Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I love the way these cupcakes look - simple elegance.  But, I am still trying to work on the mint flavoring, it is not quite perfect, yet!  But, as it stands it is a chocolate chip cupcake with mint buttercream with chocolate chips hidden between the layers of frosting.  Generally speaking, I am not good at making buttercream (I like cream cheese frosting better anyway), but my last two have been impressive.  I think I'm improving.

Chocolate Chip Nutella Cupcakes - Need I Say More?

These are delicious - they may be one of my favorites.  They are simple, but let's face it, Nutella is just always delicious.  The cupcakes are a lite and fluffy chocolate cake with chocolate chips topped with a thin layer of Nutella and Nutella cream cheese frosting.

St. Patrick's Day take 2. Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Cupcakes

I have been wanting to try to make a cheesecake cupcake and figured a no-bake cheesecake recipe would be perfect to start with.  These cupcakes have an oreo crust bottom and a mint cheesecake center topped with mint chocolate ganache.  I am not big on non-edible decorations, but I made these with the kids at my afterschool program and they loved the easy decorations and, most importantly, the cupcakes!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Green Tea Cupcakes!

Matcha powder is the key to green tea cupcakes.  I searched far and wide for matcha and was met with blank stares all around.  On attempt #5 I went to a local Asian Market and the clerk knew exactly what I was talking about - finally!  Mission accomplished!  These green tea cupcakes are filled with a green tea buttercream to give the cupcakes a greater concentration of the green tea flavor.  Whenever I drink green tea, I always choose one with an added flavoring, my favorite being Lipton's mango green tea; therefore, the cupcakes are topped with mango whipped cream!

Caramel Apple Cupcakes - cheesecake or pie?

A friend of mine asked me to make caramel apple cupcakes.  I had made them before, but I thought that I could do better.  I definitely did!  These cupcakes start with a vanilla cupcake base.  The middle of the cupcake is scooped out and apple pie filling is spooned in.  The cupcake is then frosted with a caramel cream cheese frosting and a thick caramel drizzle.  So the cupcake contains apple pie filling, but a cream cheese frosting, should I call it a pie or a cheesecake cupcake?

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

One school vacation week in the fall a friend and I were traveling home from college.  She had baked pumpkin muffins for the journey.  My whole car was filled with the spice and scents of fall - pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.  What a wonderful ride it was.  She was kind enough to give me this moist pumpkin muffin recipe which I topped with cream cheese frosting.  I got creative and attempted almond slice flowers on top. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cupcakes

 

Chocolate covered strawberries are so decadent and elegant, yet so simple.  These are chocolate brownie cupcakes with chocolate chips and strawberries baked into the batter.  These cupcakes came out amazingly moist.   The cupcakes are frosted with a strawberry cream cheese frosting and a chocolate covered strawberry (covered in Ghirardelli chocolate of course!).  You;ll come to realize that Ghirardelli chocolate is my absolute favorite.

Banana Toffee Dulce Cupcakes

This is a banana cupcake with Heath milk chocolate toffee bits folded into the batter.  The cupcake is frosted with a Dulce de Leche cream cheese frosting.  Prepared Dulce de Leche is extremely hard to find!  I searched in all the local grocery store, and finally found a sauce made by Stonewall Kitchen.  I have heard that you can make the sauce using a can of sweetened condensed milk, boiling water, and possibly a pressure cooker - I haven't tried that method yet.  The cupcake is drizzled with more Dulce de Leche and is topped with a chocolate covered banana sprinkled with the milk chocolate toffee bits.  Yum!  This recipe is adapted from a Food Network Cupcake Wars recipe.

Chocolate Covered Pretzel: A Pretzel Crust and Chocolate Cake covered in a Ghirardelli Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate covered pretzels are delicious.  There is something about the combination of salt, chocolate, and crunch.  This cupcake has it all!  The cupcake has a baked pretzel crust topped with a chocolate cupcake and dipped into a Ghirardelli dark chocolate ganache.  My first ganache!  According to Wikipedia, "ganache is a glaze, icing, or sauce made from chocolate and cream.  Ganache is normally made by heating cream, then pouring it over chopped dark semi-sweet chocolate. The mixture is stirred or blended until smooth, with liquors or extracts added, if desired."  This recipe is from my very favorite cupcake blog - The Cupcake Project by Steph.