Easter Cupcakes

Cupcakes are quite the craze lately, so I wanted to make them for Easter, with my own special twist.

I had made this particular chocolate cupcakes before, for a party, but this time I made my own buttercream frosting, dyed it yellow for Easter, topped it with sprinkles, and then made bunny molds out of milk chocolate.

They were a lot of fun- everyone enjoyed them!
Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes

(recipe from Elinor Klivans)

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. water

Put chocolate in a heatproof bowl or the top of a double boiler placed over, but not touching, barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each is blended into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat until the mixture looks creamy and the color has lightened slightly, about 1 minute. Mix in the sour cream until no white streaks remain. On low speed, add half of hte flour mixture, mixing just to incorporate it. Mix in the water. Mix in the remaining flour mixture until it is incorporated and the batter looks smooth.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill muffin cups with cupcake liners with about 1/3 c. batter. Bake about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack and turn out to cool completely. Yields 18 cupcakes.

Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 stick butter

1 vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners sugar

2 tablespoons milk

-Cream shortening and butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer. Add the vanilla, and then a cup of sugar at a time. Add the milk and beat until light and fluffy.

-For the bunny molds, melt any type of chocolate you like and carefully pour into the molds. Let sit until hard, then pop out and place on top of the cupcakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

I apologize for not updating my blog as much, but I have started graduate school, moved back to Park Ridge temporarily, and am not able to cook as much. However, when I get the chance, I will try to post new things.

This cupcake recipe was used for a "Fat Tuesday" party my husband and I hosted for some church members. I have been in a cupcake mood lately, and as soon as the idea of a party came up, I knew exactly what to make for dessert.

This recipe comes from a cookbook that was given to me by my Aunt years ago, and while I flipped through it often, I had never used it until now. The cookbook, Cupcakes!, by Elinor Klivans, is an excellent guide to cupcake baking. It begins with the necessities for baking cupcakes, and the author gives a lot of advice on how to bake, store, and frost your cakes. There are basic recipes for vanilla (which I made) cupcakes, sour cream chocolate cupcakes (which I also made but do not have a picture of), and simple frostings. Being pressed for time, I have to admit I used store-brought frosting.

The author also includes many unique cupcakes, such as upside down pecan cupcakes, peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes, and a poppyseed cupcake.

You can find the recipe for her vanilla cupcakes here.

What I loved about these cupcakes was that with the addition of sour cream, they were very moist and stayed like that for a few days after baking. Do be sure you cool your cupcakes completely before frosting though- and have some fun and add sprinkles or sugar for an extra sparkle!