So long blogger ... and thanks for all the cupcakes

A week in to this blog and I realized it was time to go bigtime: get my own domain and host it on our server. So here it is: Cupcake Friday.

I'll see you over there!

Chocolate cupcakes with cherry buttercream

Rich Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: 14 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup (3.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) sour cream

Cherry Buttercream Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4-1/3 cup cherry fruit butter

Directions
Adjust oven rack to the center and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a double boiler, or use a heatproof bowl over saucepan with simmering water.

Heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add about 1/3 of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined.

Add sour cream, whisk until combined then add the remaining flour. And yes, whisk until just combined. This will produce a MASSIVELY thick batter, but don't be afraid of it.

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes, then finish cooling on a baking rack for about 30 minutes before frosting.

For the buttercream, first beat 2 sticks of room-temperature butter until soft. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Then add the cherry fruit butter.
(Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

This was a very different recipe style for me ... double boilers, sour cream ... I didn't even use my KitchenAid mixer for the cupcakes. Instead, I set it to beating the ever-loving crap out of the butter, which, with the new beater blade, was an easy accomplishment.

I'm excited to see what the taste testers think of the cupcakes. I have yet to try one of the cakes, but I tasted the buttercream and it's rather good. Makes me wish I had more than 1/4 cup worth of leftover fruit butter because it could easily have a few additional tablespoons added to ratchet up the cherry goodness.

Preview: Chocolate cupcakes with cherry buttercream

Excitement! My new Metro Design Beater Blade Model KA-5L arrived from Amazon today. I use a KitchenAid liftbowl mixer (though I really wish I had the tilt head ... anyone want to buy a mixer?), but the beater blade doesn't hit the sides and bottom very well.

Enter Beater Blade and their blades with little squeegees attached to the edges. This enables the beater to effectively scrape the sides of the bowl, so you're not stuck scraping them down manually all the time.

And to me, that's exciting.

So the first thing I'll be making with my new toy is this week's Cupcake Friday treat: chocolate cupcakes with cherry buttercream. I had thrown a bunch of crazy flavor ideas out to my taste testers earlier this week, but then I figured I should back it up and nail a standard cake flavor while playing around with adding stuff to the buttercream. For this particular frosting, I'll be using the leftover store bought cherry fruit butter that my friend Jen brought over to serve with her AMAZING sour cherry scones and apricot scones. The woman is a scone genius.

Until Friday...

Lemon-limoncello cupcakes

Lemon-Limoncello Cupcakes
Yield: 15-18 cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 oz (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

3 tbsp limoncello
 (homemade, organic is a great option)
1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Lemon Curd Ingredients:
Zest of 2 lemons

1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Cream Cheese Limoncello Frosting Ingredients:
2 oz (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbsp limoncello

2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

Directions
• Prepare the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit and position the racks toward the center. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until light and creamy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the limoncello and beat an additional minute. On low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternatively, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between 15-18 cupcake wrappers in cupcake tins. Bake for 10 minutes, swap cupcake pan positions, then bake for 10 more minutes (total of 20) or until a toothpick inserted near the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely.

• Prepare the lemon curd. In a heavy medium saucepan (or the top portion of a double boiler, sans bottom), stir together the lemon zest, juice and sugar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and egg yolk. Whisk the lemon mixture into the eggs to temper them. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. If you're not going to be using the curd within the time it cools, place plastic wrap directly down on its surface to avoid a skin forming.

• Prepare the cream cheese limoncello frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until light and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the limoncello and beat for an additional minute. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.

• Assemble the cupcakes. Cut a hole into each cupcake with the large end of a melon baller. Fill each hole with lemon curd. Frost the cupcakes with either a pastry bag and star tip or with a knife, pulling up occasionally to create spiky peaks.
(Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker)

These cupcakes have been popular all 3 times I've made them. My most recent batch was my best. The cake was moist, the limoncello popped (thanks to the mason jar of homemade limoncello I received for my birthday from @forkspoonknife), and the frosting's texture was the right mix of creamy and smooth without the use of shortening (ew). My taste testers loved the lemony tartness of the curd, but I'm hoping they'll add their feedback in the comments section (ahem).

The taste testing panel

Once I got some of my coworkers on board with Cupcake Friday, I knew I needed to nail down a few logistics, namely allergies (don't need to kill anyone) and dislikes.

I'm dealing with 3 food allergies: nuts (all nuts but peanut), melons and banana. I'm not terribly concerned with the last 2 because A) I'm not sure how I'd get melon into cupcakes and B) I don't really like bananas.

As for nuts, it's a mixed bag (ha). My husband Ray has a peanut allergy—luckily not acute—but I tend not the keep peanut products in the house. As for the other nuts, I definitely want to work with them, but when I do, I have to be sure not to give any to bearded tester extraordinaire Kerrick.

As for dislikes, most people mentioned a variety of green vegetables (though I don't plan on working with savory recipes just yet). But I did get votes against nuts and anise.

And now, on to the requested flavor profiles:
Tiramisu
Banana
Dark chocolate
Coffee
Stout
Lime
Orange chocolate
Hazelnut
Chocolate peanut

Excitement!

In the beginning ... there were cupcakes

I love to bake. Not just to eat the baked goods, but simply for the joy OF baking. And even moreso, I love giving people my baked goods.

Today I brought cupcakes to work, partly because I baked for my Geek Girl Dinner Group, and partly because I reneged on my offer to bring in a lemon tart this past Monday in belated celebration of National Pie Day (yes, I know a tart isn't quite a pie). Some of my coworkers spent a majority of the week teasing me about the missing pie, so I knew if I shoved cupcakes under their noses, they'd relent.

This morning I mucked through Philadelphia snow, ice and slush in combat boots and my husband's tuxedo jacket with tails, with a dozen lemon-limoncello cupcakes with lemon curd filling and limoncello cream cheese frosting in tow. I delivered the cakes with a smile and many faces lit up with joy and sugary anticipation. Standing around the office, I joked about some of them becoming my taste-testing guinea pigs. And an idea was born.

Cupcake Fridays: My goal, in preparation of opening a bakery in 5 years, is to bake cupcakes at least 2 Fridays out of every month in an effort to hone my skill and create a library of recipes. Mainly cupcake recipes, but I'm sure a sprinkling of cookies, muffins and other confections won't be turned down.

Wish me luck!