Cup Cakes (Disguised as Muffins)

These days, most muffins are really just cake without the frosting. But this mid-20th century recipe is the opposite. It's titled Cup Cakes, but what emerges from the oven are muffins, perfect for breakfast.

They are simple to prepare and very forgiving, as in I forgot to add the egg until the very end, and they still came out beautifully. Spiced with nutmeg and cloves, and filled with nuts and raisins, they are moist and flavorful.

Mix up the batter. Start to finish, it should take about five minutes.

Finished.

What's inside.

Aerial view.

Production notes and recipe:
Like many early recipe, this is really just a list of ingredients, with no method given.  So, I wrote out what I intended to do below. I made these while chatting with my friend who had just signed her divorce papers that very day, so you can understand how I might have been a bit distracted.

Effa's Cup Cakes/Muffins (makes about 15)

1/3 c. unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 1/4 c. brown sugar (plus extra for the tops)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 t. cloves (I think 1 t. would be overpowering)
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. raisins
1/2 c. nuts

Preheat over to 350
Line muffin tin with paper cups

Beat butter and brown sugar until combined.
Beat in egg
Mix flour, soda, salt and spices together and combine.
Add dry ingredients to bowl and mix well.
Add buttermilk and mix.
Fold in nuts and raisins
Spoon into muffin tin.
Top each muffin with 1/4 t. brown sugar
Bake about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Last weekend, while making a peach pie, the DS asked me to "please make something chocolate." So, being the aim-to-please mother that I am, I whipped up these chocolate chip cupcakes.  The vintage recipe predates commercial chocolate chips -- as in, it calls for breaking up a seven-ounce chocolate bar. (Chocolate chips were introduced commercially in 1939.) Because these are old-school (read: not overly sweet or chocolate-y) I paired them with a very rich milk chocolate frosting.

These are good, not great, though the DH ate several and especially liked the frosting.  The best news is, they can be made quickly (like while simultaneously baking a pie) with ingredients probably in your pantry.

Start by blending the butter with the sugar.

When the batter is done, fill paper-lined muffin tins.

While the cupcakes are baking, begin the frositng by melting butter and cocoa.

Add the melted chocolate mixture to the milk and confectioner's sugar mixture.

Beat and voila -- milk chocolate frosting.

This inside view reveals the chocolate to cake ratio.

Recipes are below; I've written out an updated method for the cupcakes, as there are no instructions on the card.

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 F

1/2 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
2/3 c. milk
1 1/2 t.vanilla
8 ounces chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and combine.
Add vanilla.
Add dry mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into muffin tins.

Bake about 20 minutes or until a tester (toothpick) comes out clean.

For the icing, melt butter (instead of shortening) and cocoa powder in a double boiler over hot water. I had to add extra confectioner's sugar to get it thick enough to spread.