The best time of year has officially arrived. It has been a long time since I have posted, but I have been baking and saving up pictures to bombard the site. My sister's birthday is December 21st and I was in charge of the cake. She had a birthday party the 20th with 14 of her friends and I decided to make cupcakes. Not cupcakes that I have made before, but a new recipe ... sort of. I made my chocolate cupcakes and made a peanut butter frosting, topped with a mini reese's cup. They were adorable and gobbled up!!
The frosting was creamy and peanut buttery, without overpowering the rich chocolate flavor of the cupcake. It is a must try frosting - I promise, you will not be disappointed.
On another note, for her birthday cake, I made the same chocolate cake recipe with a white chocolate buttercream frosting. It was a two layer chocolate cake with a ganache filling. It was moist and rich from the ganache with a slightly sweet frosting that balanced the not so sweet cake. The first attempt I made on the frosting did not work out at all. For some reason the consistency was more gooey than fluffy. I had to run to the grocery store with like an hour before we had to leave for the restaurant. Thankfully, the second time around was a success!! Unfortunately, since I was rushed, I do not have a picture of the cake. But everyone loved it ... even the servers at the restaurant ... there was a little left over so we gave them the rest.
Enjoy these recipes and happy baking!!!
Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes
(adapted from Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake)
Cupcakes2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water + 2 tsp. instant espresso granules
Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups with paper bake cups. Set aside.
Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in another bowl; beat with a mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
In a liquid measuring cup, pour the hot water and add the instant espresso to the hot water, stir to dissolve. Pour the water/espresso mixture into the batter and stir to combine. The batter will be very thin.
Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely.
* For a 2 layered cake: grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely
Peanut
Butter Frosting
(adapted from Ina Garten)
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup milk (a little less or more depending on consistency)
Mix the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the milk and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.
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