Moustache (mini) cupcakes

I interrupt my Thanksgivukkah posts for a little Movember post.

Last year I posted about Movember, and about some moustache cookie cutters I had bought (and later used for Father's Day, along with some chocolate moustache lollipops).  For Movember, men grow moustaches for the month of November and it's a great chance for men (and women, without growing moustaches) to raise money to "support world-class men’s health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges."

I have a few friends who are participating in Movember, and my friend's bar is hosting a Movember event on November 20th (check it out here).  I was chatting with one particular friend and he was saying that my Thanksgivukkah treats (the pecan pie ruggelach and the apple pie with latke crust) looked delicious and were making him hungry, and lamenting over the fact that he lived too far to taste them tonight.  But, he'll be at the Movember event, and I told him I'd bring him some baked goods.  And then it came to me!  I had bought these adorable sugar moustaches at Target a while ago, and I was waiting for the right thing to use them for.....a Movember event seemed like the best idea!  So I set out to make some mini cupcakes with moustaches.

I wanted to use my standby yellow cupcake recipe, but figured I'd mix it up and make a new icing, since I've made these cupcakes a bunch of times before.  But I wanted an icing that - besides tasting good - would contrast with the black and white sugar moustaches I was going to adorn the cupcakes with.  So I set out looking for a good frosting.  First I checked my "Icing" pinterest board, but while they all looked tasty, none really went with the moustaches.  So I set out to search the internet for the perfect icing.  But then I ended up going back to an icing I had used before and really liked.....the chocolate malted buttercream from my Birthday Cupcakes.

(I have to admit that the piping tip I used for these cupcakes was not the one I originally wanted to use.  However it was late, and I was pressed for time, and this tip was on the counter, so I went with it.  I think they turned out cute, but I still think they would've been cuter had I used the tip I wanted to.)

Yellow Cupcakes
Posted earlier on JulieBakes, and originally from SmittenKitchen

Ingredients:
These yield a TON of cupcakes, can't even get into how many mini cupcakes it makes.....so I halved the recipe.

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons (480 grams) cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
2 sticks (1 cup, 1/2 pound or 225 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups (400 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk (475 ml), well-shaken
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pans and line with parchment paper, then butter parchment. (Or, use paper cupcake liners, or you can use a cooking spray.  I used Pam for baking and was very impressed with the results.)
Sift together the dry ingredients EXCEPT for sugar in a medium bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in vanilla.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled).
Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.

Bake until golden on top and cooked throughout (the mini cupcakes took about 10 minutes, give or take a few).

Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan.
Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely, about 1 hour.

Chocolate Malted Buttercream
Originally from That Winsome Girl

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup malted milk powder
4 tablespoons unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
5 cups confectioner sugar, sifted
Directions:

In a large mixer bowl, whip the butter and shorting for several minutes until very light and fluffy.
Sprinkle in malted milk powder and cocoa powder.
Whip for 1 minute.
Slowly add the powdered sugar a few spoonful at a time, letting it incorporate until the frosting becomes thick and stiff.

Fill bag with the frosting and pipe large swirls on top of cupcakes.

Top with the adorable little moustaches ;-)

Birthday week treat #4: Chocolate malt cupcakes

On my actual birthday, I thought it was only fitting to post a cupcake on the blog.  A cake would've been acceptable, too, but I figured I could share cupcakes, and a cake would be difficult to lug around and give out to people.  I had been debating between two cupcakes, but this one ultimately won out.

The cute "Happy Birthday" plaque is from my birthday cake
at work yesterday.

I had actually wanted to make these a while ago, but couldn't find malted milk powder in the stores.  So I went online, found it at King Arthur Flour, and ordered it.  Then, it sat in my cabinet until I got around to using it.  In all honesty, whenever I wanted to make these cupcakes, I had the malted milk powder but didn't have any sour cream.  I went back to Target for ingredients for the peanut butter monster cookies and remembered to pick up some sour cream, so I was finally able to make them!

I decided to make 1/3 of this recipe because I have been baking a ton this week and don't really have anywhere to bring it/anyone to give it to, and I can't be eating ALL of the Rice Krispie treats and giant peanut butter monster cookies AND the cupcakes that I've been baking.  I would have halved the recipe, except I didn't feel like having to half an egg....easy solution was to use one egg and just make 1/3 of the recipe.  The original recipe said that it made 30 cupcakes, but I got 13 from the third of the recipe.  For the icing, I just halved it (there was plenty extra!).

** I have to admit -- I didn't love the cupcake part.  But the icing, DELISH!  Next time I think I'd just make a dark chocolate cupcake and top in with the malted buttercream. **

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Ingredients (those listed below are the original measurements, which make 30 cupcakes):

For the cupcakes:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the buttercream:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup malted milk powder
4 tablespoons unsweetened dutch-process cocoa powder
5 cups confectioner sugar, sifted

Chocolate Covered Malt Balls to garnish (the original blog showed them with mini straws, which are adorable, and I planned to skip them (I even had them at home from L's 30th birthday party last year and the Minnie Oreo pops), but then I couldn't resist them....they're too cute!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined (or just use a whisk and some upper arm strength - which I did).
Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each halfway.
Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare frosting.
In a large mixer bowl, whip the butter and shorting for several minutes until very light and fluffy.
Sprinkle in malted milk powder and cocoa powder.
Whip for 1 minute.
Slowly add the powdered sugar a few spoonful at a time, letting it incorporate until the frosting becomes thick and stiff.

Fill bag with the frosting and pipe large swirls on top of cupcakes. I liked the way mine looked piled high.
Top with candies and straws, if using.
Enjoy!