Chocolate Spice Cupcakes

     A long time ago, when Natalie and I lived together in a big blue house on 39th Ave, we were baking and eating cupcakes--something we did on a fairly regular basis. Natalie had the idea of a square cupcake, because she said, "Squares/cubes are a better shape than circles/cylinders. (She is a designer, so you know, these things occur to her.) Additionally, you can fit them together to build a cake with individual portions ready. Most importantly, in my mind anyway, you get more cupcake. Win.

     The dream of squapcakes, as they were named, remained just that--a dream--for many, many years. But the dream did not die. A few months ago I found a baking pan with squares, but alas, it was too shallow to qualify as a cupcake pan. It was not until a few days ago that I inadvertently stumbled upon another square pan and immediately knew that THIS WAS IT. 

      After years of anticipation, I present you with squapcakes: square cupcakes. These chocolate spice squapcakes with chocolate ganache are lightly adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. They were universally loved and admired at their world debut. The end.

Chocolate Spice Cupcakes

~Print Recipe~ 

Squapcake pan

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tin
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups flour, plus more for chocolate chips
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or more to taste)
  

For the topping

• 6 ounces semi-sweet best quality chocolate, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• Candied ginger, finely chopped
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a cupcake or squapcake tin with butter, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Stir baking soda into the boiling water. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add molasses and baking-soda mixture. Beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and beat until well combined. (The batter will be pretty thin.)
   
3. In a small bowl, lightly coat chocolate chips with flour. Fold chocolate chips into the batter. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each about halfway. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean--about 20 minutes.



Stirring the cream and chocolate for the glaze

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Remove from tin and let cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling, finely chop chocolate for the glaze and place in a heat-proof bowl. Place wire rack cooling rack over a baking sheet covered with tin foil.
5. Bring cream and corn syrup just to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour mixture over chocolate and let stand, without stirring, until the chocolate begins to melt. Gently stir chocolate and cream until totally combined. Begin near the center of the bowl and gradually work your way toward the edge, pulling in as much chocolate as possible, until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
   
6. Drizzle the chocolate over the cupcakes, letting it run down the sides. Let the glaze set a little, then top with candied ginger.

Makes 12 cupcakes

Vegan Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

No, don't go! Really, these cupcakes may be vegan, but they are also one of the best cupcakes I've ever made (and I am a cupcake making machine). You might think "Why would I eat a cupcake that is healthy?", and I am here to tell you these cupcakes are not only not healthy, they are next level delicious. Plus, there is something about cupcakes that makes everyone happy - the people who bake them and the people who eat them. It's akin to going to Disneyland, or Christmas in July. Recently I finally got my hands on my friend Michelle's copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World so I could make her vegan cupcakes for her birthday. I was pleasantly surprised how easy these seemingly complex cupcakes were to make, and required no special ingredients to veganize them (like arrowroot or a dried-up newt). The cake was moist and dense, holding it's own under the mint 'butter cream' frosting and dollop of chocolate ganache on top. Like I said, decadent. Your vegan and non-vegan friends will love you for making these cupcakes.

Vegan Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
~Print Recipe~

What's in it (makes one dozen)

For the cupcake:

1 C soy milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

3/4 C sugar

1/3 C canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp mint extract

1 C flour

1/3 C cocoa powder (regular or dutch)

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

For the butter cream frosting:

1/4 C shortening (preferably non-hydrogenated)

3 C confectioner's sugar (sifted if lumpy)

1/4 C plus 1 Tbl soy milk

1 1/2 tsp mint extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

small drop green food coloring

For the chocolate ganache:

3 Tbl soy milk

1/3 C semisweet chocolate chips

How it's made

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tray with 12 paper liners.

Make cupcakes:

In a large bowl, combine soy milk and vinegar, whisk together and set aside a few minutes and allow to curdle. In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour ->salt). In the large bowl with soy milk mixture, add and cream together sugar, oil and extracts until foamy. Add dry ingredients in two batches, mixing with beater in between until smooth. Pour batter into paper lined cupcake tin, filling 3/4 full (evenly distribute to make 12 cupcakes). Bake 18-20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool on racks.

Make butter cream frosting:

In a medium bowl, cream shortening for a few seconds to soften. Add 1 cup powdered sugar and a splash of the soy milk, and cream until smooth. Repeat with remaining soy milk and powdered sugar until smooth and buttery. Add the extracts and coloring and mix until incorporated. At this point I recommend putting the frosting in the freezer or refrigerator, to chill it before frosting the cupcakes. This helps the frosting hold its shape on the cupcake. When frosting is sufficiently cooled, put in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe onto cupcake, from the outside in, leaving an edge around the rim to show the chocolate cupcake below. Once all the cupcakes are frosted, place in freezer or refrigerator to set the frosting.

Make chocolate ganache:

In a small sauce pan heat the soy milk until just about to simmer. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, stirring until melted and incorporated. Allow to cool to room temperature (you can put in fridge or freezer to speed this up). Spoon a dollop of ganache on the top of each cupcake, being as precise or haphazard as you like. You could even use a fork to drizzle, depending on your style. I used a cookie scoop to plop them on top. Stick cupcakes in the fridge or freezer one last time to set the ganache.

You can also top with any decorative candy you choose. I recommend Mint Newman O's, green M&M's, sprinkles, mint chips, or a sprig of fresh mint. Or keep it simple and stick a candle in it, for a special occasion.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

My good friend Michelle just came back home from 3 months in South America (why do my friends always leave me?!!) and seeing as she is vegan, and hadn't had dessert in so many months, we had her over for American Dinner and vegan cupcakes. I didn't have a complete recipe, seeing as she is the one with 'Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World', so I pieced something together from my 'Moosewood Desserts' cookbook. It's a take on their Six Minute Chocolate Cake recipe.

These cupcakes are a cinch to make, and incredibly delicious. Andy couldn't get enough of them. They are delicious on their own, but could easily be embellished to make a seasonal cupcake. I pondered putting crushed candy cane on top, but figured I'd go the purist route the first time around. I did decorate with some Pilsbury frosting I had laying around, piping it on to spell out words and silly decorations.

What's in the cupcakes

1 1/2 C unbleached flour

1/3 C cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C sugar

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 C cold water or coffee

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tblsp apple cider vinegar

How the cupcakes are made

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix together all the dry ingredients, including the sugar, with a whisk. In a small bowl or measuring cup mix together all the rest of the ingredients except for the vinegar. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, then mix in vinegar into mixture with a whisk. The vinegar will react with the baking soda to make bubbles and a bit of foam. Spoon batter into cupcake tins lined with paper, filling 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on rack when done. Prepare glaze as cupcakes bake. Makes 18 cupcakes.

What's in the glaze

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips (about 1/4 to 1/3 of a bag)

1/4 C hot water or coffee

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

How the glaze is made

In a double boiler (or a pot of 2 cups boiling water, with a larger metal bowl rested on top) melt chocolate, stirring often until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in water and vanilla until combined and smooth. Spoon glaze over each cupcake (about 1 spoon per cupcake) and using the back of the spoon, spread glaze in a circular motion to cover the cupcake. Place in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes to harden the glaze. If putting crushed candy cane or chocolate chips, or mint UFO's on top, place before putting in fridge. If using frosting to pipe on decoration, do so after glaze is hardened.

Vegan Maple Cupcakes with Vegan Maple Buttercream Frosting

The first time I made these cupcakes, people went crazy for them. They likened them to maple bar donuts and gobbled them up. When I made them this time, I had been doing homework all night and didn't have time to do the sugared walnuts. Then I forgot to double the recipe so there would be enough cupcakes for everyone in my class. I tried a vegan maple cream cheese frosting, but it didn't turn out as well as the buttercream I used in the recipe below. But, I did at least take a photo this time! You'll just have to imagine the fancy sugared walnut on top.
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Re-post from recipe archives, originally from 12/21/08

There are a number of vegans in my life and they have happily introduced me to the art of vegan baking. Up until a few years ago, I'd been under the impression that 'vegan' automatically meant no tasty desserts. Oh, how very wrong I was.

My friend Audra lent me and Natalie a snazzy little book called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Between the two of us, we've made a nice array of delicious cupcakes--and people are definitely surprised to find out they are vegan.

I've had numerous people tell me that the little treats from this book are the best cupcakes that they've eaten--ever. But this recipe in particular really takes the cake...

Vegan Maple Cupcakes

~Print Recipe~ 

For the Sugared Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Toss after 4 minutes and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Prepare a lightly greased piece of parchment paper to use in just a minute.
2. Pour sugar, maple syrup and salt into a large, heavy skillet. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smells caramel-ly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts and cinnamon. Stir to coat each nut. Immediately spread coated walnuts on the parchment; use a spatula to keep them from clumping. Cool completely before handling.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugared walnuts (from above recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners. (Recipe only makes 12 cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix. Whisk the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and maple extracts into the soy mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until lumps dissolve. Fold in the sugared walnuts.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
• 1/4 cup room temp. margarine (Earth Balance is the best!)
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (sift it for silky smooth results)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/4 cup soy milk

1. Beat the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add the maple extract and soy milk. Beat until fluffy--5-7 minutes.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the remaining sugared walnut pieces.

Dark Chocolate Frosting

I have to admit I'm a little disappointed with the Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook. I've only tried two recipes, but the results have been merely mediocre. I'm a huge fan of her Cookies cookbook, from which I've probably made 20 different cookies that all came out fantastically, so I had high expectations.  I thought Martha was like the gold standard for these types of things...

Maybe it's me. Maybe I don't love cupcakes as much as I love cookies. I don't know. But, so far, the only thing that has impressed me about the Cupcakes book has been this frosting recipe. I LOVE cream cheese frosting, and you know butter cream is ok, but I've never come across a frosting recipe like this. Cocoa powder AND tons of melted chocolate (ok, lots of butter, too.) But I like the idea of a melted-chocolate-based frosting. It tastes just like you'd think it would--very chocolate-y. It is definitely important to use your favorite high quality chocolate here.

I halved the following recipe when I made my chocolate mint cupcakes, because this will give you 5 cups of frosting. Which is fine---if you are feeding a small army. I also added pure mint extract as I was mixing in the chocolates at the end. I'd imagine any other complimentary flavor would work well here, too. Coconut? Almond? Mmmm. I haven't completely given up on Martha's cupcakes. Yet. I'm willing to give the Cookies and Cream Cheesecake cupcakes a try.

 

Dark Chocolate Frosting

~Print Recipe~

• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups unsalted butter (4 1/2 sticks), room temperature
• 3/4 cup powered sugar, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or use chips)

1. Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water. Do not let any of the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Heat until chocolate is almost melted, then stir with a spatula until it is completely melted. Remove bowl from pan and let cool, stirring occasionally. Wait 30 minutes before using. 
2. Meanwhile, boil water. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until the cocoa has dissolved. 
3. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, mix butter, sugar and salt until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add melted and cooled chocolate. Beat until combined. Beat in cocoa mixture and any extracts.

*If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 5 day, or frozen up to 1 month. Before using again, bring to room temp. then beat on low until smooth.

Yield: 5 cups

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

I needed something to pair with Christmas Blend coffee, so something with ginger, orange, cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves. I found this Martha Stewart gingerbread cupcake recipe (Martha always comes through in a pinch) online and that took care of all of the spices in one fell swoop. Then I saw a recipe on 52 cupcakes that topped gingerbread cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese frosting. I figured orange would work just as well. And done---I've got all of my flavors present and accounted for. This recipe makes 10 "jumbo" sized cupcakes, but since I only have the regular size pan it made about 20. And that's ok with me, because I figure the more cupcakes the merrier!

These cupcakes have 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt, which I felt made them a little too salty. I would maybe add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Then again, maybe that's just the way gingerbread is suppose to taste, so salt to your preference.

I had forgotten how much fun cupcakes are to make and eat!

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

• 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 nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less, to taste)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line you cupcake tin with paper baking cups, set aside. In a saucepan or kettle, bring 1 cup water to a boil. In a small bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl, sift flour, spices, salt and baking powder together and set aside. 
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy, around 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses, baking soda mixture and flour mixture. Beat in the eggs. 
3. Fill cupcake liners until 3/4 full. Bake cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for a few minutes, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely before frosting.
4. Frost and sprinkle with crystallized ginger.
 

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

~Print Recipe~

• 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• zest of one orange
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

1. Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until soft. Slowly add sugar, zest and juice. Beat until creamy--about 3 minutes.
2. Chill frosting before frosting cupcakes.
   

Jackie's Cupcakes

These are the best cupcakes! They are named for Jackie, the neighbor lady my mom got the recipe from back in the 80's. These cupcakes are chocolate with a cream cheese chocolate chip filling. They are usually requested for special occasions, such as birthdays.

What's in it

1 egg

8oz cream cheese

pinch salt

1/3 C sugar (part)

package chocolate chips

2 1/4 C flour

1 1/2 C sugar (part)

1/3 C cocoa

1 1/2 t baking soda

pinch salt

1 1/2 C water

1/2 C oil

1 1/2 T vinegar

2 tsp vanilla

How it's made

Pre heat oven to 350. Cream together egg, cream cheese, salt, sugar. Stir in chocolate chips and set aside. In a separate bowl sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla.

Line cupcake tins with paper cups and fill with chocolate batter half way. Add a tablespoon of cream cheese mix to center of each cupcake. Bake 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Makes 2 dozen.

Vegan Maple Cupcakes with Sugared Walnuts

There are a number of vegans in my life and they have happily introduced me to the art of vegan baking. Up until a few years ago, I'd been under the impression that 'vegan' automatically meant no tasty desserts. Oh, how very wrong I was.

My friend Audra lent me and Natalie a snazzy little book called Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. Between the two of us, we've made a nice array of delicious cupcakes--and people are definitely surprised to find out they are vegan.

I've had numerous people tell me that the little treats from this book are the best cupcakes that they've eaten--ever. But this recipe in particular really takes the cake...

For the Sugared Walnuts:

• 1 cup walnut halves
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• Dash of cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Spread the walnuts on a pan and bake for 6-8 minutes. Toss after 4 minutes and keep a close eye on them so they don't burn. Remove from oven and place in a bowl to cool. Prepare a lightly greased piece of parchment paper to use in just a minute.
2. Pour sugar, maple syrup and salt into a large, heavy skillet. Heat on medium, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts and the mixture is thick and smells caramel-ly.
   
3. Remove from heat and stir in the walnuts and cinnamon. Stir to coat each nut. Immediately spread coated walnuts on the parchment; use a spatula to keep them from clumping. Cool completely before handling.

For the Cupcakes:

• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/4 maple extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugared walnuts (from above recipe)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with liners. (Recipe only makes 12 cupcakes.)
2. Whisk together soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl. Set aside for a few minutes.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg into a separate bowl and mix. Whisk the maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, vanilla and maple extracts into the soy mixture.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until lumps dissolve. Fold in the sugared walnuts.
5. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
  
• 1/4 cup room temp. margarine (Earth Balance is the best!)
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar (sift it for silky smooth results)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons maple extract
• 1/4 cup soy milk

1. Beat the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Add the maple extract and soy milk. Beat until fluffy--5-7 minutes.
2. Frost cupcakes and top with the remaining sugared walnut pieces.