September Birthday Baking

You: September birthdays? Wait, isn't it mid-October?

Me: Yes, yes it is, but since I just started this blog I haven't been able to tell you about the cupcakes I made for two birthdays last month. So there.

Both my brother and my cousin turned 21 last month and I wanted to make a little something special for each of their birthdays.  

For my cousin's birthday I decided to make S'more Cupcakes (adapted from The Doctor's Dishes, Desserts & Decor).  I doubled the original recipe to make more cupcakes (about 30).  

First, pre-heat oven to 350F.

 

Graham Cracker Cupcakes

1 cup butter, room temp.

2 cups sugar

6 eggs, room temp.

2 cups milk

2 cups flour

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

Beat the butter until creamed and add in sugar until the texture is light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add 1/3 of the dry mixture to the butter/egg mixture and then add 1/2 of the milk and mix.  Continue adding ingredients in the following order dry mix, milk, dry mix.  Mix until combined.

Scoop mixture into cupcake liners and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until done.

Chocolate Frosting

*note: This recipe has been doubled too and I still had more than chocolate for enough for 30 cupcakes

1 1/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

6 tbsp. cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2 cups milk

2 cups butter, softened

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt chocolate chips and then set aside to cool.  I like to melt mine in 20 second increments and stir inbetween.

In a saucepan whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and milk.  Bring to a boil and whisk, whisk, whisk.  Boil until mixture is "pudding-like" about 1-3 minutes. Make sure you don't over cook.  Remove the pan from heat and cool completely (i.e. stick it in the fridge).  My only advice is to make sure you really watch your chocolate when your cooking it because nobody likes burnt chocolate. 

Beat the butter until creamed.  Mix in cooled chocolate mixture.  Add the melted chocolate and beat until fluffy.  If you want you can add more cocoa powder, but it really depends on your personal preference.

Marshmallow Buttercream

2 cups butter, room temp.

4-6 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

marshmallow fluff (I probably used about 12 oz. but it's really up to the baker to decide how mashmallowey (new word?) they want the frosting to be.)

Now put it all together:  Core the cupcakes and fill the center with chocolate frosting.  Frost the cupcakes with marshmallow buttercream frosting.  I topped my cupcakes with a piece of hershey's, I mean what is a s'more without it?

left: cored cupcake filled with chocolate right: final product

S'more Cupcake

These cupcakes were definitely a labor of love because they are pretty time intensive.  The end result was worth it though.  I thoroughly enjoyed these cupcakes and received some great feedback on them as well!  Who doesn't love a s'more? Even better,  a cupcake that tastes like a s'more :)

In order to prevent this post from being any longer, I will save the other "September Birthday Baking" cupcake recipe for a new day...a little something to look forward too!