Chocolate Cupcakes

I felt like a bit of indulgence, chocolate cupcakes. I made a batch which were a great texture. These are decorated with lemon flavoured butter cream with chocolate sprinkles.

The others are butterfly cupcakes. They are filled with apricot jam, a sugar almond and a dusting of icing sugar,

I think these Butterfly cupcakes could be good for Valentines. The sugar almonds also would be a good idea for Easter as they look like an egg.

Thanks for reading

Crazycupcakes

Thanksgiving Cupcakes with Cranberries

I think these cupcakes Thanksgiving cupcakes using the chocolate cupcake recipe and cranberry sauce will be enjoyed by everyone even those who do not usually have a sweet tooth. This adult type of combination is like sweet and sour.
I take fresh cranberries, wash, clean and them stew on a low to medium heat in a pan. I let the cranberries cook adding very small drops of water if the cranberries become dry. I add sugar to taste and at the end of cooking either some red wine or Port. Let the sauce cool. You can make this sauce before and it stores well in the freezer.
I make a batch of chocolate cupcakes and let them cool.
I cut the top off each cupcake and fill with a teaspoon of Port spooned over the sponge and then topped with a tablespoon of cranberry sauce. I replace the lid and cover with a generous helping of Lemon Butter cream. I make this with equal quantities of unsalted butter and icing sugar(confectioners) sugar. I also added some fresh lemon juice to add a tangy flavour and adding to that sweet and sour combination.
I put some of the stewed cranberries on the top of the cupcakes.
This is a delicious combination of flavours. It could also be served with vanilla ice cream , fresh cream of natural yogurt.
Hope you enjoy this and thanks for reading
Crazycupcakes

Chocolate and Strawberry Cupcakes

For this recipe I have used the chocolate cupcake recipe but adapted the filling. I have filled the chocolate cupcakes with a large spoonful of delicious strawberry jam or preserve. Use the best you can buy or make your own in season.

I have topped off the cakes with marscapone cream cheese which I have mixed in some vanilla essence so that it is smooth and creamy. If you like add some sugar but I think it is sweet enough with the strawberry jam.

I topped the cupcakes off with fresh strawberries.





I think these are very moist, tasty and very indulgent. Enjoy

Thanks for reading

There are lots more ideas and recipes in the labels list and archives

Crazycupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

I decide to make some basic chocolate cupcakes recipeas I wanted to use a lot of the dark fruits that are out at the moment such as cherries and berries. I also fancied trying out a tiramisu cupcake recipe and black forest gateaux recipe. The tiramisu trifle is one of my favourite sweets at the Italian restaurants so i wanted to have a go at making a cupcake to emulate it and the black forest cupcake is based on a lot of retro food recipes and dishes that Iremember from years ago so it is good to go back to some of these tried and tested combinations.
The basic chocolate cupcake recipe I use is this;
Ingredients
1 stick--1/2 cup--4 oz--112gm unsalted butter
1 cup--4 oz--112gm Castor sugar(this finer than our granulated)
1 cup--4 oz--112gm self-raising flour( this has a raising agent already in it)
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder-I use Green and Blacks 70% cocoa organic
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla essence or 1 fresh vanilla pod
Method
Put the butter into a bowl with the sugar and cream together with a wooden spoon or a mixer on a middle speed.
Add 1 egg and mix in
Add the second egg and mix in
Add the flour and cocoa. I weigh these out first and then add to the mixture by sieving them through a large metal sieve so air gets in and the ingredients are mixed.
Mix together gently and add the vanilla essence. The photo below shows the type of mixture I get.
Divide the mixture into cupcake cases and fill about 2/3 full. This makes about 12 in muffin size cases as seen below.
I cook these at 175C--350F--gas 4 for 15 to 20 minutes in the middle to top of the oven.
I find that the higher they are in the oven the higher they rise up. If nearer the middle the cupcakes are flatter. Just experiment with positions in your oven. Mine is gas so the temperature varies.
You can see the resulting cupcakes in the last photograph.
I am going to do lots of variations later.
Thanks for reading Crazycupcakes.
Look at all the links and labels for lots more ideas which I keep adding to most weeks


The chocolate cupcake mixture

Cupcakes ready to go in the oven

Chocolate cupcakes straight out of the oven. Cool on rack.
Lots more ideas in the links, archives and labels. Enjoy

Easter Chicken Cupcake with Eggs

Well I found this great cute chicken just the thing to decorate a cupcake for Easter. I used the chocolate cupcake recipe and topped it off with chocolate frosting; 2oz--1/2 cup icing sugar, 1oz--1/4 cup of cocoa and 1 oz--1/4 cup of butter. I creamed it all together. Add extra butter if you like it really rich. I topped off with chocolate eggs and the cute chicken.

CHOCOLATE FRUIT CUPCAKES RECIPE

These chocolate fruit cupcakes use the chocolate cupcake recipe for the chocolate orange cupcakes. I like to get some of my favourite chocolate , melt it in a bowl which is in a pan with simmering water. When the chocolate is well melted I dip in pieces of washed and cleaned fresh fruit such as strawberries, blueberries and satsumas. You could use what is in season in your area. I then just place these on the top of the cupcakes. I finish off the cupcakes with a shake of very fine icing sugar or frosting sugar. Serve fresh and enjoy.

Remember to visit the cupcake store and the archives for more recipes and decorating ideas. If you like making soup, casseroles and chutney check out the links for more of my tempting recipes. Enjoy. Crazycupcakes

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES RECIPE

This Chocolate orange cupcake recipe is good for serving at the festive season with friends.
Ingredients
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
3 eggs
1 orange, the skin finely grated and the juice extracted
For Decoration
whipped fresh cream
slices of fresh oranges or satsumas
chocolate sprinkles
Method
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the grated orange rind. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the orange juice. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 to 15 minutes.
When the cupcakes are cool set them all out ready for decorating. Whip the fresh cream until it is in firm peaks. Do not over beat. I place the cream in a piping bag and put a swirl of cream onto each cupcake. I then top each one off with a piece of fresh orange or satsuma and sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles. These are rich in textures and full of flavour.
Remember to look at the cupcake store for more ideas and check out my archives for more recipes and decorating ideas
Enjoy.

CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES CUPCAKES

Chocolate Sprinkles Cupcakes
These cupcakes use the chocolate cupcake recipe and the chocolate icing as a basis for their decoration. I then used chocolate sprinkles to decorate and milk chocolate buttons.
INGREDIENTS3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of warm water
METHOD
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the water. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 t0 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE ICING
3/4 cup--4oz--110gm dark cooking chocolate, the type you like
1/2 cup--4oz--110gm butter
2 1/2 cups--10oz--290gm icing sugar
warm water or strong black coffee(choose which you like)
METHOD
Put a pan on the stove with a small amount of boiling water. Place a bowl over the top. Put the chocolate in here to melt. In another bowl cream the butter. Add the melted chocolate to the butter, mix. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix well, add the water or coffee in teaspoons to keep the mixture runny and creamy enough to use as icing. I like it quite firm. when the cupcakes have cooled ice each one. I keep a mug of hot water at the side to moisten my spreading knife.

CHOCOLATE GINGER CUPCAKE

CHOCOLATE GINGER CUPCAKE
The chocolate ginger cupcake is the one at the front. It has crystalised ginger chopped into the basic chocolate cupcake recipe and then the chocolate icing on the top and to finish off more chopped pieces of crystalsed ginger. These are so delicious. The combination of organic chocolate and ginger is superb.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm butter or margarine
3/4 cup--6oz--175gm castor sugar
1 cup--4oz--115gm self-raising flour
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm cocoa
1/2 cup--2oz--60gm chopped crystalised ginger for the cake mixture and more ginger chopped to decorate the top of the cakes.
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 tablespoon of warm water
METHOD
Cream butter or margarine with the castor sugar in a large bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the chopped ginger. Sift in the flour and the cocoa. Fold in. Add the water. Place the mixture in individual cupcake cases in a baking tray. Cook at gas 5--190C--375F for 12 t0 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE ICING
3/4 cup--4oz--110gm dark cooking chocolate, the type you like
1/2 cup--4oz--110gm butter
2 1/2 cups--10oz--290gm icing sugar
warm water or strong black coffee(choose which you like)
METHOD
Put a pan on the stove with a small amount of boiling water. Place a bowl over the top. Put the chocolate in here to melt. In another bowl cream the butter. Add the melted chocolate to the butter, mix. Gradually add the icing sugar and mix well, add the water or coffee in teaspoons to keep the mixture runny and creamy enough to use as icing. I like it quite firm. when the cupcakes have cooled ice each one. I keep a mug of hot water at the side to moisten my spreading knife.
Enjoy