Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Bake-N-Blog

So, a group of friends and I decided to carry out an idea that Jesstagirl and Her Officer came up with: "Bake-N-Blog"! All of us picked a cupcake recipe from Ming Makes Cupcakes and baked them, taking pictures of the process. I chose the "Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Ganache" because I knew my peanut butter-adoring husband would definitely help me eat them. =)

Anyway, with that introduction, let's get started!

Here's all the ingredients:
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The dry ingredients mixed up, and my cup of peanut butter (I absolutely love this measuring cup from Pampered Chef for messy solids like peanut butter!):
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Mixing up the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla:
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Then I added part of the milk:
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And part of the dry mixture:
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And repeated that until the wet and dry mixtures were all mixed in and the batter looked deliciously silky and luscious like this:
From Blogger Pictures

Of course I followed it up by licking the beater...who wouldn't??
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I lined the cupcake pan and filled each one:
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Then they went into the preheated 350-degree oven to bake up into yumminess.
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After 20 minutes, I wanted one RIGHT THEN.
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But first they needed icing, so I mixed up more peanut butter and vanilla:
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Then I added some milk:
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And powdered sugar.
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Then I started the ganache, which is just cream and chocolate chips. I did not own a traditional double boiler, and they were much too expensive to buy, so I put a metal bowl into a pan full of water and it worked perfectly!
From Blogger Pictures

The finished icing looks amazing.
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The chocolate is melting:
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It's all melted after a very short time, so I took it out of the simmering water.
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Then I iced the cupcakes!
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And drizzled on the ganache:
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Ahhhh there is NO way these can NOT be amazing.
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I prepare to dig in!
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So, my official review:
I give these cupcakes 5 stars. The cake is soft, rich, and peanut-buttery, and together with the icing, it melts in your mouth. The ganache was super easy and the perfect finishing touch. I will definitely make these again!

Here's the actual recipe:
Photobucket

P.S. Taking pictures while baking/cooking is an interesting process--I felt rather stressed about it. How does the Pioneer Woman do it almost every day??

10 comments:

  1. The Pioneer Woman is my hero! Seriously, there is too much to think about while baking let alone taking decent photos!

    I LOVE your cupcakes!! I think I need to make them! I love how they look so much like Ming's since well, mine really don't at all. haha

    I also adore your beater licking! You'll see why when you read my blog entry! haha

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  2. I know! I felt like it prolonged the process by quite a lot, lol.

    You should definitely make them! But make sure you'll have other people to help eat them because I'm positive they're like 500 calories each. ;)

    I'm looking forward to yours! I just wish we could taste them all lol.

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  3. My boss made these!! I linked her to Ming's cupcakes, and MAN are they delicious!!! I loved seeing your process, cause now with two endorsements, I must make these!

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  4. YUM! Those look really good! The tops look like peanut butter cookies :) I want one, lol

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  5. Oh I totally agree about taking pictures!!! I kept thinking I needed a photographer! It just wasn't working for me but you did a great job! Those cupcakes look delicious!!!!!!!

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  6. OMGoodness those look amazing! Peanut butter cupcakes are one my favorite flavors. I'm definitely going to have to try these :)

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  7. Jenny, that's exactly what they reminded me off--peanut butter cookies! The whole cupcake tastes like a super thick, soft peanut butter cookie with frosting. =)

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  8. I have never had a peanut butter cupcake! I love peanut butter and chocolate, so I'm sure I'd love it!

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  9. Oh my gosh, I can't wait to make these for my husband! He LOOOOOVES peanut butter and chocolate and would probably ask me to marry him all over again if I made these for him! Fantastic job on making them—I never knew making ganache would be so easy! Thanks for participating in the bake-n-blog!

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  10. I also did the bake-n-blog, that's how I got here :) Those cupcakes looks FANTASTIC, I think I am definitely going to need to try these out!

    Oh - and agreed - how DOES the Pioneer Woman do it - I felt so pressured while baking and trying to remember to take photos!!!

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