Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Icing

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Icing

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter-room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (melted)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together until well combined. Add the buttermilk, eggs, and peppermint extract. Melt chocolate chips, and add orange essence. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the melted chocolate and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Chocolate-Caramel Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Chocolate-Caramel Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting

For the cupcakes:

1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups high quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup butter-softened to room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup homemade Caramel

½ cup freshly brewed hot coffee

For the Caramel Filling:

**See my recipe for Salted caramel sauce

For the Frosting:

2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature

2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Seeds/pulp of ½ of one vanilla bean

1 tablespoon whole cream-adjust upward to obtain the desired consistency

Directions: For the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners; set aside.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl, and then set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the buttermilk, salted caramel, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla and mix on low speed until combined. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

3. Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 24 muffin wells, filling each well 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

4. With a very small spoon, dig out a circular well in the center of the cupcake. Then fill the center either by piping the cooled salted caramel into the well, or with a teaspoon. Finish by frosting with vanilla frosting.

For the Icing

In a large mixer, combine the sticks of butter, vanilla, and confection sugar gradually. Slowly add cream until you reach the desired consistency.

**Adapted from a Mybakingaddiction recipe

Banana Bread

2 & ¼ cup flour

1 & ¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 & ¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ bag crushed walnuts or pecans

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 sticks real butter softened

6-7 ripe bananas

**Combine all dry ingredients into a medium bowl-set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, beat. Mix all wet and dry ingredients together and blend in bananas.

Grease 2 large loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 25 minutes.