For years friends have said to me, you should be on Top Chef. I would tell them no way, I don’t have the knife skills(and a whole other bunch of reasons). And well, there’s never any dessert. So of course, what comes along? Top Chef: Just Desserts. My friends hounded me like crazy to try out. After seeing the cast, thank goodness I did not! Not afraid of their skill, just plain afraid of them! No seriously, I would lie awake at night probably hoping that my bunk mate wouldn’t try to smother me to death with buttercream frosting just for the fun of it. But it got me thinking. Along the lines of, Julie and Julia, I decided I will be doing each of the challenges that they are going to do on Top Chef Just Desserts. Which is how I ended up with these Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes with Cheesecake Frosting topped with Mini Cinnamon Rolls.
The first quick fire challenge was to make your signature dessert. I really have two. Either my bread pudding or my cinnamon roll cheesecake. In the middle of making the dessert they came in and told them to make it into cupcake form. So that’s how I ended up with a cinnamon roll cupcake. I would have totally failed, as this took way longer than the allotted time.
Yep, these are pretty much over the top fantastic. Especially since I actually put a piece of cheesecake into the frosting. Mmmm, cheesecake. Then of course the little cinnamon roll on top just adds a little something extra.
Now for the bad news. Yes I plan on making to the best of my ability each challenge. But no I don’t plan on putting them all on here. A couple of the recipes will be going on my CCbP Facebook Fan Page only. So if you are not a fan of it yet, and you are curious to see what I am doing with the project, you might want to become a friend of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.
Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes with Cheesecake Frosting topped with Mini Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes:
2 cups cake flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
Filling:
½ cup brown sugar
2 TBSP cinnamon
Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 TBSP cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F . Butter two 12 cup muffin pans. Place a TBSP of cinnamon sugar coating in each cup and swirl around until the sides and bottom are covered in the coating. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt.
Cut up the butter into 1-inch pieces and place them in the large bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters. Beat for 3 minutes on MEDIUM-HIGH speed until the butter is light and creamy in color. Stop and scrape the bowl. Cream the butter for an additional 60 seconds.
Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time.
Reduce the mixer speed. Stir vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
Spoon batter a 1/3 of the way up the muffin cup. Place 1 tsp. of brown sugar filling inside. Spoon another 1/3 of the way up. Using a butter knife, swirl the filling around in the cupcakes.
Center the pans onto the lower third of the oven and let bake 15-18 minutes or until the cake is lightly brown on top and comes away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cake recipe adapted from Epicurious.com
Cheesecake Frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 slice cheesecake, bottom removed, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a bowl and a mixer) beat the cream cheese and cheesecake on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add sugar, and beat another three minutes, until super smooth.
Add vanilla and lemon juice and beat another 30 seconds.
Chill in fridge for 20 minutes. Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes.
The Mini Cinnamon Rolls are just a smaller version of these cinnamon rolls, minus the frosting. If you choose to make them. I made a half batch, just bake up the bread for french toast or what not. They take about 16-18 minutes to bake up depending on the size. Mine were all about the size of quarter on steriods before I started, the of course grow bigger in the oven. You could also just use refrigerator rolls if you were in a hurry ( I wont tell anyone)
These are seriously amazing! I didn’t even know there was a top chef desserts. That is a luxury for food bloggers and cookbook authors, we don’t have to be fast or proficient, we just have to have good end results!
Those are so cute and I bet they taste delicious especially with all that cinnamon-sugar flavor. Great take on your signature dessert. I’m joining your Facebook page now so I can keep seeing what you come up with.
I totally love this idea! I actually plan on doing something similar with Project Food Blog if I don’t make it past the first few rounds. It just seems like a nice way to challenge myself.
If they had given the chefs more time for their signature cupcakes you would have totally knocked their socks off with these babies. Gail would have been in cupcake heaven.
that sounds like a great idea! i can’t wait to see what else you’ll have to share
… the cinnamon roll cupcake looks delicious too btw!
~jennifer
That really is an over-the-top delicious cupcake! What a fun way to challenge yourself.
These are so cute!!! I love the idea, how fun and YUMMY!
Not only do they look delicious but they are just so darn cute. I just love your creativity.
I hear you about Top Chef Just Desserts and I’d be sleeping with one eye open if I were on the show. There are obviously some talented people and then there are the ones who were selected for the drama they bring.
I know I told you on Twitter how I feel about these but I can’t help but comment twice. These look amazing!
What a fun challenge!
Love it!! They look GORGEOUS and I bet they taste awesome. I would love to try them.
Yum!I too, hear you on the Top Chef Just Desserts..I would be cutting off fingers & running into everything under those conditions! Love how you are making your own show on it! Very Creative!Enjoy!
Those look fantastic! Very tempting.
Cheers,
Rosa
Over the top awesome here. They look perfect and I know they taste even better. I would totally have loved to see you on that show. Your “I don’t put up with bullshit” attitude would have taught those immature people a thing or two.
Just the tiniest bit over the top! Maybe you could send out samples to all your loyal readers?
Incredible.
And there is NO ONE ELSE I’d rather put those extra pounds on my hips & arse than you, Gracie.
(uhh.. just read through a bunch of posts and one of them addressed how you get hate mail from people who accuse YOU of fattening up their junk. so that’s what my comment is referencing.)
(the “incredible” is referencing you.
xoxo)
XOXOXOXOXOXO
These are amazing!! Just bookmarked these and when I have time, I’m giving them a try! Seriously, love the mini rolls on top!
Cupcakes, cinnamon rolls AND cheesecake in one?!?! My life is complete!
OMG, how adorable are these. They look super yummy.
These are so cute! And what a great idea to bake along with Top Chef. I didn’t know they had a dessert one now, but I’m so out of the loop with TV!
those look awesome. and im pretty sure those would have won the challenge. no contest.
those look wonderful. what a fun idea – please do put all your creations here.
i love cinnamon with everything! these look so cute and perfect for breakfast! heh
It sounds like quite the challenge Peabody and so…oooo much fun. This recipe is already a winner!
I love the mini cinnamon roll on top! Such a cute idea! I just made cinnamon roll cupcakes as well, but then again I make everything cupcakes! http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2010/09/apple-pecan-cinnamon-rolls-this-months.html
wow wow wow that is the greatest idea ever! I actually think you’re so creative you would do great in that show, but I love your site here so nevermind
Amazing as always.
-Amalia
http://buttersweetmelody.wordpress.com/
A slice of cheesecake in the frosting! Wow, you are a true genius!!
What a fun idea, I already can’t wait to see what you come up with
These are certainly an amazing way to kick things off – YUM!
Looks so good!!
You would have won the quickfire challenge with this recipe! But wouldn’t it be ghastly to have to put up with Seth? I actually had to get up and leave the room.
Puhleeze.
Amazingly cute! You get my vote for top dessert chef.
Wow, this takes cupcakes to a whole new level. And I love it!!! Definitely adding these to my must-make list. You should totally be on Top Chef Just Desserts
yum! maybe you can try out for season 2! i know one of the guys on this season, so it is hilarious to watch!
what a cute idea!
Peabody – YOU ROCK. Every time I come to your site I am blown away by how you make the exact decadent dessert I long to find on a restaurant menu or bakery. I love cinnamon rolls – MMMM!!!! Keep it up!
After seeing you post that first pic to twitter I was waiting for when you’d get it up here, those look absolutely amazing!
Also- how hilarious is Top Chef: Just Desserts? They went above and beyond to find the most absurd contestants for this one… and the tears, the tears!
Haha, I considered trying to play along with the show but I’m too lazy. I LOVE that you put actual cheesecake into the frosting. Not to mention the tiny cinnamon roll!
why, oh WHY, must you tempt me like this? top chef has never seen and will never see a person with your dessert-making prowess.
Holy heck! Had to let you know how amazing these were! I blogged about them on my sister and I’s blog if you want to have a peek! Thank you for this incredible creation
http://joandsue.blogspot.ca/2012/10/cinnamon-bun-cupcake-with-cheesecake.html#