Chai Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Holy cow!! These are ridiculous!! I mean, possibly the most exciting baked good I've ever made. I took these to work and people are still raving! This recipe is a serious keeper!

Chai Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3/4 c milk

2 black chai tea bags

2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp butter, room temperature

3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon Buttercream:

1/2 c butter, room temperature

2 tsp cinnamon

2-3 tbsp milk, as needed to thin

2-3 c powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with liners.

Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add tea bags. Let steep for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing the tea bags over the milk and discard. Allow milk to cool completely.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of milk. Beat until just combined.

Divide batter evening among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until tops spring back when lightly touched and are pale golden, about 10-12 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make frosting, beat the butter with an electric mixer for a few minutes. Add the cinnamon and 2 tbsp milk, briefly blend. Add the powdered sugar gradually until the frosting is thick enough to pipe or spread easily. If the frosting is too dry, add more milk. If the frosting is too loose, add more powdered sugar.

Frost cupcakes generously and share with some good friends who will appreciate the amazing-ness of this treat!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

We just celebrated a lot of birthdays in the last 2 weeks! Happy Birthday to my Aunts Pami, Kimberle, and Linda as well as my dearest cousin Cassady!!

I wanted to make my aunts some treats but was on a time crunch (hello procrastination...). I used a chocolate fudge box cake mix and then made my own frosting. This buttercream is really yummy and pretty easy- you just throw the ingredients into the mixer and let it go.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from SavorySweetLife.com

Ingredients

1 c unsalted butter, softened

3-4 c powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp vanilla extract

up to 4 tbsp milk or heavy cream

Directions

In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for a few minutes. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mix on low speed (otherwise you'll be wearing the powdered sugar) until incorporated. Increase the speed and add vanilla, salt and 2 tbsp milk and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If it needs a thinner consistency, add a bit more milk.

I tried my hand at piping again... it went ok. I make a huge mess and am not thrilled with my results. I'm determined to keep trying, however.

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicious!!! Moist, slightly sweet, and fruity cupcakes with smooth cream cheese frosting- hits every craving you might be having! Plus, this is a pretty low fat cupcake. No butter involved and only 5 WW+ points, if you're counting.

Pineapple Zucchini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Adapted from SkinnyTaste.com

Ingredients

3/4 c whole wheat flour

3/4 c white flour

1 c white sugar

1/2 c flaked coconut

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger (optional)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 whole eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 c grated zucchini (squeeze out extra moisture in a dish towel or in a mesh strainer)

20 oz can crushed pineapple, juice discarded (squeeze out extra moisture like above)

Frosting

1 c powdered sugar

8 oz low fat cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper liners (I ended up with 20 cupcakes).

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking soda, coconut, salt and spices. Mix to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and oil. Mix well. Fold in zucchini and pineapple.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Mixture will be dry, but continue to mix until everything is evenly incorporated. Use a cookie/ice cream scoop to scoop cupcake batter into liners (this will give you perfectly even cupcakes). Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire baking rack.

Combine frosting ingredients with a mixer until smooth. Frost cupcakes using your desired method (I like an offset spatula because I haven't mastered piping frosting, yet). Enjoy!!

Cookies 'n Cream Cupcakes

You know, I'm not a huge fan of Oreos, but for some reason this recipe spoke to me. I had no reason to make them other than to bake, so I took them to my sister's classroom for a special treat for her students. I was told they were "amazing" and "the best cupcake I've ever had." My sister said her students were on their knees begging for seconds. She could just be inflating my ego by saying that, but doubtful.

Cookies 'n Cream Cupcakes

Adapted from TastyKitchen.com

Ingredients

Cupcake:

1 c butter, softened

2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 whole eggs

1 c milk

1 1/4 c flour

1 1/2 c self-rising flour

1 1/2 c crushed Oreo cookies (I put mine in the food processor and pulverlized them)

Frosting:

1/2 c butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 lb powdered sugar

5 tbsp milk

1/2 c ground Oreo cookies

24 whole mini Oreos for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large stand mixer, while butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (I used my paddle attachment, if you're using a KitchenAid mixer). Stir in vanilla and eggs 1 at a time until combined. Scrape sides and mix again. Slowly stir in flours and milk, alternating back and forth until all ingredients are added to the bowl. Scrap sides down and mix again briefly. Fold in Oreo pieces by hand.

Scoop batter into prepared tins so they are 2/3 full. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Wait until completely totally utterly cool to frost or you'll get ugly melty cupcakes!

For the frosting, whip butter and vanilla together in a large bowl (use a whisk attachment or hand mixer for this). Stir in powdered sugar and then milk. You may not need all of the milk, so check the consistency of your frosting as you go. Whip 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy. * I didn't whip my frosting enough so it was kind of runny. Don't be me! Whip your frosting!*

Fold in ground Oreo pieces and top with mini Oreos.

Chicks, Dude!

These are adorable!!!! I saw them on the Internet and knew I HAD to make them for Easter. They are SO easy. Believe me, guys! All you have to do is assemble them.

Chicks Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (your choice)

1 container vanilla frosting

1 c shredded coconut

Green food coloring

Peeps marshmallows

Jelly beans

Directions

Bake the cupcake mix according to box directions. Let cool completely before icing.

Frost cupcakes with desired thickness of vanilla frosting. You can dye the frosting green if you want a more grass-like appearance.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut and add 2-3 drops of green food coloring. Mix with a fork and add more food coloring until you get the green you're looking for. Dip each cupcake in the coconut and press lightly to adhere to frosting.

Take 1 Peep marshmallow and put a dab of frosting on the bottom. Push the Peep onto the cupcake until it sticks. Add the jelly beans near the Peep to look like eggs.

That's it! I told you it was easy!

Mom's Best Ever Icing

I wanted to make a treat for this class I was going to, but didn't have tons of time. I decided to make a box cupcake mix and then make homemade frosting to make sure it was still special. It turned out great! Every class I've been to since, people ask where the cupcakes are.

Mom's Best Ever Icing

Adapted from The Happy Baker Cookbook

Ingredients

1/4 c butter, softened

2 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp hot water

2 c confectioner's sugar

Directions

Combine the butter, cocoa and hot water. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar until smooth and creamy. I had to use a mixer to get a really smooth frosting. Ice your fav cupcakes and enjoy!!

Cranberry Eggnog Muffins with Streusel Topping

These are perfect for the holidays!!! I never thought of using eggnog as the liquid in a baking recipe, but it's perfect! It's nicely spiced with all our favorite wintry flavors like nutmeg and cinnamon and adds great flavor to these yummy muffins! And the streusel topping... well, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar... how bad could that be?

Cranberry Eggnog Muffins with Streusel Topping

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

Muffins:

1 c cranberries (Dried or frozen)2 1/2 c flour

1/4 c packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 c eggnog

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 packed light brown sugar

Directions

Prepare the muffins: preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mist a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in medium bowl.

Whisk the butter, eggnog, eggs and vanilla in another bowl. Gently fold in the flour mixture. Fold in cranberries. Divide the batter evenly in the muffin cups.

Make the topping: mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, salt and brown sugar in a bowl with your fingertips until it looks like wet sand. Sprinkle generously over the batter.

Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 min. Cool slightly in the pan, then remove to a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins

During fall, I'm always wanting to make things with pumpkin in them. Now, I do not like pumpkin pie so I don't quite understand. Perhaps it's because I don't partake in pumpkin pie mania, so I have to get my fill elsewhere. Anyway, these muffins were great! Not too sweet and smelled delicious.

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins

Adapted from For the Love of Cooking.net

Ingredients

2 c flour

3/4 c sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 c dried cranberries

1/2 c chopped pecans

Coarse sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray or put in liners.

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, oil, eggs, cranberries and pecans. Mix the two until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. (My new trick is to use an ice cream scoop and they come out all perfectly sized). Sprinkle coarse sugar over each cup.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes (mine actually baked faster, so keep an eye on yours). Insert a toothpick into the middle and see if it comes out clean. Cool on a rack and then ENJOY!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have no idea where I got this recipe but it's great! I love making these and keeping them in my freezer so I can take one whenever I want them.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 c flour
2/3 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 c mashed banana (about 2)
1 egg
1/2 c butter, melted
3/4 c chocolate chips
3 tbsp milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. In a seperate bowl, combine bananas, egg, butter, and milk. Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Divide into muffin tins (makes about 12 muffins) and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.