Tuesday, January 27, 2009

TWD: Chocolate Gingerbread Cupcakes.



So yeah, I am on baking hiatus. Thank the move, thank my shattered kitchen, thank my tired nerves. We're 2/3 there...and I really miss baking. After seeing Martha Stewart's Cupcake show caught on TiVo this weekend, I was itching to be back in the kitchen.



Therefore this TWD came in right at the perfect time. It's a cake, which typically means 'easy' for me, and meant to be made in a 9x9 pan with a thin layer of frosting. However, since I moved most of my kitchen already, I only had cupcake tins sitting in the oven. Perfect. I was in the mood for a rich cupcake anyway.

So I made chocolate gingerbread cupcakes. Slathered with a spicy gingerbread chocolate coffee frosting. I ate more than my share, I am happy to report.



Since I am partially moved, I did a one bowl routine on the cupcakes, and did not have fresh ginger so I used pumpkin pie spice, ground ginger, and vanilla instead. The cupcakes baked up nice and large.

Overall, the recipe is very good... quite moist and delicious. I think I used a bit less chocolate than required, so it was more of a 'hint' of chocolate in the cake than anything else. Next time I will double it...but given that these are cupcakes, the frosting more than makes up for it in this particular shape and form!



This is probably the last time I will bake in my old kitchen... it's a little nostalgic and sad as we spent 5 years here, and it was our first house together..and we have experienced a lot of firsts here.

But we move onto better things I suppose. I can't wait to play with the oven in the new house. Until then...here's my TWD. Check out the rest of the TWD bakers here. I won't be around next week as I am traveling for work but hopefully back the week after AND testing out the oven in the new house. XOXO.

22 comments:

Snooky doodle said...

these look so moist and yummy. I don't mind having one for breakfast :) Good luck for the new house I bet its so nice and with a fully equiped kitchen :) I m still searching for one :(

Cristine said...

Your cupcakes look yummy! Hope the rest of the move goes smoothly and that your new kitchen treats you well! :)

vibi said...

Vrey nice idea, Mara! Beautifuly done!

chocolatechic said...

I love the spice substitutions you made.

Anonymous said...

Your cupcakes look absolutely wonderful. I loved this recipe it was soooo good.

I hope your move goes well and quick!

Cooking for Comfort by Jennifer said...

Good LORD! That frosting alone...*swoon*

You did a beautiful job!

betty geek said...

Buh-bye kitchen! So sad, so sad. :(

I only had a bite of the gingerbread so I have conquered the urge to eat like an oink oink last night. We had roasted duck with rice (in celebration of the Lunar Year).

I think I want more chocolate than ginger in my gingerbread.

Yours look lovely!

kimberly salem said...

they look delicious and beautiful! that frosting looks really amazing :) best of luck breaking in the new oven!

Anonymous said...

The frosting looks as if it more than made up for any chocolate deficiency in the cupcake. Yum.

Anonymous said...

Great ideas and those cupcakes look wonderful. Great job.

Rachel said...

Oh I love the cupcakes! They are so cute!

Pamela said...

Good luck with your move! The cupcakes were a great idea. Portable yumminess, that's for sure!

Unknown said...

Your cupcakes look delicious! Good luck with the rest of the move, I hope it goes well.

Nancy/n.o.e said...

A new kitchen - how exciting! Your cupcakes are so pretty, it almost makes me crave more of this recipe.
Nancy

TeaLady said...

Those look really good. I know you are anxious to 'begin again' in your new kitchen. I just about lost my sanity when we remodeled and my kitchen was a blender, an electric skillet and a broiler oven. WWAAAAAAAAAA!!! Hang in there.

Engineer Baker said...

Good luck on your move! I love the swirls of frosting on top - so pretty!

Cathy said...

Your cupcakes look perfect! I think leaving out some ginger probably benefitted these -- I bet you had a nice overall spice flavor rather than something that just screamed "GINGER!!!!" like mine kind of did :-) So glad you enjoyed these -- good luck on the move! I know that moving is always bittersweet.

Babette said...

Cupcakes look every bit as good as CAKE. Yum. Bye bye old kitchen, hello new one.

Jacque said...

How funny... this was my last recipe in my old house too... and I was feeling nostalgic and a little sad too. Especially after we got it all cleaned up, it made me want to move back in, LOL.

But anyway, these sound like they were the perfect cupcake. Neat idea!

Good luck on your move. :)

Kimberly Johnson said...

Great job on the gingerbread cupcakes, they look fabulous! The chocolate chips on top is a wonderful touch.

How To Eat A Cupcake said...

The first TWD cupcakes I've seen this week. They look yummmmy! :D

Faery said...

Chocolate my love, these look inviting, specially for my depression. I think they are a good medicine