Yellow Cake with Silky Chocolate Frosting

The best chocolate frosting. Ever. Silky, smooth, and really chocolaty. The yellow cake is the best yellow cake ever. Soft, fluffy, and yellow.

Ingredients: Yellow Cake (from here)

6 large egg yolks

1 cup whole milk

2 and 1/4 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups sifted cake flour, spooned and leveled

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon + teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Silky Chocolate Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled

Recipe: Yellow Cake

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two round cake pans.

In a measuring cup  lightly whisk the yolks, 1/4 cup milk, and vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend.

Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 and 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides.

Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven.

Let the cakes cool in the pan on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto greased wire racks.

Silky Chocolate Frosting

Beat the butter and sugar together, on medium-high, for at least 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt.

Pour in the melted chocolate and beat, scraping down the sides, until fully combined.

Enjoy!

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Peppermint Patty Cupcakes

These are definitely the best cupcakes I’ve ever eaten. Moist, fluffy, and deeply chocolaty cupcakes stuffed with a peppermint patty and topped with the fluffiest peppermint buttercream. The chocolate cupcake is my favorite recipe ever. They are perfect for the Christmas season. I decorated them with York Peppermint Patty Pieces and Mini Peppermint Patties. So good!!

Ingredients: Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cupcakes (slightly adapted from here)

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/3  cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot coffee

3/4  cup bread flour

3/4  cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 peppermint patties

Peppermint Frosting (adapted from here)

1 an 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cubed

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Recipe: Chocolate Peppermint Patty Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin.

Place the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl.

Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate/cocoa mixture and stir until smooth; refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth.

Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

Place about 3 tablespoons of batter into each liner and top with a peppermint patty.

Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, about 19 minutes.

Peppermint Frosting

Beat butter for 8 minutes on high speed.

Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium-high speed for 6 minutes.

Enjoy!

Nutella Frosted Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Best. Cookies. Ever. The best chocolate sugar cookies ever topped with soft, fluffy, clouds of Nutella buttercream. Perfection!

You need:

1/2 batch of these chocolate sugar cookies

Ingredients: Nutella Frosting

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 jar Nutella

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

Recipe: Nutella Frosting

Whip softened butter until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

Beat in Nutella until thoroughly combined.

Mix in powdered sugar and then slowly beat in heavy cream.

Spread on cookies and chill!

Enjoy!

 

Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

I thought this blog needed some pink and fluffy frosting after the two chocolate desserts, so I made these copycat Lofthouse sugar cookies.

Ingredients: Lofthouse Sugar Cookies (slightly adapted from here)

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Frosting

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pink food coloring *optional

Recipe: Lofthouse Sugar Cookies

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl mix sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth.

In a smaller bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add to wet mixture and mix until everything is just incorporated.

With a cookie scoop, scoop out even size scoops of dough and then roll in a ball in your hand and place on a cookie sheet and slightly flatten with your hand so it’s in a circular shape.

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. They may seem under done but they aren’t. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Frosting

Beat shortening and butter until smooth.

Then, beat in the powdered sugar.

Add milk, vanilla, and food coloring.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

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!

 

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!

 

 

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!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes

This frosting is definitely in my top three favorites. It’s creamy and full of peanut butter flavor, and the mini peanut butter cupcake (hint: it’s a frosting topped mini peanut butter cup) makes the cupcake perfect. The chocolate cupcake is really good- I tried a new recipe, it’s from Sweetapolitia. The cupcake is denser than my other chocolate cupcake recipes, but it’s a perfect vehicle for the frosting. If you’re a peanut butter chocolate lover you have to make this cupcake

Ingredients: Chocolate Cupcakes (from here)

3/4 cup  all-purpose flour

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1/2 cup dark Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature

1/3 cup coffee, hot

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 egg, room temperature

Peanut Butter Frosting

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*12 miniature peanut butter cups

Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 360° F. Line a standard cupcake pan.

In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg and vanilla.

Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide batter among the liners (about 3/4 full).

Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out with a only a few crumbs, about 18-20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn onto rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Cream peanut butter and butter until smooth.

Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

When smooth, mix in heavy cream.

Pipe onto your cupcakes.

*For the mini cupcakes just pipe frosting onto miniature peanut butter cups.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Pomegranate Cupcakes

These are probably the most elegant cupcakes I’ve ever made.  Smooth and silky pomegranate frosting tops fluffy chocolate-pomegranate cupcakes. Yum. Even if this combination sounds weird at first, you can definitely be assured that these cupcakes are delicious.

Ingredients: Pomegranate Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 12)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 cup pomegranate juice (I used POM)

Cooked Pomegranate Frosting (adapted from here)

1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup pomegranate juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and chopped into 24 pieces

1 tablespoon pomegranate juice

*optional purple food coloring

Recipe: Chocolate Pomegranate Cupcake

Preheat oven to 375F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

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

Add the egg, vanilla, butter, and milk on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until smooth.

Stir in pomegranate juice.

Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool for ten minutes on a wire rack, then take cupcakes out of tray and let finish cooling.

Cooked Pomegranate Frosting

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk and pomegranate juice until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan.

Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it starts to become difficult to easily whisk, almost the texture of lemon curd before it sets. This could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes, depending on your stove, heat, etc. It should bubble quite a bit at the end (be careful of the splatters) and thicken considerably.

Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cool to room temperature – this is extremely important! If it is even slightly warm, the frosting won’t beat up properly.

Once the frosting is completely cooled to room temperature (it should have no hint of warmth at all!), beat the mixture with the vanilla on low speed until it is well combined, about 30 seconds (a stand mixer will work best for this).

Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat the frosting until all the butter has been incorporated fully, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and let the mixer work it’s magic. Beat the frosting for five minutes, until it is light and fluffy, then add the tablespoon of pomegranate juice and purple food coloring.

Enjoy!

 

M&M Cupcakes

I wanted to make a fun cupcake, a cupcake perfect for a party (except not funfetti) so I decided to make M&M cupcakes. I chose to do a yellow cupcake base with mini m&ms throughout and frosting with a cup of crushed M&Ms inside it. The frosting is amazing, but it’s very thick, so very hard to pipe. These cupcakes are so yummy and perfect for all occasions. 😀

Ingredients: Cupcakes (adapted from here)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons 2% milk

1/4 cup mini M&Ms

M&M Frosting

1 and 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

2 and 3/4 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup mini M&Ms, pulverized

1 and 1/2 tablespoons milk

Recipe: Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350° and line a cupcake tin with liners.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full and top each with a teaspoon of M&M’s.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely

M&M Frosting

Beat butter until very light in color.

Slowly beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.

In a food processor, crush the 1 cup mini M&Ms until crushed. Mix M&Ms into frosting.

Beat in the milk.

Frost the cupcakes!

Enjoy!