Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes with Peppermint White Chocolate Frosting

I made these cupcakes to compliment my other Peppermint and White Chocolate Cupcakes. I absolutely LOVE peppermint hot chocolate at this time of year and these cupcakes modeled after my favorite beverage were nothing short of amazing.I don’t often eat non-gluten free treats when I make them for Alex or friends, but these cupcakes were the exception. I decided to have one and they were heavenly! I hope to create a gluten free version next year so I can enjoy more than one without feeling guilty.The frosting is the absolute best part of these cupcakes in my opinion. It is light, fluffy and very pepperminty. I decided that I had no self-control I’d be eating that frosting by the spoonful. It is the perfect complement to a rich peppermint chocolate cupcake. While these cupcakes are best enjoyed during the holiday season they certainly can be enjoyed all year round.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:148]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Gingerbread Cupcakes

Wow! The last week and a half have been crazy for me! I had several wonderful Christmas themed posts that I never got around to posting because I was out of town and then I got sick. But I’m back home and life is WAY less crazy and I think I may be on the mend.  So here’s to regularly posting again!!!I made these cupcakes for Alex’s Holiday potluck at work a few weeks ago. I really wanted a cupcake that embraced the flavors of the season and since I’d already done peppermint I decided gingerbread was the perfect idea. I paired these cupcakes with a very plain vanilla cream cheese frosting. I didn’t want the frosting to overwhelm the cupcakes in any way.These all received overwhelmingly positive reviews! Alex said he even had trouble getting one of these, and when he did it was the last one. These would be a fantastic idea for a Christmas, Holiday or New Year’s Eve party.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:147]Source: Adapted from Le Crème De La Crumb

Peppermint White Chocolate Cupcakes

I decided it was high time to make some Christmas flavored cupcakes. I settled on making two different types of peppermint cupcakes both with white chocolate icing. Today’s cupcakes are peppermint cupcakes with crushed peppermint candies with white chocolate peppermint buttercream.I took these to a board meeting and everyone loved them! They are chock full of lovely peppermint flavor and the buttercream on top is super light and fluffy. These cupcakes would be the absolute perfect complement to any Christmas celebration.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:146]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Butter Pecan Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I have been in love recently with the flavor combination of maple and pecan. These cupcakes do not disappoint. I am pretty much obsessed with butter pecan after making this recipe. I’m already trying to figure out where I can incorporate them again.These cupcakes were a huge hit! I made them to send into Alex’s office and these were the ones that received rave reviews. Alex also told me these were some his favorite cupcakes that I’ve made recently. I also gave several friends boxes with these cupcakes in them and they totally loved them!The blend of flavor in these cupcakes melds together perfectly. The cake itself is light, fluffy and has an amazing crumb. Personally I think if you’re going to have nuts in a cake you really need to commit and make it chock full of nuts.  If you like a less nutty cake I’d only add half the amount called for in the recipe. These will surely impress any who tries them![amd-yrecipe-recipe:136]

Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Spiced Cider Cream Cheese Frosting

With the harvest season closing fast apples are seriously in season right now! I wanted to try making a cupcake full of fresh apples and topped with spiced cider. I wanted to really capture the taste of the current season and embrace everything that is fantastic about it.The frosting is my favorite part of these. It is sweet yet full of fantastic spiced cider taste. I’ve used Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider but any you might be able to find will work. I would highly suggest using locally sourced cider if you can find any close by. You can add a little bit of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg before adding the cider to the frosting. I used about 3 cups of powdered sugar for this and it was still slightly wet in my opinion. Make certain to check the consistency of the frosting occasionally until it reaches your optimal piping consistence.These are sure to be a huge hit at any harvest or fall party! They would even be ideal for a Thanksgiving dessert. You can easily double the recipe if you are planning to feed a large crowd.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:135]Source: Adapted from Food.com

Gluten Free Black Bottom Cupcakes

The last time I was at my parent’s house I had a fantastic version of black bottom cupcakes. I decided that I finally had to figure out a gluten free version. I love the combination of chocolate cupcake and delicious cheesecake filling.You will notice in the photos that the filling is just sitting on top of the cupcakes. I didn’t mean to have such a light filling though! I changed the filling in the recipe below so it is heavier and will sink into the cupcake rather than just sit on the top. I prefer it when black bottom cupcakes have a filling inside rather than all over the top.These are a great idea if you need a quick and tasty treat. Since you don’t need to add any icing, that takes out a typical cupcake step. You can easily whip a batch of these up whenever you need a dessert to impress your guests.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:130]

Maple Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Toasted Pecans

Alex requested that I make cupcakes again for his office, and since I’ve been trying to make as many pumpkin treats as possible I decided on this recipe. I picked up a jar of Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup from Trader Joe’s and thought this would be the perfect place to try using it.I have to admit the frosting on this is incredible! It is one of my favorite frostings I’ve made so far. It is a wonderful blend of tart cream cheese and sweet maple syrup. The pecans add the perfect crunch to the top of it.These received rave reviews from Alex’s office. He even told me several people said they don’t normally like nuts but these were fantastic! If you’re looking for a great fall treat this is the perfect one for you.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:128]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Gluten Free Pumpkin, Cream Cheese and Chocolate MuffCakes

These aren’t exactly cupcakes and they aren’t exactly muffins. Hence the name, muffcakes! They however, are absolutely delicious! They are completely light, fluffy and the cream cheese/chocolate center pairs perfectly with the pumpkin spice outside.I sent these to work with Alex after keeping one at home for myself. I was quite sad though, after I’d eaten mine, and when Alex didn’t bring any extras home from work. These are treats I will make again and again. I’m even working on a chocolate (black bottom) version of these.You absolutely need to try these muffcakes. You will fall in love with them as soon as you make them. They are a great fall treat, and since they are gluten free anyone can enjoy them![amd-yrecipe-recipe:124]

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Buttercream

For the last few weeks I’ve been making pumpkin treats obsessively. If you’ve been reading the blog you’ll know this, and I certainly hope you’ve tried a few of these pumpkin treats. These are a simple pumpkin cupcake with spiced buttercream. They are excellent if you don’t want to commit a lot of time but need a great fall inspired dessert.These were the other cupcakes I took into my office. They quickly disappeared and everyone seemed to really enjoy them. I’ve topped these autumn colored with nonpareils. You can certainly top them the same way or leave them undecorated.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:125]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Chocolate Espresso Cinnamon Cupcakes

I went into the office a few weeks ago and I love taking cupcakes when I go in. I have several coworkers who absolutely LOVE coffee and I thought I’d make a coffee based cupcake for them to enjoy. Chocolate is a fantastic compliment to coffee and cinnamon really rounds out the trio.These cupcakes are super fluffy and full of fantastic coffee flavor. The frosting on top was described as “heavenly” by several of my coworkers. It is made with real coffee, espresso powder and cinnamon all in a buttercream base. I chose to sprinkle cinnamon over top to balance out the coffee flavor, however you can use whatever you like, cocoa powder, espresso powder or cinnamon.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:122]

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Alex requested that I make his work some cupcakes this week and since I’ve been on such a pumpkin kick I decided to keep with that theme. I’ve read a lot about impossible pumpkin pie, the pie where you don’t put a crust down, but one appears from the ingredients you put in. I decided I had to try this. Since it would be pretty hard for Alex to transport a whole pie to work I decided to change these into cupcakes.I received rave reviews from both Alex and coworkers who tried these. They really loved the pumpkin flavors that shone through. Alex told me that these really put him in the mood for a pumpkin pie (so keep your eyes on the blog for a pumpkin pie recipe next week!)Instead of creating a heavy icing for these cupcakes I’ve topped them with Cool Whip. Since I was prepping them ahead of time, I decided to use cool whip even though I would typically use fresh whipped cream. If you are serving them right after topping them I would suggest using fresh whipped cream, if they are going to sit for any length of time I suggest using cool whip since it won’t melt or slide anywhere. I’ve sprinkled nutmeg on top to pull out the savory flavors of the cake. If you want to showcase the sweet portion simply use cinnamon instead.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:115]Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

I had a friend over for the weekend and we found this recipe and decided we absolutely HAD to make it. It combines to amazing things, snickerdoodles and pumpkin cake! This cake is full of pumpkiny goodness and topped with cinnamon sugar. This is definitely a must try dessert this fall. You could also divide the batter into cupcakes and adjust the baking temperature for personal servings of this great dessert.Everyone who tried these absolutely loved them. They all remarked that is was a super unique dessert that combined flavors they wouldn’t have thought to combine. The recipe just calls for cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, but I’ve toyed with the idea of sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Making this change would amp up the pumpkin flavor and really give it an extra boost.I’ve used fresh pumpkin puree in my recipe. If you use canned pumpkin it will change the moisture content. If you find the batter too think you always add some water or decrease the amount of flour used. I found the batter to be a very runny cake type batter. You will want to try and keep it at this consistency.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:111]Source: Adapted from Averie Cooks

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

These cupcakes got rave reviews from everyone who tasted them. They have a wonderful blend of fall spices and the cake itself is super moist. But in my opinion, the best part of these cupcakes has GOT to be the frosting. The frosting is super creamy and the cream cheese and cinnamon pair perfectly to give just the best possible compliment to the cupcakes.Normally I don’t much like my desserts without chocolate in or on them but these seem to be an exception.  If you really wanted to include some chocolate, this recipe would lend itself to a nice chocolate glaze over the top of the cupcakes before frosting them. I however, wouldn’t suggest doing this since you could easily overpower the fall flavors.This recipe only makes a dozen cupcakes. However, it is super easy to double or triple if you need more. When I made these, I made them with canned pumpkin so I can’t really say how they will turn out when you use fresh pumpkin puree. I would suggest having a little bit of extra flour on hand if the dough seems super wet.I’ve decorated them with nonpareils which are completely optional. You could sprinkle them with a little bit more cinnamon or even a tiny bit of nutmeg. Nonpareils were just my easiest option since I already had them on hand.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:106]Source: Cake adapted from Kiss My Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

Chocolate Cardamom Cupcakes with Cinnamon Orange Buttercream

When Isannah visited for the second week this summer we decided to do some baking for her to take back to Olivia. I wanted to make something really special and different to take to her since she typically likes trying new things.I got the idea for these cupcakes from watching Cupcake Wars. The contestants were constantly talking about cardamom cupcakes and I decided to see why it is so popular among professional bakers. I wasn’t really certain what other flavors went along with cardamom so I pulled out my trusty food bible and decided to make a chocolate cardamom cake with cinnamon orange buttercream. This combination turned out to be an excellent idea.These cupcakes are not only light and fluffy, they are extremely flavorful. The cardamom shines through and the nutmeg and orange zest really make it pop. I’ve never worked with cardamom before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was very pleasantly surprised by the finished product. It is a fantastic cupcake that is perfect as the weather turns cooler.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:96]

Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Cupcakes

 These cupcakes are decadent. They are full of wonderful chocolaty, almond goodness that pretty much melts in your mouth. While the flavors may seem kind of plain these cupcakes are perfect for any occasion. The inspiration for these cupcakes was a Hershey’s chocolate bar with almonds. That is pretty much my favorite chocolate bar ever and I really wanted to pay homage with this cupcake.By using ground almonds in the batter you really get a little something extra in these cupcakes. Depending on how finely you grind the almonds you may find one or two small pieces in each bite. This really spices up the cake in my opinion. However, if you grind the almonds finely enough you will not notice any difference in the texture, there will simply be a light almond flavor in the background.I chose not to decorate these cupcakes in any way since I really think their simplicity speaks for themselves. If you’d like some form of decoration you could always add a design made out of candy melts. A heart or star would look especially cute on top. If you were able to find certified gluten free chocolate covered almonds those would also pair nicely as garnish.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:93]

Mayan Chocolate Cupcakes

Recently I’ve watched through the Cupcake Wars series on Netflix. When several of the contestants mentioned this type of cupcake I was very curious. I had never heard of Mayan cupcakes so I decided I had to look them up and see what made them different. I found out that in order to make them “Mayan” I needed to add cinnamon, cayenne and nutmeg to a chocolate cupcake. I then decided to take my normal cupcake recipe and add those ingredients. It took a couple of tries before I found the perfect quantity of each to add.I was called an evil genius by the recipients of these cupcakes. The spiciness of the cayenne pepper pairs excellently with the sweet chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg. While you can completely taste the cayenne it is not overpowering.The frosting on these cupcakes is also “Mayan”. I added cinnamon, cayenne and nutmeg in order to complement the cupcakes. You can easily leave those out though, I just thought they really added a little more spice to the overall taste. These cupcakes would really pair well with any sort of chocolate frosting if you don’t feel like the extra spice. I also feel like a cinnamon –vanilla frosting would also really showcase the flavors of the cupcake without adding additional spiciness.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:84]

Double Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes were inspired by our wedding cake. They are a wonderfully light chocolate cupcake topped with a chocolate ganache frosting. The resulting cupcakes are a chocolate explosion. You can top them with whatever you like. I chose nonpareils in autumn colors. I debated trying to make small white chocolate hearts to again pay homage to the wedding theme but unfortunately I ran out of time when making these.A few days ago I did a tutorial on using Ganache as Frosting. It is a very easy way to get a rich chocolate frosting that looks and tastes amazing. If you feel like incorporating additional flavors into these cupcakes it would be quite easy to use a jam or compote filling in the cupcakes. I chose not to since I just wanted to really showcase the chocolate flavor.I received many compliments on these. I took them to a coworker who shared them with her family. They really loved the rich chocolate frosting combined with the fluffy chocolate cake. My only complaint was that I accidentally left them in a hot car for an hour and the frosting completely melted into puddles. They still tasted amazing, they just didn’t look too cute. So if you are going to make these, make sure you keep them out of extreme heat to maintain their adorable factor.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:82]

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

 I’ve wanted to make chocolate ganache frosting for several years now. Our wedding cake was topped with chocolate ganache instead of frosting and I’ve always wanted to figure out how to properly use it to top cakes. I’ve used ganache for drizzle or glaze, but never as a frosting by itself. This is a rich, chocolaty frosting that holds up well against warm weather. It is a wonderful frosting to pair with any cupcake base. My preference is chocolate cake, but there are a couple other cakes this frosting pairs well with. I have a couple of cake ideas that will be posted later this week for you.The trick to using this as frosting is to completely cool the ganache before you use it to frost a cake or cupcakes. I found that cooling it overnight in the fridge worked best. This make certain the ganache was completely set so that you will then have no problems for frosting.Once you’ve transferred the cooled ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer you want to beat the ganache on high until it begins to resemble frosting. It will become very light and fluffy, pretty much the perfect consistency for frosting. When the frosting is ready it will be considerably lighter than when you started. It will also have just about doubled in size. Once this has happened simply transfer the frosting to a piping bag and frost cupcakes as usual. The frosting will set once it is on the cake so you don’t need to worry too much about storing it in the fridge. If you need it to set quickly you can fridge it for a half hour.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:80]

Almond, Raspberry and Rose Cupcakes

I know what you’re thinking; you’re thinking “Rose, seriously? How am I supposed to bake with that? That’s a perfume flavor, not for baking!” I had the same thoughts before I started too! I’ve been wanting to try baking with Rose flavor for a while though so I decided it was high time.When baking with Rose you want to make sure you don’t use a lot. Less is more in this situation. If you add too much it will be like eating perfume. If you add too little though, you won’t be able to taste it. You must achieve a fine balance when using rose water as a flavoring agent. I recommend tasting the frosting after each addition of rose water to make certain you know where the flavor is at.The rose pairs excellently with the almond, raspberry and cream cheese flavors in the cake. You really get quite the flavor combination with this. The raspberry almond cake is light and springy. The ground almonds give the cake a slight bit of texture that provides a nice contrast to the smooth cream cheese frosting. I highly suggest picking up some rose water from your local grocery and trying these out. They may seem a little odd but they are surprisingly good![amd-yrecipe-recipe:79]

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

We had some new friends come over for dinner and I decided to make these. I’d been thinking about the recipe for quite a while and I decided it was high time I made them.  The chocolate cake base is light, fluffy and doesn’t fall apart when you remove it from the wrapper. It is the absolute perfect complement to the cookies and cream frosting I created for the top.I really wanted these cupcakes to taste like cookies and cream so I used crushed sandwich cookies in the frosting. When I made it I beat them in, however this “muddied” the frosting so here in this recipe I suggest folding them in. You are going to get a much nicer coloring if you do this.When I made these I put a chocolate sandwich cookie in the bottom. I really didn’t like this though, so I removed this step from the final recipe. I didn’t appreciate how the cookie when baked in, changed the texture of the cake around it. I thought it really didn’t add any measurable enjoyment to the frosting. In fact the texture change just distracted me from the delicious cake around it.[amd-yrecipe-recipe:77]

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Source: Cake adapted from: Kiss my Bundt – Chrysta Wilson

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