Let me start with this quick comment "WORST IDEA EVER"! I love Buffalo Chicken, I love cupcakes, and I love trying new things, so when this buzz started on the web about these Buffalo Chicken cupcakes started, I had to make them. They didn't seem to difficult, and sounded interesting enough. The only thing I didn't like was all the Blue Cheese required to make this. I am not a Blue Cheese fan.
I tweaked a few things on this recipe. First off, just in case you are curious to try it, here is the original recipe.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Buffalo Chicken Cupcake Recipe
Yield: 10 cupcakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
1/2 cup hot sauce (I recommend a hot sauce that is typically used for Buffalo chicken. Frank's is the classic choice. I used Bella's Medium Wing Sauce.)
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
For the blue cheese buttercream frosting:
2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
Steps
To make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a medium-sized saucepan on medium-high heat, heat hot sauce and butter until butter is melted.
Add the blue cheese and mix periodically until blue cheese is melted.
Remove from heat and mix in the sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg.
Once the hot sauce mixture is cool enough to touch, mix the sour cream mixture into the hot sauce mixture.
In another small bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda.
Fold the flour mixture into the hot sauce mixture.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
To make the blue cheese buttercream frosting:
Mix blue cheese on high speed until smooth.
Add the unsalted butter and mix on high speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
Slowly mix in the powdered sugar until fully combined.
Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I used Blue Cheese in the batter mix, and I followed all those ingredients and steps to a T. When it came to the frosting, I substituted Cheddar Cheese for Blue Cheese. I thought about Ranch, but then thought that the frosting would be to runny. Also, instead of using a chicken wing on the top, I got some Tyson pre cooked chicken chunks and tossed them in Franks Red Hot and topped the cupcakes each with a few pieces.
I took a bite and almost instantly regretted the trip I made to the grocery store to buy the stuff to make these. It was way to sweet (the cupcake) and the Buffalo sauce did not mix well. I didn't have any complaints about the frosting except for the fact that it was a little to thick. I barely finished one bite!
If you try it, I would recommend finding a substitute for the brown sugar. I didn't mind the Cheddar Cheese in the frosting, but I think I would try mixing in a pack of Powdered Ranch Dressing instead of the cheese. Good luck, and if you make them, let me know what you think.
