Cookies 'n' cream cupcakes

original recipe from Annie's Eats
oven temp = 350

Cookies 'n' cream cupcakes:
24 Oreo cookies
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
8 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cup sugar
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk
20 Oreo cookies, coarsely chopped

Cream together sugar, butter, and vanilla. Add egg whites, one at a time and mixing well after each addition. Add baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of flour, then add half of the milk, and mix. Add another cup of flour and the rest of the milk and mix. Mix in the remaining flour. Gently mix in the chopped Oreos. Pour into 24 cupcake liners and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
4 Tbs unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 Tbs heavy cream

Cream the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla bean paste, sugar, and 1 Tbs cream. Mix, adding more cream as necessary, until the frosting is fluffy.

Cupcakes Neapolitan - vanilla cupcakes with chocolate custard filling and strawberry frosting

Cupcakes Neapolitan - vanilla cupcakes with chocolate custard filling and strawberry cream cheese frosting

Oven temp = 350

Vanilla cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla until everything is well combined. Fill cupcake papers about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 deg for about 25 minutes.

Chocolate custard (from Almost Bourdain):
3 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3/4 cup cream

150 g (1 cup) bittersweet or dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), in small chunks

In a small saucepan, mix egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste, and cream. Place over medium heat for about 10 minutes, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens. Remove the custard from the heat and add the chocolate, mixing until melted. Cool.

After both the cupcakes and the custard are cooled, cut a small cone out of the top of each cupcake. Fill the hole with chocolate custard, then frost.

Strawberry cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup strawberry puree
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar. Slowly beat in strawberry puree until fluffy.

Strawberry cheesecake filled cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting

Oven temp = 350 deg

Strawberry cheesecake filling:
8oz cream cheese
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup chopped strawberries

Beat the cream cheese, eggs and sugar together until combined. Mix in strawberries. Pour into 24 mini cupcake tins and bake at 350 until almost set. Cool.

Vanilla cupcakes:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix in water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla until everything is well combined. Pour a small layer of batter into the bottom of each of 24 cupcake papers. Place a pre-baked and cooled strawberry cheesecake into each cupcake and pour additional batter over the top until about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 deg for about 27 minutes.

Strawberry cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup strawberry puree
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar. Slowly beat in strawberry puree until fluffy.

Pomegranate cupcakes with vanilla cream cheese frosting and pomegranate glaze

Recipe adapted from An Edible Symphony
Oven temp = 350

Pomegranate cupcakes:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup milk
1 cup pomegranate juice (storebought or make your own if you're really ambitious)

Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Add in the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix in the milk, pomegranate juice, and vanilla bean paste until well combined. Fill 24 cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 deg.

Cream cheese vanilla bean frosting:
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8oz cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2-3 Tbs milk (or water)

Cream together powdered sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla. Slowly add milk, mixing continuously until frosting consistency is reached. Continue to beat the frosting until all lumps are smoothed out and the frosting is light and fluffy.

Pomegranate glaze/syrup: (from Bon Appetit)
1 cup pomegranate juice (I actually used pomegranate-blueberry juice)
4 tsp brown sugar, packed
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer/low boil and reduce until the total volume is approximately 1/4 cup. This is a very thin glaze; perhaps adding a thickening agent would be better next time.

Top the frosted cupcakes with the pomegranate glaze and pomegranate seeds. For my favorite method of how to de-seed a pomegranate, check out this site.