Week 6: Banana Cupcakes with Maple Brown Butter Frosting



Chelsey's cupcakes were so good,
they were bananas.

I chose these because I like banana bread, and I was intrigued by the frosting. As you can see  from my Cast of Characters photo, this used nice, simple ingredients that are usually in my pantry and fridge. I didn't have a lemon on hand and didn't want to go back to the store to buy one, so I omitted it. I figured that it was primarily invited to the party to prevent banana browning. The batter is super easy to make and comes together nicely.  



I've never baked anything at 275 degrees for an hour - I think of "low and slow" as a BBQ technique, not something for baked goods. But the cupcakes came out great and were nice and moist. I initially thought the step of freezing them for 30 minutes seemed unnecessarily fussy, but the cupcakes did seem to shrink a little after being in the freezer, and they were still moist even after being frozen. I think it probably was a necessary step.





Frosting in the making.



The frosting was good in theory. I like all of the component parts. But on the whole, I found it too buttery and too sweet.  The maple flavor isn't very distinct, so you get the sweet from the maple sugar but not enough maple flavor. The frosting made as directed is extremely runny, so I added powdered sugar. It would have been helpful to know that the frosting thickened up as it cooled, because by the time mine cooled it was like cement.

So, my take-away from this is that I would make the cupcakes again, although if I'm craving banana in super-carb form I'll just make banana bread. But I would use a cream cheese or even a chocolate frosting instead of the maple brown butter.



Cast of characters.

Baking the cupcakes "low and slow."

Week 5: Sis' Chocolate Cupcakes

Kari's cupcakes made for a great
Valentine's Day treat!

Hi! I'm Kari and it was my turn to make cupcakes this week. This week's cupcake was a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting. My week happened to fall on Valentine's Day, so what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with chocolate?

I was a little nervous to make cupcakes for the group, mostly because the last cupcake we tried, Barb's red velvet cupcakes, were so delicious! Those cupcakes were a tough act to follow. Also, this was my first time making cake from scratch. I'd always just bought the box mix and the can of frosting. Much to my mother's dismay, of course!

If I could use one word to describe these cupcakes, it would be CHOCOLATY! These cupcakes had a very rich chocolate flavor. Admittedly, I messed up the first time and had to throw away a whole bowl of batter because I forgot to add the water to the chocolate mix. This came to my attention after baking the first dozen. When sampling one, I thought they tasted a little dry. I don't know if they really were dry or it was just in my head because I knew I'd left the water out. Either way, I started over, this time remembering to add the water to the chocolate mix. I thought the cake was moist and had just the right amount of chocolate taste.

A close up of all that delicious chocolate.

In my opinion, the frosting made these cupcakes! It tasted like homemade fudge. I followed the frosting recipe exactly, but thought the frosting was just a tad dry. When I tried to spread the frosting onto the cupcake, the frosting wouldn't stick. So, I added just a little more milk to the frosting than the recipe called for. It was still a little dryer than most frostings, but I think that is how it was supposed to turn out. I would definitely make this cupcake again!

Overall, my first time of making cupcakes and frosting from scratch went well and the end result was delizioso! Mom, this cupcake is dedicated to you!

Week 4: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Barb's red velvet cupcakes were
eagerly anticipated -- and worth the wait!

After weeks of waiting, it is my turn to make the cupcakes. I have to admit I was a little nervous about making cupcakes for the group. My experience is that when I have to make something to take somewhere, things will go wrong.

My name is Barb and I made the Red Velvet Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting. The recipe was very easy to follow. I did have to go to the store for a few things like buttermilk, almond extract, vinegar and red food coloring.

The red food coloring was a little messy. I shortened the baking time by about 3 minutes and probably should have started testing the cupcakes at about 18 to 20 minutes. When I opened the container I had placed the cupcakes in for transportation, they smelled wonderful. The color of the cupcakes was beautiful. Everyone at home thought the cupcakes tasted pretty good.

Although the cupcakes were simply frosted, I could easily imagine these cupcakes decorated for Valentine's Day.

Inside the red velvet cupcakes.