I haven’t made cupcakes in ages.

What’s wrong with me?

Here are two recipes that you are going to want to try.

The Caramel Apple Cupcakes are just right for this time of year. Vanilla cupcakes filled with cinnamon apple preserves and topped off with caramel buttercream icing. So good. Don’t be put off by the diy cinnamon apple preserves. They don’t take long at all to make and you have lots left over to put on your toast.

The Dark Chocolate Ganache cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream. Bittersweet chocolate chunks in a deep chocolate batter all dipped in dark chocolate ganache. A veritable chocolate coma waiting to happen.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Line standard-sized muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners.

2. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl. Mix in the bittersweet chocolate.

3. In an electric mixer, beat the butter and sygar until light and fluffy.

4. Beat the eggs one at a time until well blended. Beat in the vanilla.

5. Add the buttermilk to the butter mixture and blend well. Then add the flour mixture and beat until smooth.

6. Divide batter evenly among lined cupcake pan.

7. Bake for 8 minutes then rotate pan and bake for 10 more minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

8. Cool cupcakes completely on wire rack.

9. Dip cooled cupcakes into chocolate ganache (recipe follows) and add sprinkles and chocolate curls, if you like.

Chocolate Ganache Icing

Ingredients:

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 oz heavy cream

Directions:

1. Put chocolate into a large bowl.

2. Heat the cream until it comes to a gentle boil.

3. Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth.

4. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes before dipping the cupcakes in.

Makes 12 cupcakes (You will have a lot of ganache left over. I might halve the recipe in the future)

Recipe from The Sweet Little Book Of Cupcakes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Ingredients for vanilla cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups cake four
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 vanilla bean, seeds only
2/3 cup whole milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300℉. Line a cupcake pan with 12 liners.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, mixing just until blended. Beat in vanilla.

4. Slice the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk.

5. Add the milk and flour mixtue alternately in three additions to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Blend until smooth.

6. Pour the batter evenly into the liners.

7. Bake for 10 minutes rotate, and bake for 15 minutes more or until a cake tester comes out clean.

8. Cool completely.

9. Fill with Cinnamon Apple Preserves and Ice with Caramel Buttercream. (Recipes follow)

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Cinnamon Apple Preserves

Ingredients:

1 cup apples (peeled and chopped)
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/8 tsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 Tbs liquid fruit pectin
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Chop the apples in a food processor until they are a chunky paste.

2. Put the apple paste into a saucepan over high heat.

3. Stir in the sugar and butter.

4. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil and keep on high heat, stirring constantly.

5. Stir in the pectin and return to a full boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6. Add cinnamon and stir.

7. Remove from heat and pour into a plastic or glass container. Cover and refrigerate.

8. To use to fill cupcakes: Remove a small cone of cake from the center of the cupcake and discard. Use a small spoon to fill the cavity with preserves.

Caramel Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

1/4 vanilla bean, seeds only
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup caramel sauce or dulce de leche
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer.

2. Remove seeds from vanilla bean and add to mixer.

3. Gradually add sugar, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Slightly warm the caramel sauce and add along with the vanilla.

4. Ice cupcakes. Drizzle with additional caramel and insert an ice cream stick if you like.

Makes 12 Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Recipe from The Sweet Little Book Of Cupcakes

Local Natives.

Another Southern California band that I think is just fantastic.

It all started with Airplanes.

Airplanes was one of those songs I loved from the first listen. The moaning/booing as the song starts always makes me laugh.

Then of course there are the bizarre lyrics. Like this:

“I did not know you as well
as my father knew you”

Okay.

I also get that Could I Love this Song Any More feeling at the “I love it all” part.

Honestly. This is so good. I’ve listened to it 8 times this morning.
Local Natives-Airplanes

This is one of the weirdest videos I’ve seen in awhile. It goes from being pretty funny to somewhat (quite) disturbing.

Check out Local Natives on the band’s (very cool) Website, Soundcloud, Facebook and Myspace.

Local Natives has some tour dates coming up with The National and Wye Oak. Those are listed on the Soundcloud page. That sounds like a great concert line up.

Cheers!