Cupcake Tuesday-Chocolate and Honey

Finding the perfect chocolate cake recipe took me forever.   I tired so many recipes, oil based, butter based, with sour cream and without sour cream, etc.

As my experiments progressed I knew I wanted two things: butter based and with sour cream.

After some messing around in the kitchen, I made my own vanilla recipe, and it's actually the base of pretty much all my cupcakes, it's insanely versatile and I love it!  Turns out that adding a touch of cocoa makes the perfect chocolate cupcake as well!

You've seen variations of it before in my Black Forest Cupcakes and my Malted Chocolate Cupcakes, but this one is the plain, all chocolate chocolate cake recipe!

It's nice and dense and moist and delicious!  It's hard to find in a chocolate cake!

Chocolate Cupcake
makes 24
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans.

In a large bowl whip together the room temperature butter with the sugar until they get nice and light and fluffy.  Add the 2 eggs and beat for about another minute.

When the eggs are fully incorporated add in the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder.  Mix well.

Next, measure out your baking soda, baking powder and flour in a medium bowl.  Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.  Add 1/2 of the sour cream.  Follow that with another 1/3 of the flour, the last of the sour cream and the last of the flour, beating well after each addition.

Scrape the sides of the bowls and mix on last time to make sure it is all combined.

Scoop into the cupcake pans using a 2 oz ice cream scoop, or filling about 2/3 of the way full.  My rule with chocolate cake is that it should look like chocolate ice cream before it bakes

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool

Honey Cream Cheese Frosting
2 blocks cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/4 cup honey
2-3 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl use a mixer and whip together the cream cheese and butter.  When those are combined, add the honey and mix well.

Next, slowly add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time.  Beat well after each addition and taste occasionally.  Stop when you have reached your desired consistency and flavor.

Pipe or frost on top of the cooled cupcakes and drizzle with honey.  Enjoy!

Love,

Keely

Cupcake Tuesday-Orange Burst Cupcakes

Tuesday.  It's such an interesting day isn't it.  It's kind of a boring day really.

Tuesday isn't Monday so we don't dislike it, it isn't Wednesday so we aren't working our way over the last of the "hump" and it's not Friday so we don't love it.  Tuesday and Thursday are just days in the midst of a week in which nothing much seems to happen.

Unless you live my life, and attend church every Tuesday night and often bring cupcakes.  There is a reason that I picked Tuesday as cupcake day here on Hairbows and Butter.  It's because in real life Tuesday usually is cupcake day.

On Monday nights I almost always make a batch of cupcakes to share with my church folk the next day.  It's become some what of a tradition, it's pretty great!

These particular cupcakes were not however made on a Monday night, nor were they distributed on a Tuesday night.  They were in fact made on a Sunday morning while I was getting ready to leave for camp.  They were out for all to eat throughout the week of camp and were gone on Friday.



They're pretty yummy, if I do say so myself!

Orange Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

2 sticks room temperature butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

zest of one orange

vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sour cream

cubed orange if you so desire

Preheat oven to 350 and line two cupcake pans.

In a large bowl combine the butter and the sugar.  Using a mixer whip until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  When the mixture is light, add in the eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.

Add the orange zest, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix briefly.

Measure out the flour and the sour cream.  While the mixer is on low add in 1/3 of the flour and mix until incorporated.  Next, add 1/2 of the sour cream and mix, repeat the process with another 1/3 of the flour and then 1/2 of the sour cream ending with the last 1/3 of the flour.

Scrape the sides, add the fresh orange if desired and mix one last time.

Scoop into cupcake liners, about 2/3 of the way full (I used a 2 oz. scoop to measure).

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow to cool.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese

1 stick room temperature butter

zest of one orange

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon fresh orange juice if needed

In a medium bowl add the in the cream cheese and the butter.  Mix until well incorporated and fluffy, this will take 2-3 minutes.

Add the orange zest and mix well.

Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar until your desired consistency is reached.  I find that it's best to do this 1/2 cup at a time.

If you desire more orange flavor or need to thin out the frosting a bit go ahead and add the orange juice and mix until combined.

Pipe or frost onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Love,

Keely