Cupcake Wars

One thing you should know about me, is that I LOVE cupcakes!

I love to try new recipes and experiment with new flavors.

I saw some pictures from a bakery online last week that caught my attention.

They had some fun flavors like:

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Peanut Butter & Chocolate

S'mores

Banana Cream Pie

Lemon Cream Pie

etc.

Since it was a bakery, they didn't list the recipe.

So, I searched around online and found some recipes that sounded good.

I settled on trying 3 new flavors:

S'mores

PB & J

PB & fudge

I made them all in my BABYCAKES...

And here's the verdict:

The graham cracker cupcake was AMAZING!  Exactly like you would pictures a "graham cracker cupcake" to taste like.  They looked perfect until I tried to toast the top to give them that "toasted marshmallow" look.  All of the frosting melted off.  Oh well, they still tasted good.

The PB & J cupcakes were good.  So good, that they tasted just like PB & J.  So much so, that I actually didn't really like them because I don't like PB & J.  My kids loved them though.  My husband LOVED the frosting since I used fresh strawberries in it.

Peanut Butter and fudge?  How could you go wrong with that combination.  They were wonderful, but not quite as original as the S'mores.

In case anyone is feeling ambitious and wants to host their own cupcake wars, here are the recipes:

Martha Stewart Peanut Butter Cupcakes:

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup natural, creamy peanut butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Make cupcakes as directed in Basic Cupcake How-To, adding peanut butter before adding eggs. Use sour cream and vanilla as wet ingredients. Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with peanut butter frosting. Place a dollop of jam in center of frosting. Decorated cupcakes will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days.
   

 Graham Cracker Cupcakes:

GRAHAM CRACKER CUPCAKES
Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1713,157183-244194,00.html Content Copyright © 2011 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 1/2 c. butter (1 stick) 1 c. sugar 2 eggs, separated 1 c. chopped nuts 1/2 lb. graham crackers (crushed) 1 c. milk 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. vanilla

In one bowl mix butter, sugars and egg yolks. In another bowl mix together graham cracker crumbs, milk, baking powder and vanilla. Combine ingredients in the two bowls and add chopped nuts.Then fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Place in paper cups in muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Frosting:

Marshmallow:

2 sticks of butter

1 pound of powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

16 oz. marshmallow fluff

Fudge:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa (I like Hersheys Special Dark)

Jelly:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup pureed strawberries

(I divided the cream cheese frosting in half and added 1/4 cup of cocoa to one half and 1/4 cup of strawberries to the other, that way I could make just one batch of peanut butter cupcakes but still try 2 flavors).

My advice on cupcake making:

-Get an oven thermometer and see if you oven is actually cooking at the temperature it is supposed to.  It affects baking time.

-Mix the eggs really well to get them light and fluffy!

-I always bake for a few minutes less than the recipes says and then let them sit in the cupcake pan on top of the oven for a while.  They keep cooking in the pan so if you cook them perfectly, by the time you eat them, they sometimes seem a little dry.

-Have fun, experiment, and enjoy!

FYI:  Right now I am in the middle of making "perfect vanilla cupcakes" from Cheeky Kitchen and decorating them with a design from "What's New Cupcake?"  I can't wait to post pictures...