Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes

First, please excuse the short post. Life is crazy busy right now but I didn't want you to think I'd forgotten about you!!

These cupcakes were so fun and cute! My brother-in-law's birthday is this week and he loves ice cream cake. Well, this is a cupcake blog and I thought it would be cool to figure out a way to make awesome cupcakes that would make him happy....

These were made with my go-to dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with vanilla icing, and topped with Black Cherry frozen yogurt, Cookies 'n Cream ice cream, and a cherry.Yum!

Happy birthday, Chris! I hope it's the best one yet!!

In other news, I went with Chris and my sister, Candice, for their 4D ultrasound this week. This was, by far, the coolest thing I've ever seen! She is 27 weeks along and the details that we were able to see were just incredible. The next two weeks are gonna be pretty busy for me with all the planning I'm involved in for her baby shower so if I'm MIA - sorry! I will say that, thanks to all of you, I have hit the 200 follower mark between GFC and Bloglovin!! This means that an awesome giveaway will be going on all next week with some awesome prizes from several of my bloggy friends! Also, the week of the 19th will be Baby Shower week with the recipes from most of the food we'll be serving, all leading up to the big party reveal! 

Meanwhile, here's a picture that I just have to share with all of you! Meet....

Until next time, happy reading and more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Never Tried Nutella? What?!

Ok, funny story. Until a couple months ago I had never tried...ready for it? Nutella. I know. Gasp. Shock. Horror. I don't even know why. Maybe my life long struggle with food played a part. I didn't need to know what I was missing so I just didn't let myself try it. Maybe it was the fact that I never really had hazelnuts growing up so I didn't really know if I liked it. Maybe I just didn't think there was anything I could like as much as peanut butter. Who knows? All I know is that, until a couple months ago, I thought my life was complete. I was happy. I was blissfully unaware. And then came that fateful day when everything changed...

Source

It was a normal day at the office. Five o'clock was quickly approaching and I was minding my own business. I can't even remember what started the whole conversation. All I remember is, one minute I was headed out the door to run to the store before going home, and the next, my boss was telling me about the glory of Nutella. He was shocked that I, a pastry chef and lover of all things baked, had never tried it. I really didn't think much about it. I went to Walmart, put the items I needed into my cart, and headed for the checkout. As I was placing my items on the belt, I looked up and there it was. Nutella. To go. I thought, "how funny...we were just talking about this." So, I grabbed it, deciding to finally try it, and left the store. Later that evening I took my first taste and I was hooked. This stuff is just so incredibly delicious! I knew that if I ever brought a tub of it into my house, I'd be done for. So, I went on with life, happy with having tried it and content to know that if I wanted a little indulgence I could just grab one of those to go containers and be good.

Fast forward a couple months and we have the reason for this post. My friend, Amy, over at One Artsy Mama had also never tried this stuff and decided to host a party where we will "Go Nuts" for Nutella. So, here's my little contribution. Beware. You may never eat cupcakes any other way again. To quote a few of my co-workers, "best cupcakes on the face of the planet", "Heather, you were good before you started this blog, but you just get better and better. The best cupcakes you've ever made" and, of course the classic, "mmmm..." :) Clearly, they were a hit....

See the topper on this baby? Yes, that's the delicious and decadent Ferrero Rocher candy. You know, the candy that is reserved for special occasions? (At least it is at our house) And, at $6/dozen, it's no wonder...however, every once in awhile, it's worth it. And this was one of those occasions. Dark chocolate cupcakes, filled with nutella, iced in Chocolate-Nutella Swirl Buttercream, and topped with the special candy. Now, the cake recipe I used makes 38 cupcakes and I only bought 1 dozen of the Ferrero Rocher candies. Sorry...that's all the budget allowed this month so they were on a first-come, first-serve basis. Honestly, though, these cupcakes were super delicious with or without the toppers. The only thing missing was crushed hazelnuts to decorate the icing but I couldn't find hazelnuts anywhere...any suggestions?

Now, for the recipes...

Dark Chocolate Cake


2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line pans with paper liners. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream; whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Pour into lined pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of each cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing.

Chocolate Buttercream (adapted from here)


1/2 cup shortening
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark cocoa
1 t vanilla
1 lb (approx. 4 cups) confectioner's sugar
3-4 T hazelnut creamer


In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add creamer and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.


To create the swirl effect I followed the tutorial found here (genius idea - wish I came up with it!) I put the Nutella in one bag and the Chocolate Buttercream in another. Voila! Beautifully swirled icing.

For extra flavor, before icing, I hollowed out the middle of the cupcakes with a sharp knife and filled them in with Nutella. This just added an extra layer of deliciousness (not to mention, calories) - shhh....

There you go...my version of Nutella cupcakes. Make them! You'll truly be missing out if you don't. And, if you haven't yet, try Nutella. Don't be blissfully unaware of what you've been missing for as long as I was. Until next time, happy reading and more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

It's a Baby! Simple, Beautiful Baby Shower Cupcakes

These sweet cupcakes were ordered by a friend of mine who was throwing a baby shower a few weeks ago. I just love the color scheme for the party!

The baby's first name starts with a D (I never did ask what her name is gonna be) and the design my friend wanted was simple and elegant. The flavors were dark chocolate and vanilla with a vanilla almond buttercream. For the vanilla cake, I followed the recipe on the link, omitting the almond extract and doubling the vanilla. As for the icing, this recipe is a little more detail oriented. I really love the texture of it, though, and it holds up really well, especially if you're using it for a wedding cake. For the decorations I rolled fondant and cut out 1 inch circles. Once dry, I piped the polka dots and letter D on each one in navy royal icing. These were easy, delicious, and beautiful!

Recipes:

Royal Icing (makes about 3 cups icing)

3 Tablespoons meringue powder
4 cups confectioner's sugar
6 Tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks. If you want stiffer icing, use less water and for thinner, use more, adding 1/2 teaspoon at a time.

Wilton Snow White Buttercream (adapted from here)

2/3 cup + 3 tablespoons water, divided
1/4 cup Meringue Powder
12 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon no-color almond extract

3/4 teaspoon clear vanilla extract

In large bowl, combine 2/3 cup water and meringue powder; whip with electric mixer at high speed until peaks form. Add 4 cups sugar, one cup at a time, beating at low speed after each addition. Add remaining 8 cups sugar and 3 tablespoons water, shortening, butter and corn syrup in 3 additions, blending well after each. Add salt and flavorings; beat at low speed until smooth. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

If you're not really concerned with keeping it pure white then don't worry about using the no-color almond and clear vanilla. If you do want it pure white then follow the directions on the link as-is (you'll notice I halved the shortening, added butter, and omitted the butter flavoring).

Be sure to stop by Shaken Together where I'm guest posting today and follow along this whole week with Keri's Patriotic celebration. Also, stop by Happy Go Lucky where Kara is doing a series of favorite finds under $10. Today, you'll find a list by yours truly! :)

Lots of fun stuff is coming up so stay tuned for the where and what! Until next time, happy reading and more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Alice's Cupcake Wonderland

Last weekend, while on vacation, I received two custom cupcake orders and I'm sharing the first one with you today. I have to tell you...this was probably the most fun I've had making cupcakes so far! I've already shared with you the Mad Hatter Wedding Cake I made for my sister last year and that experience made these cupcakes pretty easy. I already had the how-to figured out for the decorations so this was familiar territory. The customer wanted 4 dozen cupackes in a variety of flavors: red velvet (for the Queen of Hearts - how appropriate!), dark chocolate, vanilla, and marble. The icings were cream cheese, chocolate buttercream, vanilla buttercream, and a swirl of chocolate and vanilla buttercreams for the marble cupcakes. Most of these recipes are familiar to you by now but you'll find the new ones posted below. For the decorations, I used fondant and gel food coloring, and hand molded or cut out the desired shapes. Here they are....

A Cupcake Wonderland

Cupcakes for a tea party

Cupcakes fit for the Queen of Hearts

The Mad Hatter's Cupcake - my favorite!

A Caterpillar's treat....I love these mushrooms!

Of course, it's not Wonderland without that grinning Cheshire Cat :) The grins were made by piping black royal icing onto parchment paper, letting it harden, then filling in the "teeth" with thinned white royal icing.

Another cupcake for a tea party

I hope you love them as much as I do! The customer was very pleased and said that everyone at the party was raving over them so that made my day!! Here are the new recipes:

Cream Cheese Icing:


3 8oz pckgs cream cheese
1 lb unsalted butter
1 lb (approx. 4 cups) confectioner's sugar
1 t vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese until light and there are no remaining lumps. Add vanilla and combine. Mix in sugar, one cup at a time, whipping well after each addition. Once all sugar has been incorporated, mix icing until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate when not in use.

Chocolate Buttercream: (adapted from here)


1/2 cup shortening
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark cocoa
1 t vanilla
1 lb (approx. 4 cups) confectioner's sugar
3-4 T milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

For the vanilla buttercream, follow the above recipe, omitting the cocoa, and only use 2 T milk.

For the chocolate-vanilla swirl icing on the marble cupcakes, just fill 1/2 (vertical) of your piping bag with chocolate and the other with vanilla. The two will swirl together as the come out of the tip. For an even cleaner swirling result, go here. This was my first time using the swirl technique. Next time I'll try the way that is shown on the link. It looks really clean and beautiful!

Marble Cupcakes:


1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
3/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cocoa

Combine first four ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Then add eggs to creamed mixture, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Add sour cream alternately with dry ingredient mixture, then divide batter equally into two bowls. Add cocoa to one bowl and mix til combined. Drop into cupcake liners one tablespoonful at a time, alternating between vanilla and chocolate, until 2/3 full.

Here's what they look like when they're baked.

Later this week I'll share the Star Wars cupcakes with you plus a special post on our newest family member, Jax! Let's just say...we LOVE him!

Me and Jax at Petco, waiting to sign the adoption papers and take him home! :) Don't you just love that face??

Don't forget to visit my previous post and enter the giveaway for a Cupcake Love Prize Pack, ending in 5 days! As always, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Linking up here every week: SumosSweetStuff, FlourMeWithLove, ToastieStudio, SerendipityAndSpice, LadybugBlessings, MyFavoriteFinds, CrazyForCrust, I'mTopsyTurvy, ACreativePrincess, MrsFox'sSweets, GingersnapCrafts, PincushionCreations, 733Blog, BearRabbitBear, LiveLaughRowe, TwinkleInTheEye, Michelle'sTastyCreationsAndCraftyIdeas, SomewhatSimple, TheREALHousewivesOfRiverton, SevenAlive, ThesePeasTasteFunny, GoingsOnInTexas, OneArtsyMama, Happy Go Lucky, TwoSasters, PetalsToPicots, LadybirdLn, KitchenFunWithMyThreeSons, WhipperBerry, TheGrantLife, BubblyNatureCreations, TatertosAndJello, WhileHeWasNapping, SixSistersStuff, SkipToMyLou

A Bouquet of Rose Cupcakes for {Mother's Day}

Hey all. I hope the mothers out there had a fantastic Mother's Day! I know my mom did. We've been on vacation since Thursday and it's been wonderful. Dad rented a really cool vacation home right on the water with a pool and the use of a boat. We've spent the last 3 days swimming, relaxing, fishing, dolphin watching...it's just been amazing. The best part has been all the quality time spent with my family! Mother's Day started off with me making breakfast - eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, fruit, orange juice, and coffee. Mom and my mom-to-be sister opened their presents and a few tears were shed (always a bonus in our family if we can strike that chord). :) Then, we spent the day out on the water and in the pool. The crowning glory, though, was the Rose Bouquet of Cupcakes I made for them. These are really beautiful and so very simple to do.

The recipes I used are the chocolate cake from my Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake post and my favortie icing - Wilton's White Chocolate Buttercream. For the tutorial on how to make the roses, go here. The short of it is, instead of starting on the outside and piping in like you normally do for cupcakes, you start in the middle and pipe outward, making one layer of icing instead of layering as you go. I'm really not very good with the explanations; it's something I'm working on. If you don't understand what I just explained, follow the link above. She even has pictures to show the work as she went.

There you have it. Cupcakes for my sweet mama and my fabulous sister. I can't wait to welcome my niece or nephew this fall! This child is gonna be spoiled! 


I received two custom cupcake orders for this week, so there may not be a new post until the weekend (we'll see). BUT, these are gonna be fun orders and I'll be telling you all about them when they're finished! Also, if you haven't yet, visit my post on the fun summer reading challenge I'm participating in. I'm having a blast with it so far! Until then, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Linking up here every week: SumosSweetStuff, FlourMeWithLove, ToastieStudio, SerendipityAndSpice, LadybugBlessings, MyFavoriteFinds, CrazyForCrust, I'mTopsyTurvy, ACreativePrincess, MrsFox'sSweets, GingersnapCrafts, PincushionCreations, 733Blog, BearRabbitBear, LiveLaughRowe, TwinkleInTheEye, Michelle'sTastyCreationsAndCraftyIdeas, SomewhatSimple, TheREALHousewivesOfRiverton, SevenAlive, ThesePeasTasteFunny, GoingsOnInTexas, OneArtsyMama, Happy Go Lucky, TwoSasters, PetalsToPicots, LadybirdLn, KitchenFunWithMyThreeSons, WhipperBerry, TheGrantLife, BubblyNatureCreations, TatertosAndJello, WhileHeWasNapping, SixSistersStuff, SkipToMyLou

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Decadent Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Oh yes, folks. Get ready for some rich decadence! This cake is the ultimate chocolate-peanut butter indulgence. If you love peanut butter cups, you have to try this cake. I recommend a cold glass of milk or strong cup of coffee to go with it as it really is super intense! You start with a rich chocolate cake, add a delicious peanut butter cream cheese icing, and top it off with a chocolate peanut butter ganache. Oh, and I added some chopped Reese's PB cups on top. You know, because there just wasn't enough chocolate or peanut butter already.

Hello! Who wouldn't want a piece of that??

Oh yeah. I think we need a moment of silence....

Ok, so, this cake is for my boss's birthday. He will actually be out of the country on his birthday so we're celebrating a little early. He and a whole team of people are about to head over to Israel for a tour of the Holy Land and then a 10 day mission trip. Our ministry does this trip every year and I'm so excited to hear what God does!! Now, my boss is a true PB lover so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try this recipe that I found on...yep, you guessed it...Pinterest.

I found the recipe here and made just a few changes as follows....

Chocolate Cake:

2 cups AP flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder (recipe calls for dutch process)
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup plain greek yogurt (recipe calls for sour cream)
1 1/2 cups water
2 T distilled white vinegar
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and line pans with parchment paper. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl and whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt (or sour cream) and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Divide among pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes. This cake is very soft and moist so, before crumb coating, stick it in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. This step IS needed. Trust me.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Icing:

10 oz cream cheese (recipe says "at room temperature" but I always keep it in the fridge until ready to use)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I only use Jif)
*I also added 1 teaspoon of vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix. Gradually add the sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add peanut butter and continue to beat until light and fluffy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache:

8 oz semisweet chocolate (recipe says "coarsely chopped" but I used chips)
3 T creamy peanut butter
2 T light corn syrup
1/2 cup half & half

In the top of a double boiler, combine all ingredients except the cream and cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the half & half, whisking until smooth. Use while still warm but not hot. You want it to be spreadable but not so thin that it just runs everywhere when you pour it on the cake.

Well, my friends, I definitely can't wait until tomorrow when we get to enjoy this delightful cake. Of course, as soon as I'm over this respiratory infection, I'll be spending hours in the gym to make up for this and the last week. But, oh so worth it! Make it...you won't regret it! Until next time, happy reading and, more importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Linking up here: SumosSweetStuff, FlourMeWithLove, ToastieStudio, SerendipityAndSpice, LadybugBlessings, MyFavoriteFinds, CrazyForCrust, I'mTopsyTurvy, ACreativePrincess, MrsFox'sSweets, GingersnapCrafts, PincushionCreations, 733Blog, BearRabbitBear, LiveLaughRowe, TwinkleInTheEye, Michelle'sTastyCreationsAndCraftyIdeas, SomewhatSimple, TheREALHousewivesOfRiverton, SevenAlive, ThesePeasTasteFunny, GoingsOnInTexas, OneArtsyMama, Happy Go Lucky, TwoSasters, PetalsToPicots, LadybirdLn, KitchenFunWithMyThreeSons, WhipperBerry, TheGrantLife, BubblyNatureCreations, TatertosAndJello, WhileHeWasNapping, SixSistersStuff, SkipToMyLou

A Pirate's {50th} Birthday Cake

First, this has been a very crazy and exhausting day! My mom woke me up at 3:15 this morning because she had to take my dad to the hospital for chest pain and the shakes. Thankfully, so far all of his tests have come back clear and the doctors don't believe it's his heart. My dad is an associate pastor, father of four daughters, and a full-time team leader at Lockheed Martin in their computer department. The man has A LOT on his plate! We think that this was a wake up call for him to slow down and not try to do so much. Prayers are appreciated for his full recovery and continued good health! God isn't finished with him yet!!

Now on to the cake...

I had a fun last minute cake order come in last week and I'm so excited to share it with you today! The cake was for a 50th birthday party and the theme was pirates. Really cool.

Pirate themed birthday cake 

Anyway, they wanted a cake that would appeal to everyone so for the flavors they chose chocolate for one tier and vanilla for the other. The whole thing was iced in white chocolate buttercream. My favorite part is the decorations. I'm not much of a fondant fan. I don't like the way it tastes and I'm not particularly fond of working with it. However, the cake picture they showed me had a lot of fondant work and I wanted to find a way to make the cake they wanted without having to deal with it. So, I went to my favorite store for creativity and looked around. Did you know that Wilton makes sugar sheets? Literally sheets of edible "paper" made out of sugar and in lots of different colors! I love this stuff!! Cut or punch the shapes you want and voila! Done and done. So easy and exactly the look I wanted.

Photo courtesy of wilton.com

A Luck o' the Irish Month o' Cupcakes #2 - Mint Chocolate Cupcakes for the Bride

The second cupcake in my tribute to St. Patty's Day series is Mint Chocolate Chip. I am so excited to introduce you to this cake! Remember my post about random things a little while back where I told you all about my favorite chocolate cake recipe? Well, scratch that! I found my NEW favorite and it is to die for! I mean it. Unbelievably, ridiculously, slap-your-mama good! Trust me. Even my mama would agree. She loves this cake so much and that, my friends, is HUGE! I think I've told you before how picky she is. Well, she was licking her lips over this cake. I found it in a cookbook that my parents got me for Christmas. This book is so cool and has so many recipes that I can't wait to try. It's called Baked Explorations and I love it! The chocolate cake recipe that I am referring to is their Devil's Food cake. High quality dark chocolate (I used Ghirardeli Intense Dark 60%), dark chocolate cocoa, and strong hot coffee are the secret ingredients in this decadent, oh-so-scrumptious cake. Try it. You will be hooked, I promise!!

Love this book!

For the icing on these cupcakes, I used a recipe I found on, you guessed it, Pinterest. This mint chocolate chip icing tastes just like the ice cream. No kidding. In fact, my sister whose favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip and who also happens to be lactose intolerant, said that she could freeze the icing before eating it and never feel deprived again! I will say this, though. I don't think I will ever use it for cupcakes again! Piping this stuff is a nightmare. One of the reasons I love cupcakes so much is because they are just about the cutest things ever! Well, these babies are not at all cute. I tried two different sized round tips. Then I tried just piping through an open piping bag without a tip. Ugh! So, in the end, I just had to flatten it out and smooth it with a spatula. Thankfully, these were for a bridal shower and I had cute toppers to go on them. From now on I'll just be using this one for cakes - not cupcakes!

Ugly but oh-so-delicious icing! :)

The bridal shower colors were pink and green (spring wedding, of course) so the mint chocolate chip icing was the perfect color. I piped the letter "W" (for the couple's last name) and hearts with green candy melts and I think they turned out quite adorably. We also had carrot cupcakes from the previous post (I made a double batch because I knew we had the bridal shower) and tiramisu cupcakes (you'll get to read about those in my next post). These may seem like strange combinations that have nothing to do with the other and, well, you'd be right except for one important thing. The bride's two favorite desserts are anything minty and tiramisu. Therefore, that's what I made. Hello! What the bride wants...the bride gets!! :)

Carrot, Mint Chocolate Chip, and Tiramisu Cupcakes (post coming soon) 

The recipes:

Carrot Cupcakes and a Purple Velvet Birthday

Well, friends, I survived the weekend! How sad is it that I'm glad it's Monday so that I get a break from my weekend? It was fun but oh so very busy and today is the first of many celebrations this week! First, it's the birthday of one of the ladies I work with (who also happens to be my pastor's wife and mother of my friend Michal from previous posts). For her, I made carrot cupcakes - her favorite cake flavor. Let me tell you, finding the perfect carrot cake recipe has always been a struggle for me. There are so many different versions out there and so many people who say they have the best one! It's actually quite frustrating and someday when I have the time I think I'd like to get a bunch of different recipes and make them all and decide for myself what the best recipe is! Anyway, for these cupcakes, I turned to my new favorite website for wasting time, Pinterest. I found one that sounded pretty good and am pleased with the outcome. I don't know if I'd say it's the best I've ever had but it's tasty and moist - my two requirements for a good cake - and they were well received. I dipped the cupcakes in ganache, iced them in that fabulous whipped cream cheese icing from the Green Velvet post, and topped them with chopped walnuts. Yummy!

Carrot Cupcakes: (adapted from here)

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 cups chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans.  In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, carrots and walnuts. Bake in prepared liners until toothpick comes out clean. 

Cute little cupcakes!

Cupcake This & That...Oh, and These Too!

I'm writing this post just to give you a few bits of information and to share a few of my favorite things. First up - a friend asked me today, "How DO you eat a cupcake?" Such a funny question and one I never thought about before! How DO I eat a cupcake? Well, I suppose this is like the "favorite way to eat an Oreo" question or "how many licks to the center of a Tootsie Pop" question. I know some people lick the icing off first then eat the cake. Some save the icing for last and eat the cake first. My sister gets rid of most of the icing *sigh* because she's not much of an icing fan. My answer? I take a bite from top to bottom first in order to taste all of the flavors together as they were meant to be. If it's a new cupcake flavor combo or someone asks me to taste something that they baked, the pastry chef in me cannot help but take a bite of each element (cake, filling, frosting, topper...) by itself to truly know if I love it! Baking is a science, people, and so the eating can be as well! 

Next, I wanted to let you know that my cupcake liners from papermart.com (see "Cupcake Liners At a Steal") came in last night and I couldn't be more pleased! So worth the effort (all of 30 seconds) to find them online. I received all 900 liners in good condition and as promised. The striped ones are so cute! This company has made a loyal customer of this blogger!


Now for a few of my favorite things. I wouldn't be the baker that I am without my KitchenAid stand mixer. Seriously, folks, if you don't have one of these, invest! You will NOT be sorry. Yes, I still have my trusty hand mixer (see below about how I got started with baking because of one of these things) and I use it when it's convenient, but the majority of my mixing is done in my gorgeous stand mixer. Well, to be honest, I'm using my mom's and mine is safely tucked away in storage, just waiting to make its debut someday! My parents bought mine for me - shiny, black, beautiful - a few years ago for Christmas. We were in Kansas visiting family and dad ordered it online so that it was waiting for me when I got home. About a week or two after our vacation, mom and dad went garage sale shopping and, lo and behold, a green KitchenAid mixer, hardly used, was for sale at a steal! All parts included!! Its home is on our kitchen counter and it gets lots of love and attention! 


Another favorite of mine is my apron that my Grandma, Tommie Jean Welch, gave me a few years ago. This lady was the epitome of the baking grandma people talk about growing up knowing. Most of my memories of my grandma involve her in the kitchen, up to her elbows in butter and flour. I can't smell biscuits and pork tenderloin without thinking of Saturday morning breakfasts at her house. She bought me my first hand mixer and taught me her basics in the kitchen. When I finished culinary school in '08, I took a cross-country drive from Florida to Maine where I spent 3 months on my externship before graduation. On the way up, I stayed with my Aunt and her family in Virginia and my grandma and her husband were living with them at the time. Grandma told me that she was taking credit for all of my future success because of that hand mixer and she just knew big things were in store! Seeing the pride on her face was enough success for me and the memory of her, waving me off as I headed to new places with a big smile on her face...priceless! After my externship was over my family headed up to VA for a big family Thanksgiving and I remember Grandma standing in the kitchen watching me do what she had done my whole life. By this time her health was failing and we knew it was probably her last Thanksgiving with us. Sure enough, her suffering ended and she went home to be with her Lord about 2 months later. Every time I'm in the kitchen I think of her. She was right. She is the reason I love the kitchen and I'll never forget the impact she made on my life!


My all-time favorite chocolate cake recipe is next. Some of you are gonna laugh. It seems so simple. I was introduced to this cake by my dear friend, Tina, a fellow baker and lover of all things cake! One bite and I was hooked. Truly, if you love decadent dark chocolate like I do, you MUST try this cake. Are you ready? It's the Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake and it is to die for! No joke. Moist, heavenly, rich, chocolate cake that just melts in your mouth!



Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe:


Ingredients - 


2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Photo courtesy of hersheys.com

1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water


Directions - 


1. Heat oven to 350uF. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs,
milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water
(batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool
completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired.)


Divine!


Well, there you have it. A few odds and ends about cupcakes, baking, and me. Here's a look at the upcoming posts:


Strawberry Lemonade Birthday Cake
A Lemon & Raspberry Friendship
Samoas, Thin Mints, & Girl Scouts, Oh My!
A Luck o' the Irish Month o' Cupcakes

And, on it goes....

As always, happy reading and, most importantly, happy cupcake-ing!

Triple Chocolate and German Chocolate Cupcakes

Ok, first a few personal things. A lot of you know this but for those that don't I want to let you know that my sweet dog, Buddy (see pic with the last post), lost his fight with an autoimmune disorder last Saturday. It has been a very rough few weeks at our house and we miss him so very much! You don't really understand the impression they make on your hearts and in your lives until they're gone and, boy, is this hard! He was an 8 yr old miniature Dachshund, with a personality bigger than life and we loved him more than words can say. All the prayers and outpouring of love is appreciated more than you could ever know! I'm still grieving and crying at random moments when something catches me off guard or a thought/memory runs through my mind, but I'm ready to get my mind on some baking and hoping that cupcakes will help the healing process. Second, my dad's birthday is this weekend so, while I promised raspberries and lemon, we're first going to take a detour down chocolate lane for him!

Dad's favorite cake is German Chocolate. Over the years I have scoured the cookbooks, searched online, and asked friends for their recipes. Well, I'm happy to say that last year I found it! My German Chocolate cake go-to recipe. This one is definitely not mine but I'm so pleased with it that I don't feel the need to tweak it. The cake is light and moist and the icing - delish! Now, in my picky family, my dad, brother-in-law, and I are the only ones who really like the traditional coconut pecan icing so for everyone else, I made a Triple Chocolate Cupcake - German chocolate cake, milk chocolate ganache, and white chocolate buttercream. Sounds good, right? I know...chocolate overload. But, for chocoholics like us, heaven!

I love the word ganache. People hear it and automatically think gourmet, fru-fru, upscale, hoity-toity... Little do they know, ganache simply means I melted chocolate with some warm cream and, voila! It's ok though. If someone wants to think I spent hours because of a fancy word, I'll let them! The white chocolate buttercream icing I use is a Wilton recipe and, let me tell you, it's probably the best thing I've EVER put in my mouth. Seriously. My mom, the world's pickiest eater, who prefers boxed cake mixes and icing from a can, can't stop eating it by the spoonful. If you haven't made this icing yet, you MUST. I mean it. Right now. Stop what you're doing and go! It's that good.

The review -- I'm not gonna lie; these cupcakes are divine! Chocoholics beware: you will be addicted. The sounds coming from my family while eating these tell me that I have another success on my hands. The birthday boy was oh so excited to see the coconut pecan icing on the stove today and when he tasted it, he said the only thing missing was a cup of coffee. Yum-my! Now, the links to these recipes are included so you be the judge. Once again, happy reading and, most importantly, happy cupcake-ing!!