Cupcake Batter

2 cups     flour

2 tsp.      baking powder

1 1/2 tsp  baking soda

1 tsp.      salt

2 tsp.      cinnamon

2 cups     sugar

1 1/2 cup   vegetable oil

4  eggs

2 cups  grated carrots

1 8 1/4 oz. can of crushed pineapple drained

1/2 cup     chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Bake at 350 degrees  for 18 minutes

cool and frost or server warm with whip cream or ice cream.

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1 lb. confectioners sugar

Add drops of milk to thin if necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until the dough comes together.  Divide into 24 pieces.  Make a roughly 6-inch rope out of each piece, then pinch the ends together to form a circle.

Place the circles on the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown.  

I made this as cupcakes and skipped the chocolate curls. I modified the baking time to about 24 minutes. These also freeze well. I froze them (with frosting) for a week and they tasted great. 

Planning Tip: Can be made through Step 4 and refrigerated airtight 3 days or frozen 2 weeks. Frosting can be refrigerated 3 days. Curls can be stored in a cool place 1 week.

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/3 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
21/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting
8 oz white chocolate, melted as pkg directs, cooled to room temperature
3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 oz cream cheese, softened
5 Tbsp stick butter, softened
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Garnish: Chocolate Curls (directions follow)

1. Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat to 350°F. Coat three 9-in. or 8 x 2-in. round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper.

2. Stir cocoa and boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; let cool.

3. Meanwhile mix next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat next 4 ingredients with mixer on high speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add cool cocoa; beat until blended. Scrape bowl. On low speed, beat in flour mixture just to blend, scraping bowl once. Spoon into prepared pans; smooth surfaces. Stagger pans on oven racks.

4. Bake 24 to 31 minutes (depending on pan size) until a wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Run knife around edges; invert on rack, remove paper and cool completely.

5. Frosting: Beat ingredients on low speed to blend. Increase speed to high; beat 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

6. To assemble: Place 1 cake layer on serving plate, bottom side up. Spread with 1/3 the Frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, swirling frosting on top. Garnish with Chocolate Curls.

Chocolate Curls Line mini loaf pan or make a 31/2 x 2 x 11/4-in. pan with a double thickness foil. Melt 4 oz white chocolate, pour into pan; chill until firm. Peel off foil. Soften at room temperature 30 minutes. Pull a swivel-blade vegetable peeler along side of bar to form curls (if curls break, soften chocolate more). Repeat with 4 oz milk chocolate.

Cupcakes: 
1 box chocolate cake mix 
Orange juice (instead of water in cake mix) 
½ 

 1/2 teaspoon

vanilla extract

1 orange, zested

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons butter, softened (1/2 stick)

2 tablespoons lemon juice (you can substitute with 2 tablespoons limoncello)

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 orange, zested

Special equipment: cupcake liners, 2 muffin pans

To make the cupcakes: mix the chocolate cake mix according to package instructions, substituting orange juice for the water. Line the muffin pan with the cupcake liners. Fill and bake the cupcakes according to package instructions. Let the cupcakes cool for 1 hour on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting: combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Using a small spatula, place about 1 tablespoon of frosting on top of each cupcake.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tbsp. margarine, melted (I used yogurt butter)

2 tbsp. honey

2 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

1 tbsp. orange extract

1/2 cup walnut halves (I just used the walnuts as a topper, in case anyone had nut allergies)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Place 12 baking cups into muffin pan

In a food processor, combine the cracker crumbs, margarine, and honey, Spoon about a tbsp into each baking cup and press firmly into the bottom. Coat the spoon and your fingers with a little flour. (It’s pretty sticky.)  Chill until set.In a large bowl, beat the ricotta with an electric mixer until soft. Then beat in the eggs, confectioners’ sugar, and orange extract.  Fold in the walnuts.  Spoon the mixture into the cups. 

 Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.  Chill until ready to serve.

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3 tbsp. sugar

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) sweet butter, melted

frosting:

1/2 cup basil pesto

1 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened

12 cherry tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350. Place 12 baking cups in a muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, stir the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs, milk, and butter into a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and stir until just combined.  Spoon the batter into the cups.  Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack.

For the frosting, beat the pesto and cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Smear the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and top with the cherry tomatoes.

Store unfrosted in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. 

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 dozen.

• 2/3 cup whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

• DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
  2. Place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. You should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
  5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
  6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

  Sprinkles Strawberry Frosting
  

  INGREDIENTS

   

  Makes enough for 1 dozen cupcakes.

  • 1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
  • Pinch of coarse salt
  • 3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  DIRECTIONS

  1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

   

Jamie Oliver Strikes AGAIN. Fantastico! My first ever cupcake and they rock.

14oz Butternut Squash

1 2/3 C Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/3 C Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Cinnamon

12 TBLS. Olive Oil

handful Walnuts (optional)

preheat oven to 350 F

Chop raw Squash roughly and blend or process the heck out of them down to

tiny bits. Add sugar, eggs, salt, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, olive oil

and walnuts and process/blend til smoth.

Fill cupcake paper things 3/4 full. Bake 20 minutes.

(that’s what he said, but I didn’t find it to be enough time. Check to see

if done by putting a clean knife into the middle of ye olde cupcake and it

should come out clean - I went another 10 minutes).

Let cool 10 minutes before Icing.

Sour Cream Icing

Mandarin (I used orange) Zest

Lemon Zest

1/2 Lemon juice

2/3 C sour cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

4 TBLS confectioner Sugar

Mix, taste, add zest/sour cream or sugar to taste.