Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

There are some things that I’ve never tried but have always wanted to. Before I made the switch to Greek yogurt, I would always get the Boston Cream Pie-flavored light yogurts and LOVED them. However, I had never actually tried a real Boston cream pie. I wasn’t even sure what it was. Over the summer, a friend of mine asked me to make some cupcakes for her boyfriend’s birthday. He loved boston cream pie, so I jumped at the chance to finally figure out what these little guys were made of! I did however make a couple of changes–some intentional, others not–from the traditional sense of Boston cream pie. I knew I needed a moist yellow cake for the base, and the person didn’t want a ganache topping, so I switched it out for some rich chocolate frosting. I also injected the cream into the cupcakes (the red was a special request–the guy is into special effects and I was making the cake “bleed” and topped with knives.) I started out using Martha Stewart’s vanilla cream filling, but it didn’t set correctly so I had to take some shortcuts. In the end, everything turned out great. If these cupcakes are as good as an actual Boston cream pie, sign me up!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

filling:
1 3-oz. box French vanilla instant pudding
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

frosting:
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
9 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with desired liners. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and butter.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the eggs and sugar on high speed until thick, about 5 minutes. The mixture will look pale. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients.
Once the milk and butter mixture begins to boil, slowly pour it into batter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract.
Divide the batter filling the cups halfway.
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, then allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cupcakes reach room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla filling.
In a medium bowl, combine the half and half and the vanilla pudding mix. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar at medium speed until soft peaks form–approximately 4 minutes. Gently fold in the pudding mixture until incorporated.

To make the frosting, melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside to cool until barely warm.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter. The mixture will become pale and fluffy in 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the cooled chocolate, and finally add the sour cream. Beat until smooth and blended. Fill a pastry bag with frosting and desired tip, and set aside.

To assemble the cupcakes, fill a food-safe squeeze bottle with the vanilla custard mixture. Insert the tip of the bottle into the cupcake, and squeeze until the custard begins to overflow. Top cupcakes with frosting.

Enjoy!

Adapted from:
Frosting: Annie’s Eats
Cake: Martha Stewart
Filling: Annie’s Eats

Nutella Mug Cake

Sometimes you just need a quick fix. When I made this, it was one of those occasions. I didn’t feel like making a whole batch of cupcakes or cookies; I just wanted something easy. I stumbled across this recipe and instantly ran to my cabinet to make sure I had everything. Of course, I had Nutella on hand–It’s the nectar of the gods, in my opinion. Everything in this is simple baking staples with the addition of Nutella–which I happen to always have at least one jar of at all times. It takes just a couple of minutes for when you need that pick-me-up dessert without wondering what to do with a cake that’s missing just a small slice.

Nutella Mug Cake
4 tablespoons self-rising flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Fresh Whipped Cream (optional):
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar

In a coffee mug, combine all of the ingredients. If you do not have self-rising flour on hand, just Google the conversions and you can figure out how much baking powder you’ll need. Mix with a fork until mostly smooth–it will still be a little lumpy. Place mug on microwavable plate and cook for 1 1/2 to 3 minutes, depending on your microwave. Just keep an eye on the cake and when the top starts to bubble over and the cake is no longer raw it is done.

Whisk together the heavy cream and sugar until soft to medium peaks form–about 3-5 minutes. If not using the whipped cream, top with powdered sugar or any other topping you see fit.

Enjoy!

Adapted from:
Live Love Pasta

Classic Pancakes

Without hesitation, I can tell you my favorite classic pancake recipe. In fact, I’m pretty sure I know the recipe by heart. I found this recipe 2 years ago looking for a cute Valentine’s day breakfast for Jarrett and me to enjoy. Although the only special thing about Martha Stewart’s original recipe is the shape of the pancakes, the actual batter is quick, easy, and delicious. I use it anytime I want to make a comforting breakfast and not spend a ton of time cooking. It is also extremely easy to double, or even triple, this recipe if you have guests!

Classic Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 1 tablespoon for griddle (or cooking spray)

In a small ramekin, melt butter in the microwave for 20 seconds (cover with a paper towel to avoid splatters!) and set aside to cool.
Preheat a griddle or large, flat saute pan over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the egg, milk, and unsalted butter and mix until just combined. A few small lumps left in the batter is perfectly fine.
Spray the griddle or saute pan with cooking spray or brush with butter. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop and pour batter onto the hot griddle and cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancake and the edges begin to crisp–about 2 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking for an additional minute.
Continue this process until all of the batter is used.
You can also keep the pancakes warm by preheating the oven to the warm setting (about 150-200 degrees) and keeping them covered while the others cook.
Top with powdered sugar, syrup, fruit, or whatever you choose.

Enjoy!

Adapted from:
Martha Stewart

French Toast

I can never figure out how to use a fresh loaf of bread before it begins to stale. Although croutons are an obvious choice, sometimes I want to change it up. French toast is a great way to use up day-old bread and to have breakfast the morning after a meal that you use fresh bread as a side. It’s really foolproof, too. The essentials are eggs, a little bit of heavy cream (or milk), and–of course–bread. I always add a few spices though to give it that extra push. This is a super simple, and super easy, way to have a great breakfast and use up leftovers!

French Toast
1/2 loaf day-old bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch slices
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup heavy cream
dash of cinnamon
splash of vanilla extract
crushed vanilla granola (optional)
butter or cooking spray

Using a serrated knife, cut the bread into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Set aside.
In a bowl or casserole dish (I have some shallow, rimmed bowls that are perfect for dipping the bread into), whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla until combined. Set aside.
Heat a griddle pan over medium heat, using either butter or cooking spray to keep the French toast from sticking.
Dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture, coating both sides. I like to also coat the bread in crushed granola if I have some in my cabinet to add some texture to the French Toast. When I made this, I didn’t have any, so I skipped this step.
Cook the bread on each side until lightly browned–about 2 minutes per side.
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, syrup, berries, or whatever toppings you desire!

Enjoy!

Baking by Becca original