I know it’s been a long time, cupcake bakers! But never fear, I am back in the kitchen. And, as a gift of apology, I bring bacon. (Flowers are SO overrated.  And yes, I agree, bacon should always be typed in italics.)

Tuesday, April 30 marks the release of book 4 in my Cupcake Club series as HONEY PIE hits the stands. And what better way to celebrate than with a new cupcake recipe!

Lately it seems like it’s all the rage to mix bacon in with seemingly incongruous other ingredients, but I kept hearing raves about that salty maple bacon flavor mixed with the decadent sweetness of chocolate…and I knew I had to check it out. I did a little digging around, because research is what I do, and decided to start my epic bacon cupcake journey with this recipe from Snixy Kitchen.  (And click on that link to read her story on how she came across this recipe.  That sold me on trying it as much as anything.)

Well, my search began and ended with this one, because Y-U-M!  She made these in mini muffin tins and at first I thought “Wimp!”  But, I have to say, these are bite sized bits o’ heaven and just the right amount of Oh My God goodness.  Trust.

Double chocolate bacon cupcakes
Makes about 3 dozen mini cupcakes

Candied bacon

• 5 strips of applewood smoked bacon
• About a cup of packed brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack across the top.
3. Spread the brown sugar out on a plate and press each strip of bacon into the sugar to thoroughly coat each side.
4. Place each sugared strip of bacon on the wire rack, making sure they aren’t touching one another.
5. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy, but not burned (My oven is wonky, so it took a few minutes longer for me).
6. Remove from oven and let cool. Chop into tiny pieces.

Chocolate cupcakes

• Scant 3/8 cup milk
• Scant ½ tablespoon white distilled vinegar
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cups sugar
• ¾ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon plus 1 dash baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon plus 1 dash teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons warm water
• 1½ tablespoons canola oil
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips*

1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, bring the cream to boil.
2. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
3. Stir until thoroughly combined (at first, it’ll look too milky like it won’t combine, but it’ll eventually turn into velvety ganache).

*I made a batch with semisweet chocolate chips and with bittersweet chocolate chips and found the latter too overpowering for my taste.

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And there you have it!  Aren’t you just dying to try it out?  Well…what are you waiting for?  WAIT!  There is one more thing!

To celebrate the new book release, I’m having a little Giveaway this week, a bit of blog candy (candied bacon blog candy, if you will.)  The prize?  A signed copy of HONEY PIE and a copy of Taste of Home’s new 2013 Cupcake cookbook.  Which, just happens to have, yes, a recipe for Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes!  I know, right?  What were the chances?  So now you can conduct your own research.

How to enter?  Simple.  Drop me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Bacon cupcakes and a new book?  Together?  PICK ME!” in the subject line.  Pop a mailing address into the body of the email, and hit send.  See?  As easy as popping one of those mini bacon masterpieces of decadence into your mouth.  I will draw a name from the stack and announce the winner over at my Big Time Author Website: www.donnakauffman.com on Friday. 

OH!  One more thing!  Friday?  Yeah, I’ll be in Kansas City at the most fabulous reader convention evah!  Yes, I’m talking about the RT Booklover’s 30th Annual Reader Convention.  On Saturday, May 4  from 11-2 we’re holding a mega massive (and I mean hundreds of your favorite authors massive) book signing at the Sheraton hotel.  So if you’re anywhere in the area, come by!  (And if you’re attending the event and happen to see moi — run on up and say hello already!  We cupcake lovers have to stick together.  With bacon.)

Happy bacon baking everyone!

Trick or treat time is over…and now you’ve got that half a bag full of candy staring you down. I’d be more than happy to personally come take that off your hands, but that’s probably not practical. At least, that’s what I’m telling myself. Feel free to prove me wrong. In the meantime, I thought maybe it would be fun to come up with a clever way to use that leftover stash.

Only, Annie’s Eats beat me to it! She has the yummiest Snickers Cupcakes recipe. Seriously my favorite cake + my favorite candy? Annie is my new bff and we’ve never even met. Here’s hoping I gain a whole new batch of bff’s myself, because I’m going to share her recipe with you today! (No, no. No need to thank me. But if you want to mail me that half bag of Hershey Goodbars you have left, well…)

Here you go!
Snicker’s Cupcakes
Yield: 20 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup hot water
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. coarse salt
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1¾ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature

For the caramel sauce:
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the filling:
24 fun-size Snickers bars, chopped

For the frosting:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup caramel sauce
Pinch of coarse salt
2 tbsp. heavy cream

For garnish:
8 fun-size Snickers bars, chopped

Directions:
1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line standard cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter and the sugar over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally to combine, until the butter is melted. Remove the mixture from the heat and transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-low speed, 4-5 minutes, until the mixture is cooled.

4. Mix in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture and beat until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, beating just until combined.

5. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ of the way full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the caramel sauce:
1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to foam a bit. It will look and smell like it’s on the verge of burning.
3. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream. Stir until the sauce is smooth (you may need to return it to the heat to smooth it out), then mix in the vanilla and salt. Let cool. (This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.)

To fill the cupcakes:
Cut a cone out of the center of each cupcake with a paring knife. To make the filling, combine the chopped Snickers bars in a bowl with 1/3-½ cup of the caramel sauce, and mix to coat. Drop a spoonful of the filling mixture into each cupcake.

To make the frosting:
1. Add the butter to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed 1 minute until smooth. Blend in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla, caramel sauce and salt until incorporated. (Note: the caramel sauce should be just warm enough that it is workable, but not warm enough to melt the butter in the frosting.)
2. Add the heavy cream and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Drizzle the frosted cupcakes with additional caramel sauce and garnish with chopped Snickers bars.

Recipe from Annie’s Eats

Yes, there are a few steps there, but trust me, it’s a labor of love…and after all that hard work, you’ll deserve that yummy cupcake! Enjoy!

Fall has arrived and it seems like the perfect time to bake one of my all time favorites, Carrot Cake! Only….hmmm…how would they be as little individual sized cupcakes, I wondered….

So, I dug out our favorite family recipe and tried it….and voila! Carrot Cupcakes!

It’s a super easy recipe and a great snack for those crisp, autumn days….

Carrot Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots

Steps:

1) Preheat oven to 350. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners (may make as many as 18 depending on how full you make the cups!)
2) Blend together oil, sugar, and eggs (don’t overmix. You can pre-beat the eggs if desired to keep from over blending)
3) Whisk together dry ingredients, then gradually blend in with the oil/sugar/eggs.
4) Fold in the grated carrots (you can grate by hand, or use a food processor. For cupcakes, they should be grated into fairly small chunks (no huge slivers) but not so pulpy that they turn to mush when baked.
5) Fill cups 2/3 full and back 25-35 minutes. (This is very moist cake. Start testing with toothpick approx 20-25 min , then every five minutes till test pick comes out clean.)
6)Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8oz Philadelphia cream cheese
1 box confectioner sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans work well)

Steps:
1) Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth (don’t over whip)
2) Slowly add confectioners sugar until well blended
3) Add vanilla.
4) Stir in chopped nuts or sprinkle on top of frosted cupcakes.

See? So simple! But before you race off to the kitchen, take a second and enter this week’s Free Stuff Friday Contest! You can win an advance copy of my next Cupcake Club Romance, BABYCAKES! (Your friends and neighbors can’t get their hands on a copy until October 30 when it hits the shelves nationwide.)

To enter, simply drop me an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Carrot cupcakes and a good book…I love the fall!” in the subject line. I’ll draw one name and announce it here on Friday. Good luck!

And happy baking!

The long, hot summer is over. That means fall days, crisp mornings, thick sweaters…and baking. Lots and lots of baking!

Yep, I’m back in the cupcake kitchen, and what better way to celebrate than with chocolate? Lots and lots of chocolate! I can’t think of a single thing.

Today’s recipe comes from the decadent and utterly addicting Kevin & Amanda website. (Honestly, the photos alone will have you making a shopping list. A long shopping list…)

What drew me to the Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes (besides the obvious!) was the chance to see just how much you can dress up a recipe that uses box cake mix as the base. The answer to that? Oh, a whole lotta lot!

The recipe makes 36 of the most decadent, rich, chocolate on chocolate, with a little more chocolate on top cupcakes I have ever made or eaten. These fall into the “OMG, now that’s a chocolate cupcake” column. At the top. And just because it starts with box cake mix? Yeah, doesn’t make these things cheap. The shopping list for these isn’t short…but oh, it’s so worth it. So very, very worth it. (Besides, you get 36 cupcakes for your troubles. It’s all good.)

So….here we go!

Brownie Batter Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes w/ Outrageously Rich Chocolate Indulgence Frosting

BROWNIE BATTER

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup milk
1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Using a small scoop (about 1.5 tbsp) drop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze overnight.

Donna’s Notes: For the scoop, use a melon baller, or just do what I did and use a scoop shape tablespoon measuring spoon. My freezer is pretty speedy in freezing ice, so I figured it wouldn’t take all night to freeze my little brownie balls. I made them at 9am and baked my cupcakes by 2pm and that was more than enough time.

CUPCAKES

1 (18.25 oz) box devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.9 oz) pkg Jello instant chocolate fudge pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and line with cupcake liners. Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips into a very large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 mins until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a large scoop (about 3 tbsp) drop batter into the cupcake liners, filling about 2/3rds full. Remove brownie batter from freezer and press into the cupcake batter. Bake for 22-28 mins. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Donna’s Notes: I used an ice cream scoop, the kind with the easy-ejector squeezy handle. (Warning: technical term!) Also, trying to figure out 2/3 over 36 cups? That never works out right for me. I will say that most of mine were probably closer to 3/4 and I still had plenty to do 36. However, the fuller cups did tend to overflow during baking and also sink more as the centers don’t cook as well. So…try for the 2/3 measurement as best you can. Just make more brownie-bomb free cupcakes if you have leftover.

FROSTING

5 sticks butter, softened
8 oz powdered sugar
1.5 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
a pinch of table salt
1.5 cups light corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz milk chocolate chips

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring well every 30 seconds. Allow to cool for 5-10 mins. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla and process until just combined, about 5-10 seconds. Scrape the bowl again, then add the melted chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, about 10-15 seconds. You can use a mixer for this too, if you don’t have a food processor, just don’t whip the butter too much! Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.

Donna’s Notes: I had never melted chocolate chips in the microwave before. I put them in a plastic microwave bowl, and did two 45 second blasts, stirring once between. Melted just right, but not overly so. Stirred until the last few lumps melted. Also? If you’ve read my adventures in baking, you’ll understand why the local fire department, not to mention all local health service providers, would no more let me bake with a food processor than they would…well, you get the idea. I used the mixer. About a minute on medium speed seemed to do the trick. Plus? Beaters are lickable, whereas sharp, food processor blades? Yeah, not so much.

And? Voila!! A glass of super cold milk, or even better, a scoop of the best vanilla ice cream…and one of these. Best. Dessert. Ever!

Enjoy!!

And while you’re enjoying your descent into chocolate decadence, don’t forget to check out yesterday’s blog post over at my Big Time Author Website and enter this week’s Free Stuff Friday contest! Good luck!

I am crawling out of my Deadline Hell cave because when things get tough…it’s time to bake some cupcakes!

Besides, I have a cute new cupcake cookbook and I’m dying to dig in and test one of the recipes! I thought the Sour Cream Macadamia Crumble looked like the perfect place to start!

The cookbook is an Australian publication titled Cupcakes & Muffins from Cornerstone Press. An adorably wee, but tantalizingly thick volume….so let’s dig in!

Sour Cream & Macadamia Crumble Cupcakes

(Only) Makes 12….so I’d start multiplying the ingredients immediately.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose (not self rising) flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup chopped, unsalted macadamias

Crumble:
3/4 cup chopped, unsalted macadamias
1/3 old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
4 teaspoons maple syrup

Steps:
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

1. With electric mixer on medium speed, mix butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Whisk flour and baking powder together in a separate small bowl.
5. Combine the sour cream and the milk, then add to the butter/sugar mixture in two batches, alternating with the flour mixture, ending with a third batch of the flour mixture.
6. Lightly fold in macadamia nuts.
7. Spoon mixture into the paper liners, dividing evenly.
8. Make crumble mixture by adding all ingredients together in one bowl and mixing thoroughly, then sprinkle evenly over the 12 cupcakes.
9. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean. Let rest for 5 minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Don’t they look yummy? A fun cupcake, and a great treat for the summer…nothing melting or oozing off the top! (Not that there’s anything wrong with melty, oozy cupcake frosting! In fact…wait until you see the next recipe!)

I hope you enjoy. I know I did! It was just the thing. Now it’s back to the writing cave. I’m finishing up the fourth book in the Cupcake Club series. Check out the side bar over there to read about the first three books in the series! Book #3, BABYCAKES, is coming out this fall!

For all the latest dish, check out my Bigtime Author Blog. But if you Want to keep up with alllll the daily goings on? “Like” my Facebook Fan Page and come join the fun!!

Bon apetit, cupcake!

Happy Memorial Day weekend, Cupcake Lovers!

BUY ME for $1.99!

Amazon Kindle decided to help us celebrate this kick off to summer weekend by putting SUGAR RUSH, (first book in the Cupcake Club Romance series) on sale for $1.99!

I know, three days off AND cupcakes! Win-win!

You can read the first chapter here (Just click on the Kindle/Free First Chapter button!

Here’s a look at the back cover copy…..

Devil’s Food…Angel Cake…Red Velvet…Praline Crunch…Lemon Chiffon…

How’s a woman to choose?

Luckily, the members of the Cupcake Club are about to taste it all…

When baker extraordinaire Leilani Trusdale left the bustle of New York City for Georgia’s sleepy Sugarberry Island, she didn’t expect her past to follow. Yet suddenly, her former boss, Baxter Dunne, aka Chef Hot Cakes, the man who taught her everything pastry, wants to film his hit cooking show in her tiny cupcakery. The same Chef Hot Cakes whose molten chocolate brown eyes made Lani’s mouth water and her cheeks blush the color of raspberry filling–stirring all kinds of kitchen gossip, much of which Lani wished was true…

Lani’s friends are convinced that this time around, Baxter is the missing ingredient in her recipe for happiness. But convincing Lani will be a job for Baxter himself. And he’ll need more than black velvet frosting to sweeten the deal…

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For more about the Cupcake Club Romance series, head over to my Bigtime Author Website and check them out!

I know I’m not in the kitchen as much as I’d like to be lately! Or, perhaps, as much you would want me to be…so, when I do manage to get a new recipe up and going, I want it to be different, and special, and….WOW!

And today’s recipe? Mixes some new with some old, and you definitely get the WOW! Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner, so I wanted to celebrate with something light and fruity…but with a rich, decadent punch. These sounded exactly perfect!

Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes!

You can add a little glaze, or maybe some fruit preserves or compote on top…but then I remembered this absolutely yummmm cupcake frosting I made last year, from Johnnie Gabriel’s Southern Cooking.

Yes, Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese! I know, how decadently perfect, right?

Other then getting arm cramps whipping egg whites into a frenzy, this is an easy recipe with easy to find ingredients. Prep time is quick! (Which will give you time to chop up all the strawberries for the frosting, while they’re baking!)

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa (use the best you can find! I use dark dutched cocoa)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 egg lg whites (A lot, I know, but worth it! And? You’ll have all those yolks left over to make some awesome french toast with! Top with leftover strawberries. )
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine egg whites with salt, and beat until foamy.
3. Add cream of tartar, and continue to beat until stiff. (no, not kinda stiff…stiff stiff)
4. Stir in sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, and baking powder.
6. Fold flour mixture into egg whites gradually.

7. Spoon batter into cupcake liners until 1/2 full.
8. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Cool cupcakes completely in pan.

See? I told you it was easy! Now, while they’re baking, let’s go into the recipe archive and whip up some of Johnnie’s most delicious Strawberry Cream Cheese frosting!

Johnnie’s Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1 8 oz pack cream cheese
1 16 oz box confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped strawberries
(Johnnie also offers an alternative of using 1 cup chopped pecans instead of cut up fruit. Next time!)

Steps:
1. In large bowl combine butter and cream cheese, mixing well until smooth.
2. Add the confectioners sugar in increments, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice while adding.
3. Add vanilla and blend.
4. Fold in chopped strawberries. (Again, she calls for 3/4 cup, I used 1 full cup so there would be berries on all the cupcakes.)

And what you get is chocolate angel food strawberry cream cheese heaven in a cup! The perfect way to kick off the summer!

Until next time…take a break, and have a cupcake! And if you’d like to read about them…check out the contest below!

And now that we’ve satisfied our sweet tooth…how about a book to go along with that snack? Over on my Bigtime Author Website the Free Stuff Friday is back!! To win a book from my website bookshelf, simply send an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “Cupcakes & Romance…I’m in!” in the subject line. This Friday, I’ll draw one name from the entry pile and announce it right here in the blog! (Don’t forget to check back to see if you’re the Big Winner!”)

I know it’s been awhile since I’ve been in the test kitchen, but I was finally able to get back to all things butter, sugar, and chocolate this week. And the results? Mmmmmm!

I haven’t played too much with filled cupcakes, so thought I’d take another stab at it. Literally. I also haven’t delved too deeply into my new Betty Crocker’s Big Book of Cupcakes cookbook, so went perusing and found two of my favorite things in one cupcake: pudding & chocolate!

So, this week, we’re making Boston Creme Cupcakes!

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk

Filling:
instant vanilla pudding, 4 serving size
1 3/4 cup milk

Steps:
Preheat oven to 350 Line muffin tins with 24 paper liners
1.Prepare the vanilla pudding as instructed, using the amount of milk listed in this recipe. Refrigerate while making cupcakes.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
3. Blend together butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add in sugar, about a 1/4 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition, scraping sides as needed.
4. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each. Scrape sides as needed.
5. Beat in vanilla.
6. On low speed, alternately add milk (about 1/2 at a time) and flour mixture (1/3 at a time) starting with flour. Beat until just blended.
7. Use ice cream scoop and fill each muffin cup evenly (a little more than half full.)
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.
9. Cool five minutes in pan, then remove to rack to cool completely.

Steps for filling:
1. Use a melon baller (I used a round, scoop shaped teaspoon measuring spoon) and scoop out the centers of each cooled cupcake.
2. Fill with pudding
3. Eat all of the cupcake divots. You won’t need them! (Okay, so this is my step, not Betty Crocker’s, but you know she ate them, too! If, you know, she was real.)

To top them off, we’re using the very yumm Chocolate Glaze Frosting:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
2 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup hot water

Steps:
1. In 1 qt saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla
3. Stir in hot water until smooth. (if necessary, add more hot water, 1 tsp at a time, until frosting is the right consistency.)
4. Frost cupcakes with metal spatula or back of large table spoon. (Refrigerate extra frosting. Or…you know, eat it by the spoonful. Not that I’ve done that or anything….)

And? Bon apetit, cupcake! I hope you enjoy them!

See you soon with more recipes from the cupcake test kitchen. In the meantime, enjoy all the other goings on over at my regular Bigtime Author Blog and enter the weekly giveaways to win copies of my new Cupcake Club books!

You can also follow me at my Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter!

Hello intrepid cupcake bakers!

I know, it’s been awhile! But I haven’t left the kitchen. I’ve been hard at work in the test kitchen, finalizing the recipes that will appear in the next Cupcake Club book…BABY CAKES (out this October.) So my life has been filled (and filled, and then s’more) with cupcakes, but I haven’t been able to share all that hard work here. BUT! Those recipes are done and ready to go, so I can finally come back and play with you all!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so to celebrate the holiday, I decided to attempt a recipe I saw online: The Heart of a Cupcake cupcakes! Now, those of you who have been with me since the beginning of this journey, know that I can be somewhat…shall we say…challenged by the more complicated recipes. It has been said that I’m more Lucy Ricardo than Julia Child, and well, Lucy was probably a better baker, too, so I hate to disparage her like that! But, I’ve come a long way in the past year (because, frankly, what other direction could I have gone in, really?) So I figured, why not! Let’s DO THIS!

Um…Yeah.

So….my results, perhaps not exactly on par with the original recipe I’d chosen to use. Not because there’s anything wrong with the recipe. Nooo, no, no. The recipe is great, and easy even. If…you know…you have the right tools. It’s just…me. Anyway, you’ll understand as we move onward. However, for the purposes of giving you a recipe and photos that will actually guide you toward cupcake nirvana, and not running screaming from your kitchen, I’m going to give you the recipe I found over on Desert Living as well as thank the chef, Amanda Szot, for letting me use her delightful and very useful photos, rather than…well, rather than mine.

Now, in her version, she used a frosting made with pink Laffy Taffy. Here’s the link to the site, so you can get that recipe, too, if you’ve a hankering for it! But, given this is the holiday that all but begs us to indulge in our inner chocolate diva, I had to top these fun cupcakes with a little decadence! Okay, okay…a LOT of decadence.

Oh yeah, we’re talking ganache. Dark Chocolate Ganache. Mmmmm. Because THAT? I can make. I mean, come on, it’s three ingredients. How badly could I screw that up? (Hey! I heard that! Rough crowd.)

I promise you, that regardless of how the results look, the taste? SO worth it!

So…here we go!

Heart Cupcakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 t. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

the seeds from half a vanilla bean
 (or 1 tsp vanilla)
1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/3 cup whole milk

red food coloring

Directions:


Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees (F) Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

1) Mix the butter and sugar together at medium speed for about 90 seconds, until fluffy.
2.Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything gets well combined.
3.Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and vanilla and mix until the batter is smooth.
4.Finally, alternate between the flour and milk, beating on med-high speed until the batter is light and creamy.

NOTE: So…about vanilla beans. I was just going to sub vanilla extract, but hey, I’m trying to learn here, so off I went on the hunt for vanilla beans. And, if you can find them, definitely give it a try! Really rich, full flavor!

5.Pour a little more than 1/3 of the batter (about a cup and a half) into a smaller bowl.
6. Add red food coloring until you get your desired pink or red color.
7. Pour the batter into a non-stick (or lightly greased) 8×8 baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes until the edges of the cake start to turn golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

8.Allow to cool completely. Once the cake is cool, loosen the edges away from the pan with a knife and then invert the pan onto a cutting board.
9. Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a dozen cake hearts that are small enough to fit into an average-sized cupcake pan.

Right. So…I was good until I got this point. Now, I had the photos. Looks simple. How cute are they, all dunked in the cupcake batter! I knew I needed a little heart cookie cutter. And I had a little heart cookie cutter. Well..it looked little to me! Turns out you need a TINY heart cookie cutter. Compared to the muffin cups, mine where like the Red Cake Hearts that Ate Manhattan! The King Kong of red cake hearts. Anyway, you get my drift. So…when shopping for your heart cookie cutter, take a paper muffin cup with you for guidance. Just sayin! Now…back to our recipe….

10. Spoon two heaping tablespoons of the remaining batter into paper-lined cupcake tins, so they’re about half-full. Put one heart into each tin and press it point down into the batter.

Okay, just to be clear: HERE IS THE PART YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO!

11. Keep all the hearts facing forward in the pan. !!!! Seriously, do this.
12. Cover with another teaspoon of batter
13. Bake for 24 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting.

14.Here’s where it gets a bit tricky.

Oh, she is SO not kidding! Sure, sure, I kept the hearts facing toward the short end of the pan when I stuck them in. Easy right? Ether end of the pan, doesn’t matter. However!! When you take the cupcakes out of the pan you need to put them on the rack in the same direction.

Right. So easy, and yet? Epic fail on my part. I cut through three of them, trying to figure out how the hearts went, and, well, I’m just trashing cupcakes, essentially. Hopeless.

15. You need to keep the cupcakes facing forward so you get the right cross-section of the heart when you cut or bite into the cupcake (to get the full heart effect). After frosting, put heart candy on them (or some other decoration) that can also face forward so you know which way to cut the cupcake in order to see the heart shape inside (if you cut the heart in the wrong direction you just get a rectangle shape—not very romantic!).

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped (use semi sweet if bitter’s not for you)
1 pint heavy cream
5 ounces unsalted butter

Directions:

1) Bring cream and butter to a simmer.
2) Pour over chocolate and stir/whisk until melted and smooth.

Seriously. Even I can do it. You can let cool and thicken a bit before frosting the cupcakes. You can also dip the cupcake tops in the ganache and swirl when it’s still soft, but then good luck in figuring out which way your hearts go! I recommend the cooling process first, then frost as usual.

And then?? Sink in! It’s worth every bite!

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

Oh, and don’t forget, there’s a contest going on over at my regular Big Time Author Blog. We’re giving away both Cupcake Club books (SUGAR RUSH & SWEET STUFF…check out the links above to learn more!) and Valentine baking goodies! You have to hurry though. Entries close midnight Sunday, February 12. Winner announced in the blog on Monday, Feb 13. Click here to find out the entry details! Good luck!

I’m interrupting all the cupcake baking going on here to announce the release of the second book in the Cupcake Club series…

SWEET STUFF!

And? I’m also having a CONTEST! (Winners announced!! Plus, a new contest! Head on over to My Big Time Author Blog to read all about it!)

See below for all the details…imported from my regular weekly blog.

YAY! Cupcake Club Book #2–SWEET STUFF–is now officially ON SALE everywhere!!

A little peek at the back cover copy:

Double Fudge…Toasted Coconut…Key Lime…Strawberry Cream… Every bite is a mouthful of heaven.

And the women of the Cupcake Club are bringing their appetites …

Riley Brown never imagined she would find her bliss on Georgia’s quiet Sugarberry Island after years of Chicago’s city life. With a new career and fantastic new friends, she’s got it all—except for eligible men. But a gig staging a renovated beach house delivers a delicious treat—six feet of blue-eyed, gorgeous writer as delectable and Southern as pecan pie. Quinn Brannigan has come to Sugarberry to finish his latest novel in peace, and suddenly Riley has a taste for the bad boy author that no amount of mocha latte buttercream or lemon mousse will satisfy …

Riley’s friends are rooting for her to give in to her cravings and spice up her life, but it’s Quinn who needs to learn that life’s menu just might include love, in all its decadent, irresistible flavors…

Here’s what the reviewers are saying…

“A deliciously sexy fulfilling treat!” –New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips

“Romantic fun, lovable leads, and surprising emotional complexity…”
— (Starred Review!) Publisher’s Weekly AND a Publisher’s Weekly Top Ten Spring Romance !

“This is only the second book in the series but I can tell this is going to be a promising one. Kauffman touches on trust, desire, friendships, and a promising new love that just needs a little tlc to grow into something amazing. The emotions behind the characters were a big part of the story that kept me intrigued and wanting to find out more. Every single character made this story more than enjoyable but also delightful. I can’t wait until book 3 comes out. I am excited to see who will be next to fall in love in the town of Sugarberry.” ~ Lush Book Reviews

It’s all because of your amazing support that the books exist in the first place, and I owe each and every one of you a huge THANK YOU for all that you do in getting the word out. I couldn’t be more grateful.

And…one way I’d like to say thanks is to have a BIG HUGE CONTEST this week!!! With amazingly cool and awesome (not to mention freaking adorable) prizes!!

First…TWO lucky readers will win a set of both SUGAR RUSH & SWEET STUFF!! I know! How cool is that?

And ONE fabulous blog babe reader will win the grand prize of both books AND this handmade, adorably kitschy and cute cupcake apron from The Cracked Cup. Seriously. Does it get any more fun that this? No, it does not!

To enter the contest, send an email to donna@donnakauffman.com with “I want to be the winning fabulous blog babe! PICK ME!!” in the subject line. I will draw three names from the stash – first two get the book sets and last one wins the grand prize!

DEADLINE TO ENTER is midnight EST, Sunday, February 5. Winner will be announced right here on Monday, February 6. Don’t forget to stop by to see if you’re a Big Ol Blog Babe Winner!!

Ready…..set….ENTER!!!