It's a Miracle! Eight Day Olive Oil Cupcakes

So, I went into the kitchen to make these cupcakes and only had 1 Tbsp of olive oil.  But, miraculously there was enough oil for the entire batch!  Ok, that's not what really happened... I shop at Costco so I have plenty of oil.  But, that is what happened many years ago when the Maccabees won the war against the Greeks and lit the Menorah in the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple).  They only had enough oil for 1 day, and it would take 8 days to make more oil!  Divine intervention kept the oil burning for 8 whole days, and Chanukah was born!  To commemorate this miracle, one of the traditions is to eat food fried in olive oil on Chanukah, like potato latkes and jelly donuts.  To this wonderful tradition I humbly submit my contribution: Olive Oil Cupcakes.  

Cupcake Menorah!

These cupcakes are delicious!!  The texture is amazing and the flavors go together so well.  They have a great sweetness and you can really taste the olive oil, orange, and rosemary - separately and together!  Seriously, this is one of my favorite recipes so far... which means a lot more when I tell you I have made many more cupcakes than I have posted so far.  I have to save something for lazy times!

When I had this idea, I looked around online to see who else is making olive oil cake (I couldn't have been the first one to think of this).  I found out its a traditional cake made in Italy.  Michael Chiarello makes his with orange, rosemary and anise - works for me!  That's also the most searched for Michael Chiarello recipe on Google... millions of search engine users can't be wrong.  But I didn't have anise in my house - so these cupcakes are with rosemary and orange.  Feel free to add in the anise if you want - let me know how it is!

Eight Day Olive Oil Cupcakes

1/2 cup soy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp orange liquor (I used triple sec)
2 tsp orange zest
1 and 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground anise (optional)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the soy milk and apple cider vinegar.  Set aside for a minute or two.  I always do this part first, then let that sit while I collect the rest of the ingredients.  Add in the sugar, olive oil, orange juice and liquor and mix really well.  Mix in the orange zest and mix again.  I whisk it for about a minute.  Sift in the dry ingredients and mix to just combine.  Add in the rosemary and mix well until no lumps remain.  Taste the batter - isn't it delicious??  Hold yourself back from eating the uncooked batter with a large spoon.  Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned.  Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Fluffy slightly orange frosting

3/4 cup non-hydrogenated shortening
2-4 cups powdered sugar (depending on your taste)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange zest
1 Tbsp orange liqueur (yes, triple sec again for me!)

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the shortening until smooth and fluffy.  Sift in the sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach the desired sweetness.  I like to make frosting just sweet enough to cover that chalky flavor of the shortening.  Once you can't taste the shortening anymore, you're good.  Add in the vanilla, orange zest and liqueur.  Mix until well combined, add more sugar if you think it needs it.

Frost the cupcakes.  Devour the cupcakes.  Smile because you can't help it.

These cupcakes will come out really good if you sing Chanukah songs while you are baking them.

Happy Chanukah!

Palate-Pleasing Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes  

With 2 different baked-in fillings

 

The pumpkin season is upon us!  Yes its true!  That wonderful time of year filled with crisp fall air, cozy sweaters, changing leaves and of course, pumpkin everything.  I have been making pumpkin puree like crazy - and baking up all sorts of delicious sweets!    Including pumpkin cupcakes of course! 

Hello Fall!

This pumpkin baked so nicely - the skin just popped right off in the oven!  I just lifted it right off with a fork... easy as pie! oops, er, cupcakes :)

To me, these cupcakes are everything that is good and pure about Thanksgiving.  And trust me, after eating them you will have plenty to be thankful for!  Specifically, each bite... and that bit of frosting left on your finger after you're done devouring this little bit of November-themed heaven.

The special part of these cupcakes is the baked-in filling.  Its such a nice surprise when you get to the middle.  I made a batch of half with baked-in cranberry sauce and half baked-in pumpkin pie filling.  Feel free to make whatever you like!  But I really recommend trying both, I think you might be surprised by what you like best.

Apology-note:  These cupcakes are perfect for Thanksgiving... unfortunately, I have posted this too late for you to eat them on Thanksgiving this year!  I was too busy baking and eating to worry about blogging!  But that's ok - pumpkin is good all the time.  So don't worry about the details and just try these delicious cupcakes!  Plus, its a great way to use up any leftover cranberry sauce you might have... or maybe an excuse to make more! (Cue evil laugh)

 

Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

For the cupcakes:

1 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup soy milk

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

Pumpkin pie filling:

I used Isa's pumpkin pie filling recipe and just tweaked it a little bit... worked out great.  As usual.  Thank you Isa!

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp soy milk

3/4 tsp canola oil

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp guar gum

heaping 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

heaping 1/4 tsp ginger

pinch nutmeg

pinch salt

smaller pinch cloves

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. 

Delicious cranberry sauce:

I found this recipe... who can say no to Emeril?  And just tweaked it a little based on what I had in the kitchen.  I'm not going to lie, I almost took a spoon and ate it right out of the pot... 

2 cups fresh cranberries

Juice and zest of 1 orange (I used my handy zester)

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp bacardi or other liquor/liqueur you have around

1 Tbsp corn starch

Agave syrup, if needed

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, orange juice and zest, water, sugar, cinnamon and booze.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat, simmer until cranberries are tender, most of them will pop open.  In a small cup dissolve the corn starch in 1 Tbsp water, then add to the cranberries.  Continue to mix until thickened.  Taste for sweetness - I added about 1 Tbsp agave at the end and mixed it in... perfect :)

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.  Prepare whichever filling you want (or both!) and set aside.  Mix together the cupcake ingredients and fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.  Spoon 1/2 Tbsp filling on to the batter in each liner.  Use a measuring spoon to do this, then use the back of the measuring spoon to work the filing into the batter.  Take care not to mix the filling with the batter, just gently work it down so its not sitting right on top.  Bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes (I found 19 minutes was perfect).  Let cool fully before frosting.

Hot and fresh out the oven!

Pumpkin-pie cupcake!

This is a picture of Thanksgiving

Frosted!

I also made Triple Pumpkin Cupcakes - pumpkin cupcakes with the pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin cream cheese frosting.  Holy Pumpkin Batman!  The frosting was a little softer than I wanted, but they tasted amazing!!

Pumpkin yumminess!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

In a stand mixer or with a hand mixture, cream together the cream cheese and margarine.  Add in the pumpkin, mix well to combine.  

Now go buy a pumpkin!  It's worth it!