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The Cupcake Thread!

Jaders731

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
527
Okie Dokie.. here''s the recipe... It will make about 35 mini''s... Hope everyone likes them.. they are super yummy.. and uber goooooey... I wish I had a picture of them toasted..argghhh

S’mores Cupcakes:
Graham Cake:
½ cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 all purpose flour
1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
2/3 cup milk
1 t vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter on high speed until soft, about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, beat on med-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time; beat for 30 seconds after each.
Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Measure out milk and vanilla together. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat to combine. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk/vanilla mixture, ending with the flour mixture.
Poor innto cupcake paper lined, mini muffin pan and bake for 12 min. **Please note: I used a convection oven at work for these... 325F on low fan, for 11 min. Please start checking the cakes after about 10 min.*** If while putting the batter into the cups, it looks a little seperated, just give it a stir or two with a rubber spatula...

Chocolate Ganache:


1 c. bittersweet chocolate
1 c. heavy cream

Heat cream just until boiling. Pour over Chocolate, let stand for 1 min. Stir until incorporated. Cool for about 15 min. (You do not want the ganache to be toooo drippy). Dip the cooled cupcake crowns into the ganache, let the excess drip off, and place on a pan to set.
Swiss Meringue:
4 large egg whites
1 ¼ cup sugar

In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg whites, sugar. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Attach the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on medium-high speed, about 2 minutes. Raise speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Use immediately.


Pipe onto cooled cakes (make sure that the ganache has set, you can refrigerate if you want) and toast with a culinary torch until brown.
 

Skippy123

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Messages
24,300
Jaders, awesome picture, please post more pics!!! That is sooo awesome you are enjoying what you are doing as a Professional Pastry Chef!!! Are you still out at T&C??? You rock, those are so awesome and thanks for sharing the recipe
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HaloAngel

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 5, 2008
Messages
169
Hi Cupcake Guru's!

I am a longtime lurker of this thread & ready to take the plunge!

Question before I begin:
What is the best bakeware for cupcakes? Does the silicone bakeware work well? Does it matter?
Do I need to use the cupcake paper-thingies?

Thanks so much! I am ITCHING for a batch or red velvet --- Yummmmm
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ETA: any top bakeware tools & brands anyone recommends? Online resources too?
 

FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
Um. I used regular aluminum cupcake pans from the grocery store. And yes I use the paper cupcake liners, and I don''t recommend not using them at all, because you''ll be scraping cake out of whatever bakeware you use. Besides, as Mara would point out, there are so many cute cupcake liners out there, why not use some of them?

Thanks SDL for the compliments on my cake. It came out really really rich, but my parents and BF seemed to enjoy it, so that''s all that matters.
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FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Date: 7/8/2008 12:42:51 AM
Author: SanDiegoLady
Date: 7/7/2008 11:04:40 PM
Author: FrekeChild
Um. I used regular aluminum cupcake pans from the grocery store. And yes I use the paper cupcake liners, and I don''t recommend not using them at all, because you''ll be scraping cake out of whatever bakeware you use. Besides, as Mara would point out, there are so many cute cupcake liners out there, why not use some of them?

Thanks SDL for the compliments on my cake. It came out really really rich, but my parents and BF seemed to enjoy it, so that''s all that matters.
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I just want to come to your house for the holidays, ok? lol
You are totally welcome to!!!!! Especially because this year I''ll have some rum balls floating around....Hee hee hee hee...
 

miraclesrule

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
4,442
My first post in this thread. My daughter loves those confetti boxed cupcake mixes...don't ask me why, but since she loves them, we had them for her family bridal shower...Yummmy...

bridal shower cupcake yummy.jpg
 

miraclesrule

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
4,442
And for those who prefer chocolate frosting....

chocolate bridal shower cupcakes.jpg
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
so funny but i grew up on cake mix and i really LOVED it....but now that i have been making my own, when i had cake mix recently i was totally NOT liking it at all! end of an era *sob*
 

FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Dec 14, 2007
Messages
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Awww...poor Mara. I'm sorry hon, that sucks.

My aunt is a serious baker (made wedding cakes out of her house forever, won awards like crazy) so she made all of her own baked goods. Because of that, her kids would beg her to buy store bought stuff or use mixes.

I have to admit there are still some items I prefer some store bought stuff. Probably mostly because I don't have to make it if I buy it. Lol.

But I do get cravings--to make it, instead of eat it thank goodness. Lol. BF can tell when I get in one of those moods...he gets out of the way.
 

miraclesrule

Ideal_Rock
Joined
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Date: 7/8/2008 12:23:44 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady

Date: 7/8/2008 2:43:38 AM
Author: miraclesrule
My first post in this thread. My daughter loves those confetti boxed cupcake mixes...don''t ask me why, but since she loves them, we had them for her family bridal shower...Yummmy...
This is EXACTLY my daughter''s favorite cuppie. This is what she wanted for her graduation party (we used a cupcakerie however), we did use that exact same kind of cupcake tree. LOL btw, your daughter has your gorgeous eyes. Very pretty.

Isnt'' that funny that these girls love these cupcakes? I guess they are okay. I mean, it''s hard to hate a cupcake, but these wouldn''t be the ones I would want if it were my party. I love those cupcake trees. They aren''t mine, but I would love to have a few...but if I did I would feel compelled to make some cupcakes for them.
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My daughter did inherit my eye color. Not the shape of my eye, which is from her Dad, but definately my color. Thanks for your compliments, I know I am biased, but I think she is gorgeous too!! But then again, I think we both create some darn gorgeous kidlets.
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Brynn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
36
Just had to post photos of my cuppie experiment from the 4th!


Thanks for all of the help ladies!

P.S. My SO''s 60 pound lab puppy got a hold of SIX of them and ate them paper, saran wrap and all! Also three chocolate chip cookies and a bowl of cashews...
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He''s fine, phew!!!

Snapshot 2008-07-13 08-15-39.jpg
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
those look so cute Brynn!!! our neighbors dog regularly finds bars of Toblerone and consumes them with wrappers so i guess some dogs just have those iron bodies..!! our westie is so inbred she''d probably pass out from just inhaling the smell.

freke i got cooks illustrated a few weeks ago and it had a recipe for lemon pound cake in there in the food processory. i guess they test a ton of stuff and they were saying the old creaming recipe is just way too finicky so apparently this fp way is a much easier and consistent way to get a fab pound cake. if anyone wants it i''ll dig it out and post it.

i just made some red velvet cuppies for a fun dessert event today...and yesterday i made some ''almond joy'' cupcakes for an order...whew..! i have ONE BANANA ready to go for your cake recipe freke. i hope i can do it tomorrow or this evening. keeping fingers crossed.
 

Brynn

Rough_Rock
Joined
Apr 21, 2008
Messages
36
Thanks Mara!! Apparently after dogs have chocolate they develop a taste for it. Case en point the next day the big guy was sneaking into a family member''s kitchen through a hole in their screen door to eat MORE cookies!

Oh goodness it''s a good thing I love dogs.
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Also just had to tell you how absolutely adorable your Portia is. Love the Westies!

I have a final a week from today, but I''m dreaming about almond, lemon meringue, and nutella cuppies!!!
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
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31,003
Freke...just had to chime in real quick before bed and say...I MADE THE BANANA CAKE tonite. I had one lone banana, one lone egg so I halved the recipe...and no sour cream, so I used Vit D milk instead. But it tastes SO GOOD!!!!!! I made a 6x8 pan but it did not puff up very much...I might put more baking powder next time...I put a bit more this time but I think it might need more to fluff more. So I used a big biscuit cutter to cut rounds out of it and made little mini layer cakes with leftover cream cheese frosting from red velvets I made this wkd.

I still want to play with the recipe a bit, a bit more banana I think and more flour to combat the additional moisture...and I really like it with milk...it''s got that dense cakey texture, and we''ll see about the rise, but YAY...so close..!!! how do you think sour cream would really change the texture?

also, when I mixed, I mixed in the banana entirely then alternated flour and milk with the hand mixer, whipping at the end very quickly and frothily until it was a little ''moussey''. I have had a really good result doing this with chocolate cake recipe to get it to be spongy...think that helped here or not? Just curious. But THANKS miss...I will try to get a photo tomorrow and post.

Oh and Brynn, thanks so much for your sweet words on our princess Portia....she really is a doll. Here''s a photo to make you guys laugh...these are fingerless gloves...I got the idea looking at her while wondering what to do with them, and the rest is history!! She''s SO tolerant.


portia priceless.jpg
 

FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
Date: 7/15/2008 1:59:01 AM
Author: Mara
Freke...just had to chime in real quick before bed and say...I MADE THE BANANA CAKE tonite. I had one lone banana, one lone egg so I halved the recipe...and no sour cream, so I used Vit D milk instead. But it tastes SO GOOD!!!!!! I made a 6x8 pan but it did not puff up very much...I might put more baking powder next time...I put a bit more this time but I think it might need more to fluff more. So I used a big biscuit cutter to cut rounds out of it and made little mini layer cakes with leftover cream cheese frosting from red velvets I made this wkd.

I still want to play with the recipe a bit, a bit more banana I think and more flour to combat the additional moisture...and I really like it with milk...it''s got that dense cakey texture, and we''ll see about the rise, but YAY...so close..!!! how do you think sour cream would really change the texture?

also, when I mixed, I mixed in the banana entirely then alternated flour and milk with the hand mixer, whipping at the end very quickly and frothily until it was a little ''moussey''. I have had a really good result doing this with chocolate cake recipe to get it to be spongy...think that helped here or not? Just curious. But THANKS miss...I will try to get a photo tomorrow and post.
I''m not surprised there wasn''t much lift. The recipe was originally mean to be a thin sheet cake that would be made into small very thin layer cakes. I agree with putting more baking powder in it to make it rise more. I''m glad it tasted good good though-that''s always my main concern. I don''t know that the sour cream would change the texture all that much-perhaps the flavor more than anything else. I don''t know that mixing in the banana that way would be detrimental to the recipe at all, I''ve thought about adding fruit items like that before, although I can''t say I''ve done it. Just adding more air bubbles to it, is all.
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I can''t wait to see pics!!
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Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
anyone want to see some cupcake pictures? :)

red velvet with a flower...the flowers are my new obsession. i spend hours making them then i never want to use them!


red velvet with flower.jpg
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
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31,003
another red velvet.

red velvet pretty.jpg
 

Linda W

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2006
Messages
10,630
Mara,

That is beautiful!!! What a genius you are, I swear you do fantastic work. It looks to beautiful to eat
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Linda W

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Feb 15, 2006
Messages
10,630
Oh and Mara, how is your business going????????
 

lili

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
3,470
Date: 7/29/2008 12:34:38 AM
Author: Linda W
Mara,
That is beautiful!!! What a genius you are, I swear you do fantastic work. It looks to beautiful to eat
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Ditto.
More pix please.

So those flowers are edible?
 

Dandi

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 9, 2006
Messages
6,652
Wooo, giddy up!! I''m so excited this thread is still so popular!!
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How did you go with these RVs Mara? You were saying a while ago that you weren''t happy with previous ones you''d tried? Did you tweak a recipe you already had? By the way... they are the best looking RVs I think I''ve ever seen! They''re just gorgeous.
 

Mara

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
31,003
thanks ladies!! i had another one for triple chocolate mousse cuppie, but it was too big and i got lazy to resize. the biz is going well, totally slow which is FINE because i am very busy at work right now. i might have a really big order for this wkd which is a fun yet stressful thing because it''s greg''s 40th bday party and his sis is in town so we are going to be GO GO GO and this lady wants like 5 dozen cuppies for her daughter''s party...BUT i don''t want to turn it away either because it would be such a challenge! so i sent her my info, we''ll see...she might not want me anyway, but i am biting nails haha. i also have 3-4 orders already for august which honestly is enough for me...i only would like to do one a week just for fun.

and yes dandi, i worked on my RV til i got it right...but recipe is a secret hehee. i do use a combo of butter and oil which i think is key to not making it dry and yet giving it flavor. plus if you add chocolate chips to the batter, the little bites of chocolate are so fun, and kids love them too.
 

divergrrl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 9, 2002
Messages
2,224
Mara!! Hey girl! Been meaning to email you, but have just been slammed since we got home. Summer has been too busy for me.

OMG...your red velvets with the flower look amazing. I am thinking of making cuppies for D''s 1st birthday (of course I can also order 14 redvelvets from our gourmet grocer for $18, so hmmmm.....timesaver?) but I need to go back and find your red v recipe to at least play with it on my own. What kind of frosting do you put on yours? I prefer creamcheese frosting on everything, but am game for others.

Portia''s leggings are too darned cute!!!

((hugs))

Jeannine
 

princesss

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Messages
8,035
*puts hands on hips and glares accusingly*

How come nobody told me about this thread??? I am drooling and completely convinced that I need to take up baking cupcakes. But I need people to bake them for. Right now it''s just me and BF. First I need a mixer, I guess. But then.....cupcakes!
 

FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
Sorry princesss....

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And I rarely use my mixer for any baked goods...
 

princesss

Ideal_Rock
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Mar 18, 2007
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8,035
Lol

I was thinking about icings. I just don''t have it in me to whip my arm that fast.

Haha, I read this thread and decided I need to master cupcakes, and then got a text from my good friend who is in pastry school in NY. Mmmmmmmm....cupcakes.
 

FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
19,456
What school in NY?

The only thing I use mine for would be a meringue for a Italian/Swiss buttercream.

Other than that, I just use my arm. lol.
 

princesss

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
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8,035
Woohoo! I can start on cupcakes sooner. Lol

She''s at the French Culinary Institute, I think.
 

lili

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Messages
3,470
Date: 8/10/2008 9:50:36 PM
Author: FrekeChild
Sorry princesss....
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And I rarely use my mixer for any baked goods...

Really? And I just went and got myself a mixer
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FrekeChild

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
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19,456
Date: 8/10/2008 11:40:04 PM
Author: lili
Date: 8/10/2008 9:50:36 PM
Author: FrekeChild
Sorry princesss....

14.gif


And I rarely use my mixer for any baked goods...
Really? And I just went and got myself a mixer
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Oh you''ll get plenty of use out of it! I just have a penchant for wanting to do it all myself. Not everyone wants to spend a hour creaming butter and sugar! I''m weird. And if I made any bread or basically anything besides cookies and cake batter, I''d use a mixer too. As it is, I still use it for making meringues and whipped cream. Both of those are possible to make without a mixer, but it a lot easier to mess them up without.

So don''t worry about it! Plus, you can make other cool stuff with mixers-like make mayo and salad dressings. I do have a mixer (and a really expensive one at that!), I just choose to not use it that much.
 
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