Amazing Double Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

These were amazing. I wanted an awe-inspiring vanilla bean cupcake +vanilla bean frosting recipe, and this totally fit the bill!

How could I go wrong with getting a vanilla bean recipe from a guy who used the name vanilla in his blog?! LOL

I made these for my birthday treat, and they’re delicious! Highly, highly recommend them!

(P.S….I’m not much of a decorator)

Double Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

(VanillaGarlic via Simply Recipes)

Cupcake

• 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg plus 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/2 vanilla bean (or one whole bean if you can spare it)

Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract)
• **I added a splash of milk, and a splash of vanilla extract, as I wanted to be able to pipe the icing and it was a bit too thick for that

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. While the oven preheats cut open and scrape out the seeds of a vanilla bean. Place the seeds, empty bean, and the milk into a small saucepan. Heat to just under a simmer for a few minutes being careful not to scald the milk. Remove from heat and allow the milk to steep and cool. (Be sure to remove the bean after it cools. Wash it and then place it out to dry so it can be used again.)

2 Beat the butter for about 3 minutes on medium speed, then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat for 30 seconds. Add the egg whites, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each.

3 In one bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another whisk together the vanilla steeped milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream.

4 Add the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter sugar egg mixture in alternating additions (dry-wet-dry method), starting and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined being sure to not overbeat.

5 Divide the batter into cupcake papers in a muffin tin and bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Be sure to rotate the cupcakes after the first 15 minutes to ensure even baking. Be sure to keep a close eye as these can get overbaked quickly. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Frost when cooled.

Frosting

Beat the butter and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean (or vanilla extract if using) and beat in.
Makes about one dozen cupcakes.

Sunshine S’mores Cupcakes

First, I have no idea why these are “Sunshine” S’mores Cupcakes. For me, they’re just S’mores Cupcakes.

I made these because I had 1/2 jar of Marshmallow Creme left from making S’mores Bars. These were pretty good, but not nearly as good as the Bars!

They did provide some cute photos, though…

S’mores Cupcakes

(Allrecipes)

1 (18.25 oz) French Vanilla cake mix

2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

1 1/2 cups water

3 egg whites

24 milk chocolate candt kisses

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow creme

Directions

– Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners

– In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs, water, and egg whites

– Beat for 2 minutes at high speed of an electric mixer

– Divide the batter evenly among paper-lined cups, filling about 2/3 full

– Place a chocolate kiss in each cupcake, pressing in lightly

– Spoon 1 teaspoon graham cracker crumbs onto each cupcake

– Bake at 250 degrees F for 18 to 25 minutes (Mine took exactly 18)

– Remove from oven and top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon marshmallow creme — dip spoon into hot water to prevent sticking

– Return to oven for about 1 minute to melt slightly

Notes:

– For the hot water/spoon trick, I had to dip my spoon in hot water before EVERY spoonful of creme or I got a sticky mess

– I also moistened my fingertips, and that allowed me to scoop the creme out of the spoon and try to arrange it on the cupcakes with minimal stickiness

– These are WAY BETTER warm, so if you have leftovers, just pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds to heat everything up again.

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

Mmm…I made these for St. Patrick’s Day, and am just now getting around to posting them!

These cupcakes were QUITE tasty — but definately a unique flavor! DH told me it tasted like I made them with, “$5,000 Swiss chocolate” — LOL

Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes with White Cream Cheese Frosting

(Originally from Dave Lieberman)

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 bottle (12 fl. oz.) Guinness stout
1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for garnish)

2 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 lb. confectioner’s sugar

Cupcake Directions

– Preheat oven to 350 degrees

-In a large mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the sour cream.

-In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.

-Butter (or use cupcake papers) 24 muffin tins and divide batter among the tins.

-Bake 25 minutes until risen and set in the middle, but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out of the tins.

Frosting Directions

-Beat the cream cheese in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream. Slowly mix in the confectioner’s sugar.

**Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cocoa. Keep refridgerated (due to the cream cheese frosting)**

Cookies n Cream Cupcakes

Since my family lives far away from me, I knew if I didn’t bake myself something delicious for my birthday, no one would!

I decided to make cookies n cream cupcakes…but I was worried they’d be no match for the Famous Strawberry Cupcakes I made last weekend…and I was so wrong!

These are deeeeeeeeeeeelicious!

Cookies n Cream Cupcakes

(Recipe from Natalie’s Blog, originally from ‘Cupcakes! By the Cake Mix Doctor’)

Cupcakes

30 Oreo (or Oreo-like) cookies
1 pkg plain white cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

-Preheat your over to 350 and line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

-Count out 12 Oreos and separate the top and bottom wafers. Make sure each half has some icing on it.(If you twist slowly and press you’ll get some icing on each side)

-Place one wafer, icing side up, in the bottom of each paper liner.

-Crush the remaining Oreos by any means you like. I put them in a Ziplock and beat the bejesus out of them with a mallet.

-Place the cake mix, oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds.

-Scrape down the sides and beat again on medium about 1.5 minutes more.

-Measure out 1 1/2 cups crushed Oreos and fold these into the batter.

-Set the rest of the crumbs aside for garnish.

-Fill your liners 3/4 full with batter and place the pans in the oven.
-Bake the cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes until they are golden and spring back when lightly touched with your finger.

-Cool in the pan on wire racks for about 5 minutes and then remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

**Nifty hint from the original blog: A little trick if you get fewer than 2 dozen cupcakes out of this, take the liners out of the empty cups and fill them about half way with water. This allows the cupcakes to bake evenly.

Icing
I used my standard buttercream, here…but if you wanted something quick you could always use store bought.

Regardless of which you use, when your icing is ready, fold in the remaining crushed oreos, then ice your cupcakes.
Yum!

Standard Buttercream
(Mine!)

1-1 lb. package Confectioners Sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3-4 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

– Combine the sugar, butter, milk and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed.
-Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy.
-If you need to, add more milk until the frosting is the desired spreading consistency.

Makes enough to frost a 2-layer cake, one 13×9 sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes.

Famous Strawberry Cupcakes

These are the best homemade strawberry cupcakes you’ll ever taste. They’re simply amazing!

Advice Note: The recipe does not call for it, but I highly, highly, highly reccommend using baking cups. These cupcakes are delicate and very moist, and without the baking cups they tend to fall apart. Just FYI.

P.S. Katie also reccommends these cupcakes with a dark chocolate frosting, rather than the strawberry frosting given here. Yum!

Angie’s* Famous Strawberry Cupcakes
(*I don’t know Angie — but Katie does)

2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar (or a little less)
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups fresh, chopped strawberries

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two cupcake pans.
– Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
– In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
– Add eggs one at a time until combined.
– Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla until just combined.
– Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
– Fold in chopped strawberries.
– Fill your cupcake pans 3/4 way full.
– Bake for 20-25 minutes.
– Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Strawberry Frosting
1/4 cup strawberries
1 tbsp. strawberry liquor** (I had no luck finding this — I omitted it, added 1/2 tbsp of water, and it still tasted DELICIOUS)
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions
– Put the berries, liquor (or water), and lemon juice in a saucepan.
– Bring to a boil over medium heat and then reduce to a simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
– Let cool (about 20 minutes) and then blend until smooth.
– In the bowl of your mixer, mix cream cheese and butter until creamy.
– Add sugar, then vanlla.
– Add berry puree until smooth.
– Frost cupcakes.

**Katie gives no advice on this, but, I store these cupcakes in the fridge because of the cream cheese icing.