Alpocalypse Cupcakes Recipes

BALLOON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Use frosting to attach a square shortbread cookie (such as Lorna Doone) flat-side up to a cupcake so that one corner hangs over the edge. Freeze 15 minutes, then spread more frosting on the cookie and cupcake to make a balloon shape. Press 4 small white gum squares (such as Chiclets) on the upper right of the cupcake. Dip in sanding sugar and pat to reshape. For the string, poke a hole in the cupcake with a toothpick and insert a black licorice lace.

S'MORES CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and a line muffin tin with liners.
• Whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat together 1/4 cup of vegetable oil with the sugar, egg and vanilla in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl about halfway through.
• Add about a third of the dry ingredients into the sugar and oil mixture and stir gently until almost combined. Add in half of the buttermilk and continue to stir just until combined. Stir in another third of the dry ingredients followed by the remaining buttermilk and finally the remaining dry ingredients. Stir in the boiling water.
• Whisk together the cocoa powder with the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Scoop about 1 cup of the graham cracker cake batter into the cocoa mixture. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• Pour about 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker cake batter into each cupcake liner followed by 2 tablespoons of the chocolate batter. Using a butter knife or skewer, swirl the batters together to achieve a marbled effect. Bake the cupcakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until set and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.
• For the marshmallow topping: Whisk together the egg whites, sugar and salt in a large metal or glass bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and place it over a saucepan containing about 2 centimeters (1 inch) of simmering water. Cook the egg whites, whisking frequently, until they reach 160 degrees F (72 degrees C), or until the mixture thins and you can no longer feel any sugar granules when you rub some between your fingers, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and whip the cooked meringue using a whisk attachment or hand mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whip in the vanilla extract then transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or a large resealable bag with the corner cut off. Pipe large dollops of the topping onto each cupcake.
• Using a kitchen torch, toast the marshmallow meringue until golden brown. If you do not have a torch, you can place the cupcakes under the broiler for a minute or two until toasty. If desired, garnish with a piece of milk chocolate. Store the cupcakes in the fridge for up to 3 days, letting them sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften up before eating.

POPPY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cut a fruit leather strip in half and stack the two halves. Use the top of a small heart cookie cutter (preferably fluted) to cut petals. Repeat with the remaining fruit leather. (You'll need 8 to 10 petals per cupcake.)
• Arrange the fruit leather petals on the cupcakes in concentric circles. Leave the center of the frosting uncovered.
• Put the chocolate frosting in a resealable plastic bag and snip a corner. Pipe a circle in the center of each cupcake, then pipe rays coming out to look like a sun. Place a chocolate kiss upside down in the center of each.

BLUE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a 24 socket cupcake pan and line with paper liners. Set the pan aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a liquid measure, mix together the blueberry puree and buttermilk.
• In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer using a paddle attachment, combine the butter and granulated sugar, mixing until blended. Add the eggs and egg yolks and beat on low speed until all the ingredients are smooth and blended.
• Decrease the speed of the mixer to slow and add one-fourth of the dry ingredients. Mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. In two separate additions, add the liquid mixture to the batter, beating for 30 seconds after each addition, alternating with the dry ingredients, ending with the dry ingredients. Divide the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake liners and bake on the center rack until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool the cakes completely on wire racks, about 30 minutes.
• For the blueberry caramel: Heat together the sugar and 1/4 cup water, cooking until a medium caramel stage. Slowly add the blueberry puree, lemon juice and salt. Continue to cook together until smooth.
• For the blue Devonshire cream: Mix together the cream cheese with the granulated sugar and salt with the paddle attachment in an electric mixer. Once thoroughly combined, slowly add the heavy cream. Continue to mix until evenly distributed and fluffy. Fold in the bleu cheese crumbles.
• For the blue agave icing: Mix together the butter, powdered sugar and salt with the paddle attachment in an electric mixer. Once thoroughly combined, slowly add the blue agave nectar. Continue to mix until evenly distributed and smooth.
• For the bleu cheese brulee: Place the bleu cheese crumbles into the freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer, and, working on a metal surface, generously cover with sugar. Using a blow torch, quickly brulee the tops of each bleu cheese crumble. Allow to come to room temperature.
• To assemble: Core each cupcake and drizzle a teaspoon of the blueberry caramel into the core. Generously fill each cupcake with the bleu Devonshire cream. Using a round tip and pastry bag, ice each cupcake with blue agave icing, encasing the generous amount of Devonshire cream, creating a combination of shells on top. Use blueberry caramel as a drizzle on top of cupcakes and place a bleu cheese brulee as garnish on top.

MAGIC CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Cut cone-shaped hole in top of cupcake. Remove cone and cut off tip. Fill cavity in cupcake with cream filling. Replace cone top. Ice with soft ganache or icing.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 10 by 3 by 9-inch cake pans or cupcake molds. Cream butter and sugar. Add cocoa and cream. Add eggs, one at a time, creaming well after each addition. Sift together dry ingredients. On first speed, add dry ingredients in three stages, alternating with water, beginning and ending with dry. Mix only until well blended- do not overmix. Pour into prepared pans and bake 35 to 45 minutes or until done. Cool in pan before turning out.
• Cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. In separate bowl, mix milk and flour. Beat milk mix into sugar mix and beat until well blended. Add salt and vanilla.
• Melt chocolate in microwave or on top of double boiler. Bring cream to boil. Pour cream and melted chocolate into mixing bowl. Beat at low or medium speed for approximately 5 minutes. Let cool thoroughly before use, or refrigerate until ready to use. Ganache can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for one month. To use ganache, remove from refrigerator and soften at room temperature or in microwave until useful consistency.