December is here! The month of Christmas… the time of the year that we bake the most! I too had a lot of fun the previous years, baking some of my favorite Xmas desserts; Non-Alcoholic Christmas Cake, Alcoholic Christmas Cake, and Gingerbread Cookies. Although I do bake quite often, over the years I’ve started to grow a liking towards spicy flavors and took that as my inspiration for this Christmas. So here you go, a cupcake recipe from my pantry but with a twist of spicy gingerbread cookie flavors.

As I said before, these cupcakes are so different from the regular ones because they are spiced. The addition of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice gives it an aromatic flavor which reminds you of Christmas and the holidays. When you pull them out of the oven, your whole house literally starts to fill with the warmth and aroma of these spices, it’s pure bliss… I’m short of words to describe how good that feels!!

And to take the flavors of this beautiful dessert to another level, I have topped them up with Cream Cheese Frosting… a match made in heaven! A combo which keeps you craving for more…

Now if you want to impress your guests with some fun-filled theme-based presentation, top the frosted cupcakes with cute little gingerbread man icing decorations and Christmas sprinkles. The ones I’ve used were bought from Michael’s but you can also find them at Amazon here.

If you are in search for a good Gingerbread Cookies recipe, check out my Gingerbread Cookies post, it is a winner recipe and a definite crowd pleaser!

Merry Christmas & Happy Baking…!

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Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Kick off this year’s Christmas Party and Impress your Holiday Guests with these Spicy Tender Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cupcake, gingerbread, gingerbread cupcakes

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16 cupcakes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 1½ cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp allspice
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• ½ cup milk (at room temperature)

For the cream cheese frosting

• 1 block (8oz) cream cheese (softened)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 3 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Gingerbread man icing decorations (optional)
• Christmas sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

For the cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
• Prepare dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg and allspice in a large bowl. Keep aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add brown sugar and beat until combined.
• Add the egg and beat, followed by adding molasses.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with milk and beat until they combine well and the batter turns out smooth. The consistency of the batter is thick.
• Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them a little over half way full.
• Bake in the oven for 22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool completely before frosting.

For the cream cheese frosting

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Slowly add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until smooth.
• Transfer the frosting to a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes as desired.
• You may store any leftover frosting in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before using it again.
• Decorate with gingerbread man and Christmas sprinkles as desired (optional).

The post Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.

And finally Easter is around the corner…it’s time to save my appetite for some Easter goodies and I am all pumped up to get some baking done! As much as I love baking, so does my husband… in fact I feel he gets way more excited than me whenever I plan to bake a cake, he adjusts his schedule to be there in the kitchen and share all his wonderful tips and creative ideas. And he is a master at decorating too…Lucky Me…!!!

I have a lot of cupcake memories from my hometown and childhood days, but back then all the cakes were without any fancy frosting. I grew up in a small town and cupcakes were more of a delicacy, you would find them in bakeries more around the festival season and it was like a celebration dessert. Only two flavours were available; Vanilla or Chocolate. Me and my brother didn’t even know what the names meant back then but we loved them. All we would do is let our Amma (Mom) know that we want white or brown colored ones (or even both!!) and when she brought them home, it was the happiest moments. In the evening, she prepares tea and all of us sit down to enjoy our cupcakes with tea…… Aaaah, Good Old Days!!

Carrot cakes are one of my all-time favorites, and trust me, these cupcakes are the Best!!! Our friends love it, they are sweet and soft with the aroma of cinnamon and carrot, & the cream cheese frosting makes it even tastier. To give the fun Easter look, I decorated them with Cadburys Easter Eggs, but that’s purely optional.  I guarantee you that these Carrot Cupcakes will be the biggest hit for your Easter party…!!

Happy Easter…!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

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Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot Cupcakes topped with Classic Cream Cheese Frosting, Chopped Walnuts and Candied Eggs…!!!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, carrot cake, cupcake, easter egg

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For making cupcakes

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1½ cup grated carrots
• Candied Easter eggs (optional)
• ½ cup walnuts (chopped)

For cream cheese frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 8 oz Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For making cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Grease them with oil or butter.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder. Keep aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and oil until well combined. Follow by adding granulated sugar and vanilla extract, and mix.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients in batches and mix well.
• Add the grated carrots; fold in the batter until well combined.
• Pour the batter into the muffin tins and fill up to 2/3rd of the liners.
• Bake for 20-22 mins until the muffins have risen and turned golden brown.
• Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

For cream cheese frosting

• Beat butter and cream cheese until well combined.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, whisk well until it is smooth.
• Transfer to a piping bag and decorate according to your choice.
• Top with chopped walnuts and candied Easter eggs (optional).

Notes

1. If you do not prefer heavy frosting, you can cut down the measurements; cream cheese to 4oz, and powdered sugar to 2 cups.
2. Baking time vary from oven to oven, on a safer side check the muffins after 15 minutes of baking.

The post Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.

As mentioned in my previous posts, I started baking very recently and am still a beginner. I love cupcakes and knew I would be trying one very soon, but my biggest confusion was to pick a flavor, as both vanilla & chocolate were my favorites. That’s when my hubby proposed a half-n-half cake, and we loved the end result. The cupcakes when topped with butterscotch frosting, made my day…!!

The preparation was fun, as pouring the batter of the two flavors together into the pans was a bit tricky. The vanilla is much denser and displaces the chocolate batter as it rests. To make a proper half-n-half, there was this fine line of filling and baking which we had to trial and error. My hubby and I took a batter each and filled them simultaneously, and I must say that with his help it turned out pretty well.  You can do it on your own too, either by using separate piping bags and filling, or buy pouring them together if you can multitask well.

As the preparation of the batter for both flavors are different, I have provided their recipes separately. You can either use only one flavour, or try out a half-n-half like I did, and if you would like to go a step further make a marble cake style by giving it a swirl.

To make your cake super soft, light and moist, do not overbake them.    Once the cake cools down, you can top them for decoration in many ways, I did a butterscotch frosting with chocolate sprinkles and it tasted good. I used a readymade butterscotch frosting this time, will surely attempt my own recipe and post it soon.

Prep time        : 50 minutes
Serves              : 24 cupcakes

 INGREDIENTS

For Vanilla Cupcake :

Flour                              : 1 ½ cup
Baking powder            : 1 ½ teaspoon
Salt                                  : ¼ teaspoon
Eggs                                : 2 (cooled at room temp.)
Sugar                              : 2/3 cup
Butter                             : 6 oz (melted at room temp.)
Milk                                : ½ cup
Vanilla extract              : 2 teaspoon

For Chocolate Cupcake :

Flour                                               : ¾ cup
Cocoa powder (unsweetened) : ½ cup
Baking powder                            : ½ teaspoon
Baking soda                                  : ¾ teaspoon
Salt                                                  : ¼ teaspoon
Eggs                                                 : 2
Granulated sugar                         : ½ cup
Brown sugar                                  : ½ cup
Oil                                                     : 1/3 cup
Vanilla extract                               : 2 teaspoon
Buttermilk                                      : ½ cup

Cupcake liners
Chocolate sprinkles
Butterscotch icing

INSTRUCTIONS

For Vanilla Cupcake :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the baking pan with the cupcake liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, add sugar and eggs (cooled at room temperature) and beat till it becomes light and foamy.
5. Mix the butter and vanilla extract and whisk.
6. Add the dry ingredients into this mixture in portions, alternating with milk and stir. Do not overmix the batter.
7. To ensure equal sized cupcakes, fill each liner in the pan to the same level, at about half way to avoid spilling when baking. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, or till a toothpick when inserted in the center of a cake, comes out clean.
8. Cool the cupcake in a rack for 10 minutes.

For Chocolate Cupcake :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange the baking pan with the cupcake liners.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the dry ingredients; cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, mix granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs (one at a time). Add oil and mix well.
5. Add the dry ingredients into this mixture in portions, alternating with buttermilk and stir. Do not overmix the batter.
6. To ensure equal sized cupcakes, fill each liner in the pan to the same level, at about half way to avoid spilling when baking. Bake for 16 – 20 minutes, or till a toothpick when inserted in the center of a cake, comes out clean.
7. Cool the cupcake in a rack for 10 minutes.

 Chocolate cup cake recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Preparation of  a Half-n-Half Vanilla Chocolate cupcake :

1. Follow the instructions of both vanilla and chocolate cupcake batter preparation till the 5^th step.
6. The only difference here is how you pour both batters together. You can either take someone’s assistance in adding one of the batters while you add the other simultaneously. Or if you can manage on your own, fill the two batters in different piping bags and pipe them together into the liner. Also, if you prefer a marble cake style, add the batters one after the other and give it one swirl.
7. Follow the remaining steps as instructed earlier.

Decorate with butterscotch frosting and chocolate sprinkles.

The post Half-n-Half Vanilla Chocolate Cupcake appeared first on Pepper Delight.