Devil’s Food Cupcakes

These are perfect chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate glaze and just for the heck of it I added some sprinkles on top.

Ingredients:
1 c flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c coconut palm or brown sugar
4 TBSP butter, softened
1 egg, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c warm water
1/4 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry.

Beat butter and sugar. Add egg. Add 1/2 the dry ingredients and the buttermilk. Add remaining dry and water and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Scoop into prepared cupcake pan. Bake for 18 minutes.

Let cool then glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 c heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ping of salt

Combine in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring. Let stand a few minutes then glaze cupcakes.

Makes 1 dozen.

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Black and White Cupcakes

Food and Wine has been hitting it out of the park with their recipes this weekend!! And they have me baking up a storm. I just can’t leave well enough alone, so I made a few tweaks to F&W’s recipe, a bit less sugar, a bit less fat.

Filling:
8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Cupcakes:
3 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c water
2/3 c applesauce
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Line three 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the egg, sugar, and salt until blended.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, salt and baking soda. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk to combine. Add the water, applesauce, vinegar and vanilla and whisk just until the batter is smooth.

Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the filling on top of the batter, followed by another 1 tablespoon of the batter.

Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes, until firm and no longer sticky to the touch; turn the pans halfway through baking. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

MAKE AHEAD The cupcakes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Apple Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Maple Frosting

This recipe is adapted from a recipe I found on Chow, I love the idea, but wanted something a bit healthier. I substituted white flour for oat flour, butter for applesauce, reduced the sugar and used brown instead of white. These are topped with a cream cheese maple frosting, and I just use a thin layer of frosting. The results are a tasty treat with very little fat and virtually no guilt.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 c oat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 c apple sauce
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3/4 c low-fat buttermilk
3 c shredded Gala

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Line 2 (12-well) muffin tin.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a medium bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps; set aside.

Place applesauce in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, Add the sugar and vanilla and beat. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Set the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the buttermilk, and mix until combined, about 15 seconds. Add the reserved flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 15 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the shredded apples and any accumulated liquid until just combined, about 1 minute.

Fill the muffin wells about three-quarters full (about 1/4 cup per well). Place the muffin pans side by side on the rack and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean, rotating the pans front to back and side to side halfway through the baking time, about 20 to 25 minutes total. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and let cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

Beat cream cheese, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined. Chill in fridge for about an hour. Frost cupcakes.

Makes 24 cupcakes
3 WW PP per cupcake

Lemon Lavendar Cupcakes

These little cakes are amazing! Adapted from a Sunset recipe they are the perfect things when I am craving something sweet that is not chocolate.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 c flour (I use 1/2 whole-wheat & 1/2 regular)
1 1/2 tsp dried lavender buds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

3 TBSP unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lemon zest
1/2 c buttermilk

Icing:

1/2 cup loosely packed powdered sugar
5 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lavender buds

Preheat over to 350 and prepare 12 muffin tins (add paper, spray, whatever it is that you do to prep them).

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Set aside

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer or food processor for 3 min until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, lemon juice & lemon zest.

Add 1/3 flour mixture, beat until just combined.
Add 1/2 the buttermilk, beat same as above.
Add 1/3 flour mixture, beat same as above.
Add rest of buttermilk, beat same as above.
Add remaining flour, beat till combined.

Scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins – I like to use an ice cream scoop. Fill about 2/3 full.

Bake 24 – 26 min – turning 1/2 way through to ensure even baking.

When toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven.

Cool 10 min and remove and cool on wire rack.

While they cool combine all ingredients for the icing with a whisk till smooth. If too think – add a touch more lemon juice, if too thin, add a touch more powdered sugar.

Drizzle cakes with icing.

Keep in airtight container at room temp.

Serves 12.
4 WW PP