Cupcake Friday Project

Ingredients

Directions

Before you get started, be sure to drain your whole milk ricotta in cheesecloth for at least 6 hours.

Start with the cannoli shell bites so they have time to cool before garnishing the cupcakes.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the sugar, stirring to combine.

Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients.

Mix on low until the butter is full incorporated (Additionally, a pastry blender would work well.).

Slowly add the Marsala, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough begins to come together in a ball.

Remove the dough from the bowl and knead for 2-3 minutes on a clean work surface.

Roll into a ball, then flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Let the dough sit for an hour at room temperature.

After the dough has rested, heat 2-3 inches of canola oil in a high-walled pot until the oil hits 350-360 degrees Fahrenheit (use a candy thermometer).

As the oil heats, divide the dough into 4 portions. Take 1 portion (keeping the others wrapped up) and roll it out as thinly as possible. Use a round cookie cutter at least 3 inches wide and stamp out as many rounds as possible.

Once the oil is heated, add the cannoli rounds to the hot oil, letting them fry for 45 seconds to a minute before flipping them over with tongs. Fry until golden, then remove and place on paper towels to drain.

Repeat until all the dough is used up (you'll have extras, which are good for snacking).

Once the rounds have cooled, chop them up into bite-sized pieces.

If the cannoli bites are not as crisp as you'd like, place on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make sure cannoli shell bites are fully cooled before garnishing the cupcakes.

For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line pans with cupcake papers.

Combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a bowl and gently mix to combine. Set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing to combine.

Alternate the dry ingredients and milk, and mix until combined.

Add the Marsala and vanilla extract, mixing to combine.

Divide the batter between 24 wrappers in the cupcake tins and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

For the frosting, beat the butter and ricotta together on high for 5 minutes.

Add the sugar, and continue to beat.

If the texture looks a bit off (this can happen if you didn't drain it enough), add the cornstarch and continue beating on high for 5-10 minutes.

Using an extra large French tip (or your favorite piping tip), pipe the buttercream on top of the cooled cupcakes. Drizzle with chocolate, and garnish with some of the crushed cannoli bites.

https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2014/05/cannoli-cupcakes-with-ricotta-buttercream-and-cannoli-shell-crumble/

All work by Cupcake Friday Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Ingredients

Directions

For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line your cupcake tins with wrappers and set aside

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Set aside.

Combine the sugar and orange zest in a bowl and stir until you begin to smell the aroma of oranges. Cream the butter in the bowl of a standmixer, then add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time.

Alternate the flour mixture and mulled wine and mix until combined.

Divide the batter between the wrappers and bake for 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

While the cupcakes bake, make the mulled wine syrup so it has time to cool.

Combine the wine and sugar in a wide saucepan over medium high heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Bring the wine to a boil, then reduce the heat so that it simmers. Keep an eye on this, stirring regularly.

Reduce the wine by at least half, checking the texture of the syrup ... it shouldn't be too watery, but also not too sticky.

Once finished, take the syrup off the heat and let it cool for 15-20 minutes before putting it into a container for drizzling.

As the cupcakes and the mulled wine syrup cool, make the frosting. Begin by beating the butter until light and fluffy.

Add the 1 cup of sugar, beating until combined.

Add the vanilla, then the remaining sugar gradually, beating until combined. Once you've added all the sugar, turn the mixer up to medium-high and whip for 2-3 minutes.

Pipe the frosting on to the cupcakes, using a star tip (the ridges help catch the syrup). Drizzle the cooled mulled wine syrup and enjoy.

https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/12/mulled-wine-cupcakes/

All work by Cupcake Friday Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Ingredients

Directions

Start with your pecan praline garnish first to give them time to cool.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

For the garnish, combine all the ingredients and stir gently to coat. Spoon into the baking dish

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir gently, and let cool for approximately 10 minutes.

Stir again, gently separating pecan halves from each other. Place on a sheet of wax paper separated out and let cool fully before placing on the cupcakes.

For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line your cupcake tins with wrappers.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside.

Beat the butter until light and fluffy in the bowl of your standmixer. Add the maple syrup.

The mixture might look curdled, but it's fine. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix.

Alternate between adding the dry ingredients and milk, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Place the toasted pecans into a small bowl and add about 2 tsp of flour. Toss to coat (this will help keep the pecans from sinking to the bottom). Set bowl aside.

If your cake batter still looks a bit lumpy, remove the bowl from the mixer and hand whisk it for about a minute--the batter will come together quickly.

Add the pecans tossed in flour and whisk lightly to combine.

Divide the batter between wrappers in cupcake tins and bake for 18 minutes.

Make the sweet potato pie mousse filling while the cupcakes bake.

Combine the sweet potato, honey, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and puree until silky smooth.

Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form; add vanilla and whip lightly until combined.

Once banana mixture is cool, fold in the whipped cream gently. Set aside until ready to pipe into cupcakes.

For the frosting, first, make sure all of your equipment is clean and grease-free. Meringue can be finicky, and it certainly will not turn out correctly if there is anything in the bowl or on the whisk.

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (or favorite stainless steel mixing bowl) and whisk by hand until well combined.

Fill the bottom of a double boiler or pot with water, 1/3-full. Make sure that the bowl can sit on the pot without the bottom of the bowl touching the water.

Bring the water up to a steady simmer, then place the bowl in the pot and whisk the mixture steadily. Do not let the mixture boil. Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved in order to avoid a grainy frosting.

Continue whisking until the meringue reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. The frosting, at this point, should have thickened and look fluffy--almost creamy.

Take the bowl off the double boiler or pot and wipe the bottom of the bowl (just to keep things neat).

Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer or a hand mixer, whisk the meringue frosting until stiff peaks forms and it has a glossy look. This will take approximately 15-20 minutes (trust me, a stand mixer is VERY handy here).

To assemble, core the cupcakes and fill with the sweet potato pie mousse filling. Using an extra large round piping tip, pipe on the meringue frosting, then toast with a kitchen torch. Garnish with 1 pecan praline half.

https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/11/sweet-potato-maple-pecan-pie-cupcakes/

All work by Cupcake Friday Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Ingredients

Directions

Begin with the pastry cream so it has time to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of chai concentrate until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the whole egg, then the yolks, one at a time, into the cornstarch/chai mixture.

In a medium saucepan, add the milk and the sugar. Whisk to combine, then bring to a boil, whisking constantly.

Once the milk-sugar mixture has come to a boil, you must temper the eggs with it. Begin by whisking the egg mixture at a steady pace, then slowly pour approximately 1/4 of the hot milk-sugar mixture into it in a continuous stream.

Return the remaining milk-sugar mixture to the stovetop and turn the burner to medium heat. Pour the hot egg mixture into the saucepan in a thin stream, constantly whisking. You do not want the eggs to scramble.

The mixture will begin to thicken--remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla and whisk until combined. Pour the vanilla pastry cream into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap down onto the surface so that it does not form a skin. Let it come to room temperature.

Once at room temperature, press the pastry cream through a sieve, to remove any lumps. Put pastry cream into a piping bag.

For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center. Line pans with cupcake papers.

Combine dry ingredients; set aside.

Cream butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, then add the vanilla.

Add pumpkin puree and mix until combined.

Mix in the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each about halfway full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes.

When done, transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely.

For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of sugar, beating until combined. Add the vanilla. Finally, add the remaining sugar gradually and whip until light and fluffy.

To assemble, pipe the chai pastry cream into the cored out center. Frost with the vanilla buttercream, and top with candied pumpkin seeds if you choose to use them.

https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/10/pumpkin-chai-latte-cupcakes-with-vanilla-buttercream/

All work by Cupcake Friday Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Ingredients

Directions

For the cupcakes, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and position the racks toward the center.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and Chinese 5 spice together. Set aside.

Combine the sugar, brown sugar and shredded apples in the bowl of a stand mixer, mixing until combined.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the oil and maple syrup.

In a separate bowl or large mixing cup, beat the whole eggs and egg white. Turn the mixer on low again, and slowly add the beaten eggs.

Add the vanilla, mixing to combine.

Divide the batter between wrappers in cupcake tins and bake for 22-24 minutes. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting.

Start the caramel for the buttercream next so that it has time to cool.

In a medium pot over medium high heat, stir together granulated sugar and freshly pressed apple juice until the sugar is mostly dissolved.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat, then cook without stirring until mixture turns amber.

Remove from heat and slowly add in cream, vanilla and apple butter, stirring until smooth.

Let the caramel cool for about 20 minutes, until it is just barely warm and still pourable.

While the caramel cools, make the maple oat crisp. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and spray a rimmed baking pan with nonstick spray.

Combine the butter, oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and mix until combined.

Slowly add the maple syrup, then add the flour, mixing until combined.

Crumble the maple oat crisp onto the baking pan, spreading it out.

Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and mix it around with a spatula, spreading it out again. Do this 2-3 more times, until the crisp is golden brown and crunchy.

Cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes, then break up the pieces.

For the buttercream, beat butter and salt together until lightened and fluffy in a mixer fitted with paddle attachment.

Reduce speed to low and add the confectioners sugar. Mix until thoroughly combined.

Add the caramel and beat on medium high speed until light and airy, and completely mixed (about 5 minutes).

To assemble the cupcakes, pipe the frosting on using an extra large round tip, then sprinkle on some of the maple oat crisp, including some of the crumbs for even coverage.

FInish with a drizzle of apple butter.

https://cupcakefridayproject.com/2013/10/caramel-apple-maple-oat-crisp-cupcakes/

All work by Cupcake Friday Project is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License