S'mores and Campfire Cupcakes

I volunteered to provide desserts for an event for incoming freshmen girls.  I wanted to make something cute and school spirited, so I came up with these, which also gave me a good reason to use my new kitchen torch.  The cupcake on the left is a chocolate cupcake with toasted marshmallow frosting.  The one of the right is a vanilla cupcake with vanilla icing.

Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 12-14 cupcakes)

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla

Marshmallow Frosting

• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsp water
• 1 Tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup mini marshmallows

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk

Vanilla Frosting

• I cheated and used a Duncan Hines Vanilla Frosting here, but use any recipe you have and like.

Toppings

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp Crisco
• Graham crackers
• Pretzel sticks

Directions

1. CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 375. Mix together boiling water and cocoa powder.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs.  Beat in vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add cooled cocoa mixture.  Stir until smooth.  Fill cupcake liners and bake 16-20 minutes.
2. VANILLA CUPCAKES: Follow #1 minus cocoa powder mixture, and add milk at the end.
3. MARSHMALLOW FROSTING: Combine egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, cream of tartar, and salt. Heat in microwave until warm, stirring occasionally (I did 3-15 second intervals).  Beat on medium-high for 2 minutes.  In a separate bowl, microwave marshmallows for 45 seconds.  Add marshmallows and vanilla to egg white mixture.  Beat on low 3-4 minutes.  Use immediately. 
4. Color a large portion of the vanilla frosting using green food coloring.  Color remaining using red and yellow until you reach desired orange color.
5. Pipe marshmallow frosting onto chocolate cupcakes.  Using a kitchen torch about 2 inches from the frosting to brown the top.  Be careful not to burn it!
6. Add green frosting to vanilla cupcakes using desired technique.
7. CHOCOLATE TOPPERS: Microwave chocolate chips and Crisco until melted.  Mix together.  Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.  I placed stencils under the waxed paper.  Use a small round tip to pipe chocolate onto sheet in desired shape.  Allow to harden.
8. Add chocolate toppers and a small piece of graham cracker to the top of the chocolate cupcakes
9. Break pretzel sticks in half and place about 5-6 halves on the green icing on the vanilla cupcakes.  Pipe orange frosting onto pretzels to look like flames.

The graham crackers and pretzels got a little soft in the frosting, so I recommend baking them for about 5 minutes at 350 before adding them to the cupcakes.  I also wasn't a huge fan of this vanilla cupcake recipe, I'm still searching for a good one!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes

Due to work, I spent my birthday away from my family this year.  But I wasn't about to have a birthday without a cake.  A friend of mine came over and we baked these wonderful cupcakes.  Seriously, these are possibly the best cupcakes I've ever had in my life.  Just some advice, I recommend baking these with the windows open... the smell of this much peanut butter can be a little overwhelming.

Cupcakes

• I cheated here and used a Duncan Hines Devil's Food cake mix, but you can replace this with any recipe you might have for chocolate cupcakes

Filling

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tbsp milk

Directions

1. Bake cupcakes according to recipe directions.  Allow to cool.
2. Use a paring knife to remove a hole in the center of the cupcake.
3. FILLING: microwave peanut butter and butter for 45 seconds.  Mix in graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar.  Refrigerate 20-30 minutes.
4. Roll approximately 1 Tbsp of filling into a ball and place in the hold of each cupcake.
5. FROSTING: Beat butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add peanut butter and mix until combined.  Add powdered sugar one cup at a time.  Mix in milk.
6. Frost filled cupcakes using an icing tip of your choice.

I also added miniature Reese's to the top that I frosted with the peanut butter buttercream frosting for decoration.  YUM.  Will definitely be making these again!