This recipe makes a huge batch of cupcakes! (I am sick and have a sick baby today so didn't want to dig around for my pans, and ended up making 24 mini-cupcakes, 12 regular-cupcakes and 1 round regular cake. Normally I would use all mini-cupcakes and this would make at least 48!)
Contestant #1 is these Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting.
I am sure there will be a Contestant #3, but I'm not sure yet what it will be... perhaps a Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcake with Peanut Butter Frosting?
Or maybe I should just make all three???
Chocolate Mayo Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, whisk together the chocolate chips, cocoa and water until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, soda and powder. In your mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and mayo until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one. Stir in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the chocolate mixture blending well after each addition (Flour, Chocolate, F, Ch, F, Ch, F.) Pour into cupcake-paper lined muffin tins, about 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your cupcakes - until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
Almond Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3 teaspoons almond extract (or vanilla if you prefer)
8 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Beat the butter until fluffy. Beat in the extract. On low, beat in the powdered sugar and cream, alternating between the two until the frosting is smooth and the consistency is what you would like.
