Chocolate Cupcake With Peanut Butter Frosting

Salam to all ;)

A new week starts tomorrow.  Did everyone enjoy the weekend??  I am  in Jannah's room right now, typing in the dark while waiting for her to go to sleep.  She's been doing big yawns and been playing with her blanket and pillows since 8.15pm.  It's been an hour and I am getting impatient, I hope she goes to sleep soon.  She keeps on saying that she cant sleep bcos her legs are very sore.  I checked....everything seems fine.  She must be running and hopping around too much during the day I reckon......

My left eye is feeling a little 'hot' right now......adeeehhh!!  I must have accidentally rubbed it after handling some chillies when I made dinner just now.  At the same time my inner left ear is feeling extremely itchy, somebody must be gossiping and saying something evil abt me ahakkksss and the left side of my forehead is very, very itchy too.  Feels like a pimple or two might pop on that area??  Probably!!  Haiizzz.....so many things happening to me at the same time....all on the left side of the body >.<

U must be thinking that I might be addicted to chocolate and peanut butter to be making these cupcakes right after consuming the peanut butter cheesecake swirl brownie that I made a few days back hehehez.  It's really true.....it feels that I didnt get enough of chocolate and peanut butter that's why I made these chocolate & peanut butter cupcakes :pp.  I made half of the recipe for the cupcakes as well as the frosting and got 12 pieces with a little bit of frosting left over.  Jannah specifically requested that I sprinkled 100s & 1000s  for her cupcake.  We really luv this cupcakes, its moist and bitter.  Makes you want bite the sweet icing to match them.  It really was a perfect match.....yummmmzzzz!!!!

Katy Perry's California Girls??? ^_^

Source : Karly @ Buns In My Oven
Adapted From : Hershey's

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/3 cup water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans or line cupcake tins with paper liners.
Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and mix on high for 3 minutes. Stir together cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture alternately with the water, beating until well blended.
For cakes, bake 30-35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. For cupcakes, bake 20-25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

 

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat the first five ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Spread or pipe on cooled cupcakes.

Alhamdullilah, Jannah has gone to sleep ;)  I might hit the sack soon....NitezzzZZZzz.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Salam to all,

What do u do when u have a block of cream cheese in the fridge which was bought so many months ago and will expire next month??  Make something sinful like this peanut butter cheesecake swirl brownie I supposed ~ even though my swirl is no where to be seen ahhaakkkss.  I tried my best to create the swirl but I am just not talented at all lah.....haiizz.  The peanut butter swirl got engulfed by the dark coloured chocolate brownie batter *sobs sobs* when I tried to swirl them.  My next project is to finish the mascarpone cheese and 1 litre whipped cream that will expire next month also.  What to bake.....what to bake haiizzz??  Thinking mode is on......

The chocolate aroma when the brownie was out of the oven really makes me feel like as if I am in a chocolate factory.  Adeeehhh this brownie I tell u is so rich with chocolate and cheese, once u have a bite u will "sure forget nama emak".  A popular phrase usually quoted by the none other famous blogger Uncle Lee nyehahahaz.  I am a very big fan of peanut butter.  I luv to have my toast with peanut butter and strawberry jam and when peanut butter was combined with this brownie.....Abislah dah cfm!!!  I have to ring my mummy now and asked for her name :ppppp

Yat Maria this is the fizzy drink that I was telling u abt.  Just Juice Bubbles....50% Juice & 50% Lemonade.  Our favourite drink ;) $1.99 for 1.25 litres.  One is orange & mango while the other is tropical.  There used to be other flavours like mandarin & passionfruit and lemon & lemonade but no longer on the supermarket shelfs.  Definitely can't find them in Singapore, JB and some say Batam ahakkksss ;)

Ok back to the brownie, the method suggests that brownies are best consumed after 24hrs and are fudgier when kept in the fridge.  Ehhhh I don't have the patience to wait that long.  If u are like me, have no patience to let the brownie cools down before cutting, I would advice u to 'not try it at home' otherwise it will crumble when u cut it but it was worth it hehehez.  Jannah ate the edges and came running back asking for more, by the time she ran back the 4th time, the amt of brownies she ate equates to 2 whole brownies.  Anyway, I made half ot the recipe from Annie's blog.  I copied the original recipe from The Kitchenist blog instead as its easier....no conversion or reduction required.

Source : Annie @ Annie's Eat
Adapted From : The Kitchenist

Brownies
200g unsalted butter (I used Anchor salted)
85g dark baking chocolate (I used Callebaut 64% Couverture), chopped
50g cocoa powder (I used Valrhona)
225g caster sugar
3 large eggs
85g cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
70g plain flour
1/4 tsp. salt (I did not add)

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl
115g cream cheese (I used 165g cos that's how much was left)
85g peanut butter
3 Tbs. caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Prepare a 8 x 8″ baking pan by buttering the sides, and lining the bottom and two sides with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl or medium saucepan, melt together the butter and chocolate. When it’s smooth, remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, eggs and cream cheese. Finally, stir in the vanilla, flour and salt. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking tin, and set aside while you prepare the cheesecake swirl (if using).

3. For the peanut butter cheesecake swirl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Spread over the top of the brownie batter, and using a spoon or small spatula, swirl the two mixtures together.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until set and springy in the middle. Allow brownies to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Brownies are best after 24 hours, and get even fudgier if kept in the fridge.

Served warm with camouflage ice cream flavoured lime & chocolate and drizzled with Aunt Betty's dark chocolate sauce.  PBG (Perangai Budak Gemok)!!!  TTFN :ppppp

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Salam to all,

I really can't believe that its already Friday today.  It feels like the weekdays have gone too quickly this week.  Anyway, to everyone that has been waiting for this day to come, I wish u guys/gals a very happy weekend.  Yesterday, 1/3/2012 marks the first day of autumn here in NZ.  This year, it feels that summer never comes and suddenly its already autumn now.  Its been predicted that the weather will be crazy with gale force winds and heavy rain to hit the North Island - where we are at tonight/tomorrow. We are to expect power outages due to wind damage  :( Anyway, insyaAllah we will be fine.  Last year, a few houses got their roofs blown off and one local shop's glass panel was smashed to pieces due to very heavy wind.

Ok back to this cake.  Last year, I tried my hand at making a red velvet cake but I ended up giving them to the sheeps bcos it turned out to be a disaster ahaakkkss.  Only 2 old sheeps are left now in the paddock in front of  our house.  One has died and the little lambs have been slaughtered.  Not sure if there's gonna be any spring lambs born this year.  This time, I tried my luck at making these red velvet cupcakes since there was some cream cheese left from making the lemon pull apart bread and alhamdullilah they turned out good.  Only the cream cheese frosting were topsy turvy since I haven't got steady hands ahakkksss.  I made half of the recipes and got 11 cupcakes......supposed to be 12 if I didnt over filled them.

While setting up the table to photo this rvc, I have to go back to the kitchen to grab something that I've forgotten.  The next minute I heard one of the plank fell off the table :((  Haiizzz it was Jannah that knocked it down accidentally and came running to me.  I asked her what happened??  Her answer was "Takde apa2 lah....mama tak mo marah Jannah eh."  I asked her again what happened and she suddenly burst into tears.  I had a chuckle in my heart.  I didnt even growl her and she already started crying hahahaz.  Went back to my table and saw one of the plank was on the carpet together with 2 cupcakes.  Oh well, lucky it wasn't all of them on the floor otherwise.....no photos and no cupcakes for us!!!

Source : Annie @ Annie's eat
Adapted From : Saveur
Frosting From : Confections of a Foodie Bride

Ingredients: (I made half of the recipe)
For the cake:
2½ cups cake flour
1½ cups sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. (1 oz.) liquid red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

For the frosting:*8 oz. cream cheese
5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
 

Directions:Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until well blended.
Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners.
Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes.
Let cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


To make the frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.
Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

 

Have an enjoyable weekend everyone.  I have to go and iron hb's uniforms *sob sob* :ppp  TTFN ;)