Sunday, June 16, 2013

Rootbeer Chocolate Cupcakes

Happy Father's Day!!

This morning I woke up and decided I wanted to recreate the Walker Brother's Pancake House's Apple Pancake. It was actually pretty spot on! I need to tweak it a little and then I will post. We also made some jalapeno-chicken sausage-hash browns. They were so yummy.
I was so busy eating/making them that I forgot to take pictures, but I'm sure I will make them again soon!

Tonight we are going to Sun Wah BBQ. We have been going here almost every year for Father's Day with my family, my cousins, and my Grandfather.
My Grandfather, who goes by MOT, loves the Peking duck at this restaurant.
I hate it.
I stick to fried rice here.
However, my whole family thinks it is fabulous,  so you should all go.
Maybe after we can get some delicious dessert at Hoosier Mama pies, although so far my sugar intake today is through the roof...
Croissants, apple pancakes, cookie, cupcake, arnold palmer... I don't know if I can take anymore.

 

These cupcakes look exactly like the ones I made last year.

(Father's Day 2012).

However this year, I perfected the chocolate cupcake recipe. I filled them with a delicious root beer buttercream. And, I think I am more skilled at decorating than one year ago.

I've made lots of cakes/cupcakes that involve root beer extract. It makes things taste so delicious and you just get a slight hint of root beer.
You can use a pastry bag to fill the cupcakes like this:


But, if like most people (or not most people? I don't know anymore), you don't have pastry bags and tips, you can use an apple corer to take the center out of the cupcakes. Then you simply spoon the filling into the hole.
Either way, you'll end up with a million stuffed cupcakes.


Then you take a big scoop of this delicious vanilla buttercream,


And spread it all over the tops of the cupcakes. You want to make it kind of flat on the tops so that the golf balls won't roll off!


You can always just stop here. Or decorate them however you want?
But what I did, was dunk these cupcakes in a big bowl of green sugar.


What a nice green course!



Then you take a small spoon, and little by little you scoop some graham crackers on. I like to press a little hole in the center with my finger so you really achieve the sand trap look.



Then you can choose to add little white dragees as golf balls, or signs to indicate which hole is which!
Be creative and have a great Father's Day!!



Chocolate Cupcakes

Yields about 18 cupcakes
  • 1 1/2 cups Boiling Water
  • 3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa PowderY
  • 2 teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder
  • 1 2/3 cups Flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon Root Beer Extract
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 and line two muffin tins with muffin cups.
Whisk together boiling water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric hand mixer. Add the vanilla and one egg, blend well. Scrape down sides and add the other egg, blend until fully incorporated. 
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternating with the cocoa-water mixture in three additions. Blend just until all flour is incorporated.
Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way up, I use an ice cream scoop! You probably won't be able to fill all 24 muffin cups.
Bake for about 13-15 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.
Let cool before frosting!

Root Beer Buttercream

Yields 1 cup, enough to fill 18-24 cupcakes
  • 1 stick Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2-2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 3 teaspoons Root Beer Extract
  • 1 tablespoon Root Beer
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Place in a pastry bag with a #6 round tip. Inject the tip into the cupcakes and squeeze for about three seconds.

Vanilla Buttercream
Yields about 2 cups, enough to frost 18-24 cupcakes
  •  2 sticks Unsalted Butter, room temperature
  • 3 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Blend all ingredients until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.




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