Dirt Cupcakes

Do you remember dirt pudding? They were plastic cups of chocolate pudding covered in Oreo crumbs and topped with gummy worms. I loved those and decided to make them into cupcake form. This chocolate cupcake recipe is from The Cupcake Project and amazingly dense, moist, and chocolaty, they are filled with pudding, and topped with chocolate frosting, Oreo crumbs, and gummy worms. Delicious!

Ingredients: Chocolate Cupcakes (from here)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 ounces of chocolate

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (4 1/2 fluid ounces) vegetable or canola oil, measured in a liquid measuring cup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup full-fat sour cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup (4 fluid ounces) room temperature water, measured in a liquid measuring cup

Filling

1/2 cup chocolate pudding

“Dirt” Frosting

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup Oreo crumbs (8 Oreos)

1/2 gummy worms (each cut into 2 pieces)

Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until fully combined. The end result should look like wet sand.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler.

Once the melted chocolate is cool enough to touch, add it to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until just combined.

Mix in eggs and egg yolks one at a time until just combined.

Mix in oil, vanilla, and sour cream until just combined.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder into a separate medium-sized bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are mixed well after sifting.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.

Mix in water until just combined.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full and put in the oven.

Check for doneness at 15 minutes – a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake should come out clean. If they are not done, check again every three minutes until they are done.

Immediately remove cupcakes from the cupcake tin and place on a cooling rack or on the counter to cool to room temperature. Although they are really good when they are hot, be sure to wait until they are room temperature to give your evaluation.

Filling

Cut a small part out of the top of each cupcake. Fill the holes with a scoop of pudding. Cover with a piece of the cupcake top.

“Dirt” Frosting

Beat butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk.

Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.

Frost cupcakes and cover cupcake tops in Oreo crumbs and gummy worms.

Keep in the fridge.

Enjoy!

 

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Triple Chocolate Cake

I now acclaim this the best chocolate cake in the world. It’s dark, rich, and fudgy, and you will want to eat more and more of it. The frosting is creamy and delicious, and obviously super chocolaty. Make this cake for every special occasion and event you can think of.

Ingredients: Chocolate Cake

2 cups granulated sugar

1 and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup natural cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling coffee

Chocolate Frosting (adapted from here)

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup whole milk

3 cups powdered sugar

Chocolate Chips (for decoration)

Recipe: Chocolate Cake

Heat oven to 350F. Grease, line with parchment paper, and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Add eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.

Stir in boiling coffee. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes. Then remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

Beat butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in cocoa powder, vanilla, and milk.

Beat in powdered sugar until smooth.

Frost cake and decorate with chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Hot Milk Cake

Every since I saw the recipe for “Hot Milk Cake” I wanted to try it. It just looked so good! I had to play around with it a bit though, I halved the recipe, doubled the vanilla, and added cinnamon and salt. The cake was delicious! It’s definitely my favorite vanilla cakes so far. I frosted it with a cooked frosting from Betty Crocker. You might be hesitant about using a frosting with flour in it, but it’s really dreamy. I would say it’s less buttery than Swiss Meringue Buttercream and less sweet than American Buttercream, but super creamy.

Ingredients: Hot Milk Cake (adapted from here)

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons 2% milk

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

Cooked Frosting (from here)

1 cup milk

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon *optional

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe: Hot Milk Cake

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and pale yellow.

Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light.

Beat in the vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder, and cinnamon; gradually add to batter; beat at low speed until smooth.

In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter just until butter is melted. Gradually add to batter; beat just until combined.

Pour batter into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cooked Frosting

Stir milk and flour in 2-quart saucepan until blended. Heat over medium heat until thickened.

Cover and refrigerate about 25 minutes or until cool.

Beat butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in medium bowl on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture until blended.

Frost cake!

Enjoy!

 

 

Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

These are the most delicious doughnuts you will ever eat. Ever. They’re incredibly fluffy and light, like little doughnut clouds and covered in cinnamon sugar. Yum!

Ingredients: Doughnuts (from here)

3 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 cup whole milk, heated to 110˚F

2 to 2 and 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for the work surfface

2 tablespoons superfine sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large egg yolks

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Vegetable oil, for frying

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

1 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste)

1 stick butter, melted

Recipe: Doughnuts

In a medium bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons of the yeast in 3/4 cup of the warm milk. Stir in 3/4 cup of the flour to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add the flour mixture along with the sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour. Mix on low for about 30 seconds.

Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and, with the mixer turned off, add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Knead the dough on medium speed between additions until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. (You may have flour left over.)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.

Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured dish towel. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes. (Note: If making filled doughnuts, clearly, don’t cut out the holes.) You can re-roll the scraps and cut out additional holes.

Place the doughnuts at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, 5 to 20 minutes, peeking every five minutes. To test whether the dough is ready, touch it lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it doesn’t spring back at all, it has over-proofed, in which case you can punch it down and re-roll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360˚F (182°C). With a metal spatula, carefully place a couple of doughnut holes or doughnuts in the oil, being careful not to crowd the pot.

Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool slightly before glazing. Repeat with the remaining doughnuts and holes, keeping the temperature consistent.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together on a plate or shallow bowl.

While the doughnuts are still warm, dip each of the doughnuts in the melted butter (either or both sides) and then in the cinnamon sugar.

Enjoy!

 

Caramels

This easy caramel recipe is simple and delicious!

Ingredients: Caramels (from here)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon evaporated milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe: Caramels 

Grease an 8×8 pan.

In a medium-size pot, on medium-low heat, combine all ingredients except the vanilla. Monitor the heat of the mixture with a candy thermometer while stirring. When the thermometer reaches 250F, or softball stage, remove the pot from the heat.

Stir in vanilla. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan and let the mixture cool completely. When cooled cut the Carmel into small squares and wrap them in wax paper for storage.

Enjoy!

Peach Icebox Pie

This is the perfect summer pie. Cold, creamy, and full of peachy goodness. The crust is a delicious vanilla wafer crust. Yum.

Ingredients: Nilla Wafer Crust

2 and 2/3 cups vanilla wafer cookies

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Peach Filling

2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons peach puree

Recipe: Crust

Crush the wafers in a food processor. Add all other ingredients in and mix. Press into a 9 inch pie pan and refrigerate for 1 hour before filling.

Peach Filling

Whisk together the condensed milk and egg yolks.

Mix in the peach puree. Pour into pie crust.

Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Let cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Enjoy!

 

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These red velvet cupcakes paired with this cream cheese frosting are absolutely to die for! The cupcake comes from Joy the Baker and is a gorgeous dark red and the frosting is delicious 🙂 I thought I’d make these cupcakes for you guys because red velvet isn’t just for Valentine’s Day anymore- it’s also for the Fourth of July!

Ingredients: Red Velvet Cupcakes (from here)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 and 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Cream Cheese Frosting (from here)

2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

2 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 and 1/3 cups cold heavy whipping cream

Recipe: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350F and line a cupcake tin.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.

Turn mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into the cupcake pan and bake for 18-23 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let cupcakes rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl, beating to combine, then add the vanilla extract.

Remove the paddle attachment and attach the whisk attachment. Scrape down any cream cheese from the sides of the bowl, and then with the whisk beating at medium-high speed, stream in the cold heavy cream until the frosting is thick enough to pipe.

Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your desired pastry tip. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and serve immediately.

Enjoy!