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    Double Chocolate Cupcakes

    Meet your new go-to chocolate cupcake recipe. These cupcakes have it all — moist, rich cake, thick fudgy frosting, even sprinkles on top. They’re perfect for birthdays, baby showers, holiday gatherings, and everything in between.

    Photography Credit: Cindy Rahe

    Chocolate cupcakes were one of the first recipes I became obsessed with perfecting.
    To me, the ideal chocolate cupcake is moist with a deep chocolate flavor. The recipe also should produce exactly one dozen cupcakes in a standard muffin tin, no more and no less.

    The Secret to Moist, Rich Cupcakes
    I worked hard, trying a half dozen different versions. My original recipe called for sour cream in the batter, which produced a rich and slightly denser cupcake. But one day, I tried substituting buttermilk and it has now become my go-to.
    These cupcakes are just rich enough. They’re nicely moist and a little lighter in texture than my sour cream version, yet sturdy enough to hold a generous crown of whatever frosting you choose.
    The Best Chocolate Frosting for Cupcakes
    I’ve opted to top these cupcakes with a fudgy, dark chocolate frosting. It’s a little thicker than classic buttercream thanks to lots of melted chocolate, but it has a deeper chocolate flavor.
    To gild the lily, I like to finish the cupcakes with a shower of chocolate sprinkles on top—my favorite are Dutch dark chocolate sprinkles, like Deruyter brand. They actually taste like chocolate instead of wax! I find them at World Market, online, or even in the international aisle of some grocery stores.

    From the editors of Simply Recipes

    How Far Ahead Can You Make These Cupcakes?
    Frosted Cupcakes: You can store the frosted cupcakes at room temperature for a few days. If your kitchen is warmer than 70°F, or your cupcakes have been out for a while, refrigerate them.
    Unfrosted Cupcakes: Store the unfrosted cupcakes for in an airtight container at room temperature. Frost within 2 days.
    To freeze baked cupcakes without frosting, wrap them individually in plastic and seal in a plastic bag or tub. For the best favor, use within a month.
     Frosting: On its own, the chocolate frosting will keep refrigerated for up to a week, and frozen for up to 2 months. Give the frosting time to come to temperature before frosting the cupcakes.
    Swaps & Substitutions
    Do not swap the Dutch processed cocoa powder for any other cocoa powder. Dutch processed is important for both flavor and for the recipe to work properly.
    If you don’t have buttermilk, swap in some yogurt or sour cream thinned with a little milk. You can also make a DIY buttermilk substitute by combining a cup of milk with a tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
    Try another frosting! Regular vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting would be great.
    Love Chocolate Cake? Try These Recipes!

    Updated October 5, 2020 : We spiffed up this post to make it sparkle! No changes to the original recipe.

    Double Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

    Ingredients
    For the cupcakes:
    1 cup (4 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
    1/2 cup (2 oz) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 cup (4 oz) sugar
    3/4 cup buttermilk
    1/2 cup canola oil
    2 large eggs
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    For the frosting:
    8 ounces dark chocolate
    1 tablespoon corn syrup
    1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
    1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
    2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
    4 to 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
    Pinch of kosher salt
    Chocolate sprinkles

    Method

    1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
    2 Make the cake batter: In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together. In a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just smooth and combined.

    3 Bake the cupcakes: Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups (each cup will be nearly full). Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the tops of the cupcakes spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    Remove from the oven and cool completely on a rack before frosting.

    4 Melt the chocolate for the frosting: Place the chocolate for the frosting in a glass measuring cup and melt in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until completely smooth. Stir in the corn syrup.
    Set aside to cool to room temperature (I usually pour it into a wide, shallow bowl to speed up cooling).

    5 Make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Beat until combined; it may be crumbly, but that’s okay. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the heavy cream and the salt and continue beating until the mixture smooths out.
    Beat in the room temperature chocolate and corn syrup into the mixture until smooth and incorporated. If needed, beat in additional powdered sugar and/or heavy cream to get a smooth and spreadable consistency that you like.
    Spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes using an offset spatula or butter knife, or transfer to a piping bag and pipe. Top with sprinkles if you want.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you!

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    Cindy Rahe
    Cindy Rahe is the recipe maker and picture taker behind Hungry Girl por Vida. She loves to bake from scratch and make things that taste as good as they look. Cindy was born near Seoul but grew up in California and Nevada. She believes strongly in homemade birthday cakes, creamy coffee, and making room for dessert.
    More from Cindy LEGGI TUTTO

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    Butternut Amaretto Bundtlettes

    Butternut-Amaretto Bundtlettes
    Yields about 18 mini bundt cakes

    Bundt cakes
    2 1/2 cups (500g) granulated sugar
    1 cup (240ml) canola oil
    3 large eggs, at room temperature
    3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    2 cups (15 oz.) butternut squash puree (instructions follow)

    Butter amaretto syrup
    1/2 cup (120ml) water
    1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
    1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
    1 cup(120ml)  amaretto liqueur
    Pinch of salt

    Glaze
    2 cups (230g) confectioners’ sugar
    1 tablespoon amaretto
    2-3 tablespoons milk or cream to thin
    1 drop each yellow and orange food color

    For the cakes, preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a multi cavity mini-bundt cake pan (such as Nordicware Bundtlette pan) with flour-based baking spray.

    In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cloves; add to egg mixture alternately with squash puree, beating well after each addition.

    Scoop the batter into the bundt pan cavities within 1/2 inch of the tops. Cover unused batter in the bowl with a damp tea towel. Bake for 24-27 minutes, or until the bundt cakes are well puffed, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wash the pan, coat with flour-based baking spray and bake remaining batter; repeat until all the batter has been used. 

    For the syrup, combine the water and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl; heat at 100% power for 1 minute, and stir. Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir until the sugar is melted. Stir the melted butter into the hot liquid; add the amaretto and pinch of salt. Stir to combine. Quickly dunk each cake in the liquid and transfer to wire racks. Let stand until the syrup is well-absorbed, about 10 minutes.

    For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, amaretto, and 2 tablespoons of cream in a medium bowl. Blend with a whisk to combine. Add more milk or cream as needed to form a thick glaze that holds in the balloon of the whisk for a moment before falling in a ribbon back into the bowl. Add the food color and mix again. Spoon the glaze over the cakes. Let stand until the glaze crusts, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Store the cakes in an air-tight container.

    **To make this recipe as one large bundt cake, pour the batter into a 10-inch tube pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean.

    How to make butternut squash puree:
    Wash and carefully cut off the stem and base ends of a medium whole butternut squash; half lengthwise. Dig the seeds and membranes out with a large sturdy spoon. Butternut squash are firm and can be hard to cut! Microwave halves for about three minutes to soften and loosen the skin for easy and safer peeling! Remove skin from halves with a sharp knife. Place halves face down in a baking dish or roasting pan; pour water into dish around squash about 1/2 inch deep. Cover with foil and roast for an hour or until fork tender. Let cool and chop into small cubes. Puree in a blender or in a food processor until smooth.  LEGGI TUTTO

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    Chai Streusel Babka

    Perfumed with warm chai spice, this crunchy and aromatic babka is a twist-pardon the pun-on the more common cinnamon babka, bringing all the comfort of your favorite tea latte to the enriched babka formula. You’ll welcome this spicy changeup. Find more delicious babka recipes in our September/October 2020 issue!

    Chai Streusel Babka

    2½ cups (313 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (16 grams) all-purpose flour, divided
    3 tablespoons (36 grams) granulated sugar
    1½ teaspoons (4.5 grams) instant yeast
    1¼ teaspoons (3.75 grams) kosher salt
    ¼ cup (60 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, divided
    ¼ cup (57 grams) unsalted butter
    ¼ cup (60 grams) whole milk
    ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
    2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature and divided
    Chai Filling (recipe follows)
    Chai Streusel (recipe follows)

    In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 1 cup (125 grams) flour, sugar, yeast, and salt by hand.
    In a small saucepan, heat ¼ cup (60 grams) water, butter, milk, and vanilla over medium-low heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 120°F (49°C) to 130°F (54°C). Add warm butter mixture to flour mixture. Using the paddle attachment, beat at medium-low speed until combined. Add 1 egg (50 grams), and beat until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add 1½ cups (188 grams) flour, beating just until combined and stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
    Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed until a soft, somewhat sticky dough forms, 5 to 7 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl and dough hook; add up to remaining 2 tablespoons (16 grams) flour, 1 tablespoon (8 grams) at a time, if dough is too sticky. Turn out dough onto a very lightly floured surface, and shape into a smooth round.
    Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
    Turn out dough onto a very lightly floured surface, and gently press into an 8×6-inch rectangle. Loosely wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
    Spray an 8½×4½-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan.
    On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 13×10-inch rectangle (about ¼ inch thick). Using a small offset spatula, spread Chai Filling on dough, leaving a ½-inch border on both short sides and one long side. Starting with opposite long side, roll up dough, jelly roll style, and pinch seam to seal. Gently lift log at each end, and stretch to 14 inches long. Place seam side down, making sure seam is off to one side instead of in center. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut in half lengthwise. Turn halves cut side up, and place in an “X.” Twist top half of “X” two times; pinch ends, and tuck under. Repeat with bottom half of “X.” Using your hands, place in prepared pan, making sure to keep cut sides up and ends tucked. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until puffed, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (See Note.) Test dough for fermentation using the finger dent test. (See PRO TIP.)
    Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
    In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1 egg (50 grams) and remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water. Using a pastry brush, brush egg wash on top of dough. Sprinkle with half of Chai Streusel.
    Bake for 20 minutes. Top with remaining Chai Streusel, and bake until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 190°F (88°C), 20 to 25 minutes more, covering with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.

    Final rise time will depend on how long the dough is chilled. The longer the dough is chilled, the longer it will take to rise.PRO TIP: Once you think your dough has proofed, conduct the finger dent test. Gently press your finger about ½ inch into the surface. You should be able to watch the dough spring back slightly but still show an indentation. If the dent disappears, the dough is underproofed and needs more time. If the indentation stays completely, it has overproofed, but don’t panic. Immediately pop it into the oven; the babka will still be great.

    3.5.3251

    Chai Filling

    3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
    ⅓ cup (73 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
    2 teaspoons (4 grams) Chai Spice Mix (recipe on page 25)
    ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

    In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a silicone spatula, press and stir together until well combined.

    3.5.3251

    Chai Streusel

    5 tablespoons (40 grams) all-purpose flour
    4 teaspoons (16 grams) granulated sugar
    ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
    ¼ teaspoon Chai Spice Mix (recipe on page 25)
    1½ tablespoons (21 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed

    In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, salt, and Chai Spice Mix. Using your fingers, cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly. Crumble with your fingertips until desired consistency is reached. Refrigerate until ready to use.

    3.5.3251

     

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    Cheesy Artichoke Pie

    Canned artichokes, lemon zest, and parsley combined with a cheese trifecta of Ricotta, Swiss, and Parmesan make this surprisingly light, cheesy artichoke pie. It only takes 30 minutes to assemble and less than an hour in the oven!

    When I think of a cheesy pie, I imagine something dense and, well, super cheesy. This pie defies my preconceptions!
    The main cheese is mild ricotta, with some Swiss cheese and Parmesan for extra oomph. With flaky phyllo dough and plenty of eggs in the mix, the pie turns out to be light and delicate.
    Made with canned artichokes, this pie is easy to make: layers of crisp and buttery phyllo, artichokes, a burst of bright lemon zest, and fresh parsley. It’s a vision to behold. Serve it with a big salad or steamed asparagus and some crusty bread.

    WHAT’S THE BEST CHEESE FOR CHEESE PIE?
    Ricotta is what really lights up this pie, but it is a little bland by itself. Whole milk ricotta is the creamiest and best to use in the recipe. If you want to exchange the Swiss cheese for another one, any buttery, nutty cheese is a good choice, but keep the Parmesan!
    Swap out the Swiss if you please with any of these:
    Gouda
    Gruyere
    Emmenthaler
    Jarlsberg
    WHAT ARTICHOKES TO USE?
    If you are ambitious, you could cook whole artichokes and cut the heart into pieces (oh dear, that sounds a little sad). Anyway, using canned or defrosted frozen artichoke hearts is probably more realistic unless you are hankering for a project.
    Both are delicious in the pie, and the canned ones, packed in oil or water, may be the easiest to find. If you’re not an artichoke fan, cooked broccoli florets or cooked asparagus spears cut into pieces would make fine substitutes. You’ll need about 1 1/2 cups.

    WHAT IS PHYLLO?
    Phyllo dough (also called “filo”) is made of tissue-thin sheets of wheat dough and is popular in Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. The sheets, brushed with olive oil or butter, stacked in layers and baked, form a delightfully rich, crisp, and buttery pastry. The most common examples are spanakopita and baklava, but it has many more uses.
    You will find phyllo in your grocery freezer section, along with other pie dough and puff pastry (which is not the same thing!). The most prevalent size of the sheets is 14 x 18 inches, but any size in that neighborhood will work well. I used this brand, but have also found other similar brands depending on where I shop.
    To defrost phyllo, leave it in its package in the refrigerator the night before you’re going to use it. To prevent it from becoming dry and brittle, use the phyllo within 24 hours of defrosting it.
    TIPS FOR WORKING WITH PHYLLO
    Phyllo can be a little glitchy to work with. Each paper-thin sheet must be brushed with melted butter and layered in a baking dish. Work quickly, and if you are going to walk away for more than a few minutes, be sure to cover it with a lightly dampened dishtowel.
    Place the stack of phyllo next to the baking dish and brush the top layer with butter.
    If you need to pause at any point, cover the stack with a lightly dampened dishtowel, but don’t leave it there too long or the dough will dry out.
    Don’t worry too much about a few cracks here and there. There’s going to be another layer to cover them!
    Most one-pound packages have around 18 sheets.
    You can refreeze the unused dough. Wrap it in several layers of plastic and freeze.
    Defrost in the fridge, covered with a damp cloth while it is defrosting.

    TO MAKE AHEAD, STORE, AND FREEZE ARTICHOKE PIE
    You can assemble this pie ahead of time. Cover it tightly with foil and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.
    To freeze an unbaked pie: Brush the top layer with butter and wrap it well in plastic then in foil. It can be frozen for up to three months. When ready to cook, unwrap the pie, brush with more butter, and place the frozen pie in the oven on a baking sheet. It should take from 10 to 20 minutes longer to bake than a freshly made pie.
    Once baked, leftover pie will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat it in the oven at 350ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot all the way through.
    MORE TASTY SAVORY PIE RECIPES LEGGI TUTTO

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    15 Sweet and Savory Pumpkin Recipes to Make this Fall

    When I worked as a baker, we sold pumpkin muffins, pumpkin granola, and pumpkin spice lattes by the dozens once the air turned chilly. It was pumpkin season and we did everything we could to satiate the pumpkin craving.
    Pumpkin spice is delicious but that’s not the only way to use fall’s favorite vegetable. Pumpkin can do so much more!
    These recipes use either fresh or canned pumpkin. For recipes that use fresh pumpkin, look for sugar pumpkins or pumpkin pie pumpkins. The pumpkin should feel heavy for its size and have a smooth exterior with no soft spots, browning or mold. Also, in a pinch you can usually substitute butternut squash for pumpkin in most recipes and no one would be the wiser.
    Pumpkins have a long shelf life so feel free to pick up a few so that you’re prepared when the pumpkin craving strikes.
    When it comes to canned pumpkin just double check the label to make sure you’re buying canned pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. LEGGI TUTTO

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    Easy Fantasy Fudge

    Method

    1 Prep baking pan and assemble ingredients: Prepare everything in advance and have ready to go — chopped chocolate, chopped nuts, the marshmallow cream already out of the jar and in a bowl that you can easily scrape out with a rubber spatula.
    Line a 9×13 baking pan with foil, butter the inside.
    2 Boil sugar, butter, and milk for 4 minutes: In a 3-quart, thick-bottomed saucepan, bring sugar, butter, and milk to a rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly once the mixture begins to bubble.
    Once the mixture reaches a boil, set your timer to 4 minutes. You will want to remove the mixture from the heat once it reaches 234°F on a candy thermometer (adjust for altitude as needed) which should take about 4 minutes. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, just go with the four minutes.

    3 Finish the fudge: Remove from heat. Quickly stir in chocolate and marshmallow creme.
    Once the chocolate and marshmallow creme have melted and are well mixed, stir in the vanilla and then the walnuts.

    5 Pour into prepared pan.

    6 Cool to room temperature before slicing (about 4 hours). You may want to chill in the refrigerator to get it more firm.

    Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. Thank you! LEGGI TUTTO

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    5 Breakfast for Dinner Recipes to Make Weeknight Meals Fun and Easy

    This month welcome Sara Bir. Sara is the author of two cookbooks, Tasting Ohio and the IACP award-winning The Fruit Forager’s Companion. She also moderates and replies to your comments here on Simply Recipes. Follow her @sausagetarian.
    Do you want to know a secret? I love breakfast. Another secret? I eat yogurt with fruit and flax seeds nearly every morning.
    That leaves an awful lot of neglected breakfast options, so I just make them for dinner instead. I mean, who says eggs are only for mornings? Breakfast favorites at the dinner table make you feel like you’re getting away with something. Delivering quick, appealing, healthy meals, perhaps?
    I suppose there’s not a point in pondering when there’s so much to gain. Inverting the order we follow all the time is invigorating. And hello, everyone loves breakfast for dinner. It’s fun, carefree, and the best possible way to scramble things up.
    One last thing: Looking for dinner ideas? You’re in the right spot! We just launched our new paid meal plan service. We have delicious meal plans to suit every taste and lifestyle—Healthy Eating, Family Favorites, and Vegetarian, just to name a few. These one-week plans are $1.95 and, with them, you get a dessert and weekend prep recipe and a shopping list. They’re beautifully designed and perfect to print and save or simply load and cook right from your computer! LEGGI TUTTO

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    Use It Up: 11 Recipes to Make the Most of Coconut Milk

    I’m one of those people that saves every scrap of food. Look in my fridge and you’ll find mini containers strewn throughout containing leftover beans or tomato sauce that I don’t want to toss down the drain.
    More often than not, I’ll find a use for these leftover ingredients. When it comes to coconut milk, I might stir it in my morning oatmeal or swirl in a warming soup. Even if you only have a little coconut milk leftover from last night’s curry it’s easy to find a way to use it up.
    For the recipes below, look for brands of canned, unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (not coconut extract). It might also have water, guar gum in the ingredient list. Cream of coconut, coconut water and coconut cream are different products that have different uses.
    What about lite coconut milk? Well, it will work most of the time but because it has less fat, it does not have the same amount of coconut flavor. Be sure to check the recipe before making substitutions as it can impact the final dish.
    When storing leftover coconut milk, make sure you date the container and keep it refrigerated. It’s best to use coconut milk within seven days. You can also freeze it by pouring it into ice cube trays. It will keep in the freezer for up to one month.

    Products We Love

    Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk, Set of 12

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    This post may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Simply Recipes. Read more about our affiliate linking policy. LEGGI TUTTO