Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

My daughter just turned one. I can't even believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I was busy cooking up a storm to stock our freezer for her arrival.

This past weekend I found myself trying to make a somewhat healthy but still decadent and crowd pleasing first birthday cupcake.  

In the past year, I haven't given our daughter a whole lot of sugar, salt or processed food. I try my best to make her meals healthy and packed with nutrients while of course making sure that the food is tasty.

5 minute Nutella Cake for 2 (or one!)

Today is my husband's birthday. He's been working all day and has no idea what time he will be home. So, instead of preparing an amazing dinner only to have him microwave it later, I thought I would make him a cake.

Only I didn't want to make a huge cake that we would eat a quarter of and toss. I wanted something small that he could enjoy when he gets home from work. Oh, and the other thing is that I don't have time to make him a huge cake. Between diapers and dishes, I wanted to find something simple that I could whip up in a flash.

Cranberry Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Canadians face this question far before our American counterparts. But regardless of geography, the same question faces us all.... "It is Thanksgiving and I am invited for dinner. What should I bring?"

Normally, there are so many duplications of ingredients at a holiday event such as this. At a Thanksgiving gathering, this equates to all varieties of sweet potatoes, variations on stuffing, and pumpkin laced desserts. So, for those who want a slight break from tradition and who want to ensure that their flavours stand out from the rest, the question becomes:  "What can I do that is still festive but not going to add another level of "same" to the mix?"

The first decision to make was savory or sweet. In this case, I figured that people would choose to bring savory, transporting their family's traditional side dish to the shared table. So, I chose sweet.

Chocolate Orange Buttermilk Cakes

Again with the buttermilk! Like I said, it pays to freeze the stuff in half cup portions because you never know when you are going to need it.

In this case, I wanted to make some cupcakes with a subtle hint of chocolate and orange. I wanted cupcakes that would stand without icing...kind of like a cross between a cupcake and a muffin I guess? Okay, I take that back. I was trying to make it sound healthy by calling it a muffin (even though muffins are not always healthy). 

Let's just say that it's a flavorful cupcake that will not be frosted. I guess you could frost it with orange cream cheese frosting or a chocolate butter cream, but let's keep it simple (and guilt-free) for the moment.

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

It was my cousin's birthday today. So I made cupcakes. Delicious, decadent chocolate ones. In fact, it is my go to, one bowl chocolate cake recipe care of Ms. Martha Stewart. It still never fails me. I use it for cakes and cupcakes for ever occasion, and adjust the frosting based on the person, the occasion, or my mood.

In this case, these cupcakes were for a summer birthday so I wanted the frosting to be rich but fresh (is that possible??).

I decided to use cream cheese frosting, because my cousin loves it! In fact, last time I made Mini Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, she devoured them!

But to add that freshness, what better than some orange? I mean, chocolate and orange?? A match made in heaven! And on a summer day, it was the perfect combo!

Decadent Chocolate Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

For the Cupcakes

(I used the One Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe for these!)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large YOLK

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups warm water

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line your muffin pans with paper liners or spray your cake pans with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla and water, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined (about 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Fill the prepared muffin tins with the chocolate cupcake batter until the cups are about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

For the Icing

1 cup Cream Cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup Butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 3/4 cup Icing Sugar

Zest of 2 large Oranges

Dark Chocolate Shavings for Garnish

Beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl until completely smooth. Add the icing sugar, half a cup at a time until the icing is smooth. Stir in the fresh orange zest. At this point, you can spread onto the cooled cupcakes or you can place in the fridge and cool for 1-2 hours and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes. Garnish with a sprinkle of dark chocolate shavings.

Mini Carrot & Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

 

I don't really think that I have a sweet tooth. Yes, I do occasionally crave a piece of dark chocolate or a homemade sweet, but in most cases, I would choose savory over sweet anyday.

The exception to this seems to be carrot cake. For a cake filled with vegetables, carrot cake is pretty delicious and sweet. In fact, I love it so much that I wanted my wedding cake to be carrot cake (over-ruled by Chocolate-Raspberry....).

Carrot cake is deliciously moist, and of course, topping it with sweet, velvety cream cheese icing doesn't hurt!

Mini Carrot & Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 60 Mini Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

2 cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup White Sugar

3 Large Eggs

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

2 cups Grated Carrots

1 cup Canned Crushed Pineapple, drained

2/3 cup Chopped Walnuts

For the Icing

1 cup Cream Cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup Butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 3/4 cup Icing Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin tins.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the white and brown sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and ginger. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, and walnuts.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups until 2/3 full. Bake for 11-13 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl until completely smooth. Add the icing sugar, half a cup at a time until the icing is smooth. At this point, you can spread onto the cooled cupcakes or you can place in the fridge and cool for 1-2 hours and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.

S'mores Cupcakes

Camping is one of my favorite pastimes. Pitching the tent. Hiking. Building fires. And of course, campfire cooking.

In 2009, when we went camping in Eastern Canada, I shared some of my campfire cooking with you: Campfire Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, Fire Roasted Chicken Thighs, Cheddar Baked Potatoes, and of course, Warm Baked Apples filled with Nutella.

I think that was the last time we went camping (living in the Middle East, camping is not a very popular pastime) and since moving back to British Columbia, I have been dying to go!

So, while I was drifting off, thinking about ideas for cupcakes for my best friend, it's no surprise that camping came back into my mind. And then I thought of S'mores. The sweet, sticky, oozy marshmallow with the rich chocolate and the crunch of the graham cracker. So I decided to recreate S'mores in a whimsical cupcake.

This cupcake has a graham cracker crust, layer of chocolate, dense chocolately cupcake, graham sprinkles, broiled marshmallows, a chocolate drizzle, and topped with a graham cracker garnish.

Yes, it is a lot of steps and yes, it does take some time, but it is so so worth it! They looked fantastic and the taste was to die for. How could you possibly resist?

S'mores Cupcakes

Makes about 5 dozen medium sized cupcakes

For the Crust

1 1/2 cups Graham Crumbs

1/2 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Butter, Melted

3/4 cup Semi-Sweet Mini Choc Chips or Finely Chopped Chocolate

For the Cupcakes

(I used the One Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe for these!)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large YOLK

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups warm water

For the Toppings

Marshmallows (I used mini but you could also use big ones)

1 1/2 cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Dark Chocolate Chips

15 Graham Crackers, broken into large pieces

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line your muffin pans with paper liners or spray your cake pans with cooking spray.

Combine the graham crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Press about 1 tsp into each cupcake mould. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and yolk, milk, oil, vanilla and water, and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined (about 3 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add chocolate cupcake batter on top of the graham crusts until the cups are about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with a little of the graham crust. Bake for about 20-25 minutes (for medium sized cupcakes).

Let cool on a wire rack. Turn the oven to broil. Once cool, top with marshmallows and broil for about 30 seconds until the marshmallows are browned. Make sure you watch the marshmallows as they brown quickly and burn easily.

Once browned, remove from oven and using your fingers or a spoon, just press down the marshmallows.

In a microwave proof bowl, heat chocolate chips for 20 seconds at a time, then stir, then heat again, until completely melted. Place the chocolate into a ziplock bag and cut a small corner off the bag. Drizzle the chocolate over the top of the cupcakes. Garnish with a piece of graham cracker.

Naughty (or Healthy) Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes

Everyone loves cupcakes. Some of us even love them a little too much. But whether you want the occasional indulgence or the guilt free version, this is the recipe for you. These easy and delicious cupcakes can be made as healthy or as naughty as you want.



For the healthy version, make the low fat milk and whole wheat flour substitutions and keep the rest of the recipe as is. Eat as is (without icing)…more like a decadent muffin than a cupcake. (I have also tried substituting the butter for 2 tbsp oil and 2 extra tbsp low fat milk... it worked very well!)



For the naughty version? Use the full fat milk, the white flour and stir in some semi-sweet chocolate chips or poke in a few pieces of dark chocolate into each cupcake before sticking in the oven. And of course, top with some dark chocolate ganache (see chocolate cake blog for ganache recipe). What could be better? Oh, I forgot. Then head to the gym… for balance of course.



Or, for those of us that want decadence but want to skip the gym... make the healthy substitutions, poke with pieces of dark chocolate, and skip the icing. Now that is what I call compromise!

Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes

1/4 cup Butter, room temp
1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk (or substitute 1% or 2% milk)
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 Bananas, ripe and mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 1/2 cups White Flour (or substitute whole wheat flour)
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add milk, vanilla, bananas and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing only until incorporated. Do not overmix, otherwise the cupcakes will be tough.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups until about 3/4 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes until cupcakes are springy to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Move to a wire rack to cool.

(If you would like to ice the cupcakes, make sure they are cooled completely first. Then make some Dark Chocolate Ganache to spread on top!)