CL Recipes

Enjoy this budding collection of recipes from readers who also happen to bake! Are you a Cupcake Lover? Do you have a personalized recipe you'd like to share with fellow cupcakians? Contact me at beth@bethciotta.com to join the fun and to become an honorary member of The Cupcake Lovers!

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Pumpkin Cupcakes

Submitted by Chris Behrens (Florida)

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten until frothy
• 1 cup mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a bowl. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs. Blend in mashed pumpkin. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk, blending until batter is smooth after each addition; stir in chopped walnuts or pecans. Spoon batter into well-greased and floured or paper-lined muffin pan cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Frost with cream cheese frosting or whipped cream. Makes about 24 cupcakes.

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White Cupcakes

Submitted by Tammy Yenalavitch (North Carolina) 

 Ingredients

·       1 cup white sugar

·       1/2 cup butter

·       2 eggs

·       2 teaspoons vanilla extract

·       1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·       1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

·       1/2 cup milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F   Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared liners.

3.    Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.  Frost with your favorite frosting.

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HARVEST CHEATER CUPCAKES

submitted by Beth Bliss (New Jersey)

These cupcakes cheat in nearly every way:  made from a mix, frosted from a can . . .  The only thing honest about these cupcakes is the homemade whoopee pie cream hidden inside.

Makes 20 nicely-domed standard-size cupcakes – because I cheated and filled them ¾ full instead of 2/3. 

1 box “moist” style yellow cake mix (15.25 oz. box)

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

½ c. water

3 eggs

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. powdered ginger

¼ tsp. cloves

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Bake at 350 for 20-24 minutes.  Done when they spring back to the touch, or when a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

SECRET CENTER (WHOOPEE PIE) FILLING

A little dab of these goes a long way; only about a teaspoon goes in, but the sweetness offsets the spices and pumpkin nicely.

1 cup vegetable shortening, such as Crisco (butter-flavored shortening might work, too)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 cups (one 7-oz. container) marshmallow fluff (aka marshmallow crème; often found near ice cream section of grocery store)

2 tsp. vanilla extract (not “flavoring” – only extract will do!)

Small pinch table salt

Blend in mixer until light and fluffy.   Using a paring knife or apple corer, cut out a plug from the center of each cupcake.   Using a silicone spatula, shovel filling into a pastry bag with large-opening tip, or into a ziplock baggie and snip a hole in the corner.  Pipe about a teaspoon into each cupcake.  Don’t fret if it spurts out a little.  That’s life.

KICK-IN-THE-PANTS FROSTING

1 can milk or dark chocolate frosting

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. chili powder (more, if you want a serious kick)

Mix using hand-held or stand mixer until spices are incorporated.

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Strawberry Delight Cupcakes

Submitted by Dawn A Jones (New Jersey)



All Ingredients

1 box Strawberry Premium Cake Mix (Pudding in the Mix)

1 small jar Strawberry Jam

1 can Milk Chocolate Frosting

Cake Directions

1. Preheat oven according to cake mix.

2. Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

3. Follow Directions on box.

4. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared liners.

5. Bake according to cake mix, Cake is done when it springs back to the touch or when a cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Center Directions

Using a steak knife cut out a plug (piece of cake) from the center of each cupcake and put it aside, then use a teaspoon and add a small amount of strawberry jam then replace the plug (piece of cake) and frost with milk chocolate frosting.

Makes about 24 Cupcakes depending on cake mix.