Matinee Idol Cupcakes Recipes

EASY HOMEMADE VANILLA CUPCAKES RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C) and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
• Add the butter, sugar, oil and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat together until light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
• Now it's time to add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
• Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter will look curdled, but that's ok.
• Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Remove cupcakes from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
• Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
• Carefully pour in about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
• Add the vanilla extract and 1-2 tablespoons of the water or milk and the salt to the frosting and mix until well combined.
• Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add additional milk or water as needed to get the right consistency.
• Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.
• Cupcakes are best when stored well covered for 2-3 days.

PANSY FLOWER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream.
• To pipe the flower: Place the grape-tinted frosting in a pastry bag with a #104 rose tip. Point the bag down at a 45 degree angle, with the skinny end of the rose tip aimed towards the center of the flower. Squeeze and release while making 5 tear shapes in a circle to form a flower. Repeat piping on top with 4 more tear shapes in a tight circle.
• Place the egg yolk-tinted frosting in a pastry bag with a #2 small round tip. Hold the bag straight up, and pipe a small dot into the center of the flower.
• To pipe the leaf: Place the avocado-tinted frosting in a pastry bag with a #70 leaf tip. Point the bag down at a 45 degree angle with the tip lightly touching the surface of the cupcake. Squeeze hard to build up the base and simultaneously lift the tip slightly. Relax the pressure as you pull the tip toward you, drawing the leaf to a point. Stop squeezing and lift the tip away. Pipe a second leaf on the other side of the flower.
• Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

"A STAR IS BORN" CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 2 dozen mini-cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners and spray with oil spray.
• For the crust: In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add the hazelnuts, brown sugar and gingersnaps, and pulse until a medium-fine paste. Then, add the butter and liqueur, and pulse until it's a paste that sticks when pinched with your fingers. Place 1 tablespoon of the crust into the prepared pans.
• For the cupcakes: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the extracts. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour mixture; beat until combined after each addition. Fold in the caramel pieces with a rubber spatula. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the batter into the prepared pans three-quarters of the way full. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 11 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pans when cool to the touch.
• For the butterscotch glaze: In a saucepan over low heat, combine the brown sugar, evaporated milk and butter, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and allow to slightly cool (it will thicken as it cools). Reserve for assembly.
• For the frosting: In the bowl of an upright mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners' sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the caramel sauce, heavy cream and vanilla bean paste. Beat on medium-high speed until light and airy and completely mixed, about 2 minutes). Place in a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip and leave at room temperature.
• For the stars: Lay out a large piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet on your work surface and spray with oil spray. In a medium saucepan, mix the granulated sugar, salt and 3/4 cup water; stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves to make a syrup. Increase the heat and bring the syrup to a boil. Lower the heat slightly and swirl the pan once or twice so the syrup colors evenly to a golden blonde. Remove from the heat and transfer to a flat work surface. Dip the tines of a fork into the golden blonde colored caramel and, in sweeping motions, make a star pattern on the parchment paper. Repeat until the desired amount of stars is achieved. Allow the caramel to harden, and then gently lift off the parchment paper and reserve for cupcake adornments.
• To assemble: Dip the tops of the cooled cupcakes in the room temperature butterscotch glaze. Pipe the caramel buttercream frosting in a 1-inch diameter rosette on top of the glazed cupcakes, and sprinkle with edible star glitter and turbinado sugar. Then finish by adorning with a radiating star topper.

LADYBUG CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line a muffin tin with cupcake papers. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the sifted flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Cream the butter in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft, then add the sugar and mix. Add the eggs, and vanilla and whip at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer running at low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and mix. Then add half of the sour cream and mix. Add another third of the flour and mix. Add the remaining sour cream and mix, then the remaining flour. Give it one last mix to make sure everything is blended in. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them 3/4 full. Bake until firm to the touch in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack and let cool. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Put the milk in a saucepan and whisk in the flour. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes, whisking often. Cover and let cool to room temperature. Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and very fluffy. Add the cooled thickened milk and mix until smooth. Add yellow and red food coloring to make a light orange frosting. When the cupcakes have cooled, make the ladybugs. Cut off the top rounded "cap" (like the cap of a mushroom or a muffin) of each cupcake. Spread the rounded tops of each cupcake with frosting. Cut the tops in half. Spread frosting on the cut face of the cup cake. Place two "wings" on top of each cupcake, spreading them apart slightly. Use two pieces of black licorice to make the antennae. Pipe a black section for the head and dot it with white to make eyes. Use black to make the dots on the wings. Place a tiny ladybug on the wings of the big ones. To make the tiny lady bug, pipe red candy coated chocolates with black frosting making a head section, a line down the back to define the wings and polka-dots on the wings

WHIMSICAL FLOWER CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Frost the cupcakes with the buttercream.
• To pipe the flower: Place the grapefruit-tinted frosting in a pastry bag with a #10 round tip. Hold the bag straight above the cupcake. To create a 5-petal flower, start 1/2 inch from the edge, and squeeze and release while dragging toward the center of the cupcake to create a tear-shaped petal. Rotate the cupcake slightly after each petal.
• Place the egg yolk-tinted frosting in a pastry bag with a #2 small round tip. Hold the bag straight up, and pipe a small dot into the center of the flower.
• Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

CREAM-FILLED BLACKOUT CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the chocolate cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt and mix on low for 30 seconds to combine. Add the oil, melted butter, water, beaten egg and vanilla and mix on low to combine. Scrape the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula and then mix on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Scrape and fold the batter a few times. Divide the batter into the 12 liners and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out with moist crumbs, 22 to 24 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Before frosting the cupcakes, cover them lightly with plastic wrap and chill them for 1 hour to make handling easier.
• For the fudge frosting and filling: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high until very smooth and shiny, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the cocoa, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla and salt and blend on low until smooth. With the mixer still on low, add in 1 tablespoon of steaming hot water. Scrape the bowl, then raise the mixer to high speed and beat for 1 minute. Turn the mixer to low and mix for 1 to 2 minutes to smooth out the frosting and reduce air bubbles.
• Transfer 1/3 cup of the fudge frosting to a small bowl and stir in the marshmallow creme.
• Use a paring knife or apple corer to remove a 1-inch wide "plug" of cake in the middle of the bottom of each cupcake, cutting about halfway through.
• Place the cream filling into a small resealable plastic bag and snip off the tip. Pipe the filling into the holes cut out of the cupcakes; use the plugs or scraps of the cake you removed to plug the holes back up.
• Frost the filled cupcakes with the remaining frosting and top with mini chocolate chips if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.