A Birthday for Grandpa with Classic Yellow Cupcakes

Grandpa needed help blowing out the candles on his birthday cupcake yesterday, so Matthew, came to the rescue! 

Grandpa and Matthew

Bill loves cupcakes and so does our 6-year-old grandson, and this Martha Stewart recipe came to my rescue.

Woo hoo!

Bill's birthday is actually today ~ he’s having 2 days of celebrating.  It was going to be a day of golf with Bubba, but due to thunderstorms, that’s postponed for a sunny day; instead, it’s off to lunch later at a favorite Mexican restaurant. 

On with the cupcakes…

Who doesn’t like a cupcake!  These cupcakes are moist, delicious and full of flavor.  The recipe calls for a dozen cupcakes, I doubled it.  Yellow is Bill’s favorite with chocolate buttercream frosting.  Matthew opts for yellow cupcakes with buttercream frosting. 

 The options for decorating are endless, we like sprinkles here!

Believe me, these cupcakes disappear quickly!

Yield: 12Author: Pam

Classic Yellow Cupcakes

prep time: 25 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 45 mins

Perfect classic treats for a birthday or any day!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CUPCAKES

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Sprinkles, for decorating

FOR BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3 cups congerectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup of Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons of milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°, line cups of a standard muffin tin with paper lines. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder,and salt. Set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla; set aside.
2. In large bowl, with electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy,  3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. With mixer on low speed, add half of dry ingredients, followed by milk-vanilla mixture, then remaining dry ingredients. Do not overmix.
4. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool cupcakes 5 minutes in tin, then remove and cool completely on a rack before frosting.
6. Prepare frosting: In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Mix in up to 1/2 cup more sugar, (more for chocolate) or a few teaspoons of milk as necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency.
7. Frost cupcakes, decorate with sprinkles before frosting dries to ensure that thy stick.

Created using The Recipes Generator

Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Birthday Cake for Bill's Birthday!

We celebrated 

Bill’s  71st birthday 

yesterday!

What Bill really likes on his big day is the cast iron crowd-please of cakes ~ Chocolate cake ~ A good old-fashioned chocolate cake with chocolate fudge frosting, and his 5-year-old grandson, Matthew, to help him eat it!

This is a simple rich moist cake recipe, from a Hershey’s Cookbook.

According to a University of Michigan study, chocolate contains chemicals called opioids.  Opioids are also found in opium, and they produce a euphoric feeling and are very pleasurable.  

Apparently, one of the effects of chocolate on the brain is to release natural endorphins so that when we eat chocolate, it dulls pain and gives us a little euphoric feeling. That could explain why chocolate is craved.  

There’s a sweet solution to that craving ~ feed it!

And this chocolate birthday cake with chocolatey fudge frosting, “filled the Bill!”

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Birthday Cake
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

4 squares Hershey’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
5 tablespoons hot water
½ cup butter
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, separated
1¾ cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt the baking chocolate, cut into small pieces, with the hot water in top of double boiler over simmering water.
Cream the butter and sugar together well.
Add the egg yolks, well-beaten, and whip thoroughly.
Then add the melted chocolate mixture, slightly cooled.
Add the flour, sifted with the baking powder and salt, and the milk.
Fold in the stiffly whipped egg whites and vanilla. 
Pour into well-greased and floured, 2 round 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans or a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan.*
Bake for about 20-25 minutes for round pans, 40-45 for oblong pan or until done when toothpick is inserted in middle and comes out clean.
Let cool in round pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
Frost when completely cool.
*I used two 9-inch round pans, they baked for 22 minutes.

Classic Chocolate Fudge Frosting

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup milk

Method:

Melt chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler, or in the microwave.  
In a large bowl, combine confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and ½ cup of the milk.
Blend in the melted chocolate mixture.
Add remaining milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
Let stand until spreadable, frosting will thicken as it cools.
Frost cake.

Serve 


Enjoy!

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Every year, when Bill’s birthday rolls around, he has visions of a yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

This recipe, from Martha’s American Food cookbook by Martha Stewart, is the recipe I used for his birthday cake recently.  It’s actually for a 4-layer cake ~ I wasn’t that adventurous, and made it 2-layers.  

According to Martha, “butter cakes” are a departure from the tradition of cake baking inherited from the Europeans, who relied on whipped egg whites for loft in sponge cakes, and glazes to moisten the airy layers.  With the advent of chemical leaveners, American bakers could increase the amount of butter in their cakes and still get a glorious lift ~ resulting in a new kind of cake with ultra-moist layers.”  “Butter cakes,” such as this one, quickly became the American standard.

By the way, the cookbook is filled with lots of great recipes, and this one made Bill a happy man for his birthday!

Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Adapted

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans

1½ cups flour, plus more for pans

1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1¾ cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1¼ cups milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter two 8”x2” round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment.

Butter parchment and dust with flour, tap out excess.

Sift together flours, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.

With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl when needed.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla.

With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour.

Beat well after each addition.

Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake until tops are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool in pans on a rack for 20 minutes.

Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen and turn out cakes onto rack.

Let cool completely, top side up.

*Place one of the layers on serving plate, spread with frosting.

Place other layer on top and frost entire cake.

8 to 10 servings

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

1½ pounds semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

1 pound plus 4 tablespoons (4½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Pinch of salt

Method:

Heat chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over(not in) a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted, about 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine cocoa and the boiling water; stir until cocoa is dissolved.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until light and fluffy.

Add melted chocolate; beat on low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Beat in cocoa mixture. 

Use immediately.

Makes 7½ cups (enough for an 8-inch layer cake)

*Pam’s note:  As I stated earlier, this recipe is for 4 layers.  If you desire, cut each of the 2 layers in half horizontally with a serrated knife to make 4 layers, and frost each layer.  This frosting recipe makes plenty of frosting to cover the cake.

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!