Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake

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Its that time of year again where I have to think of a good cake to make for my Fiance's birthday.  This year I decided to hoard all the Reese's I could find around Halloween time and save them to make this cake.  This cake was a huge hit with him, his family, and all our neighbors.  My future brother-in-law requested it for his birthday as well.  The frosting is what makes the cake, its perfectly rich and creamy. I got the idea for this cake from Make Bake Celebrate but I used a different recipe.   If you know a peanut butter lover, I am sure they will love this cake!

Happy Birthday Joe!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes - Adapted from My Baking Addiction

Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 Box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 4oz Package Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 Cup Water
4 Eggs, room temperature

1 Bag of Reese's Mini - (I used a combination of Reese's regular size and some of the small ones)

Peanut Butter Buttercream
Ingredients:
3 Sticks Butter, unsalted and room temperature
1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Vanilla
5 1/2 Cups Confectioners' Sugar, sifted
6-8 Tablespoons Heavy Cream - I used about 4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your cake pans, I used 2 8in round pans.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, water, and eggs. Beat for about two minutes on medium speed until well combined.
3. Divide the batter between your two pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. 
5. Allow cake to cool for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove cakes from pans and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cakes are cool, you can either freeze them or frost them right away.  I would reccomend you freeze them becuase it makes it easier to frost them.    
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, cream butter and peanut butter on medium speed until fluffy. 
8. Turn your mixer down to low speed and slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar, and continue mixing until well blended.
9. Add vanilla and 4 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Blend on low speed until moistened. Add an additional 1 to 4 tablespoons of heavy cream until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy
10. To assemble the cake, I spread one later of frosting on the bottom layer of cake and then put a layer of chopped Reese's.  Put the second layer of cake on top and then cover the whole cake with frosting.  I then melted some chocolate and poured that over the top.  I then put the remaining Reese's on top.
11. ENJOY!!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

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I have been wanting to make these cupcakes for a while now.  My boyfriends brother-in-law had specifically requested them and he was coming to visit so I figured it was a perfect time to make these.  I read some reviews on how to bake them to prevent the cone from getting soggy.  So I made 12 Jumbo Size but cooked them in 3 different ways.  I did some with the batter in the cone, some in a cupcake liner with a cone on top, and some regular cupcakes and put it in the cone when it was done baking.  I don't think the method you choose really matters because the cones don't taste very good to start with, so I don't think soggy cones would taste any worse.  I did like cooking the batter in the cone because then you get cupcake all the way down the cone.   But the cupcakes cooked with the cone upside down on top gives the cupcake a better ice cream look and the frosting is more evenly distrusted around the cupcake.  Overall, I think you should choose whatever method you want based on look, because they all taste pretty much the same.   I made the same vanilla cupcake recipe I love, but I tried a new buttercream.  I love it because you make a ganache, then add it to a buttercream.  It is a chocolate lovers dream buttercream.  So light and fluffy, but still sweet and chocolaty.  You need to try this.  The End!

This is one where the cupcake was baked in the cone!

Found these at marshalls for 12 bucks! heck yes!!

Before icing....

Vanilla Cupcakes - Adapted from my Churro Cupcakes

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter, unsalted and room temperature

1 Cups Sugar

2 Large Eggs, separated

1 1/3 Cup Flour

3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Pinch of Salt

1/2 Cup Milk

1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and line a muffin tin with baking cups.
2. Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed. Once the butter is smooth and creamy, turn the mixer to low speed and add the sugar. Keep beating the butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy.  
3. Add the egg yolks one at a time, making sure to mix well after each addition.  
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla into the milk.  Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the butter-and-sugar mixture. You’ll want to start and end with the flour, and mix just until incorporated after each addition.
6. In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. It’ll be white and foamy. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
7. Fill your lined muffin cups about 2/3 full of batter and then put a cone on top, or fill the cones just over 1/2 way. Bake for about 18 minutes or until a cake tester stuck in the middle comes out clean.  The cupcakes in the cone took way longer to bake, and the cupcakes with the cone on top are hard to tell when they are done, but it should be just about 20 minutes. 
8. Let cupcakes cool completely.  If you put the cone on top, peel off the cupcake liners.  
9. Frost with your favorite buttercream.

Chocolate Buttercream - Adapted from Completely Delicious

Yield: 2.5 Cups - enough for 12 cupcakes

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, I used chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a small heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. If needed, microwave for an additional 30 seconds until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Cool to room temperature. 
2. Combine the chocolate, butter, shortening, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add just enough milk to make the icing smooth and the right consistency.
3. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

Dip the cupcakes if desired!!

S'mores Cupcakes

Yesterday I posted the s'mores cookies and so today I wanted post s'mores cupcakes.   I made these over a year ago before I had my blog.  The pictures are pretty terrible, but its the recipe that is important.  These are from Bakerella, and they are amazing.  The cupcake has three parts, half chocolate, and half graham cracker, then there is a marshmallow in the middle!  Now the first time I made these, the marshmallow came up and melted everywhere while baking and it was a huge mess!  So the second time I made these I used mini marshmallows and it was better.  I would also recommend freezing them, I think that would help with the melting problem.  The mini marshmallows are easier for decorating the top as well.   Anyway, if you love s'mores, you will love these.  The cookies are easier, but the cupcakes are so yummy.  I hope you enjoy these!

I forgot the topping on some of them...

S'mores Cupcakes - Adapted from Bakerella
Yield: About 20 cupcakes
Cupcake Ingredients:
1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 Cup Cocoa
3/4 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 Cup Milk
2 Eggs
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
1/2 Cup Oil
Mini Marshmallows, frozen ones for inside the cupcakes, and room temperature ones for topping


Graham Cracker Crumb Topping Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 Cup Butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together with a wire whisk.  Separate the mixture in half into two bowls.
3. Stir cocoa into one bowl and the graham cracker crumbs into the other.
4. Add 1/2 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup oil to the cocoa mixture and beat on medium until combined.
5. Repeat adding the same ingredients to the graham cracker crumb flour mixture.
6. Prepare the graham cracker crumb topping.  Add the brown sugar and crumbs in a small bowl and pour on the melted butter. Stir until combined.
7. Pour a little graham cracker cake batter into the bottom of your baking cups and then sprinkle the topping mixture lightly on the surface.
8. Place a 2 frozen mini marshmallows and then cover the marshmallow with the chocolate cake batter until it is about 3/4 full.
9. Sprinkle with more topping mixture. Bake cupcakes for about 15 minutes. Place a cookie sheet underneath when you bake just in case. I had a little bit ooze over into the oven. Oops.
10. This recipe will make at least 18 cupcakes. I had a some batter from each left over so you can probably get more like 20-22.

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate - I used chocolate chips

1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/2 Cup Butter, unsalted

Directions:

1. When the cupcakes are cool start the ganache.
2. Heat the butter and cream on the stove. Heat until just before it boils. Remove and pour over chocolate. Stir until completely melted and smooth.
3. Pour over cupcakes and add more marshmallows if you desire.
4. Enjoy!