cake mixes have come a long way though, the complaint used to be a slight fake taste which I believe is caused by the preservatives in the mix, but now days it’s barely noticeable. But me personally, I would like to say it’s from scratch. So I used the same flavor combo, but totally changed the recipe. 

So what do you guys think, box mixes vs. from scratch?? 

These little guys pack a sharp citrus flavor which is rounded out nicely by the raspberry filling and frosting. I chose to do mini cupcakes because they are so easy to just grab and pop in your mouth, but if you need a sit down dessert feel free to make it in regular cupcake or cake form. These are light and fresh and fit in well at a summer BBQ. 

April Showers bring…..more baked deliciousness

The month of April was a busy one for me, but I made sure to get my fill of sugary confections. I also managed to gain back some of that lovely weight I had lost in March, go figure. Here in San Antonio we have a little festival in April we call Fiesta, which means plenty of alcohol and any kind of food on a stick you can think of. It’s a city wide party and it’s full of food, drinks, and events. 

A little history… 

Fiesta San Antonio started in 1891 as a one-parade event and has evolved today into one of this nation’s premier festivals with more than 100 events and an economic impact of almost $284 million for the city. Fiesta is “The Party with a Purpose.” Each event is produced by a nonprofit organization selected by the Fiesta® San Antonio Commission. The funds they raise provide services to San Antonio citizens throughout the year. 

If you are in the area in April and want to attend Fiesta or just want to read up on it here is the Official Fiesta Website. 

In honor of Fiesta I decided to bake something appropriate so I chose Cupcake Project’s Margarita Cupcakes. With tequila in the cake and the frosting this was a perfect fit.

While attending an event, the King Williams Fair, I managed to find the gourmet food trucks. One of the ones I have wanted to try out for a while was Saweet Cupcakes, and I’m so glad I did!  I tried the Belgian chocolate cupcake with the vanilla bean buttercream and it was amazing! Deep rich chocolate complemented by the creamy, smooth buttercream. Yum!

Before I fell off the wagon though, I did do a little healthy baking. I made whole wheat cranberry orange muffins, which I seemed to have misplaced the recipe, but will update you if I find it. The sweetness of the citrus and tartness of the cranberry compliment each other perfectly. If you are not trying to be healthy there are tons of great recipes out there for you to try. The next one I want to try is Ina Garten’s Cranberry Orange Scones.

April was great. Hope there is another sweet month ahead of me. :)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Ok so I need to work on my timing a little bit (should have posted these before V-Day), but I made some super cute cupcakes for Valentine’s Day. This recipe I found on bakerella.com and it is the best red velvet cake I’ve ever tried. It is super moist and yummy. The flowers are marshmallow fondant, which I made from scratch as well. Think I’m going to start a little cake decorating again; playing with the fondant brought back fond memories. If you guys like red velvet cake you gotta try out this recipe.

This was a real comment I got from one of my guinea pigs.

“OMG! That is the best red velvet cake I have EVER tasted. I'm so serious.  It's so good that I can't even tell my wife about it, because she thinks her mom makes the best red velvet cake. In fact, it's a tradition in her family for her mom to make it. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. lol. It would hurt her feelings if I went on and on about it.”

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

What’s better than cookies and cream ice cream? Well cookies and cream cupcakes of course!

This weekend I was craving cupcakes. I had my heart set on trying out the cupcake project’s recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes, oh yum those look good, but low and behold the other half thinks cookies and cream sounds better. So after scouring the internet for a good recipe I ended up using Paula Deen’s cupcake recipe (you can tell by all the butter) found on Dine and Dish, and the frosting recipe is from Baa Baa, Cupcake.