Ingredients for Cupcakes
- 1¾ cups granulated white sugar (350 grams)
- 2⅓ cups cake flour (280 grams)
- ⅓ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1¼ cups vegetable oil
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
Ingredients for Frosting
- 1 pound unsalted butter, softened
- 1 pound 10X confectioner’s sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 6 ounces marshmallow fluff (about 1 cup)
- 2 ounces full fat sour cream (1/4 cup)
- 1Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 pinches salt
- 3-4 Tablespoons heavy cream
Ingredients for Mini-NY Cheesecakes
- For Custard:
- 10 ounces cream cheese, room temp
- Pinch salt
- 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten, room temp
- 1/4 cup sour cream, room temp
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 ounces white sugar
- Ingredients for Crust:
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cookie crumbs (sugar cookies, vanilla wafers, Oreos, etc.)
Directions for Cupcakes
1. Preheat your oven to 350*F. Line 24 standard sized muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Sift the granulated sugar, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder into the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk the dry ingredients to combine them.
3. Add the vegetable oil, buttermilk, sour cream, eggs, red food coloring, vanilla extract and vinegar to the mixer bowl.
4. Turn the mixer to low and blend until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes.
5. Stop the mixer and scrape your bowl and beater half way through the mixing.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake wells. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool before frosting.
Directions for Cupcake Frosting
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer beat the softened butter for 1-2 minutes until it is creamy.
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar and blend on low to combine. Raise the mixer to medium speed and beat for about 1 minute to ensure that there are no lumps of sugar.
3. Scrape your mixer bowl and beater then add the marshmallow fluff, sour cream, vanilla and salt.
4. Beat the frosting for about one minute then add half of the cream, blending on low to combine.
5. Check the frosting consistency, if you'd like it a bit thinner add a touch of the remaining cream.
6. Give the bowl one final scrape then beat the frosting on medium speed for 4-5 minutes .
7. Will frost an 8” or 9”-round layer cake or about 24 cupcakes.
Directions for Mini NY Cheesecakes
1. Prepare the crust
2. Preheat your oven to 325* F and bring a kettle of water to boil on the stove (you'll use this to bake your cheesecake in a water bath).
3. Grease two 4" round cake pans and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
4. Combine the cookie crumbs, butter and sugar in a small mixing bowl and work the mixture together until it looks sandy.
5. Press the cookie crumbs into your prepared pans, dividing the crumbs in half. Use a glass or measuring cup to press the crumb crust flat. Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes then move to a cooling rack and reserve.
6. Prepare the custard.
7. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the cream cheese until smooth.
8. Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl and paddle.
9. Add the eggs and blend on low speed until combined.
10. Add the sour cream and vanilla and blend on low to combine.
11. Pour the custard over the warm crust and give it a few light taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
12. Place the pans into a slightly larger cake pan (a 10" or larger square pan or 9x13 will work.) Carefully pour about 1" of boiling water into the larger pan to create a water bath.
13. Bake the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes or until the center barely jiggles (a thermometer.
14. inserted into the center should read (155*-160*F.).
15. Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes.
16. Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and allow to cool completely.
17. Wrap the cheesecake and then refrigerate overnight before cutting.
*TIP* Place your mini cheesecake in the freezer for two hours before cutting to ensure clean slicing! To top standard sized cupcakes, slice each cheesecake into 8 slices