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Ginger Whiskey Cupcakes with Marzipan Turkey Toppers

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

This year, I am thankful for so many things. Some of those things include that I got to celebrate Thanksgiving twice this year! Both times were with wonderful friends and family (well, all of them are like family now). For my second Thanksgiving, there are lots of traditions. One includes cooking with and drinking lots of Maker’s Mark whiskey, and so when I was brainstorming cupcake flavors of course I had to include Maker’s. And when I was thinking of cocktails that include whiskey, we realized that a bomb combination would be to make Ginger Whiskeys! Yum.

And it was Thanksgiving. I don’t eat turkey obviously but I can eat marzipan turkeys! So we had a craft-night and made this army of cuties:

Fluffy Ginger Cake Ingredients:

This recipe makes eighteen cupcakes, or one 9-inch cake

1 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar
1 ½ cups plain unsweetened almond milk
2 1/8 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 1/8 cups sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. freshly grated/zested ginger

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a cupcake tin with papers. Set aside.

Stir the almond milk and apple cider vinegar together well and set aside (the mixture will curdle). Grate or zest your ginger while you wait for the curdling.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another mixing bowl whisk together the almond milk mixture, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth using a hand-held mixer, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the ginger at the very end, and mix to incorporate.

Fill your cake pan with the batter. Bake for 23-26 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then when luke-warm, remove cakes from the pan and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

Maker’s Mark Caramel Glaze Ingredients:

1/3 cup Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup half & half
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, melt the brown sugar and butter over a medium low heat. Stir vigorously to create a smooth texture. Pour the half & half into the brown sugar blend, using a whisk to incorporate. Whisk in the powdered sugar. Continue stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Add the Maker’s Mark whiskey and vanilla extract. Remove from heat and let cool. Make small holes in the tops of the cooled cupcakes with a fork and pour the glaze over the cakes – let the glaze seep in, and re-pour if you want extra. Refrigerate to set.

Ginger Zing Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 Tblsp. freshly zested lemon rind

Beat the butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer. When you have a smooth, fluffy consistency, add the vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar half a cup at a time. Mix until fully combined. Add more sugar if you want a thicker frosting, but be aware that it can get quite sweet quickly! Make it a little thicker than you want it, and then add the ginger and lemon zest – it will thin out the frosting just a little bit. Spread frosting over the glazed cupcakes. Eat and enjoy!

White Chocolate Champagne Cupcakes

Published August 7, 2009 Cocktail-Themed Cupcakes , Cupcakes , VegNews 6 Comments

I made these cupcakes for my visit to the VegNews headquarters, and wanted to bring them something that I knew would work – that meant that I wanted it to be something I had made before, and something that was exciting and fun. I had a couple bars of vegan white chocolate that I brought back from my recent trip to Holland, and thought that I could introduce that into this recipe that I made before to make it a little more unusual. The white chocolate and champagne flavors worked very well together and this was definitely a winning combination that I’m going to have to replicate in the future.

This is a very celebratory cupcake flavor, and is delightfully light and fluffy, as well as being rich and intoxicating at the same time! The champagne gives the frosting a nice airy texture, which plays well with the idea of “bubbles” in the drink. I do believe that if you ate enough of the frosting, you could get a nice buzz going, but with the amount that you consume in a cupcake or two, I think it’s a non-issue. It would be easy to play around with this recipe and make a pink champagne cupcake (add some strawberries to the ganache filling? Use pink champagne in the frosting and get a nice pink tint?) and I made them once before with a dark chocolate ganache in the center of the cakes, which made them very elegant looking. I recommend this recipe for any type of celebratory event, or even if you just want to play around with new flavors. It’s very yummy, and I believe you’ll make lots of new friends if you give them these sweet cakes!

Ingredients:
1 Tblsp. almond milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tblsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil (or any lightly flavored vegetable oil)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 Tblps. champagne (you can use any type of champagne, even pink champagne! I find that a heavier, drier champagne like Brute will convey it’s flavor better through baking, so that is what I used)

White Chocolate Ganache:
3 oz. bar of vegan white chocolate, chopped finely
1/4 cup almond milk

Champagne Frosting Ingredients:
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated vegan shortening
1/4 cup nonhydrogenated vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance)
3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 Tblsp. champagne, any type
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tblsp. cornstarch

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Whisk the almond milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside a few minutes to get good and curdled.
Beat together the almond milk mixture, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add the champagne and lightly to try to retain some of the fizzy bubbles. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix only until no large lumps remain.
Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full, and bake for 20-24 minutes till done (you can stick a toothpick in the center and it should come out clean). Leave in muffin tins for 3-5 minutes after taking out of the oven, so the cakes can set, and then take out of the tins and place on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting. While you are waiting for them to cool, you can prepare your Ganache and Frosting (recipes below). When cupcakes are completely cool, cut a cone out of the center of each cake, and remove tops. This is where you will spoon in your White Chocolate Ganache, or if you choose not to make the ganache then you can also use this method and pipe extra Champagne Frosting into the center of the cupcake, replace the cake top, and pipe more frosting on top. Both methods are beautiful and extremely tasty.

To make the White Chocolate Ganache, simply put your chopped white chocolate and almond milk into the top section of a double boiler and heat over the stove. When the water in the bottom is boiling, turn the temperature down and stir chocolate rapidly until it is completely melted and the ganache has a smooth consistency. Remove from heat and let cool (but not harden) before spooning into cupcakes. Put about 1 tsp. of ganache into each cupcake, and replace cupcake tops – some ganache may squeeze out, and this adds a pretty effect (if too much comes out, you can wipe it off with a clean finger or paper towel; it’s white so any smudges won’t show up!).

For the Champagne Frosting, cream together the shortening and margarine until well combined and fluffy. Add in the sugar, alternating with champagne, and beat for about 30 seconds. Add the flour and cornstarch, and beat for another 30 seconds, or until fluffy. Pipe onto the tops of your already-filled cupcakes.

Cupcakes & Cocktails: White Russian and Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes

Published July 16, 2009 Cocktail-Themed Cupcakes , Cupcakes 9 Comments

My friends had a slammin’ party last weekend, and requested some home-baked desserts. Of course I complied, and even took some flavor requests. First, Julie wanted White Russian Cupcakes. Sure, no problem! Then, we realized there would be a lot of people attending this party; more than would eat just one batch of cupcakes. And baking a double batch might get boring, so I wanted another cupcake flavor to make as well…We thought something still cocktail themed, yet different. It would have to be something fruity, lighter than a White Russian, so that each would stand out on it’s own. The Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcake was born.

I have to admit, both cupcakes were superb. The White Russian was creamy and nearly melted in your mouth. The cupcake itself had Kahlua baked into it, and we soaked the top with a mixture of Kahlua and vodka so it would have the intense flavor of both in each bite. Because of this soaking, the cupcake was incredibly moist – lending it’s texture to that of a drink, but not too soggy. The frosting had to be creamy and rich, so I made a thin cream cheese frosting that had both Kahlua and vodka in it as well. It tasted just like a White Russian, which was one of the drinks being served at the party (along with Blueberry White Russians, which were amazing! I was inspired by them – perhaps it will be my next cocktail cupcake flavor? I’ve been making lots of blueberry treats so it would fit perfectly).

The Strawberry Daiquiri Cupake was made with a rum-flavored cake, with a cone cut out of the center of the top after baking. We filled this hole with sliced strawberries, topped them with a blend of Daiquiri ingredients (strawberries, lime, confectioner’s sugar, light rum) that I threw together, and then placed the cupcake cone-tops back on. A slice of strawberry on top of each “cone hat” was a cute decoration.

To make the baking of these cupcakes easier, I cheated a little and used the same starting recipe for the cupcake batter itself, so I could bake them at the same time. The recipes are the same except each has a different alcohol in it for a liquid, and different extracts added to the batterat the end. Essentially I made a Kahlua Cupcake and a Rum Cupcake, and then the fillings and toppings for each made them into their unique cocktails.

White Russian Cupcake:

Kahlua Cupcake Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Kahlua
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:
1/3 cup Kahlua
1/8-1/4 cup vodka

Creamy White Russian Icing:
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup Tofutti cream cheese
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
3 Tblsp. Kahlua
2 Tblsp. vodka

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Whisk the non-dairy milk of your choice and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled. Beat together the milk mixture, Kahlua, oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full, and bake for 20-22 minutes. Let sit in the cupcake tin for 5 minutes so cakes can get firm and set. Then, take them out and set cupcakes on a cookie sheet or a cooling rack that has a paper below it to catch any drips from the topping.

To add the topping, combine the 1/3 cup of Kahlua and 1/8 cup of vodka in a small bowl. Prick the tops of the still-warm cupcakes with a fork. Make sure to prick them deeply. Carefully pour your Kahlua/vodka mixture on top of the cupcakes, so that it drips into the holes you made. Let sit till cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Cream Earth Balance and cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar, half a cup at a time, until well-incorporated. Add Kahlua and vodka and mix until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Taste, and add more alcohol if you like. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcake:

Rum Cupcake Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup light rum
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. rum extract

Strawberry Daiquiri Filling Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped ripe fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
2 Tblsp. light rum
2 Tblsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Whisk the non-dairy milk of your choice and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside for a few minutes to get good and curdled. Beat together the milk mixture, rum, oil, sugar, lime juice, vanilla, and rum in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until no large lumps remain. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full, and bake for 20-22 minutes. Let sit in the cupcake tin for 5 minutes so cakes can get firm and set. Then, take them out and set cupcakes on a rack to cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, chop 1/2 cup fresh strawberries. Set aside. Combine the other cup of fresh or frozen strawberries, light rum, lime juice, and confectioner’s sugar in a blender. Blend till smooth. This is essentially a Strawberry Daiquiri…When cupcakes are completely cool, cut a cone out of the top of each one with a sharp knife. Take the tops off, and put a few slices of strawberry at the bottom of each one. Carefully spoon your Daiquiri ingredients into each cupcake, so that the holes are filled to the top. Gently press the cupcake top back onto the cupcake, and garnish with a slice of fresh strawberry.

Piña Colada Ice Cream Cupcake

Published May 23, 2009 Caramel , Cocktail-Themed Cupcakes , Cupcakes , Ice Cream 10 Comments

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I made these cupcakes a few weeks ago, but somehow haven’t gotten around to posting them till now…They were AMAZING. My friend Julie gave me the idea to make pineapple upside down cupcakes (way cuter than the traditional larger cake size! Each cupcake had it’s own round pineapple slice topper, and when flipped over, the cone shape of the cupcake is unusual and very appealing).

I sliced each cupcake in half horizontally and put a thick layer of Toasted Coconut ice cream in the middle, like a sandwich. I used a coconut milk-based vegan ice cream that came from Maggie Mudd, which has been my favorite vegan ice cream brand that I’ve found so far (and it’s local!); I also like it because there’s no soy (or dairy, of course) involved and it is still rich and creamy and delicious.

To make it really taste like a Piña Colada, this cupcake definitely needed some rum! So I whipped up a rum-caramel glaze and poured it over the cupcakes. The warm glaze was delicious and complimented the cold ice cream, although it started melting the ice cream right away and so my picture is a bit melty-looking. The combination was great though, and the whole cupcake had a distinctly tropical flavor. To give it more of a cocktail look, we stuck an umbrella-toothpick in the top and a maraschino cherry for good measure.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups flour (I used 1 cup white and 1/4 whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. brown sugar + extra for sprinkling on pineapple
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bottle of maraschino cherries
1 20 oz. can pineapple slices in unsweetened pineapple juice
1 cup pineapple juice reserved from can of slices
1/4 cup rum
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 Tblsp. apple cider vinegar
non-stick spray
*You will also need coconut flavored ice cream, brand of your choice!

Rum Caramel Sauce:
1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tblsp. rum (or to taste)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray cupcake pan with non-stick spray, making sure to cover the sides.
Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and set aside.
In separate bowl, mix pineapple juice, rum, applesauce, and vinegar.
Lay pineapple rounds on the bottom of the pan, one in each cupcake spot (you may have to cut the rounds and place cut edges back together to make smaller circles, to make them fit. At this point, you could also choose to take cherries and stick one in each of the pineapple holes, but we chose to add the cherries after baking. Sprinkle pineapple and cherries evenly with a little bit of brown sugar.
Quickly mix the wet ingredients with the dry. Batter will foam up nicely.
Pour into pan immediately and bake for about 18-22 minutes, or till center is firm and tops spring back when touched lightly. Leave cakes in the pan for 5 minutes to firm up, and then remove before the bottoms caramelize and stick too much to the pan.

When cupcakes have cooled completely, cut them in half horizontally and spread ice cream in between the layers (it helps to have softened the ice cream out of the freezer just a bit before spreading).

To make the sauce, cook all ingredients in a small saucepan till boiling. Cook for only 1-2 minutes after boiling, and then remove from heat. Let it cool slightly, but not too much or it will become too thick (you can always heat it up again quickly and it will thin out). Drizzle over the top of the cupcakes, and place an additional cherry on top. Eat immediately!

I’m entering these cupcakes in the Ice Cream Cupcakes contest hosted by Cupcake Project and Scoopalicious! Make sure to check back there in the first week of June for a roundup of ice cream cupcakes. And when it’s time to vote on the best cupcakes, please vote for me! I’ll put up a reminder post here, so you can make sure to go vote when the times comes! Thanks!

Chocolate Merlot Cupcakes

Published April 7, 2009 Chocolate , Cocktail-Themed Cupcakes , Cupcakes 3 Comments

I made chocolate Merlot cupcakes for my mom’s birthday. The cake had a rich Merlot taste, and a reddish color. The frosting was light and fluffy and tasted like a very sweet Merlot, colored only by the wine!

Champagne Cupcakes

Published March 21, 2009 Chocolate , Cocktail-Themed Cupcakes , Cupcakes Leave a Comment

My friends Becca and Tessa had a belated New Year’s Eve party so Julie and I made Champagne Cupcakes! It is also Narooz, the Persian New Year, so it was perfect timing to celebrate. I was inspired by my recent Chocolate Stout Cupcakes and decided to make a champagne flavored cake with champagne frosting. I was originally going to top it off with a small chocolate-covered strawberry but at the last minute we decided to fill the cupcakes with dark chocolate instead. The frosting was amazing and tasted very strongly of champagne, but I still need to figure out a better way to make the cake taste more strongly of champagne, or stout in my other cupcakes.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Published March 15, 2009 Chocolate , Cocktail-Themed Cupcakes , Cupcakes 6 Comments

Dark chocolate cupcakes with Double Chocolate Stout in the batter, with a Double Chocolate Stout chocolate cream filling piped in the middle, and cream cheese frosting on top. I really liked how the colors topped each other off, looking just like the foam on a pint of beer. Perfect for Saint Patrick’s Day!