Sebastian's Kitchen: August 2016

Total cupcakes: 64
Today, I made a double batch of:
Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

*A Sebastian's Kitchen Original Recipe

*Makes about 32 cupcakes.
This recipe is my original formula for the classic cream cheese filled cupcakes that you see at bakeries. They are amazing! These are a crowd pleaser!

As always, the better the quality of the ingredients you put in, the better the quality of taste you will get out, so make sure to use the best! I use SACO Premium Cocoa to flavor my cocoa cupcakes. I also use Ghirardelli chocolate baking chips as they have a rich gourmet taste that makes everyone rave! Don't go for the store brand cream cheese either, let's get the good stuff and use Kraft Philadelphia cream cheese.

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 bag (5 oz) Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips 60% cacao

Cupcakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup SACO Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1.    Line cupcake tins with cupcake paper cups.
2.    In a microwave safe bowl soften cream cheese slightly for 10-20 seconds in the microwave. (Don’t melt it completely; we still want it to be solid but soft).
3.    Add softened cream cheese, egg, and white sugar to a medium bowl. Beat until creamy.

4.    Add chocolate chips and stir.
5.    Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator while you mix the cupcake batter.
6.    In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, white sugar, Dutch processed cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

7. Make a well in the center of the bowl with dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients to the center of the bowl: water, canola oil, and vanilla extract.

8.    Stir wet and dry ingredients together with a fork just until batter is well incorporated. Do not over stir batter.
9.    Refrigerate batter for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken batter for scooping into cupcake tin cups.
10.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
11.    Fill cupcake tins a little over 2/3 full with cupcake batter.

12. Add about a half a tablespoons worth of cream cheese filling on top of the batter right in the center of the cupcake.

13.    Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until tester comes out clean from batter. Baking time varies depending on the thickness of the batter in the cupcake tin.
    a.    Test one cupcake to see if it’s done by poking the cupcake with a toothpick or cake tester. If your tool comes out clean then your cupcake is done.
    b.    If you put the tester through the cream cheese filling, it will be sticky, so make sure to test the actual cupcake and not the filling as melted chocolate from the chocolate chips can throw off your results and make the cupcake appear to be underdone because the chocolate is melted and oozy.

14. Let cupcakes cool at room temperature. If you are going to frost the cupcakes, do not do it while they are still warm or your frosting will melt! Once my cupcakes reach room temperature, I put them in the refrigerator to get cold before frosting.

I made a triple batch of:
Buttercream Frosting
I did have some frosting left over, but I did frost my cupcakes lightly.

Sebastian's Kitchen Favorite Buttercream Frosting

(1 batch)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter softened to room temperature
1/2 cup un-salted butter softened to room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
a pinch of salt to taste
Gel dye for dying colors (optional)

Directions:
1.    Unwrap softened butter from wrappers.
2.    Set butter into large mixing bowl.
3.    On medium high speed, beat butter in mixer for about 5-7 minutes until butter turns white.
    a.    Scrape sides of bowl with spatula often.

4.    Add heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract.
5.    Beat for 3-5 minutes.
6.    Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time.
    a.    Stir with a fork first and then use the mixer to avoid spilling powdered sugar everywhere.

7.    When frosting starts to thicken up, add salt, and add gel food dye (optional).
    a.    Only use a little gel dye or it will make your frosting taste bitter.
    b.    If you are making different colored frosting, separate frosting and then add dye gel to separate bowls.

8. Continue beating frosting until it is finished.

    a.    Once frosting starts to thicken up, taste test to make sure just the right amount of salt is in the frosting. If it is too salty, add more heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar and continue beating.
    b.    Frosting should have a thick and airy consistency. It will hold the shape of piping tips very well. If your frosting is too runny, refrigerate a little to harden up.
9.    Scoop frosting into piping bag.
10.    Pipe frosting onto each cupcake in whatever design you want.
11.    Set frosted cupcakes in an air-tight container and refrigerate until ready to eat.
12.    If you prefer warmer cupcakes, you can leave them room temperature up to 3 hours before eating. Again make sure they are in an air-tight container.

*I used a #5 star tip from the Kuhn Rikon piping tip collection.