Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
from Gingerbread Bagels
Showing posts with label frosting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frosting. Show all posts
red velvet chocolate chip cupcakes*
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No better way to ring in the New Year (I know I'm a bit late) then with an absolutely divine dessert! These little babies were dessert for the students last week, and were an amazing little treat (a.k.a. the last amazing thing we are going to eat for 3 months) for me and my staff before we started in on the Biggest Loser. I was excited that there were a couple left the next day so that I could devour one just before the weigh-ins. You may call it cheating, but I call it just another part of my cupcake top - or as everyone else calls it "muffin top".
Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
from Gingerbread Bagels
Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
from Gingerbread Bagels
pumpkin cupcake w/ salted caramel buttercream*
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It seems like salted caramel is the new "thing". It is everywhere. I have always thought it sounded good, but really didn't get the big deal. Then I made it for this buttercream. Man oh man, this stuff is GOOD. I was skeptical about the buttercream, since I really am not a huge fan, but this buttercream is pretty tasty. I am still not the biggest fan of the texture, but the salted caramel flavor is really so amazing!
So, I found this recipe on Pinterest - of course - and tried to follow it word for word. But this was my problem. The cupcakes turned out fabulously. Really - so good! Then I got to the frosting. I tried to make the "salted caramel" twice, then gave up. In the recipe it says to let the sugar and water boil until it reaches a deep amber color. The first time I tried to wing it, while not really 100% sure what a deep amber color looked like. When I added my cream to mix in once it had reached what I thought was deep amber, the caramel got hard as a rock and the cream did not mix in at all. So I knew I cooked it too long. So I tried again. This time, however, I decided to Google what deep amber looks like. That was as much help as trying to get my puppy help me bake. Please, I beg you, Google what deep amber looks like. It is about as clear as mud. So I decided I would just let it be a bit lighter than my first attempt and was really feeling good about it this time. I added my cream, and again - hard as a rock. This is when I gave up. At least on that caramel recipe.
I decided to look up another recipe for a salted caramel buttercream, but I wanted one that used a candy thermometer so that there was no color guessing, no texture guessing. I wanted crystal clear directions. After looking over a few recipes, I still couldn't find one that used a candy thermometer. However, I decided to just pick one and try it.
These were my directions. Simmer until thickened; about 3-4 minutes. Ugh. How thickened would they like it to be? I had no idea. I attempted to guess for awhile, at least to what my idea of what the thickness should be, which was way longer than 3-4 minutes I might add, until I had a genius idea. I have made caramel a time or two and decided that I would just use a candy thermometer anyway. I figured if I let it get to about 230 degrees, just under soft ball stage, that it would work great because it would still be pourable, yet still have a firmness to it. So that is what I did, and it WORKED! Yay. You can try and guess if you would like, and if it works my hat goes off to you. I need much more clear directions, because I am just simply not that cool.
Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Salted Caramel Buttercream
cupcake recipe from Made In Mel's Kitchen
So, I found this recipe on Pinterest - of course - and tried to follow it word for word. But this was my problem. The cupcakes turned out fabulously. Really - so good! Then I got to the frosting. I tried to make the "salted caramel" twice, then gave up. In the recipe it says to let the sugar and water boil until it reaches a deep amber color. The first time I tried to wing it, while not really 100% sure what a deep amber color looked like. When I added my cream to mix in once it had reached what I thought was deep amber, the caramel got hard as a rock and the cream did not mix in at all. So I knew I cooked it too long. So I tried again. This time, however, I decided to Google what deep amber looks like. That was as much help as trying to get my puppy help me bake. Please, I beg you, Google what deep amber looks like. It is about as clear as mud. So I decided I would just let it be a bit lighter than my first attempt and was really feeling good about it this time. I added my cream, and again - hard as a rock. This is when I gave up. At least on that caramel recipe.
I decided to look up another recipe for a salted caramel buttercream, but I wanted one that used a candy thermometer so that there was no color guessing, no texture guessing. I wanted crystal clear directions. After looking over a few recipes, I still couldn't find one that used a candy thermometer. However, I decided to just pick one and try it.
These were my directions. Simmer until thickened; about 3-4 minutes. Ugh. How thickened would they like it to be? I had no idea. I attempted to guess for awhile, at least to what my idea of what the thickness should be, which was way longer than 3-4 minutes I might add, until I had a genius idea. I have made caramel a time or two and decided that I would just use a candy thermometer anyway. I figured if I let it get to about 230 degrees, just under soft ball stage, that it would work great because it would still be pourable, yet still have a firmness to it. So that is what I did, and it WORKED! Yay. You can try and guess if you would like, and if it works my hat goes off to you. I need much more clear directions, because I am just simply not that cool.
Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Salted Caramel Buttercream
cupcake recipe from Made In Mel's Kitchen
football cake and AMAZING chocolate frosting*
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I cannot believe I have yet to give a shout out to my phone! I would say a good 90% of the pictures of the food that I take for this blog were taken on my phone. I have the HTC EVO, and really I am completely and utterly obsessed with it. I had the iPhone previously, and really there is no comparison. There is not enough time in the day (or maybe just in my day) to explain all the reasons why I love it, but everyone should own one. Enough said.
Now, this phone that I should get paid for saying good things about (HTC do you hear this??), well, let's just say I didn't do it any favors today. I went to get gas and had just called the husband to tell him I was on my way home and set it on my lap. You can probably figure out the rest. I was wearing a skirt and I went to get out of the car and CRACK. There went the screen. I cried. I cried A LOT. I came home bawling and Landon probably thought I wrecked the car. Anyway, I hope I can get it fixed/replaced for less than $400, but I don't have much luck when it comes to this sort of stuff so I won't get my hopes up.
Now, for the highlight of my day, which happened before the cracked screen incident, was this football cake! I was walking into work this morning and one of the students asked me if I was going to make his birthday cake today. I said OF COURSE and went in to see his request. I immediately got SO excited and ran in my office to get a recipe! He wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting in the shape of a football!!
Let's talk football for a minute. I LOVE FOOTBALL!! Now, some people will say I just love it because my husband loves it. Let me first say, yes I did start to like it because of him. I knew that he would want to watch it every Sunday, so I figured I might as well give it a shot and at least TRY and like it. Well, what happened from there is nothing short of a miracle. I really truly LOVE it!! My big accomplishment over this past year was learning what offsides and false start was. Well, I knew what they were but I never knew which one was on the defense and which on the offense. My accomplishment the year before was being able to spot a blitz.
Who is my team, you ask?? The Chargers!! Next year is their year :). Landon likes the Vikings, but they were way too dramatic last year in my opinion. Anyway, we were going to have a super bowl party and I'm sure I would have had tons of snacking recipes on here, but that was the day we flew to Florida for our cruise so we watched the superbowl in our hotel room :(. Anyway, next year I will be making some extra special goodies!!
Ok, ok, back to the football cake. This thing is ADORABLE! Oh man, I love this cake. I was so excited to give it to our birthday boy! I couldn't just make a cake in the shape of a football and leave it at that.This thing had to be awesome! So I made a football field with markings for the yards, the field goals, and the football!
I really liked this recipe for the chocolate cake. It wasn't way sweet, which is why I like it I think. I am a HUGE dark chocolate fan. I would eat it over milk chocolate any day. Milk chocolate is just too sweet. But can we please discuss the chocolate frosting?? This stuff is TO DIE FOR! Oh my goodness gracious. It is so good!! Please please make this frosting and tell me how you like it because my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Football Cake!!
Dark Chocolate Cake
from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans (if you are making the football cake, double this recipe and grease two 9 x 13 cake pans). In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs on at a time, then stir in vanilla.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
2 cups butter (no substitutes), softened
9 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla (might I add that I would sift your powdered sugar before you put it in?? I didn't and there were little powdered sugar lumps). You are going to think there is no way that this is going to turn out smooth and creamy, but just wait!
Oh, and be careful when you are mixing in your ingredients that you have mixer going WAY slow or you will end up looking like this:
Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Once you think it's mixed together, keep mixing for a couple of minutes.
Something miraculous happens and WALAH! You have perfect fluffy AMAZING frosting!!
Football Cake
from Alyssa Cundy
Ingredients
2 - 9x13 inch cakes (I used chocolate, obviously)
Frosting (again, I used chocolate)
Coconut - I would say about 3-4 cups...??
Green food coloring (blue + yellow = green :)
Whipped Topping
Directions
Take one of your two 9 x 13 inch cakes and cut out a football shape (I printed one from clipart, cut out the football, put it on the cake and then followed the stencil with a knife). Remove remaining cake around the sides (it's ok if it doesn't turn out perfect. That's what frosting is for!)
Take the second cake and turn it upside down onto a tray. It should come out easily (hopefully!). Frost the cake with some of the delicious chocolate frosting.
In a bowl mix your coconut with some green food coloring. Start with a couple of drops and then mix it together with a wooden spoon. I had gloves on so I used my hands - it's much easier. Keep adding food coloring until the coconut is grass colored. Spread your green coconut all over the chocolate frosted cake, even on the edges. This will be your football field!
Take your whipped topping and put some of it in a pastry bag with the small round tip. Mark off your cake so that you can make 11 lines. I started mine 1 1/2 inches from the edge for the first line then 1 inch for the remaining. The last line should be 1 1/2 inches from the other end. Then mark these lines like they would be on the football field for the yard lines. From the edge going left to right they go 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10. Then turn your cake the other way and do those same numbers again.
Then take a ziploc bag and cut off the corner about 1/4 inch. Put some whipped topping in your ziploc bag and on the ends you can write TOUCHDOWN or the name of the football team that you like :).
You are now ready to put your football shape on the field. Place it wherever you would like. With a star tip in your pastry bag, add some more of the whipped topping. Make your lines on the sides of the ball, as well as the lines for the laces on the football. Then, using the same star tip in your pastry bag, add the chocolate frosting and put chocolate frosting around the rest of the football.
Then, if you get real ambitious, make some field goals with some wooden skewers and some tape!
CUTE!!!!!!!! This cake wasn't perfect by any means, but I LOVE it!! I think it will have to be replicated at next years super bowl party!!!
-alyssa*
Now, this phone that I should get paid for saying good things about (HTC do you hear this??), well, let's just say I didn't do it any favors today. I went to get gas and had just called the husband to tell him I was on my way home and set it on my lap. You can probably figure out the rest. I was wearing a skirt and I went to get out of the car and CRACK. There went the screen. I cried. I cried A LOT. I came home bawling and Landon probably thought I wrecked the car. Anyway, I hope I can get it fixed/replaced for less than $400, but I don't have much luck when it comes to this sort of stuff so I won't get my hopes up.
Now, for the highlight of my day, which happened before the cracked screen incident, was this football cake! I was walking into work this morning and one of the students asked me if I was going to make his birthday cake today. I said OF COURSE and went in to see his request. I immediately got SO excited and ran in my office to get a recipe! He wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting in the shape of a football!!
Let's talk football for a minute. I LOVE FOOTBALL!! Now, some people will say I just love it because my husband loves it. Let me first say, yes I did start to like it because of him. I knew that he would want to watch it every Sunday, so I figured I might as well give it a shot and at least TRY and like it. Well, what happened from there is nothing short of a miracle. I really truly LOVE it!! My big accomplishment over this past year was learning what offsides and false start was. Well, I knew what they were but I never knew which one was on the defense and which on the offense. My accomplishment the year before was being able to spot a blitz.
Who is my team, you ask?? The Chargers!! Next year is their year :). Landon likes the Vikings, but they were way too dramatic last year in my opinion. Anyway, we were going to have a super bowl party and I'm sure I would have had tons of snacking recipes on here, but that was the day we flew to Florida for our cruise so we watched the superbowl in our hotel room :(. Anyway, next year I will be making some extra special goodies!!
Ok, ok, back to the football cake. This thing is ADORABLE! Oh man, I love this cake. I was so excited to give it to our birthday boy! I couldn't just make a cake in the shape of a football and leave it at that.This thing had to be awesome! So I made a football field with markings for the yards, the field goals, and the football!
I really liked this recipe for the chocolate cake. It wasn't way sweet, which is why I like it I think. I am a HUGE dark chocolate fan. I would eat it over milk chocolate any day. Milk chocolate is just too sweet. But can we please discuss the chocolate frosting?? This stuff is TO DIE FOR! Oh my goodness gracious. It is so good!! Please please make this frosting and tell me how you like it because my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Football Cake!!
Dark Chocolate Cake
from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans (if you are making the football cake, double this recipe and grease two 9 x 13 cake pans). In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs on at a time, then stir in vanilla.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.
Rich Chocolate Frosting
adapted from allrecipes.com
Ingredients
2 cups butter (no substitutes), softened
9 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups baking cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk
Directions
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, cocoa and vanilla (might I add that I would sift your powdered sugar before you put it in?? I didn't and there were little powdered sugar lumps). You are going to think there is no way that this is going to turn out smooth and creamy, but just wait!
Oh, and be careful when you are mixing in your ingredients that you have mixer going WAY slow or you will end up looking like this:
Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Once you think it's mixed together, keep mixing for a couple of minutes.
Something miraculous happens and WALAH! You have perfect fluffy AMAZING frosting!!
Football Cake
from Alyssa Cundy
Ingredients
2 - 9x13 inch cakes (I used chocolate, obviously)
Frosting (again, I used chocolate)
Coconut - I would say about 3-4 cups...??
Green food coloring (blue + yellow = green :)
Whipped Topping
Directions
Take one of your two 9 x 13 inch cakes and cut out a football shape (I printed one from clipart, cut out the football, put it on the cake and then followed the stencil with a knife). Remove remaining cake around the sides (it's ok if it doesn't turn out perfect. That's what frosting is for!)
Take the second cake and turn it upside down onto a tray. It should come out easily (hopefully!). Frost the cake with some of the delicious chocolate frosting.
In a bowl mix your coconut with some green food coloring. Start with a couple of drops and then mix it together with a wooden spoon. I had gloves on so I used my hands - it's much easier. Keep adding food coloring until the coconut is grass colored. Spread your green coconut all over the chocolate frosted cake, even on the edges. This will be your football field!
Take your whipped topping and put some of it in a pastry bag with the small round tip. Mark off your cake so that you can make 11 lines. I started mine 1 1/2 inches from the edge for the first line then 1 inch for the remaining. The last line should be 1 1/2 inches from the other end. Then mark these lines like they would be on the football field for the yard lines. From the edge going left to right they go 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10. Then turn your cake the other way and do those same numbers again.
Then take a ziploc bag and cut off the corner about 1/4 inch. Put some whipped topping in your ziploc bag and on the ends you can write TOUCHDOWN or the name of the football team that you like :).
You are now ready to put your football shape on the field. Place it wherever you would like. With a star tip in your pastry bag, add some more of the whipped topping. Make your lines on the sides of the ball, as well as the lines for the laces on the football. Then, using the same star tip in your pastry bag, add the chocolate frosting and put chocolate frosting around the rest of the football.
Then, if you get real ambitious, make some field goals with some wooden skewers and some tape!
CUTE!!!!!!!! This cake wasn't perfect by any means, but I LOVE it!! I think it will have to be replicated at next years super bowl party!!!
-alyssa*
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