Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

In my quest for the perfect cupcake for my chef's challenge, I had to make a bunch, and eat them.  It was a really tough job.  I suffered through.  Actually, I suffered when I went to the gym to burn off the sampling.  It was worth it!

very fudgy cake, but I prefer my black polish cake.

These were amazing!  Loved!  The peanut butter icing tasted like a peanut butter cup filling.  These were SUPER rich though and needed a glass of milk, and I was only able to eat half of one at a time.  I saw "at a time" because you will go back for that second half!

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with PEANUT BUTTER ICING

 adapted from: susannahskitchen

INGREDIENTS:

For the Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• mini peanut butter cups

For the Peanut Butter Icing:

• 1/2-2/3 cup cream
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons softened unsalted butter,
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Coating:

 

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable shortening

DIRECTIONS:

 Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with 10 cupcake cups.  In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.  In larger bowl combine sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add dry mixture and whisk until smooth. Spoon batter into cupcake cups, dividing evenly.  Bake 18-22 minutes or until center is just set. Meanwhile, peel your peanut butter cups.  When the cupcakes are out of the oven, push a peanut butter cup into the middle of each cupcake.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to wire rack. Cool completely.

don't look at my water spots.  Shameful really.  Which cupcake looks best?

 
While cupcakes are cooling, prepare the peanut butter frosting. With whisk attachment, whip peanut butter and butter on medium-high speed.  Add vanilla, powdered sugar and cream.  Add more cream to get consistency you desire.
Transfer frosting to pastry bag fitted with a plain 1/2-inch tip
Once the cupcakes have chilled, make the chocolate coating. Place shortening and chocolate in a medium bowl and melt over a pan of gently simmering water.
Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer to a large coffee mug.
 Holding cupcake by the bottom, carefully dip into the chocolate. Be sure to submerge all of the icing
Pull up and hold for a few seconds to let excess chocolate drip off. Transfer to cooling rack and repeat with remaining cupcakes.  

Alternatively, you can drizzle the chocolate, and/or garnish with a peanut butter cup.
Before serving, let cupcakes rest a few minutes so chocolate can set.
Yield: 10 cupcakes. Active time: 1 hour. Total time: 3 hours

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Sugared Chip Oatmeal Frosting

That title is a mouthful, huh?  Maybe symbolic. . . of the mouthfuls of these cupcakes I have eaten.

It has been a week since I have blogged!  I am realizing I am doing a lot of things not so well, i.e.- homeschool, blogging, housekeeping, etc...  and Mr. Delectable was off some of this week, so not much got done.  So, what to do when you realize you are failing at everything.  Cut something out and still fail.  Yeah, winner here.

I saw these cupcakes a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to make them.  For some reason, in my head I thought the icing had oatmeal, so when I saw it didn't, I missed it.  So I added it, and I loved it. The original icing recipe was also too buttery for me, so I added more powdered sugar.  Perfect.

The cupcake is more like a cakey cookie...  so like a cookie cup.  Upon eating my 3rd one of these (actually, I only had 1/2 the first, and a bite of the second, but still, a bit gluttonous) I decided they taste a lot like Little Debbie oatmeal pies.  I really enjoyed these cupcakes, and would make them again. 


CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL CUPCAKES
from: howsweeteats
makes 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

They get a deep brown from the brown sugar.

• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips, tossed in a sprinkle of flour

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.
In a large bowl, whisk egg and brown sugar together until combined, and no lumps remain. Add vanilla extract and butter, whisking until smooth. Add in flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add in milk and stir until combined and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter into each liner, or use a cookie scoop. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and spring back at the touch. Let cool completely before frosting.

CINNAMON SUGARED CHIP OATMEAL FROSTING
Adapted from: howsweeteats

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of milk, if needed
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly. Gradually increase mixer speed and add brown sugar and vanilla, then beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl. If frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached If it’s too thin, add sugar gradually until it thickens. Fold in chocolate chips, and oatmeal.  Frost cupcakes. Extra frosting can be stored in the freezer for about 6 weeks.This recipe could probably be halved for these cupcakes and there would be enough.

Chocolate Cherry Cake with Fudge Icing

I love chocolate covered cherries.  Call me cheap, white trash, whatever you want to, but I like the cheap chocolate covered cherries.  You know, the ones that are a buck or two, Queen Anne style, where the chocolate is very poor quality and the cherries are in corn syrup.  Yeah, they are gross, but I love 'em.  This cake is like a chocolate covered cherry, but without the fillers.  Then it is topped with a fudge like icing that I could eat by the spoonful.  Oh wait, I did eat it by the spoonful.  And it was gooood!
This recipe is all over the net.  Southern food, all recipes, and a gazillion other places.  But I made a few slight alterations, which I think improve it. This cake is really best eaten the day it is made, or if it makes it to the next day, then that day.  By day 3, just scrape off the icing and eat it and dump the cake. 

CHOCOLATE CHERRY CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 boxed devil's food cake mix, or dark chocolate 
• 21 oz. can cherry pie filling
• 2 eggs-beaten
• 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
• 3 TBSP mayonnaise

DIRECTIONS: 

Heat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix, cherry pie filling, mayo, extract, and 2 eggs by hand; stir until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it tests done. Cool. 



CHOCOLATE FUDGE ICING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 6 oz. (1 cupish) chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
 In a small saucepan, combine sugar, butter or margarine, and milk. Boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add vanilla.  Remove from heat, and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Immediately pour over partially cooled cake.

Hot Chocolate Cake With Marshmallow Frosting

This was one of my favorite cakes when I was growing up. I have even requested it for my birthday numerous times. I have been having a hankering for it the last week or so, and my parents were here so I figured, why not? This cake is really best the night it is made, so it was the right time. My kids all asked for seconds of the cake and this was one of the few instances that I allowed it. This cake is tender and crumbly, because you serve it right out of the oven. Then you top it with a cloud of gorgeous marshmallow frosting. The fluffy white icing is a 7 minute variety with 2 differences. One being it has more sugar which (ready for the big reveal?) makes it sweeter, and in my opinion better. I am not looking for a meringue here. I want sweet eats! The other difference is it has more cream of tartar, which helps stabilize the egg whites and adds a distinct flavor that I love. The same flavor snickerdoodles leave you with. Not all the sugar dissolves, which leave a bit of grit which might be off putting to some, but I again, love. If that bugs you, gently heat the egg whites, sugar and water over a double boiler until sugar is dissolved. Then beat the snot out of it. Up to you.

If you wanted to be fancy you cold torch or broil the top of the icing, but quite honestly, that is just too long for me to wait to eat the cake. Both of these recipes were from my grandmother, Elizabeth- "Bessie Mae", who loved to bake, and loved to eat baked goods, like no one else.

HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening or butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan.  Cream together sugar, shortening (or butter), vanilla and eggs.  In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Put 1 tsp of vinegar into a cup of milk.  Add flour and milk to mixture.  Mix boiling water and cocoa powder to make a paste.  Add paste to creamed mixture and mix until well combined.  Pour into prepared pan and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

 


MARSHMALLOW FROSTING (7 Minute Frosting)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Working with a mixer, mix egg whites until frothy and doubled in size.  Stream in 1/2 the sugar, while mixing, then the boiling water.  (This will heat the egg whites and kill bacteria... I think).  While continuing to beat, add the cream of tartar and stream in the remaining sugar.  Mix until stiff peak forms and it is white, glossy and fluffy.  Add vanilla and beat until incorporated.    I make this while the cake is in the oven and serve it immediately over each piece of hot cake.  Store remaining frosting in the refrigerator.  

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Blackberry Filling and Blackberry Buttercream

 I am the messiest cook in the world.  After making these cupcakes my kitchen looked like a war zone.  I had a bit of a challenge filling some because I didn't mash all the berries quite enough and the filling got stuck in the piping bag.  That is what I get starting cupcakes at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, when I have to be out of the house by 4.  OOPS!   While icing them, I think I had more icing on my hands than in the piping bag.  Seriously, it was scary.

The original recipe calls for cake flour, which I am out of and frankly, I hate using.  It is ubber processed and I feel terrible using it... so instead, I used what was in my crock- a mix of wheat, oat and unbleached.  You can't tell.  The cupcake is still tender and wonderful!

These little beauties are just as tasty as they look. You can taste the blackberry in the icing, and the little surprise of blackberry in the middle of the cupcake= yum!  I have leftover filling which I am planning on slathering on pancakes or waffles on Saturday.  And a bit of icing was left as well, which I think I should eat by the spoonfuls between now and Saturday.  Yeah, I got big plans. 

VANILLA BEAN CUPCAKES

recipe from: mybakingaddiction.com

Yield: 20-22 cupcakes 
INGREDIENTS:

Do you see those luscious little vanilla beans in the cupcake?

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
•  1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
•  1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
•  4 large egg whites, room temperature
•  1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
•  1 1/2 cups sugar
•  seeds scraped from a 5"-7" vanilla bean
•  2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat egg whites for about 2 minutes on high speed until they form soft peaks. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds at medium speed for 3 minutes, or until the butter and sugar are very light. Add in the vanilla extract and one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until well incorporated. Add the rest of the milk, beating until the batter fully incorporated and smooth, then add the last of the dry ingredients.  Beat for a minute.

Fold in the egg whites.  Using a large scoop, distribute the batter between 20-22 muffin wells, filling each paper liner about 2/3 full.   Bake for 18-24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack. 

BLACKBERRY FILLING
adapted from Baked Perfection  

INGREDIENTS:

• about 20 ounces fresh blackberries
• 4-6 tablespoons sugar
• Juice of one lemon
•  4 tablespoons cornstarch
• pinch of salt

Place blackberries in a small bowl and sprinkle with sugar, let thaw. Mash blackberries and squish the blackberries in a fine mesh sieve to get juices out.  You should get about 3/4-1 cup. In a large saucepan, combine the blackberry liquid, lemon juice, cornstarch, and salt. Heat and stir until the mixture boils and thickens, add in the berries and makes sure it remains thick. Cool completely.  Chill until ready to use. (This can be made several days in advance and any leftovers works well on toast, on pancakes, or mixed in plain Greek Yogurt.)  Use piping bag to put into cupcakes.  Place tip deep in center of cupcake, holding the piping bag with one hand and the cupcake with the other.  As you fill it you will feel the cupcake swell and vibrate.  Fill each cupcake.

BLACKBERRY BUTTERCREAM
 from Baked Perfection


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup blackberry filling (seedless blackberry jam or preserves can be substituted)
• pinch of salt
• 5 1/2- 6 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:
Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Mix in blackberry filling and salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Early in my marriage, I made a carrot cake that was the best carrot cake I had ever had.  I got it from one of my cookbooks, but unfortunately for me, I have a million of them and don't know which cookbook it was from.  Wishing I had a brilliant mind, or at least brilliant memory at times like this.  

So, rather than driving myself into the cuckoo's nest by looking through my cookbooks, I went to the trusty internet.  After looking, I settled on this cake.  Made a few changes per people's comments and went to work.  I got it whipped up and put it into my 8" pans and into the oven it went.  That's when it happened.  Disaster struck.  Overflowing abundance of cake, spilling, burning, smoke alarms, and a very stinky house later, my cakes came out of the oven.   They remained unscathed, but I can not say the same thing for my oven or house.   Stinking cake!  

So do not attempt 8 inch cake pans, please.  Unless of course, you want to be as successful as I am to stink up your house before guests come over.  Then, by all means, use an 8 inch pan.

This cake was very moist and dense, but very tasty.   I will not say it is the perfect carrot cake, but it was surely very good.  The icing was delicious.  This was the cake rising from the ashes, and against all odds (or my mad baking skills, emphasis on "mad"), it was delish and gone in 2 days.

CARROT CAKE

inspired by:  http://allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 eggs
• 1- 4 oz. cup drained applesauce
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
•  3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup drained crushed pineapple
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans or raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch cake pans.  In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, applesauce, sugars and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix into sugar mixture.  Stir in carrots and then the pecans or raisins. Pour into prepared pan(s).  Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1- 8oz. pkg light cream cheese, room temp
• 1 stick butter- room temp
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp milk

DIRECTIONS:


Beat the butter and cream cheese for 2-3 minutes.  Add half the sugar, the vanilla and mix, slowly, increasing speed as you mix.  Add remaining sugar and milk and beat until creamy, making sure to scrape the bowl to make sure it is all mixed well.  Add more sugar if needed to stiffen up.

Oatmeal Cake with Brown Sugar Oatmeal Icing

When I was young, I had high cholesterol, so I went on a bran and oatmeal diet.  I still can't bring myself to cook with bran.  Oatmeal has always had its place though, in desserts.  Then recently, after a day feasting on pizza, grilled cheese and waffles (not in that order necessarily) I had blood work and my cholesterol was slightly elevated again.
I am hoping that ingesting copious amount of this cake will lower it, because I ate several slices.  Oatmeal for breakfast?  Certainly.  And for dessert too!  Somehow, it makes desserts healthy, I am sure.
This cake has been in my family for a long time and I am not sure where my mom got the recipe, but it has always been a family favorite. Super moist and dense and go ahead and mash your face in it.
It is like an oatmeal cookie in cake form.  Except it has a delicious brown sugar warm icing that is like candy over the top.  You could use the any leftover icing as a mask and attempt to lick it off your face.  I am sure my kids would just love to watch that trick.  Of course, I am not serious...  because the icing will barely make it on the cake, and the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan will surely be devoured, before it can make it to your face as a mask. 

OATMEAL CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

Don't you just love how the pan is crooked in the picture?  I have mad skills, I know.

• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 2 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening (or butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins (Opt.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.   Pour boiling water over oats and let cool. In a med. sized bowl, whisk together flour, salt baking soda and cinnamon.  Cream together the sugars and shortening.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.  Add the oats and blend.  Add the flour mixture and mix until flour disappears.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Cook at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
 Can add chocolate chips to cake for variation.

BROWN SUGAR OATMEAL ICING

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 4 TBSP evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan, melt butter and evaporated milk.  Add brown sugar and bring mixture to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute.  Add coconut, oatmeal and pecans.  Mix and carefully pour over and spread on the cooled cake.
As a variation you can broil the cake to caramelize the top.

Strawberry Cupcakes with Fresh Strawberry Buttercream

With strawberries being so inexpensive right now, I have been buying them every time I go to the store.  Sometimes, my kids will eat them for a snack, sometimes I will eat a whole container by myself,  and sometimes they rot in the fridge because I am saving them for something.  You know you've done it.  Let fruit rot in the fridge because you are saving it for something.  No one knows what that something is, but we all do it. 
No more rotting berries! Seize the day!  Take out the berries and dip them in chocolate, or eat the whole container over the sink.  Or best yet, make cupcakes!!

These cupcakes are delish. I love the soft pink of the icing and the bits of strawberry in them.  The cupcakes were moist with bits of berry in them as well.  For some insane reason, the cupcake itself tasted like banana to me, and upon bringing them to church to share, someone asked me if they were banana.  But they didn't smell like banana, and my husband and kids thought I was nuts for mentioning a banana flavor.  Very strange, but no matter which way you bite it, they tasted fabulous. 


STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES
adapted from apronofgrace.com
yield: 24 cupcakes plus a small cake


INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 5 egg whites
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups strawberry puree
• 3 cups cake flour (I used 1 1/2 cups regular)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• heavy pinch salt
• 1 cup buttermilk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.    Line cupcake tins with liners, or grease/flour pans. Beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating in between.  Add vanilla and strawberry puree and beat another few minutes (you can add 1 tsp. red food coloring here if you want).  Whisk together dry ingredients and add in 3 increments, alternatively with buttermilk to the butter mixture, mixing well in between each addition.  In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into batter.  Fill cupcakes to 3/4 full.  Bake cupcakes for 22-24 minutes (until toothpick comes clean) and cake for 30-34 minutes. 
Cool  completely before frosting.


FRESH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 stick softened butter
• 3 oz. softened cream cheese
• 4 TBSP strawberry puree
• 1/2-1 TBSP milk or cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 5-6 cups confectioners sugar (more if needed)

DIRECTIONS:
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Add 1/2 the sugar and 1/2 the strawberry puree and extracts.  Beat well.  Add remaining sugar, puree, and milk and beat until fluffy, adding more sugar if too soft, and puree or milk by the tsp if too stiff. Frost and eat!

Rocky Road Cake

This is one of those throw together cakes.  It took about 5 minutes to get it made.  The frosting takes longer than the cake to make.  My kids all licked off the icing, then devoured the cake.   I brought this to a church potluck and I was very tempted to eat just cake for lunch, but I thought it might look funny if I sat down with 3 pieces of cake and no other food.

This cake is incredibly moist and lick your plate good.  And I love this icing.  It is so light and has the texture or whipped cream almost.  There was a version of this frosting that my grandmother made and it needed to be cooked.  It was great. . .  except there would be tiny lumps of flour in it, that kinda made me gag.  This custard frosting is silky smooth and all can be done in the kitchen aid; no cooking required!
This recipe came from someone in my family, but is probably all over the internet.  You could top it with a fudge icing and marshmallows and nuts mashed into the icing... or top yourself with that.  But personally, I love it with the custard icing! A great cake!

ROCKY ROAD CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

The shiny spots are where the marshmallows melted: little pockets of sweetness.

• 1 box devil's food cake mix
• 1- 3 oz. pkg. chocolate pudding
• 1 cup mayonaise
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1/2-3/4 cup choc. chips (I did 3/4)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a bundt pan, or use baking spray.  Blend the cake mix, mayo, pudding, eggs and water until mixed through.  Add the nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows and gently stir in until incorporated.  Bake @ 350 for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

NOTE: The marshmallows do melt into the cake, and create little pockets of sweetness.





CUSTARD FROSTING

Here is the link for the icing:
custard frosting

Butterfinger Blondies with Buttercream Frosting

These are wonderful blondies!  Super sweet, and are even better on day 2.  They are full of chunks of butterfinger and topped with a creamy buttercream.
They are evil, because I want to keep eating them.  My kids love them, and my husband too, but just a little bit does him.  Wish a little would do me!  My instincts told me to cut the butter by a couple of TBSP, and I wish I had cut it by a half stick, because I found them a bit too buttery at first.  The butter has kinda reabsorbed now, but I still think I will cut it next time.  Then again, when you are talking 2 sticks and another stick for the icing, plus some crisco, so what's a couple of TBSP?  Worth the extra laps you will have to do. 


BUTTERFINGER BLONDIES WITH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
recipe slightly adapted from: cookiesandcups.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 c. butter (I will do 3/4 cup next time)
• 1 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 2 c. coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (about 5 full size candy bars, or 20 small)

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

•  1/2 c. butter, softened 
• 1/2 c. vegetable shortening
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 T. milk (more as needed)
• 2 1/2 - 3 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 c. butterfingers, chopped (about 1 full size candy bar)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

I couldn't wait til they were cool, so I cheated and frosted a few early.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.  Beat butter and sugars until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined, followed by chopped butterfingers.  Spread the batter into 9x13 pan.  Bake 25- 33 minutes, or until the center is set and doesn't jiggle.  They will be a nice golden brown. Cool completely.

Whip frosting and top cooled bars (I only used half the icing, so could half the recipe, if desired).  Sprinkle with crushed butterfinger or mix candy bars in frosting for variation.

Gingerbread Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

  Picture this: the creamy texture of the mini pumpkin pie against the moist crumb of cake.    I was thinking of making a pumpkin pie filled pumpkin muffin, which sounded great, but I was not feeling super inspired.  Then I thought about gingerbread and then the wheels really got turning.  Pumpkin pie, gingerbread and cinnamon cream cheese icing, now that will work! These cupcakes were delicious!   Lick your fingers and the cupcake liner/paper good.  (Well, my 8 year old daughter was licking hers until I gently and lovingly told her to stop.) 

A few words of caution; (OOO! sounds so scary!) This is a very gingery/molasses tasting cupcake, which I love, but may not be for you if you are not a big gingerbread fan. Also, these require a bit of prior planning because you have to cook the pumpkin pie before hand, but I enjoyed making them with my kids helping me along the way.  Maybe it was because I couldn't wait to taste them.   The pumpkin pie sinks while baking, which I didn't mind at all.  I topped them with some gingerbread men sprinkles so there would be no mistake that they are gingerbread and not chocolate. 

 

 

GINGERBREAD PUMPKIN PIE CUPCAKES WITH CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE ICING 

adapted from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cupcakes:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP ground ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup hot milk

For the Pumpkin Pies:

I just made a pumpkin pie and used up some filling by placing into mini-muffin tins.

For the Frosting:

• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon

DIRECTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Spray a 12 spaces in a mini-muffin pan with cooking spray and fill 12 about 2/3 full.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

this is just before spooning more batter to cover.

Butter or line with paper liners a 12-cup muffin tin. Cream 5 tablespoons of softened butter with the white sugar. Add the molasses and the egg and egg yolk and mix. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot milk. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the hot milk mixture. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins filling about halfway. Carefully run knife along outside edge of the pumpkin pies.  Carefully spoon out and place in the center of each cupcake.  Spoon some batter into each to cover pumpkin pies. You may have some batter left.  You can discard or make a 1-2 more cupcakes.  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 17-20 minutes or until slightly springy to the touch.  Allow to cool a few minutes in the pan and carefully remove to a rack to cool.  

For the Frosting: Cream the 2 tablespoons butter and the cream cheese together. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat. When the cupcakes are cool, frost the tops with the frosting and serve.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Caramel and Cream Cheese Icing

These rolls are delicious!  Will be making these every fall for sure!  We all really love the caramel icing and the cream cheese over that.  You could probably half the cream cheese icing.  I had it from pumpkin cinnamon swirl pancakes I had made and thought it would be a nice addition to these.  It was!  This is plenty of sweet for breakfast, so make sure you have some fruit or something savory to offset all this sugar! 
I made these when some friends came into town.  They joked that they were "delectable".  I think so.  Thanks Cristine for the inspiration! 
We actually ate some of the leftovers for dessert too!  Your mouth will be watering far before these reach your mouth.

PUMPKIN CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CARAMEL AND CREAM CHEESE ICING

For the rolls:

• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• scant 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
• 3 1/2-4 cups bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour but bread flour makes them lighter)

Cinnamon filling:

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 TBSP ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup soft butter

Caramel Frosting:

upside down after turning out of pan

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• dash salt
• 1 1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

CREAM CHEESE ICING:

• 3 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• milk to thin to drizzly consistency

DIRECTIONS:

Heat milk in microwave briefly to be warm. Sprinkle yeast over and some sugar over and stir.  In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt with paddle attachment. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.

Add the flour to pumpkin mixture. Switch to kneading attachment and knead for 5 minutes.  Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly.

Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, 1-1 1/2 hours. Punch dough down. Spray a surface with cooking spray or turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy enough to handle and so it won't stick to the rolling surface. Roll dough into 12x10 inch rectangle.

In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Smear surface of dough with soft butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, or wax dental floss, cut roll into 12-15 1- inch thick slices. Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 11X17 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled for 30 to 45 minutes, or chill overnight and take out 45 minutes before baking.
Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Caramel frosting. Makes 12-15 rolls (mine made 14).

For Caramel Frosting:

In small saucepan, heat butter cook over until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk.
Stir in brown sugar and milk. Whisk over medium low heat 1 minute until smooth.  Whisk in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Whisk until all the white clumps disappear.    Mix cream cheese icing ingredients.  Drizzle caramel icing over warm rolls, and drizzle over cream cheese icing over caramel icing.  Serve warm.