Hot Buttered Rum Mugcakes

I originally developed these hot buttered rum mugcakes for Paula Deen back in 2010, but given that they are so fitting for a holiday menu and it's sometimes hard for me to remember what I did yesterday, I thought that the hot buttered rum mugcake recipe was worth sharing again. 

Hot buttered rum (for the uninitiated) is a drink often interchangeably described as a hot toddy.  While there are a variety of recipes out there for hot buttered rum, the most common preparation is to freeze a batter of brown sugar, spices (such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove), butter, and vanilla ice cream.  When you are ready to serve the hot beverage, mix some frozen batter with boiling water and rum.

This hot buttered rum mugcake recipe uses all of the same spices as the beverage - and because the alcohol is cooked off in baking, it’s kid-friendly. 

Hot Buttered Rum Mugcake Recipe

Cappuccino Eggnog Angel Food Cupcakes

These cappuccino eggnog angel food cupcakes have changed everything. Angel food cake is no longer relegated to the summer, topped with fresh, seasonal fruit.  These heavenly light cappuccino eggnog angel food cupcakes, topped with a dollop of snowy white whipped cream, smell like a bag of coffee beans kissed under the mistletoe by a jug of eggnog.  Their taste follows through on the scent's promise - each bite like a drink of the season's flavors. 

Cappuccino Eggnog Angel Food Cupcake Recipe 

Magical Sugar Plum Fairy Cakes

In the United Kingdom, cupcakes are sometimes called fairy cakes.  Never has that name been more fitting than when used for my sugar plum fairy cakes!  I spun dried fruits, walnuts, honey, orange juice, and seasonal spices together in my sugar plum fairy cakes, creating a magical taste spectacle. While similar in flavor to my sugar plum recipe, these sugar plum fairy cakes are dainty, light, and majestic. Coriander orange buttercream and a sprinkle of fairy dust (edible glitter) add the finishing touches. 

Sparkly Sugar Plums for Christmas

What is a Sugar Plum?

You have probably heard 'Twas the Night Before Christmas several hundred times, but if you are like me, you may not have stopped to find out just what a sugar plum is after hearing the sugar plum verse:

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

I always assumed that sugar plums referred to sugared and baked plums.  Even the sugar plum fairy from The Nutcracker didn't give me a clue as to what to expect from sugar plums.

Need a Gift for a Baker? Here Are Over 50 Ideas!

Are you looking for a gift for a baker on your holiday list?  I've got you covered!  Over the past year, I've curated a list of my favorite baking-related products on my Peek In My Pantry Pinterest board.  With just a few exceptions (that I indicate on the board), I've personally used and enjoyed every product there.  Peek In My Pantry contains baking basics, book ideas, specialized baking tools, totally unique food products (like miracle fruit and mastic gum), baking-themed jewelry, aprons, and more.  Peek in My Pantry and let me know which gifts you found for your favorite baker and what I left off.

Special Coupon for Cupcake Project Readers

Earlier this year, I told you about the Excalibur Dehydrator (I used it to make cupcake croutons).  Excalibur is offering a special 10% off coupon for Cupcake Project readers Dec. 1 through Dec. 15 - just enter the code 10DEC15 when you check out. 

Christmas Stollen Cupcakes - A Christmas Classic Transformed

These Christmas stollen cupcakes stole my heart.  I got the stollen pun out of the way in the first line. Now you (specifically my Dad, the pun master) can proceed with reading the stollen cupcake post without waiting to see if/when I would use the bad pun.

Each year, I like to share a new Christmas cupcake recipe ('tis the season for baking)!  I've made gingerbread cupcakes, eggnog latte cupcakes, mulled wine cupcakes with roasted chestnut frosting, and panettone cupcakes.  As I was debating what to make this year, I received a free copy of the inspiring book A World of Cake by Krystina Castella. (Skip Read all of the way to the end of the post if you want to know how you can win a signed copy). 

Panettone - Cupcake Style

Panettone is one of the few cakes that you can buy in a box at Walgreens. I've always seen the panettone there, but like the Snuggie for dogs, I just look - I've never purchased. That being said, I can't tell you if my panettone cupcakes are better or worse than the panettone cake in the boxes. But, I believe that the odds of homemade baked goods being better than their store-bought counterparts are about the same as the odds of a book being better than its movie adaptation - just about 100% (feel free to correct me, fans of boxed panettone or movie adaptions of books).

Panettone Whoseewhatsee?

If you've spent the whole first paragraph wondering what in the world panettone is and how you say it (it's pon-a-tony), here is your answer: Panettone is an Italian sweet bread with dried fruit and/or candied fruit typically served during Christmas time. I've (of course) made mine in cupcake wrappers. I got the adorable seasonal wrappers shown above and below as a gift from cousin Bryna. Thanks!!

Panettone Cupcake Recipe

To make these panettone cupcakes, I converted a panettone recipe from allrecipes.com to cupcake format. I am reprinting it below with the cupcake adaptation and my notes.

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 C warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/4 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C nonfat plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 T grated lemon zest (I used 1/4 t lemon extract and 1/4 t orange extract)
• 1/4 t salt
• 4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C dried currants
• 1/4 C raisins (I also added 1/4 C dried cherries and 1/4 C dried cranberries. Feel free to add whatever dried fruit you like!)
• 1 T confectioners' sugar
• 1 T butter, melted (optional)

1. In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water and sugar.
   
2. Cover and let stand 10 minutes, or until foamy.
   
3. Add eggs, yogurt, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt. Mix well.
   
4. Stir in flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough forms into a manageable ball.
5. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary, until dough is soft and pliable, but not sticky. (You may need up to 5 cups flour.)
   
6. Place dough in a large, lightly greased bowl.
7. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
   
8. In a small bowl, toss dried fruit with confectioners' sugar.
   
9. Punch down dough, transfer to floured surface, and knead in the fruit.
10. Line cupcake tin with liners and divide dough evenly between them.
11. Cover loosely with dish towel, and let rise 30 minutes.
    
12. Brush with melted butter, if desired.
    
13. Bake for at 350 F for 25 minutes, or until cupcakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    

Other Christmas Cupcake Ideas:

• '08 Christmas cupcake - Mulled wine cupcakes with chestnut butter frosting
• '07 Christmas cupcake - Eggnog latte cupcakes
• Honey baked ham cupcakes
• Ferraro Rocher cupcakes
  
• Baking Bites Holiday Cupcake Contest - Check out the Baking Bites Holiday Cupcake Contest for some great cupcake inspiration.
  

Christmas Cupcakes - Mulled Wine Cupcakes with Chestnut Butter Frosting

Other Christmas Cupcakes and Chanukah Cupcakes:

• Eggnog Cupcakes
  
• Gingerbread Cupcakes
• Blue Chanukah Cupcakes
  

Christmas cupcakes made with mulled wine will have Santa begging for more (he likes his wine, you know - why do you think he has such a ruddy complexion?). These Christmas cupcakes have a complex adult taste, but they are sweet, moist, and festive enough to serve to the entire family.

The only problem I had with my Christmas cupcakes was that the recipe only made twelve. I would highly recommend doubling it - they are that good! One warning though, the wine flavor is not overpowering. Don't go in expecting a heavy hit of wine flavor.

A Note About Christmas Cupcakes and Me

Photo credit: TVparty.com

I don't celebrate Christmas. As a child, I did not ever put out cupcakes for Santa (or cookies for that matter). The staging of this photo was the first time I ever wrote a "For Santa" sign. However, as a Jewish child, I did believe in Santa.

For some reason, I had a stuffed Rudolph doll. I lived in New York, but we always went to Florida to stay with my grandparents over Christmas (I know - how stereotypically Jewish can you get!). On Christmas Eve, I would always take my reindeer doll and set it by the door to the condo to make sure that Rudolph could go out and help Santa deliver toys to the Christian kids.

Before Making Mulled Wine Cupcakes

Before making mulled wine cupcakes, make sure you've made some mulled wine. Duh! Check out my post on mulled wine for instructions.

Mulled Wine Cupcake Recipe

I based the cupcake recipe on the recipe for Minko's Do the Hokey Pokey cupcakes. They were so yummy that I thought they would be a good starting point. Here is the adapted recipe:

Makes 12 cupcakes

• 2 C flour
  
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t allspice
• 1/4 clove
  
• 3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 C sugar
• finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 C sour cream
• 2/3 C mulled wine, room temperature
  

1. A few hours before you are ready to bake, combine the orange zest and the sugar in a bowl. This will let the orange flavor infuse into the sugar.
2. With a fork, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a bowl.
3. Beat butter, grated orange zest and sugar in a large bowl for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs and sour cream until blended.
5. Alternately fold in flour mixture and mulled wine in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.
6. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
   
7. Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Chestnut Butter Frosting

Check out my chestnut butter frosting recipe post for the details on how to make the frosting for this cupcake.

Mulled Wine Syrup

I drizzled some mulled wine syrup over each frosted cupcake. This is by no means necessary, but it's a nice splash of red and it tasted quite good. To make the syrup, combine 1 cup of mulled wine and 1 cup of sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes.

Roasted Chestnut Butter Frosting

Roasted chestnut butter frosting is the perfect topping for any Christmas cupcake and there is no open fire needed - although you may find yourself seeking one out as you eat it. The chestnut frosting is not overly nutty, and it has a mild flavor and a smooth buttercream texture.

While peanut butter has it's fans, chestnut butter is the nut butter of choice for the season. I loved it in the roasted chestnut butter frosting, but it is also great on a piece of toast or in a chestnut butter and cranberry jelly sandwich!

This post covers how to make chestnut butter and then how to make chestnut butter frosting.

To start, you'll need roasted chestnuts.

I bought my roasted chestnuts at Whole Foods. However, if you want to take the effort to roast chestnuts yourself, Kevin of Closet Cooking has a great post on how to roast chestnuts.

Next, you'll need to turn those roasted chestnuts into chestnut butter.

Making nut butter is easier than you might think. You just need a food processor. My favorite food processor to use is my mini Cuisinart. Simply grind the roasted chestnuts in your food processor and then add vegetable oil 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to process until it has the consistency of a nut butter. Since roasted chestnuts don't have much oil in them, you may need to add up to 1/4 cup of vegetable oil per cup of chestnut butter produced.

Now, you can make the roasted chestnut butter frosting.

• 1 C roasted chestnut butter
• 1 C butter
• 2 C powdered sugar

1. Place the butter and nut butter into a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
2. Gradually mix in the sugar.
3. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

What's the cupcake under the frosting?

The cupcake under that frosting is my mulled wine Christmas cupcake! The recipe is coming soon!

Christmas Cupcakes - Holiday Cupcakes for the Starbucks Addict

Christmas Cupcakes Important Public Service Announcement

Christmas cupcakes look oh so cute with candy canes, but I have an important Christmas cupcake warning for you. Candy canes melt in the cold. Take a candy cane, stick it in a Christmas cupcake, and place in the fridge. It turns into a dripping candy cane icicle looking thing.

If you like the icicle effect, by all means stick them in the fridge. Otherwise, place your candy canes in the Christmas cupcakes right before serving.

Many of my tasters pointed out that I shouldn't have used candy canes at all given my "no mint on cupcakes" policy. I saw the candy cane as more of an accessory though, not a cupcake flavor. It was something that would not affect my ability to taste the cupcake and determine if it was good or not.

Unfortunately, when they melted on the icing, I was foiled by the evil mint. The mint flavor (that I equate to the taste of toothpaste) infiltrated my delicious frosting!

Regularly Scheduled Programming

The Bride and Groom wanted me to try creating an eggnog cupcake for them. Like all good Jewish people, I gladly accepted the opportunity to create a new Christmas classic (according to interfaith family, over 1/2 of the top Christmas songs were were composed, co-written or performed by verifiably Jewish artists).

If you love coffee, you will love these cupcakes. It's a bold statement I know, but market research on my friends proved that 100% of coffee lovers loved these (well, at least the frosting).

My mother-in-law, who has tasted almost every cupcake I have made and is also a true coffee fan, said this was the very best frosting I have ever made. My good friend over at Everybody Loves Cheese (and coffee) said she could have eaten the icing with a spoon.

What about the eggnog? The eggnog flavor was definitely there, although it was somewhat mild. It went really well with the latte. Thanks, Starbucks, for the idea.

My only complaint about these cupcakes is that they could have been a bit more moist. These are definitely cupcakes that you will need to have with a glass of milk or, of course, eggnog!

The Eggnog Cake

The cake is a recipe with I modified from here.

• 4 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups eggnog
• 1/4 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 350°F. and line twenty-four 1/2-cup muffin cups with paper liners.
Into a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and with mixer on low speed beat in eggnog and rum until just combined. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, beating until just combined after each addition.

The Latte Frosting

I got the base recipe for the frosting from the winning recipe of the cupcake hero clove contest.

I loved the texture of this frosting so much that I had to use it again. I just modified the ingredients slightly to create my latte frosting.

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
  
• 8 oz mascarpone
  
• 2 teaspoon coffee extract
• 1/4 cup ground coffee
  
• 2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar (depending upon how thick you prefer frosting)

Whip up whipping cream in mixer until soft peaks begin to form. Fold in mascarpone, coffee extract, and coffee grinds. Then while mixing over low speed, slowly add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time, being careful not to over whip frosting.

The Snowflake Sprinkles

I got those adorable snowflake sprinkles at Shop Bakers Nook. I don't see them there any more, but these are pretty similar, just blue and white.