Labor Day Weekend

This year I spent Labor Day with my family and our neighbors. We all hung out together, had some food, and of course, cupcakes. My neighbors are awesome cooks, so they were in charge of food, and I was in charge of dessert.

I made chocolate chip cupcakes with brown sugar frosting. The cupcakes actually tasted more like muffins. I think they needed a bit more sugar. The frosting, however, was super sweet. Too sweet for me, but the little kids LOVED it. They kept licking it off their cupcakes and asking for more while I was frosting the rest.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (from HERE)

24 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature

1 and 1/2 cups light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used mini size)

Line your cupcake pans with the liners of your choice. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, and mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With the mixer still on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter/brown sugar, alternating with the milk in thirds, beginning with and ending with the flour mixture.

Add the vanilla to the cupcake batter and mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips to the mixture and gently stir them in with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly among your cupcake pans and bake until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes total, rotating and switching the pans halfway during the baking time.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool completely.

Brown Sugar Frosting

24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3 and 1/2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

2 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar until completely combined. Add the flour and salt. Add the milk and vanilla extract, mixing until well combined and smooth.