Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes

For this month's SRC, I was assigned to Angela's blog, Spinach Tiger.  Her blog is simply gorgeous.  It's like looking at a cookbook in a bookstore, even better because many of the recipes are her own special creations, so it's really her own unique cookbook.  And, unlike other cookbooks you find where the recipes look good but are practically impossible to follow, have no fear, Angela's recipes are all super easy and anyone can make them.  Did I mention she has her own cooking channel too?  I'm totally impressed!

Her husband is from the South, so her blog likewise, has a lot of Southern influenced recipes, including numerous recipes for the biggest, fluffiest, yummiest looking biscuits ever.  I made her Parmesan Honey Biscuits and they were so fluffy that I would have sworn they were bread rolls.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures because they all got eaten up before I could take them.  But, believe me, they were good.

So, since I missed the photo op on the first recipe, I went ahead and made another Southern based oldie but goodie - Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I decided to do what Angela recommended in another post and turned them into Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes.  I did make one substitution.  Since I had run out of cocoa powder, I substituted one ounce of unsweetened chocolate and removed one tablespoon of butter from the recipe.  It seemed to work just fine.  Now, onto the cupcakes themselves.

 

I apologize, Angela, but I just don't seem to have your touch with these.  They did not come out half as pretty as yours did.  So, to sort of cover up my flaws, I drizzled them with melted chocolate.  As for taste, however, I am sure that these were spot on.  The red velvet taste was just right, that sort of tanginess, a bit of chocolate that's not too overpowering, not too sweet, and moist.  I've been looking for a good red velvet cake recipe, and have tried several others, but I think this is it!      

Thanks Angela for a real keeper of a recipe!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes (adapted from Spinach Tiger)

1 1/4 c. cake flour (I used 1 c. + 1 1/2 Tbsp. flour + 2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar + milk to make 1/2 cup)
1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

Cheesecake filling:
6 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the cake flour with the baking soda and salt and set aside.  Cream the butter with the sugar.  Stir in the melted chocolate.  Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla.  Add in the red food coloring.  Add half the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk mixture, and add in the rest of the flour.  Mix in the vinegar.  

For the cheesecake mixture:  Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the sugar and mix well.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  Fill each one with 1/4 c. cake batter.  Spoon 2 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into each cup.  Bake at 350F for 30-35 min.  Let cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing.  

Notes:  I had some leftover batter, so I made 12 mini cupcakes.

An InLinkz Link-up

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes

For this month's SRC, I was assigned to Angela's blog, Spinach Tiger.  Her blog is simply gorgeous.  It's like looking at a cookbook in a bookstore, even better because many of the recipes are her own special creations, so it's really her own unique cookbook.  And, unlike other cookbooks you find where the recipes look good but are practically impossible to follow, have no fear, Angela's recipes are all super easy and anyone can make them.  Did I mention she has her own cooking channel too?  I'm totally impressed!

Her husband is from the South, so her blog likewise, has a lot of Southern influenced recipes, including numerous recipes for the biggest, fluffiest, yummiest looking biscuits ever.  I made her Parmesan Honey Biscuits and they were so fluffy that I would have sworn they were bread rolls.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures because they all got eaten up before I could take them.  But, believe me, they were good.

So, since I missed the photo op on the first recipe, I went ahead and made another Southern based oldie but goodie - Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I decided to do what Angela recommended in another post and turned them into Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes.  I did make one substitution.  Since I had run out of cocoa powder, I substituted one ounce of unsweetened chocolate and removed one tablespoon of butter from the recipe.  It seemed to work just fine.  Now, onto the cupcakes themselves.

 

I apologize, Angela, but I just don't seem to have your touch with these.  They did not come out half as pretty as yours did.  So, to sort of cover up my flaws, I drizzled them with melted chocolate.  As for taste, however, I am sure that these were spot on.  The red velvet taste was just right, that sort of tanginess, a bit of chocolate that's not too overpowering, not too sweet, and moist.  I've been looking for a good red velvet cake recipe, and have tried several others, but I think this is it!      

Thanks Angela for a real keeper of a recipe!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes (adapted from Spinach Tiger)

1 1/4 c. cake flour (I used 1 c. + 1 1/2 Tbsp. flour + 2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. liquid red food coloring
1/2 c. buttermilk (I used 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar + milk to make 1/2 cup)
1/2 c. + 1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar

Cheesecake filling:
6 oz. cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat)
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine the cake flour with the baking soda and salt and set aside.  Cream the butter with the sugar.  Stir in the melted chocolate.  Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla.  Add in the red food coloring.  Add half the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk mixture, and add in the rest of the flour.  Mix in the vinegar.  

For the cheesecake mixture:  Beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the sugar and mix well.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.  Fill each one with 1/4 c. cake batter.  Spoon 2 Tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture into each cup.  Bake at 350F for 30-35 min.  Let cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before removing.  

Notes:  I had some leftover batter, so I made 12 mini cupcakes.

An InLinkz Link-up

Samoas Cupcakes

 

One of my friends is totally crazy about Samoas cookies.  Not that I can blame her.  Chocolate, coconut, and caramel is a pretty hard combo to resist.  I'm just as crazy about the Samoas ice cream that Dreyer's recently came out with. 

So, with Samoas on the brain, I decided to make my own version of a Samoas cupcake.  I used King Arthur Flour's golden cake recipe as the base, whipped up a caramel coconut filling, and topped it all off with rich chocolate ganache. 

Oh boy was it ever good.  I loved KAF's cake recipe.  It was so moist and fluffy and had a nice crumb and great vanilla flavor.  I think this will be my go-to vanilla cupcake recipe, at least for now.  With the yummy, gooey filling and luscious frosting, this was the best Samoas I've ever eaten.  Thank goodness that I had people I could give these cupcakes to, or else I would have devoured the whole batch.  It's nice to know that I can now have Samoas more than once a year.

Samoas Cupcakes (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

Vanilla Cupcakes (King Arthur Flour)
2 c. sugar
3 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter, soft
1 1/4 c. milk, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
4 large eggs

Caramel Sauce (In the Pink and Green)
1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. salted butter, cubed
1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. heavy cream, at room temperature

10 Tbsp. sweetened shredded coconut

Chocolate Ganache 
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. heavy cream

For the cupcakes:  
Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and add the vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift the mixture.  Add half the mixture to the wet ingredients and beat to combine.  Add the milk and stir to combine.  Then, add the rest of the flour mixture and mix well to combine. 

Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tins.  Bake at 350F for 20-25 min. until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from the muffin pans and place on wire racks to cool. 

For the caramel coconut filling:  In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, whisking as it melts.  When it turns a deep amber color, add the butter and stir until melted.  Add the heavy cream and whisk till the caramel is smooth.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Add the shredded coconut till combined.   

For the ganache:  Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small bowl and heat for 1 min. at 50% power.  Stir and repeat the process as necessary till smooth.  Chill the ganache briefly until it reaches your desired consistency. 

For the assembly:  Cut a small cone from the center of each cupcake.  Fill with 1-2 tsp. of the coconut-caramel filling.  Spread with chocolate ganache. 

Makes 24 cupcakes

Peanut Butter Snickers Banana Cupcakes

Years ago, my dad asked me if I could make banana cake, not banana bread, but cake.  At the time, I didn't know of any good recipes for banana cake, so the request went unfulfilled.  Recently, I decided to try one of the banana cupcake recipes that was out there on the internet, but it turned out horrible.  The cake was dense beyond belief, gummy, and stuck to the wrappers.  Absolutely inedible.  After that, I worried that perhaps a good banana cake just did not exist.  Maybe bananas were meant to be made into bread and only bread, or, if cake was possible, it was always going to be heavy and dense.

 

Then, I came across this recipe for Banana Cupcakes on the blog, the Brown-Eyed Baker.  From the pictures, it looked like the cake would actually come out, dare I say, fluffy.  The crumb looked light and most definitely did not resemble banana bread of any sort.  So, I decided to give things another go.

 

And, I was thrilled with the results.  The cake, yes it was cake, was fluffy and soft and light and super moist to boot.  There was also a wonderful banana flavor in every bite. I frostedthese cupcakes off with a peanut butter buttercream and then, since I had a bag of peanut butter Snickers minis (which are totally yum), I decided to top the cupcakes off with them (cause more sugar is always a good thing).  Add a drizzle of melted chocolate and these cupcakes were a mouthwatering combination of banana, chocolate, and peanut butter.  Simply irresistible. 

 

So, what do you know, a good banana cake DOES exist.  Next time Dad, your wish is my command.  

Elvis Cupcakes (created by Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

Banana cupcakes (from Brown-Eyed Baker)

1 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
5/8 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter 
3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
3/4 c. mashed very ripe bananas
1/4 c. buttermilk (I used plain nonfat yogurt)
2 Tbsp. milk (I added this)

12 Peanut Butter Snickers minis

Peanut Butter Buttercream (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1/2 c. butter
5 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
milk (to desired consistency)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. 

Cream the butter with the sugar till light and fluffy.  Add the bananas and mix well.  Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat for 1 min. until well combined.  Mix in the flour mixture, alternating with the yogurt, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Fill the cupcake liners about three-quarters full.  Bake for 20-25 min. until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 20 min.  Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place on the rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:  Beat the butter with the peanut butter until well combined.  Beat in the powered sugar till light and fluffy.  Add milk until it reaches your desired consistency.  

Makes 12 cupcakes

Notes:  
1.  The batter seemed a little dense, so I added a little extra milk to the recipe, about 2 Tbsp.
2.  The original recipe called for buttermilk, but I used nonfat yogurt since that's what I had.
3.  The original recipe called for a combination of butter and shortening, but I just used butter.    

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

 

 

I've heard so much about baked goods made with sweet potatoes - like pie and cupcakes.  However, I've never tried them before, though I have eaten baked goods made from purple Okinawan sweet potatoes or Korean sweet potatoes.  People always say that it tastes a lot like stuff made with pumpkin.  Well, you know how much I love pumpkin, so I was sure I was going to love these cupcakes.  Plus, sweet potatoes were on sale, so it was definitely time to make them.

I' m not sure how well pureed other people get their sweet potatoes, but mine still had a lot of little chunks and bits in the mixture.  I wasn't sure how that would affect things, but decided to just go with it.  Knowing how I like things spicy, I also decided to double the amount of cinnamon in the recipe and added some ground ginger as well.

 

The cupcakes, first of all, smell amazing.  It's a sweet, spicy scent that's like pumpkin and yet not like pumpkin.  It just smells rich and golden.  As for those tiny remaining chunks of sweet potato, they melt right into the cake and you won't even know they're there anymore, except that you have a cake that is supremely moist and full of sweet potato flavor that will knock your socks off.  I never knew that sweet potato cake could be so good.  I'm a believer now.  As for the marshmallow frosting, it goes hand in hand with these cupcakes - think candied yams with lots and lots of marshmallows on top (oh yeah).  Sweet potato - you rule!   


Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting
(adapted from How Sweet It Is)

1 1/3 c. loosely packed brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 oz. cooked, mashed sweet potato (about 3/4 cup)
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I doubled this to 1 tsp.)
3/4 tsp. ground ginger (I added this)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. milk (I used 1/4 c. plain yogurt + 1/4 c. water)

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. marshmallow fluff (7 oz. jar)
3 c. powdered sugar (I decreased this to 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a cupcake pan with liners.  

In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until combined and no lumps remain. Add in vanilla extract and butter, then whisk in sweet potato. Add in flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, then add in milk and stir until combined and smooth. Fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and spring back at the touch. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Beat butter in the bowl of electric mixer until creamy. Add in fluff and beat for 2-3 minutes, then add in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Once all the sugar has been added, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. If mixture if too runny, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk one teaspoon at a time. Frost cupcakes as desired. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes

Peanut butter and jelly brings back so many memories of my childhood.  There's all those times that I took a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in my Hello Kitty lunchbox to school.  Then there's that song we used to sing in elementary school, you know, the one that goes:  Peanut . . . peanut butter.  And jelly!  And jelly!  I even remember one time in fourth grade where we were supposed to write down the directions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and then the teacher would follow our directions exactly and try to succeed in making the sandwich.  Naturally, when you're only nine years old, you forget to write down things like, "Open the jar of peanut butter," or "Use a knife to spread the jelly."  Needless to say, it was an extremely funny exercise.  

And now, even as an adult, the peanut butter and jelly combo just never gets old.  It's just so good!  Which is why I had to make a peanut butter and jelly cupcake, for old times sake and for the kid in you that never gets old. 

 

I used the peanut butter cake recipe from Brown Eyed Baker and changed it slightly by using some brown sugar in place of the white and adding more milk.  I think the extra milk made for much tenderer cupcake and I was very pleased with how the crumb came out.  These cupcakes were super peanut buttery in every bite, soft, and stayed moist for days (even in the fridge).  Paired up with a grape jelly filling and topped with peanut butter cream cheese frosting, they were peanut buttery perfection. 

So go ahead, make these cupcakes, grab a glass of milk, and enjoy a sweet version of peanut butter and jelly that will make you smile. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes (adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker)

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. salted butter, at room temperature
2/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. light brown sugar
2/3 c. creamy peanut butter
3 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. Greek yogurt
1/2 c. milk 

1/2 c. grape jelly

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line standard muffin pans with paper liners.  Whisk together the flour, bkaing soda, and baking powder.

Cream the butter with the peanut butter.  Add the sugars and cream together till pale and fluffy.  Beat the eggs and add in two batches, beating for 1 min. after each addition.  Mix in the vanilla.  Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, then the rest of the flour mixture.  Beat until just combined.  Mix in the milk until just combined.

Divide the batter into the lined cups.  Bake for 20-25 min. until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.  Transfer the cupcakes to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting:
Beat the butter with the cream cheese until mixed together.  Mix in the peanut butter, then beat in the powdered sugar until light and fluffy.

For the assembly:
Cut a small cone out of the center of each cupcake.  Fill with 1 tsp. grape jelly.  Pipe with the peanut butter cream cheese frosting as desired.  Eat the little cake cones to your heart's desire. 

Notes:

1. The original recipe called for 1 1/3 c. granulated sugar.  I used half white sugar and half light brown sugar instead.  
2. Instead of sour cream, I used nonfat Greek yogurt.
3. The batter, once mixed, looked a little thick, so I added 1/2 c. milk to thin it down a little.  
4. I used grape jelly instead of strawberry jam (just my preference).  
5. I chose to fill the cupcakes with the jelly instead of just dolloping it on top.  

Makes 24 cupcakes 

Mint Ganache Filled Cupcakes

 
Doesn't the word "ganache" just make you swoon?  It evokes an image of something deep, dark, rich, and utterly indulgent.  There's something so "ultimate" about it and you feel so luxurious eating it, whether it's in truffle form, topping a cake, or on a spoon in your hand.  Ahh, if only things like "calories" and "pounds" didn't exist.  Still, if there's one day of the year in which it's okay to go chocolate-crazy, I'd say it's Valentine's Day.  Which makes these ganache stuffed cupcakes the perfect dessert.

I used my go-to Chocolate Cupcake recipe as the starting point.  And, I made not one, but two dozen of them.  No, it's not because I love them so much, though I certainly do.  It's because I messed up on batch #1.  In copying down the recipe, I mistakenly wrote baking powder instead of baking soda.  Then, I found out that the two are NOT interchangeable.  The cupcakes made with baking powder did not rise and were totally gummy.  The cupcakes made with baking soda rose up high, were soft and fluffy and everything a cupcake should be.  Lesson learned.

Once I had my good batch of cupcakes, I whipped up some super fudgy, creamy, mint chocolate ganache to fill them and then made some mint buttercream frosting to pipe on top.  Once again, I opted to let the filling show and just piped the frosting around it.  As much as I loved the caramel cupcakes I posted earlier this week, I gotta say that these really take the cake!  I guess I'm just a chocolate girl at heart after all.

So, go ahead, give yourself a little chocolate love, and indulge this Valentine's Day.  You're worth it!

Mint Ganache Filled Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes (adapted from Recipegirl)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. sugar (I used 1/2 c. white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. hot water
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil (I used melted butter)
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla




Mint Chocolate Ganache (from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/3 c. powdered sugar
  
Mint Buttercream Frosting (by Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

1 stick salted butter, softened
1 1/2 - 2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. mint extract
1 Tbsp. cream

For the cupcakes:  Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.  Combine the melted butter with the sugars.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Mix in the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add 1/2 cup of the flour and beat well to combine.  Add in 1/2 cup of hot water and mix well.  Add in the rest of the flour, then the rest of the hot water and mix well.  Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with the batter.

Bake at 350F for 20 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack for 10 min.  

For the ganache:  Place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a small microwafe safe bowl and heat for 1 minute at 50% power.  Stir.  Repeat the process until the mixture is smooth.  Stir in the peppermint extract and powdered sugar, whisking till smooth.  Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then fill your cupcakes. 

For the frosting:  Beat the butter with the powdered sugar until soft and fluffy.  Stir in the mint extract.  Add the cream until the frosting is at your desired consistency.

To assemble the cupcakes:  Cut out a small cone from the middle of each cupcake.  Fill with the ganache.  Pipe the cupcakes with the mint frosting. 

Caramel Filled Cupcakes

Caramel.  It's like my Everest.  I've always wanted to try making it, but was so intimidated by it that I couldn't bring myself to do it.  First, there's the hot molten sugar to deal with.  Hmm, I don't like the sound of anything "molten."  Then, you're supposed to add cream and I've heard that, once you do, the whole mixture starts spitting and spattering angrily at you.  Well, that can't be good.  Not to mention all that talk of the sugar mixture "seizing".  What's a girl to do?  There's only one thing to do - face that fear and laugh, or something like that.

At any rate, I was tired of staring longingly at the pictures of  these Caramel Cupcakes on the blog "In the Pink and Green."  I wanted to make them and to do that, I was going to have to make some caramel once and for all.

If any of you are like me and fear caramel, then this is the recipe for you.  It is super easy and foolproof.  You just need to melt some sugar, add a little butter, and then pour in the cream.  I used canned table cream, which is thicker than heavy cream, so it hardly spit and spattered at all.  And, there was no seizing either.  I will admit that I had some crystallization going on (my fault), which led to having some hard bits of toffee mixed in with the caramel.  Although I wanted the caramel sauce to be what we call in Hawaii - Broke da Mouth (which means that something is "very delicious"), I didn't want it to literally break someone's mouth, so I just poured the caramel sauce into a sieve and took those bits out (then ate them myself).  Luscious, simply luscious.

 

Spoon a little of that caramel into these Brown Sugar Cupcakes and you're ready to swoon with delight.  I finished the cupcakes off with some cream cheese icing.  But, rather than frost the whole cupcake, I thought, why hide the surprise in the middle?  So, I piped a little of the frosting in a ring around the filled center and left it at that.  It was so pretty, the cupcakes looked like flowers.  Plus, one look at that caramelly center and you know right then and there that you're in for something good.

So, now that I've got my fear out of the way, I'm definitely dying to make more caramel and soon.  It was awesome!


Caramel Cupcakes (from In the Pink and Green)

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. + 2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. + 2 Tbsp. buttermilk (I used 5 Tbsp. Greek yogurt + 5 Tbsp. water)

Salted Caramel Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. salted butter, cubed
1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. heavy cream, at room temperature

Cream Cheese Frosting (by Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

8 oz. cream cheese
4 Tbsp. salted butter
1 c. powdered sugar

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each until fully incorporated.  Mix in vanilla.  Add flour mixture to wet ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with half of the buttermilk, stirring after each until everything is combined.

Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full with batter.  Bake 20-25 min. until a toothpick comes out clean. 

For the caramel filling:  Cook the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking as it melts.  When it turns a deep amber color, add the butter and stir until it is melted.  Add the heavy cream and whisk until the caramel is smooth.  Remove from heat and let it cool.

For the cream cheese frosting:  Beat the cream cheese with the butter until well combined.  Beat in the powdered sugar until soft and fluffy.  

To assemble the cupcakes:  Using a pastry tip, cut a small round piece out of the top of each cupcake.  Fill each cupcake with the caramel.   Pipe with the cream cheese frosting. 

Chocolate Truffle Stuffed Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

A while back, one of my blogging friends mentioned that you could get a coupon for a FREE bag of Lindor Truffles.  Free chocolate?  Nobody in their right mind would pass that up, including me.  I came home that day with a bag full of Extra Dark Lindor Truffles just waiting to be used for something special.  And, what better way than to stuff a cupcake.  

I had seen the recipe for these cupcakes on The Sisters' Cafe.  But, rather than using a box mix, I intended to use my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe from RecipeGirl.  Then, because I still had a ton of oranges in my fridge, I was going to top them with orange cream cheese frosting.  Yum!

 

The chocolate cupcakes are super moist and have a deliciously dark chocolatey flavor.  I think they're even better than the Hershey's Chocolate Cake recipe (which was my former go-to).  The best part is when you cut these cupcakes open and the melted chocolate truffle center just flows out, almost like a chocolate lava cake.  It's one sweet surprise.

 

Alternately, of course, you could also chill these cupcakes which then gives you a solid rock of chocolate to bite into - your choice.  Either way, it's chocolatey orange heaven.  


Chocolate Truffle Stuffed Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from RecipeGirl and The Sisters' Cafe)

1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. sugar (I used 1/2 c. white sugar and 1/2 c. brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. hot water
1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil (I used melted butter)
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

12 Lindor chocolate truffles by Lindt

 Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.  Combine the melted butter with the sugars.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Mix in the cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add 1/2 cup of the flour and beat well to combine.  Add in 1/2 cup of hot water and mix well.  Add in the rest of the flour, then the rest of the hot water and mix well.  Fill each cupcake liner about 2/3 full with the batter.

Bake at 350F for 5 min.   Then, lightly press a Lindor truffle into each  partially baked cupcake.  Let the cupcakes bake an additional 13-15 min. until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely, then frost with orange cream cheese frosting.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting (Sweet as Sugar Cookies)

8 oz. cream cheese (you can use 1/3 less fat)
4 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tsp. orange zest  

Beat the cream cheese with the butter.  Add the orange juice, zest, and powdered sugar and beat until soft and fluffy.  Spread on the cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes