Cream-Filled Cupcake Cake

Yum

So today was my husband's birthday. What to make? Well, he loves layer cake. And he loves my cream-filled cupcakes. I think it calls for a mash-up, don't you?

I have a confession to make: I'm kind of terrible at cake decorating. When my husband tells me he wants a layer cake, I cringe. So, I had to think of something easy. Easy and chocolate-y, of course. Since I had some buttercream in the freezer, left from making cupcakes last week, it was a no-brainer to thaw it out. Then I took my favorite chocolate cake recipe, baked it into three layers, spread the buttercream in between the layers, and topped it off with some chocolate ganache. So easy it's ridiculous.

It's crazy, but the easy thing about this is the frosting. It's a chocolate ganache, made with dark chocolate chips and heavy cream and when it's first mixed together it's pourable. Seriously. Pourable. You can just let it drip down the sides.

Let's start with the cake, though. The beautiful cake. Dare I say the best cake ever? Okay...the best cake ever. Made with dark cocoa, buttermilk, and a hint of coffee to bring out even more chocolate-y flavor. 

Cream-Filled Cupcake Cake

Printable Recipe

Cake:

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups all purpose flour

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark cocoa

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; grease and flour 3 (8 or 9-inch) cake pans.

Combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Combine the egg mixture and the flour mixture, mixing well. Slowly mix in hot coffee. Divide the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. 

Buttercream:

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In small saucepan, whisk the flour and the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook until thick and bubbly, whisking the entire time. Place thickened mixture in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Cool completely. 

Combine the butter and the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the cooled flour mixture and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or until the frosting is smooth with no gritty sugar. Stir in the vanilla.

Ganache:

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it just comes to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit for one minute. Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to stir the chocolate and the cream until smooth and shiny.

Assemble:

First, set aside about 1/4 cup of the buttercream for the squiggle on the top of the cake. Place one cooled cake layer, top-side down, on cake plate. Spread with half of the remaining buttercream. Add the next layer, again top-side down, and spread with the remaining buttercream. Add the final layer top-side up. Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate over the cake, allowing it to spill down the sides. Chill the cake for a few minutes to set the chocolate. In the meantime, spoon the reserved buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe a squiggle over the top of the cake. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.

It's not a cream-filled cupcake without the squiggle.....

Café Latte’s Turtle Cake

Who doesn't love a great piece of chocolate cake? Now, add some fudgy frosting, some buttery caramel sauce, and some crunchy toasted pecans and what do you have? Heaven on a plate Café Latte's Turtle Cake! 

Café Latte is a St. Paul restaurant known for its desserts. Wonderful, wonderful desserts. Luckily for me they shared a couple of their recipes with the public, so I didn't have to attempt a copycat recipe. This, my friends, is the real deal.

Several years ago, I found the recipe in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. That version was made in a 9x13-inch cake pan.... it was super easy to make and very tasty. I never in a million years thought that I would attempt the layered version, since it looked complicated. Layers? Yikes! I'm so glad it's really not all that hard. You should try it.

Café Latte's Turtle Cake (from Café Latte)

Café Latte's Printable Recipe

Cake Ingredients:
• 1 Egg.
• 2/3 cup Vegetable oil.
• 1 cup Buttermilk.
• 2 cups Flour.
• 1 3/4 cups Sugar.
• 1/2 cup Good quality cocoa.
• 1 tsp. Salt.
• 1 tbsp. Baking soda.
• 1 cup Hot coffee
Frosting:
• 1/2 cup Milk.
• 1 cup Sugar.
• 6 tbsp. Butter
• 2 cups Good-quality semisweet chocolate chips.
• 3/4 cup Caramel.
• 1 1/2 cups Toasted pecans.

Prepare oven and pans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans.
Cover each bottom with disk of parchment paper.

To make cake: In bowl, combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In large separate bowl, mix
together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry
until well mixed. Gradually add hot coffee. Scrape batter into prepared pans.

To bake cake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes
out clean. Let cake rest in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.

To make frosting: Mix sugar and milk in saucepan. Add butter. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to pan. Using wire whisk, mix until smooth. If
frosting is too thick or grainy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons hot coffee.

To assemble cake: Place one cooled cake layer, top-side down, on cake plate. Spread
with one-third of frosting, pushing it out gently from edges to make a petal effect.
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans, Drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add next layer, again
top-side down. Repeat frosting and sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup
caramel. And final layer top-side up, frost with petal effect and finish with remaining
pecans and caramel.

I actually used 8-inch cake pans and they worked well.

I also used dark cocoa for the cake...it was like a midnight chocolate cake.

My layer cake fear is real...I've had far too many lopsided catastrophes for it not to be. For years, I chickened out and made this cake in the 9x13 pan. I won't lie--it's good that way, too. Plus, it's much easier to bring to a picnic. The last time I tried to make the layer version, it cracked right down the middle. So ugly, but so tasty. This time it was to be for a birthday, so it had to work.

The beauty of this recipe is how the frosting drips over the sides of the cake. This hides many flaws, trust me. The only issue came when I transferred the cake to the cake stand...oops....a chunk came out of the side. I ended up cutting the parchment paper off around the cake and leaving a bit of it underneath. Then, I took pictures strategically....

The kid's helped with the candles and the cake was a success!

A little ice cream and we're good to go. Happy Birthday, Josh!

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

Welcome to Day #3 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen from Juanita's Cocina! Each day we will be celebrating the holidays with a different set of Christmas-themed treats, as well as a fabulous Christmas giveaway. We hope you enjoy this fabulous event. Tune in each day starting today, Monday, December 9th and ending Saturday, December 14th.

I'm kind of weird about peppermint. It doesn't sound good to me, then I take a bite of something minty and I can't stop eating it. When I thought about what kind of Christmas cupcake to make, I wasn't so sure peppermint would be the best flavor, but it's so festive (am I right?) that I couldn't resist. Let me tell you this: BEST decision I've made all week. Maybe it's the chocolate, or maybe it's the buttercream...I dunno..but I really liked how these turned out. I think you will, too.

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. cocoa (use the dark version, if preferred)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 c. hot coffee

Frosting Ingredients:

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, softened 
1 cup white sugar 
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

red food coloring

crushed candy canes or peppermint baking bits for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pans with paper liners (about 30).

Combine egg, oil, vanilla and buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Combine the egg mixture and the flour mixture, mixing well. Slowly mix in hot coffee. Batter will be thin. 

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool completely.

For buttercream, whisk the flour and the milk in a small saucepan until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook until thick and bubbly, whisking the entire time. Place thickened mixture in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature (or chill until ready to use).

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and the sugar. Beat at high speed for several minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the cooled flour mixture and the peppermint extract. Continue to beat until the mixture is fluffy and smooth. Add a few drops of red food coloring until the color is to your liking (I went with hot pink). Fit a pastry bag with a star tip and fill with the frosting. Pipe the buttercream on each cupcake; garnish with crushed candy canes or peppermint baking bits.

I tried to do the two-toned frosting thing and eventually gave up. It looks just as pretty with one color, no?

Visit all the other Christmas Week Peeps for more Holiday Baking Goodness:

Ginger Bears by Cravings of a Lunatic

Santa’s Favorite Holiday Bark by The Weekend Gourmet

Gingerbread Linzer Cookies by Chocolate Moosey

Gingerbread Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce by See Aimee Cook

Bourbon Barrels by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Toasted Almond Shortbread by The Messy Baker

Midori Melon Cupcakes by Ninja Baking

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti by Noshing With The Nolands

Wine Poached Pear and Almond Rugelach by The Little Ferraro Kitchen

Bebinca - Layered Goan Cake by Masala Herb

Artichoke Dip Tarts by Food Lust People Love

Layered Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge by That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Peanut Brittle by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes by The Dutch Baker's Daughter

Chocolate Dipped Baked Potato Chips by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Collapsidies by Try Anything Once Culinary

Today's #ChristmasWeek giveaway comes courtesy of Freund Container & Supply. Freund Container & Supply has been helping build businesses since 1938 as the largest distributor of glass bottles, containers, and wholesale packaging supplies online. Freund offers over 5,000 items in stock every day, 98% same day shipping, and low-price guarantees. Take a look at Freund’s wide selection of jars, tins, bottles and vials for all your crafting and food related needs! To enter to win one of FIVE different Freund gift certificates, read the details and use the Rafflecopter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

***Disclaimer: This giveaway is being provided by Freund Container  Supply. #ChristmasWeek bloggers have not received product or been compensated as a part of this giveaway.***

Vanilla Glazed Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This month the Blogger Improv Challenge features two of my favorite ingredients: Chocolate and Vanilla! Improv, if you are not in the know, is a foodie challenge hosted by Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Each month Kristen selects two ingredients for us to work some magic with.

Chocolate and Vanilla may be two of my favorite ingredients, but that doesn't mean it was easy to come up with a good idea for this challenge. Let's face it--adding a dash of vanilla extract isn't exactly creative. So, I took a quick inventory of what I had and went from there....

This part was easy...I have Costco sized vanilla in my cupboard....

This coconut milk had Vanilla written all over it...I had to use some...

White Chocolate Chips just plain look vanilla-y...and I'll need some Dark Chocolate, too.

Honestly, I didn't come up with an idea until yesterday, when I saw a post on Facebook from King Arthur Flour---a beautiful picture of Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. As luck would have it, someone at work brought in a rather large yellow zucchini that was now resting in my refrigerator. Don't you love it when worlds collide? I had vanilla stuff, I had chocolate stuff, I had zucchini, and had a recipe from King Arthur Flour...

Vanilla Glazed Triple Chocolate Zucchini Bread (adapted from King Arthur Flour)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 large eggs

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1/3 cup cocoa

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini, gently pressed

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate candy bar

1/2 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate candy bar

Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons vanilla flavored coconut milk (or regular milk)

Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla until smooth

.

Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, instant coffee, cocoa, and flour, mixing until well combined.

Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips and white chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack. Cool completely. Drizzle with glaze.

For the glaze, combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Drizzle over bread.

The glaze is totally optional, but it sure does look nice.

So fudgy and good!

Now check out what everyone else is making with Chocolate and Vanilla!

Minty Brownie Bites

Welcome to day #2 of Christmas Week, a multi-blogger event co-hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic and Jen of Juanita’s Cocina. Today’s theme for Christmas Week is “Peppermint Surprise”.

This one wasn't quite so easy for me, as I'm not a huge peppermint fan. My daughter suggested some peppermint brownies, so I poked around a bit and ran across a recipe from Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. Chocolate Mint Brownie Bites. Oh boy...I might like peppermint after all...

Minty Brownie Bites (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
8 whole Andes Chocolate Mints
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate or white chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crushed peppermint bark or candy canes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.; spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

Place the unsweetened chocolate in a small bowl and microwave until just melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the Andes mints until all melted; set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. With the mixer on low, drizzle in the chocolate. Add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling the cups about half full. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes before inverting the pan and releasing the brownies.

For the glaze, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat the cream in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until hot. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and stir until smooth. Spoon the chocolate over the tops of the brownies and sprinkle the crushed candy over the tops.

As you can see, I was having a bit of an issue deciding what kind of peppermint treat to make.

When microwaving chocolate, keep an eye on it. Chocolate is too precious to have go up in smoke.

Ree talks about how she over-filled the muffin tin...I did the same thing.

But, they turned out ok....

I decided I really liked the taste of this Peppermint Bark, so I used it to top the brownie bites. Crushed candy canes might have been prettier.

Put a drip pan under the brownies when you pour the glaze on, or you will have a mess.

I experimented with the batter, just a smidge. Here, I topped a mini brownie with a Peppermint Kiss.

Box them up and give them as gifts....

....or just plate them up and enjoy!

Make sure you visit all the participating bloggers today to see what special dish they whipped up for you.

• Peppermint Marshmallows from Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic
• Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies from Jen of Juanita’s Cocina
• Candy Cane Blossoms from Liz of That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Candy Cane Cocoa in a Jar from Anuradha of Baker Street
• Peppermint Brownie Trifle from Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
• Candy Cane Mocha from Isabelle of Crumb
• Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Erin of Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• White Chocolate Peppermint Covered Pretzels from Erin of Spiffy Cookie
• Candy Cane Milkshake from Ramona of Curry and Comfort
• Peppermint Fudge from Heather of Girlichef
• Minty Brownie Bites from Cathy of The Dutch Baker’s Daughter
• Candy Cane Oreo Cheesecake Cookies from Chung-Ah of Damn Delicious

Chocolate Angel Pie Revisited

If ever there was a recipe that deserved a re-post, it is this one--my favorite pie, my daughter's favorite pie, and the only pie I have ever seen my brother-in-law eat. Even my husband, who abhors meringue, savors every bit of the creamy chocolate filling and real whipped cream topping, all the while saving the meringue crust for my daughter. This pie is a tradition for me. My sister learned how to make one from her mother-in-law and promptly taught me. It has graced every Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas celebration in our family for over thirty years. What is this amazing pie? Chocolate Angel Pie.

The recipe that I am going to share is the very same one that I have made for over 30 years. I've strayed from the original just a few times...using the occasional pasteurized egg, meringue powder, or a splash of Kahlua. It has never failed me. Let me begin...

Chocolate Angel Pie

Printable Recipe

Crust:

4 egg whites, room temperature

1/4 t. cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

Filling:

1 cup chocolate chips

4 egg yolks*

1 t. vanilla (try using a tablespoon of Kahluha instead)

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Chocolate curls or shavings for garnish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F; grease a 9" or 10" glass pie plate or spray with cooking spray.

Beat 4 egg whites until stiff, but not dry, adding cream of tartar. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff and glossy. Spread meringue in pie plate, making a "well" in the middle for filling. Bake in 300 degree oven for 1 hour. Turn off heat and keep meringue in oven for at least one hour or overnight.

Greasing the pie plate is essential if you eventually want to get the crust out.

Put chocolate chips in medium sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute to 1 minute and 20 seconds (be careful not to burn them--the chips will retain their shape). Add egg yolks and beat with electric mixer until smooth. Let chocolate mixture cool slightly, then add vanilla. Fold in beaten egg whites, and then thawed whipped topping, mixing well.

The egg whites that are added to the filling help to give it volume. If you are concerned about raw eggs, skip this step or use powdered meringue.

Pour filling into pie shell, cover with plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

Just before serving, whip whipping cream with 1 T. powdered sugar and spread over the top of the pie. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.

*If you are concerned about using uncooked eggs, use pasteurized egg yolks for the filling and leave out the two beaten egg whites. It is not recommended to use the pasteurized whites for making the meringue crust (they won't get stiff).

Use a potato peeler on a bar of chocolate to make the curls.

It's interesting how recipes change over the years. The original recipe came from my brother-in-law's family and it doesn't use frozen whipped topping. My sister changed that back in the 70's because her filling didn't set up as well with just the whipped cream. I like this addition because it's not as heavy as using the yolks and the whipped cream--plus it's how I learned the recipe. These days, it isn't always safe to use eggs that aren't cooked completely. For myself, I use the recipe as is, unless I'm making it for work or for people I know might be at risk for eating a rare contaminated egg. For me, it's worth it to use three different egg sources to keep the integrity of the recipe: regular egg whites for the crust, pasteurized egg yolks for the filling, and powdered egg whites for the filling. Omitting the egg whites in the filling is probably ok, but I think it gives the filling some lift.

Happy Holiday Baking!

An Intense Chocolate Experience with Ghirardelli®

“Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food. ”

― Michael Levine

Imagine, if you will, a time when you just need to escape for a few minutes to unwind from your hectic day. You choose a quiet, pleasant room. Perhaps the lights are dimmed and some soothing music is playing. There is a soft, comfortable chair to sink into, and within reach, is a cup filled with some warm, soothing tea and a selection of the world’s most comforting food….dark, rich chocolate!

Now, imagine that you're celebrating an important event in your life by having a few friends over for a relaxing evening. The conversation is pleasant and the atmosphere is joyous.  Glasses are filled with the best wine, and there are small plates of pleasing appetizers.  The food is as cohesive as the camaraderie—everything pairs well together. The main attraction? A selection of fine, flavor -infused, dark, rich chocolate!

The great thing about these different scenarios is that they aren't far-fetched. There are few who won't admit to the comforting effects of chocolate—especially if the chocolate is smooth, and full of flavor. Now, pair this beautiful chocolate with some other favorite foods and you have for yourself a chocolate experience….

Recently, I was invited to participate in the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker Program with Ghirardelli Intense Dark™.  No less than seven different Ghirardelli Intense Dark™ flavors showed up at my door, each one ready to be paired with whatever food or beverage I saw fit. This is the most fun I have had with food in a long time.

Savoring chocolate is a much about the texture as it is about the taste, wouldn't you agree? I had a lot of chocolate to taste, but one thing that each flavor had in common was the smooth, silky feel of the chocolate as it melted in my mouth. Since my favorite flavors always include nuts, the Hazelnut Heaven™ and the Toffee Interlude™ (which includes caramelized almonds), gave me some satisfying crunch, too. My vote for the best taste went to the Sea Salt Soiree™-- with coarse salt and slow roasted almonds, it gave a nice contrast of sweet and salty.

So, what kind of pairing did I do? Not nearly enough! I paired the Hazelnut Heaven™ with soft cheese, a fresh baguette, and some Merlot. The Toffee Interlude™ went well with sour apple slices and some Brie. I tried the Sea Salt Soiree™ with a few crispy spice cookies and a cup of green tea. Finally, I cooked up a few slices of bacon (!) and paired it with the Twilight Delight™ (72% Cacao). Can we say chocolate for breakfast?

Yes, I went there. That is bacon in the picture.

There's no shortage of nuts in the Hazelnut Dream™ (the bottom two pieces) or toffee and caramelized almonds in the Toffee Interlude™.

So, I didn't have a chance to make all of the pairings that I thought about. Don't you think a little orange liqueur would go nicely with some of the darker chocolate, like the Midnight Reverie™ (86% Cacao)? And I didn't even touch the different coffees that would be so delicious with chocolate. Or fresh berries. The list goes on...I may have to have a tasting party.

What would YOU pair with chocolate?

This post is brought to you by Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate.