Maple Syrup and Cinnamon Cupcakes

Last weekend my sister celebrated her birthday. She organized a dinner at home for her closest friend in which I was the cook.

The menu was fun and easy! When my sis and I spoke about the birthday cake, we came to the conclusion that cupcakes were better alternative. Personally I though that if they were cupcakes left I could give them away to the guest.

Don´t get me wrong! Not that I don´t like my cupcakes. The issue is that I love what I bake and if I have it home I eat it! All!! Baking every week … imagine if I don´t control myself.

The B-cupcakes were cinnamon (from Martha S.) and the frosting (my own recipe) is a maple syrup buttercream. The cake is moist and soft and the buttercream delicious! They worked perfectly!!

I hope you like it!!

Makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Into a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. With the mixer still on medium speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in walnuts with a wooden spoon.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cupcakes are golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool.

Maple Buttercream

Serves 2 dozen cupcakes

Ingredients

2cup butter, room temperature.

1 cup confectioners sugar

2/3 cup

Directions

Beat the butter until fluffy. Ad sugar and Maple Syrup and continue beating.

Frost cupcake tops.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Few days ago I was talking to some of my friends about my favorite things/shopping from my “past international life”.

When narrowing down the list of my “favorite things/places” this was my top three: The Container Store, my manicure place in NY and the red velvet cupcakes from Magnolia’s.

Happily I found this store close to work very similar to “The Container Store”. I love having everything organized, from my cookie cutters to my closet and containers are a great help. Happy me there is a Muji in Madrid where I can buy more containers!!!

For my manicure a friend recommended a place close to the office. I have to say that they do a very good job with NY prices!!. They are no open “24/7” like in NY but I will not complain.

For the beautiful Magnolia red velvet cupcakes I worked two ways to solve my cravings. The first one is for when I am in downtown Madrid. I will go to Cream Bakery and get me a red velvet (actually it usually is 2). The red velvets are as good as Magnolia’s.

The second way to solve my craving is, me taking my Magnolia’s book and baking some of my favorite cupcakes! And this is what I did! I am happy with the result!

But what really make me happy is that step-by-step I am finding in Madrid those little things that make happy: a container, a good manicure and a red velvet cupcake.

I hope you like it!

Ingredients

Makes 12 cupcakes

2 cups all porpoise flour

95 gr butter

½ teaspoon sugar

2 eggs

3 tablespoons red food coloring

1 ½ tablespoon cocoa

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ cup buttermilk

¾ teaspoon cider vinegar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven at 350. Line the cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, sift the flour and set aside. In a large bow, on a medium Speedy of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well alter each addition.

In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overbeat.

In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Bake for 20min, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons all-pourpous flour

1 cup milk

1 cup unsalted butter softened

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions

Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly.

In a medium-size saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 min. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 min.

In a large bowl, on the medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth or creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer). Use immediately.

Claire´s Pink Cupcakes or Los Cupcakes "Gosas" de Clara

Claire, or Clara in Spanish, is with no doubt my youngest fan. Clara is the daughter of Elena and Jose. They are good friends of my sister and the family.

Clara, although only three years old, is very talkative, well behaved, sweet, funny and very cute girl.

I don´t see Clara very often. When I get to see her she always ask me very politely for pink cupcakes or “cupcakes gosas”, like Clara would say.

So the cupcakes you see are Clara´s !!! Her father already sent me a picture of her, with her long blond hair, on her pink pj´s and pink slippers having a pink cupcake. Pink-fect!!

The recipe of the vanilla cupcakes is from Billy Reece of Billy's Bakery in New York City. This is by far, my favorite vanilla recipe.

The way to prepare the dough is not the usual. It´s easier, faster and cleaner!!

For Clara´s cupcakes I have divide the recipe of the cupcakes and buttercream in three and I got a dozen.

I hope you like it!

Makes about 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 170 º ( 340 degrees). Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Serve at room temperature.

Makes enough for 30 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add 6 cups sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix until light and fluffy. If necessary, gradually add remaining 2 cups sugar to reach desired consistency.

Gingerbread Cupcakes & Reindeer

Since I moved to Geneva, reindeer are all over in “my Christmas”. They are everywhere! And I love it!! Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I never heard about reindeer until I moved to Switzerland! I knew about Rudolph when I went to school to USA. I even learnt the carol “ Rudolph the red-nose reindeer”.

And this is what I do not understand: In Spain, in addition to the “Three Wise Men”, we also have Santa Claus (Papa Noel for us). But somebody forgot about Rudolph, the reindeer, the elves and the magic sleigh!!

How can they forget about them!! How can nobody pay attention to cute Rudy?!

Coming back to reindeer. As I was saying I have them now everywhere. I have them in my tree, in my Xmas cookie boxes, cookie cutters, in my Xmas cards, in tablecloths, in napkins. …And I have little figures that I placed in my Nativity!! So having them in cupcakes felt the logic thing to do.

The recipe and inspiration is from Martha Stewart. I have modified the recipe reducing the amount of molasses in the cupcakes and sugar in the glaze. The result is just perfect!

I hope you like it!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Ingredients

Makes 20 cupcakes

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup (125 gr) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses ( Miel de caña en Mercadona)

2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 10 jumbo muffin tins with paper baking cups, and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light. Beat in the brown sugar until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in the eggs.

Fill the cupcake papers three-quarters full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of them comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Butter Glaze

Ingredients

Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk

Directions

Place 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Remove the pan from heat; immediately pour the melted butter into the bowl with the sugar. Add 4 teaspoons milk; whisk until mixture is smooth. Working quickly, dip the top of each cupcake into the glaze, and place cupcake right-side up on a wire rack.

Cupcakes de Vainilla - Vanilla Cupcakes

Los Cupcakes son, sin lugar a duda, el postre mas “terapéutico” que cocino; sin mencionar que es el mas popular entre los niños de mis amigos.

Los cupcakes tienen algo que les hace especial …. Algo inocente, dulce, tierno y mágico. Los cupcakes liberan el “lado rosa” de uno y nunca te equivocas si te dejas llevar por tu lado mas femenino. Son simplemente una monada!! Y nadie pensara que eres cursi por que te gusten!

El aspecto mas divertido de los cupcakes es la decoración. “Menos es mas” no funciona aqui! Se puede ser cursi y candido decorando cupcakes y nunca equivocarte.

Mi consejo: libera tu lado rosa, celebra el echo de que son “monos”, y si sientes que por un momento que vuelves a tu infancia … disfrútalo … es la magia de los cupcakes.

Cupcakes are without a doubt the most “therapeutical” desserts I bake; not to mention the most popular among my friends kids.

There is something about cupcakes that makes them special. … Something innocent, sweet, tender and magic. Cupcakes free my “pink side”. You are never wrong going girly with them. They are just cute!! And nobody will think that you are corny for loving them!!

The funniest aspect of the cupcakes is the decoration. “ Less is more” does not work in here! You can go corny all the way and it will never be wrong.

My advise: free your pink side, embrace their cuteness and if you feel like going back to your childhood …. Enjoy … that is the magic of cupcakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes 24

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated and scraping down sides of bowl, beat in vanilla.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl to assure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling papers about 2/3 full. Bake about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Beat butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, and then vanilla; mix until smooth. Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat until smooth.