Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

Double Birthday! Recipe comes from The Big Book of Cupcakes: 150 Brilliantly Delicious Dreamcakes

Ingredients:

• Cupcake
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 3/4 cups all-flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 16 oz powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• Bar of chocolate

Directions:

1) Combine cocoa and 2 cups boiling water in a large heatproof bowl, stirring until blended and smooth.
2) Let cool.
3) Preheat the oven to 350F/176C






4) Beat butter with a mixer until creamy.









5) Add sugar slowly, beating until blended.








6) Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition.








7) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.









8) Add to butter mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
9) Stir in vanilla extract.

 10) Place paper baking cups in cupcake pans and coat with cooking spray.









11) Spoon batter into cups, about 3-4 spoonfuls each.
12) Bake for 12-15 minutes.

13) To make the frosting, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until creamy.







14) Combine powdered sugar and cocoa.
15) Add to the cream cheese mixture alternately with cream, beginning and ending with powdered sugar mixture.
16) Beat at high speed 2 minutes or until creamy.







17) Poke a hole in the top of the cupcakes.
18) Fill the cupcake with the frosting and then frost the top.






19) Microwave the chocolate bar for 20 seconds.
20) Use a vegetable peeler to make curls.
21) Place on top of the cupcakes.

 Special Birthday Cupcakes

 

Strawberry and Lemon Cupcakes

It was summer-ish today (i.e. the sun came out for 4 hours) and that made me want to make summer-y cupcakes!

Taken from here and modified.

Ingredients:

• Cupcakes
• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour minus 4 TBSP
• 4 TBSP corn starch
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• Frosting
• 4 oz strawberries
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.









2) Combine cream cheese, butter, sugar, lemon zest and juice and vanilla.








3) Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
4) Add the oil.







5) Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of the milk.








6) Fill the cupcake liners with 1/2 to 2/3 full.
7) Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
8) Cool completely before frosting.






9) To make the frosting, puree the strawberries with either a blender or food processor, cutting before.
10) Add the sugar and put over medium heat.
11) Reduce until the sauce can cover the back of the spoon.
12) Remove and let cool.





13) Add the rest of the ingredients.

Irish (Car Bomb) Brownies

St Paddys Day is tomorrow and I live in Ireland. Enough said.

But really, an Irish Car Bomb Drink is a layered shot of Baileys and Jameson dropped into half a pint glass of Guinness. I was recently informed by an English person that this shot should be dropped into some British Ale, but the drink has already been created and we'll move on from there. Irish Car Bomb Brownies have Guinness and Jameson in the Brownie part, and Baileys in the Cream Cheese Part.

Since I am in Ireland I don't feel it is necessary to put the clovers on like they do here, we kind of see enough of them this time of the year.

Ingredients:

• Brownie
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
•  1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP Guinness Extra Stout (but who measures)
• 4 TBSP Jameson Whiskey (but, again, who measures)
• Cheesecake Layer
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 12 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup Bailey's (but, who measures) 

Directions:

1) Line a 9×13 pan with foil.

2) Spray with baking spray

3) Preheat the oven to 325F/162C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4) Sift flour, coco powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5) In another bowl, add butter and granulated sugar in a bowl and cream until smooth.

6) Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

7) Add the flour mixture and combine.

8) Add the Guinness and Jameson and combine.

 

 

 

 

9) Pour batter into prepared dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10) Bake for 25 minutes, until a fork inserted comes out clean.

11) Let cool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12) Add all the cheesecake ingredients into a bowl and mix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

13) Spread on top of the brownie layer and bake for 25 minutes, until set.

14) Let cool.

 

I didn't let them cool....

On another note: mmm, dinner

Cream Cheese Brownies

National Cream Cheese Brownie Day!
Recipe taken from here: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/02/08/perfect-cream-cheese-brownies-to-celebrate-national-cream-cheese-brownie-day/ Made last year for cream cheese brownie day by them, and this year by me!

Ingredients:

• Brownie
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 TBSP cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Cream Cheese Swirl
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350ºF/176C.
2) Melt butter and chocolate together.
3) Mix together until fully combined.
4) Cool slightly.






5) Beat together eggs, vanilla, sugar and cocoa powder in a mixer until combined.








6) Add the chocolate to the mixer and beat until just combined.








7) Finally, add the flour, baking powder and salt to the chocolate mixture and mix until the batter is totally incorporated.







8) Pour batter into a buttered 13×9 baking pan.








9) To make the Cream Cheese Swirl put the cream cheese and sugar into a clean mixing bowl and beat until it is light and fluffy.
10) Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat again until everything is completely smooth.




11) Dollop the thickened batter onto the tops of the brownies








12) Drag a knife throughout the brownie batter, swirling it in as you go. Do not overmix, you want the cream cheese swirl to remain distinct.
13) Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in the batter comes out clean.