1 1/4 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved*
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large whole eggs plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup sugar
Coffee-Marsala Syrup*
Mascarpone Frosting (see below)
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Heat milk and vanilla-bean pod and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until melted, and let stand 15 minutes. Strain milk mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, and discard vanilla-bean pod.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together whole eggs, yolks, and sugar. Set mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water, and whisk by hand until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. With an electric mixer on high speed, whisk until mixture is fluffy, pale yellow, and thick enough to hold a ribbon on the surface for several seconds when whisk is lifted.

Gently but thoroughly fold flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches; stir 1/2 cup batter into the strained milk mixture to thicken, then fold milk mixture into the remaining batter until just combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until centers are completely set and edges are light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

To finish, brush tops of cupcakes evenly with coffee-marsala syrup; repeat until all syrup has been used. Allow cupcakes to absorb liquid 30 minutes. Dollop frosting onto cupcakes; refrigerate up to overnight in airtight containers. Dust generously with cocoa powder just before serving.

*Instead of using vanilla beans I used vanilla extract and Sherry instead of Marsala. If your cupcakes don’t rise like regular cupcakes you’re still okay to continue. I’ve made these cupcakes several times and all times they have been well received!

Mascarpone Frosting

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or cream will be grainy). This will take about 7 minutes. In another bowl, whisk together mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Gently fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated. Use immediately.

Happy baking

Tiramisu Cupcake Recipe is a post from: Her Name Is An

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups strawberry jam, or other flavor
1 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, and coat the pan and parchment with flour; set aside. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs and peanut butter; beat until combined, about 2 minutes.

Whisk together salt, baking powder, and flour. Add to butter and peanut butter mixture 1/3 at a time on low speed until just combined. Add vanilla. Transfer two-thirds of mixture to prepared pan; spread evenly with spatula. Spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Dollop remaining third of peanut-butter mixture on top of jam. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Bake until golden, about 40 minutes, rotating half way through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool; cut into squares.

This is one of my favorite recipes because it’s easy to make and you can play around with the recipe. I have experimented with the flour and baking time and found that 2 2/3 cups worked best as it resulted in a softer square that wasn’t super heavy. The original recipe calls for 3 cups of flour and a baking time of 45 minutes. I’ve also used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth and loaded on various mixtures of jam. This recipe allows for the mad scientist to come out and play so have fun!

Peanut Butter and Jam Squares Recipe is a post from: Her Name Is An

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup water
2 cups semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Whisk flour and baking soda in a bowl.

Mix butter and both sugars in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce to low, add salt, vanilla, eggs, and water.  Mix until combined.  Add flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake cookies, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 20 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

This variation of the classic chocolate chip cookie is great with tea or coffee.  Adding more butter and granulated sugar contribute to the crunchiness of the cookies.

Have fun!

Cripsy Chocolate Chip Cookies is a post from: Her Name Is An

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
3/4 cup warm water

crushed candy cane, optional

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.  With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, extract and the water; beat on low speed until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about two-thirds full.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks to cool 10 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks to cool completely.

Mint Buttercream

2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar on high speed until pale and thick, 2 or 3 minutes

Prepare an ice-water bath.  Bring milk, vanilla and mint leaves just to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Whisk about one third of milk mixture into yolk mixture (tempering keeps the yolks from curdling).  Pour yolk mixture into pan with remaining milk mixture and whisk to combine.  Clip candy thermometer to side of pan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixtures registers 185°F.  Remove from heat; strain through fine sieve into a heatproof bowl discarding solids.  Set bowl in ice bath, stirring mixture until cool.

In another bowl of an electric mixture fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until pake and fluffy.  Beat in chilled egg-yolk mixture.

Heat egg white and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a clean heatproof bowl of an electric mixture, set over a pan of simmering water, whisking constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (completely smoothed when rubbed between fingertips).  Attach bowl to mixer fitter with clean whisk attachment; starting on low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff but not dry peaks form and mixture is completely cool, about 10 minutes.

Add egg-white mixture to butter mixture; switch to paddle attachment, and beat on medium-high speed until smooth.  Beat in peppermint extract.  If using crushed candy cane, beat in until combined or sprinkle on top.

The simplicity of the cupcake is outweighed by the complexity of the icing!  I found the icing not sweet enough so I added about 2 tablespoons of icing sugar.  If you don’t have mint leaves you can add about 1/2 a tablespoon of peppermint extract to the milk mixture.

Have fun!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes is a post from: Her Name Is An

Makes about 24 cupcakes

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup hot water
9 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1 cup)
Ground ginger for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line standard muffin tins with liners.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk sugar, molasses, and eggs until smooth.  Whisk in melted butter and hot water.

Stir in flour mixture in 3 parts until just incorporated, then stir in ginger.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each half to three-quarters full.  Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes.  Set tins on wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes.

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Add confectioner’s sugar and whisk until combined.

I suggest you fill the tins half way full as it will be easier to remove the cupcakes once cooled.  Also, these cupcakes do not have a nice rounded top so don’t worry when you pull them out of the oven and they have a sunken middle.
I found that 1/4 cup confectioner sugar was not sweet enough and added another 1/4.

Have fun!

Ginger and Molasses Cupcake is a post from: Her Name Is An

Makes 36 medium sized cupcakes

2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.  Sift both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is combined, scraping downs sides as necessary.  Beat in vanilla.  Reduce to low.  Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each addition.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.  Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating after 10 minutes.  Set tins on wire racks to cool.  Make sure that cupcakes are completely cool before icing.

SEVEN-MINUTE FROSTING

3/4 cups and 1 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp light corn syrup
3 large egg whites, room temperature

Combine 3/4 cups sugar with water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.  Clip a candy thermometer to side of pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir occasionally until sugar dissolves.  Continue boiling without stirring until syrup reaches 230°F

Meanwhile, with a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  With mixer running, add remaining sugar, beating to combine.

As soon as sugar syrup reaches 230°F, remove from heat.  With mixer on medium-low speed, pour syrup down side of bowl in a slow and steady stream.  Raise to medium-high speed until mixture is completely cool, about 7 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes is a post from: Her Name Is An

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour                                     2 lg eggs, room temperature
1 tsp baking powder                                                  1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt                                                                   1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup and 1 tbsp unsalted butter,                        1/2 cup unsalted cashews,
room temperature                                                      coarsely chopped
1 cup light brown sugar, packed                             1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Butter an 8×8 baking pan with butter, line with wax paper.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With a electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and brown sugar until light yellow and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined, scrape sides of bowl as needed.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture, in 2 parts, and beat until incorporated.  Fold in butterscotch chips, cashews, and toffee bits by hand.

Fill pan, bake for about 40 minutes and rotate pan halfway through.  Bake until golden pan or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool in pan for about 5 minutes.  Remove from pan, peel of wax paper and let cool completely.  Cut into desired serving size.

** Please note that the Blondies can be baked as cupcakes.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

Blondie is a post from: Her Name Is An