Red Velvet Cupcakes

This has been a busy week of baking! I was asked to make a cake and cupcakes for a big meeting we had at work and this is what resulted! I think I am starting to get the hang of this whole cake decorating thing! These red velvet cupcakes were a hit!

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Red Velvet Cupcakes 

(1 dozen cupcakes)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup FLOUR
• 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1/2 tsp SALT
• 2 Tbs COCOA POWDER
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs CANOLA OIL
• 1 cup SUGAR
• 1 EGG, large
• 1/2 cup BUTTERMILK, room temperature
• 1 tsp VANILLA
• 2/3 tsp RED FOOD COLORING PASTE or 1 oz. RED FOOD COLORING
• 1 tsp WHITE VINEGAR
• 1/4 cup BREWED HOT COFFEE

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix the oil, sugar, and egg using an electric mixer. 
3. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring. Mix until everything is well combined.
4. Mix in the vinegar and coffee. 
5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
6. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the bowl of the electric mixer. 
7. Once all of the ingredients are well combined, divide the batter equally into greased and floured cake pans. 
8. Bake the cakes for 7 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then lower the oven temperature to 320 degrees F and bake for another 13 minutes. 

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Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Oh. Em. Gee. These are so good! They have a chocolate Guinness cake, Irish whiskey ganache, and a Irish cream icing! Make them! This recipe will make about 24 cupcakes!

To make the chocolate Guinness cupcakes you will need:

• 1 cup GUINNESS BEER (or other stout beer)
• 2 sticks UNSALTED BUTTER
• 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER
• 2 cups FLOUR
• 2 cups SUGAR
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 2/3 cup SOUR CREAM

To make the Irish whiskey ganache you will need:

• 8 oz. BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
• 2/3 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER 
• Optional: 2 tsp IRISH WHISKEY 

To make the Irish cream icing you will need:

• 1 stick UNSALTED BUTTER
• 3 & 1/3 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• 6 Tbs IRISH CREAM

Start off by making the cupcakes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan bring the beer and butter to a simmer.



Reduce the heat to stop the simmering and SLOWLY whisk in the cocoa powder. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a  medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and sour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Then slowly add the stout-chocolate mixture. Mix until just combined.

Then add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

Divide the batter into your lined cupcake pan. Fill the liners 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for about 17 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the ganache! In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it just starts to foam around the edges. Then add the chocolate chips and butter, let the pan sit for a minute. 

After a minute, stir until smooth. Now, stir in the whiskey!

Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, carve out a small hole in the top of the cupcakes.

And fill the hole with ganache!

Then make the Irish cream icing. Beat the butter in a stand mixer until it is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Then add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time. Once the icing starts to get thick, alternate between adding the powdered sugar and a tablespoon of the Irish cream.

Then frost the cupcakes!

You know what happens next, eat them! Look how gooey the ganache is! (Once the ganache cools a little more it will set up and not be so gooey.)

They look so pretty!

Here is a view of the inside!

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Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup GUINNESS BEER (or other stout beer)
• 2 sticks UNSALTED BUTTER
• 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER
• 2 cups FLOUR
• 2 cups SUGAR
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 3/4 tsp SALT
• 2 LARGE EGGS
• 2/3 cup SOUR CREAM

Directions:

1. Start off by making the cupcakes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium saucepan bring the beer and butter to a simmer. Reduce the heat to stop the simmering and SLOWLY whisk in the cocoa powder. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a  medium bowl. Set aside. 
3. Beat the eggs and sour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Then slowly add the stout-chocolate mixture. Mix until just combined. 
4. Then add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. 
5. Divide the batter into your lined cupcake pan. Fill the liners 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for about 17 minutes.

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Irish Whiskey Ganache

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
• 2/3 cup HEAVY CREAM
• 2 Tbs UNSALTED BUTTER 
• Optional: 2 tsp IRISH WHISKEY 

Directions:

1. While the cupcakes are baking, make the ganache! In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it just starts to foam around the edges. Then add the chocolate chips and butter, let the pan sit for a minute. 
2. After a minute, stir until smooth. Now, stir in the whiskey!
3. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, carve out a small hole in the top of the cupcakes.
4. And fill the hole with ganache!

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Irish Cream Icing

Ingredients:

• 1 stick UNSALTED BUTTER
• 3 & 1/3 cup POWDERED SUGAR
• 6 Tbs IRISH CREAM

Directions:

1. Beat the butter in a stand mixer until it is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). 
2. Add the powdered sugar a few tablespoons at a time. 
3. Once the icing starts to get thick, alternate between adding the powdered sugar and a tablespoon of the Irish cream. 
4. Then frost the cupcakes!

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I got this recipe from the following blog: http://www.seebrookecook.com/2011/11/irish-car-bomb-cupcakes.html

Buche de Noel

I went to my first Meetup on Sunday and of all things it was a baking Meetup! Unfortunately it started to snow about an hour before the event so I ended up being the only person (out of 15) that showed up! It really worked out in my favor though because I ended up getting several hours of one-on-one time with the hostess who is an experienced baker! I was able to ask her all kinds of questions and benefit from her experience. As you can see in the pictures we made a buche de Noel! 

We used a vanilla sponge cake, filled it with a rum pastry cream, and topped it with a chocolate ganache! Then we used marzipan to make mushrooms and holly leaves for decoration!

With some coaching, I think it turned out pretty darn well!

Close up!

One more, just because I'm proud of it!

Chocolate Cake with Cream Cheese Icing & Chocolate Buttercream

Here is another cake that I love! I made this cake a few weeks ago and it is so good and very moist! 

To make the chocolate cake you will need:

• 2 cups SUGAR
• 1 & 3/4 cup FLOUR
• 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 tsp SALT
• 2 EGGS
• 1 cup MILK
• 1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 cup BOILING WATER

Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and coating three 8 inch baking dishes in nonstick cooking spray and then flour to make the cake easier to remove from the dish after baking. 

In an electric mixer combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Next, add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and the boiling water making sure each ingredient is incorporated before adding the next.

Then divide the batter equally into the three baking dishes and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Bake until you can insert a toothpick and have it come out clean. Let the cakes cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the baking dishes. 

Tip: If you aren't in a rush, wrap each layer of cake cling wrap and put it in the freezer over night (or at lest for a few hours). This makes the cake much easier to assemble!

To make the chocolate buttercream you will need:

• 2 sticks BUTTER, softened
• 1 & 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER, sifted (1 cup)
• 6 cups POWDERED SUGAR, sifted (4 cups)
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tbs MILK
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

To make the buttercream, use an electric mixer to cream the butter using the paddle attachment. Once the butter is smooth, turn the mixer down to a low speed and start adding the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. When you've added about half of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, add the milk and vanilla. After all of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder has been added, turn the mixer up to medium speed and continue mixing for 3 minutes. If the icing is too stiff, add some more milk. If the icing is not thick enough, add more powdered sugar. 

Tip: To make the chocolate buttercream more fudge-like (as seen on the cake with the chocolate chips on top) leave out one stick of butter when making the icing.

I didn't think the cream cheese icing from the website I found the cake and buttercream recipe was that amazing, so instead I've been using my mother-in-law's recipe (it is delicous!).  

To make the cream cheese icing you will need:

• 1 sticks BUTTER, softened
• 3 & 3/4 cups POWDERED SUGAR, sifted
• 1 (8 oz.) package of CREAM CHEESE, sifted
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

Using an electric mixer cream the butter and cream cheese together using the paddle attachment. Once the mixture is smooth, turn the mixer down to a low speed and start adding the powdered sugar. After all of the powdered sugar has been mixed in, add the vanilla. Then turn the mixer up to medium speed and continue mixing for about 3 minutes to make sure everything if fully incorporated. 

For this cake, I put the cream cheese icing between the layers and frost the outside with the chocolate buttercream!

The cake was a hit!

I have actually halved the recipe when I made for just my husband and me. I still made a three layer cake, I just used small Pyrex dishes rather than normal sized cake pans. It lasted about a week and a half before it was all eaten and I didn't notice it starting to taste old so that’s good too when you aren't feeding many people!

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Chocolate Cake 

  Ingredients:

• 2 cups SUGAR
• 1 & 3/4 cup FLOUR
• 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER
• 1 & 1/2 tsp BAKING SODA
• 1 tsp SALT
• 2 EGGS
• 1 cup MILK
• 1/2 cup VEGETABLE OIL
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
• 1 cup BOILING WATER

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coating three 8 inch baking dishes in nonstick cooking spray and then flour to make the cake easier to remove from the dish after baking. 
2. In an electric mixer combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and the boiling water making sure each ingredient is incorporated before adding the next.
4. Divide the batter equally into the three baking dishes and bake for 30-35 minutes.  Bake until you can insert a toothpick and have it come out clean. Let the cakes cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the baking dishes. 
5. Tip: If you aren't in a rush, wrap each layer of cake cling wrap and put it in the freezer over night (or at lest for a few hours). This makes the cake much easier to assemble!

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Cream Cheese Icing
  

  Ingredients:

• 1 sticks BUTTER, softened
• 3 & 3/4 cups POWDERED SUGAR, sifted
• 1 (8 oz.) package of CREAM CHEESE, sifted
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer cream the butter and cream cheese together using the paddle attachment. 
2. Once the mixture is smooth, turn the mixer down to a low speed and start adding the powdered sugar. 
3. After all of the powdered sugar has been mixed in, add the vanilla. 
4. Turn the mixer up to medium speed and continue mixing for about 3 minutes to make sure everything if fully incorporated. 

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Chocolate Buttercream
  

  Ingredients:

• 2 sticks BUTTER, softened
• 1 & 3/4 cup COCOA POWDER, sifted
• 6 cups POWDERED SUGAR, sifted
• 1/2 cup + 3 Tbs MILK
• 2 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

Directions:

1. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter using the paddle attachment. Once the butter is smooth, turn the mixer down to a low speed and start adding the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. When you've added about half of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, add the milk and vanilla. 
2. After all of the powdered sugar and cocoa powder has been added, turn the mixer up to medium speed and continue mixing for 3 minutes. 
3. If the icing is too stiff, add some more milk. If the icing is not thick enough, add more powdered sugar. 
4. Tip: To make the chocolate buttercream more fudge-like (as seen on the cake with the chocolate chips on top) leave out one stick of butter when making the icing.

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The website where you can find the chocolate cake and chocolate buttercream recipe is:

http://thenonpareilbaker.blogspot.com/2011/09/chocolate-cake-with-cream-cheese.html