{via http://pinterest.com}

Cream Cheese Filled Carrot Muffins
4 carrots
1/2 c. walnuts
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
6 T. butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 oz. cream cheese
1 egg yolk
2 T. sugar

Place carrots, walnuts, and eggs in a blender. Blend until very, very finely ground.

Transfer to a large bowl and beat in sugar and butter. Add flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder (double the amount of baking powder to 1 tsp. if you’re baking at low altitudes), and salt. Mix ingredients together, making sure not to overmix. Spoon into muffin tins, prepared with cupcake wrappers. In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese, egg yolk, and sugar. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons in the center of the carrot batter for each muffin.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until the centers of the muffins are set.

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/.

Carrot/Pumpkin Cupcakes
For the holidays, you could use 2 cups pumpkin puree and leave out the carrots and a bit of the pineapple, though you may need to add a bit of extra honey because the pineapple adds sweetness. Swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice, and you’ll have a very merry treat. These would be perfect for Thanksgiving, too, and are easy enough to whip up for an impromptu dessert.

* 2 cups whole wheat flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 3/4 cup oil
* 3/4 cup honey
* 4 eggs
* 2 cups grated carrot
* 1 cup unsweetened, crushed pineapple, drained
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

Mix the dry together, and the wet together, then combine them. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes for a cake, less for cupcakes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

For the frosting, you can combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla and honey, and it’s delicious. You can also skip the butter; I just happen to love it that way.

via http://simpleorganic.net/sweet-sugar-free-holidays/.

Before you start:

This recipe will yield 3 dozen cupcakes.

I sometimes substitute 1 ½ teaspoons Grand Marnier for the vanilla in the frosting.

Once the frosting has reached spreading consistency it is ready to be whipped, but do so only when you are ready to frost your cupcakes.

If you decide to refrigerate whipped icing for future use, allow it to warm a little at room temperature to get it to spreading consistency. Any attempt to “re-whip” will likely turn into a very delicious mistake that won’t be suitable for icing cakes.

The ingredients:

For cake:

* 1 ½ cups butter
* 1 cup freshly brewed coffee
* ½ cup milk
* ¾ cup cocoa powder
* 3 cups flour
* 3 ½ cups granulated sugar
* ¾ teaspoon baking powder
* ¾ teaspoon salt
* ½ teaspoon baking soda
* 3 eggs at room temperature
* ¾ cup sour cream
* 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla

For truffle frosting:

* 1 ½ cups whipping cream
* ¼ cup light corn syrup
* 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
* 1 teaspoon vanilla

The method:

For cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare your cupcake tins by either greasing and flouring or lining with papers.
3. Slice butter into tablespoon size pieces.
4. Put butter, coffee, milk, and cocoa powder in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until butter melts (about 2 minutes).
5. While butter is melting, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and soda in a bowl.
6. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and mix in sour cream and vanilla.
7. Whisk chocolate mixture into dry ingredients. Mix well.
8. Blend in egg/sour cream mixture just until incorporated.
9. Fill each cupcake 2/3 full.
10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it passes the clean toothpick test.
11. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

For truffle frosting:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally.
2. Add chocolate chips and vanilla.
3. Remove from heat and let it sit for 3 minutes.
4. Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
5. Refrigerate and stir every 30 minutes or so until it reaches spreading consistency.
6. At spreading consistency, beat mixture on high until it becomes light and fluffy.
7. Frost cakes.
8. Store remainder in air tight container in refrigerator.

Source: http://www.todaysnest.com/todays-nest/2010/10/the-chocolate-cupcake.html.

dark chocolate cupcakes
ingredients
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
¾ cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (4 ounces) sour cream

directions
adjust oven rack to lower-middle position + preheat to 350 degrees. (if using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325 degrees.) line mini-muffin pan with baking cup liners.

combine butter, chocolate, + cocoa in medium heatproof bowl. set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter + chocolate are melted + whisk until smooth + combined. set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

whisk flour, baking soda + baking powder in small bowl to combine. whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine. add sugar, vanilla + salt until fully incorporated. add cooled chocolate mixture, whisk until combined.

sift about 1/3 of flour mixture over chocolate mixture + whisk until combined, then whisk in sour cream. sift in remaining flour mixture + whisk until batter is homogeneous + thick.

divide the batter evenly among muffin cups. bake until toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, about 12-14 minutes.

cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes, then transfer each cupcake to cooling rack. cool to room temperature before icing.

peanut butter frosting
ingredients
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

directions
place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla + salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. add the cream + beat on high speed until the mixture is light + smooth.
ice the cupcakes using a piping bag + the tip of your choice. i used a medium-size star tip to get the swirl appearance on the frosting.

makes about 30 mini-cupcakes or 12 standard size cupcakes

~via http://www.fearlesshomemaker.com/.

~via http://iheart-stolenimages.blogspot.com/.

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
* 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
* 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon table salt
* 1/2 cup sour cream

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting:

* 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter
* 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/3 cup heavy cream
* 12 miniture reese’s peanut butter cups, halved

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with baking cup liners.
2. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside and cool until just warm to the touch.
3. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined. Sift remaining flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until batter is combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean.
6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing.
7. To make frosting, place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl as you work. Add the heavy cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Place frosting into decorating bag fitted with the 1M decorating tip and approximately 1/4″ above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface, pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward. Place halved peanut butter cup on top of frosting.

Source: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/.

~via http://imgfave.com/popular.

Aren’t these the cutest cupcakes? These are just too cute to eat.

~via http://tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com/.

The cutest cupcakes.

~via http://tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com/.