Red Velvet Cake

I'm not a baker.  I'd like to be, but I'm not.  I've learned pretty early on in this blogging adventure of mine that boxed mixes exist for people like me.  And that's okay.

Every once in awhile, though, I get the urge to bake from scratch.  I decide that I can totally do it, and any idiot who can read can bake.

It usually ends in regret.

Last weekend, my whole family gathered at Nana's for our annual Palm Sunday dinner and egg hunt.  I was really excited to make something and remembered that I saw an awesome looking Red Velvet Cake on my friend Lisa's blog.

I didn't have too much of an issue making it, but upon eating it, it tasted really dry.  I was disappointed, but then remembered the likely culprit.  I used egg substitute, and I had the liquid equivalent of just over 1 egg, not 2.  I intended to go back and add a little extra buttermilk to balance it out, but... of course, I forgot.

The flavor, however, was really good, and the icing?  Oh.my.god.  Beyond amazing.  The dryness was a bummer, but you couldn't even tell when you topped it with a scoop of ice cream. 

I would definitely try this again - this time, with TWO eggs.

Red Velvet Cake

from Joy of Baking

• 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
  
• 2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
  
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
  
• 1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
  
• 1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (contains 36-40% butterfat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

Red Velvet Cake: In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut. Serves 10-12 people.

Brownie Cheesecake Trifle for a Virtual Baby Shower

When I hear trifle, I automatically think "...a layer of ladyfingers, then a layer of jam, then custard... then raspberries, more ladyfingers, then beef sauteed with peas and onions..."

Anyone freakishly able to make references to Friends from the most random words or ideas?

Or maybe it's just me.

Anyway.  Speaking of friends, I am delighted to present not only a delicious dessert but also an exciting event.  Annie's Eats is a popular and highly regarded food blog, and I was thrilled to be asked to take part in a special blogging celebration: a virtual baby shower for Annie's next most special little treat!  Her sweet baby girl is on her way to join big brother Andrew, and what better way for bloggers to honor her upcoming arrival than to throw her a little virtual party!

Courtney from Cook Like a Champion arranged everything - please be sure to visit Cook Like a Champion and Annie's Eats to see the delicious spread!  I must admit that I feel a little star-struck surrounded by such big names in the food blog world. :)

My contribution was a Brownie Cheesecake Trifle, and this decadent treat is sure to be a big hit at any soiree.  Who can resist rich chocolatey brownies smothered with a creamy cheesecake spread?  Throw in some sliced strawberries and cool whip and sprinkle with broken Oreos and you've got yourself quite the dessert table headliner!

This is a simple dessert to prepare and is one of those dishes that you can completely customize - use blueberries instead of strawberries, or omit the Oreos, or use chocolate chip cookies instead, or add some pumpkin to the cheesecake mixture...

(Note: This feeds an army, so either scale back the amounts or invite over all your friends!)

Brownie Cheesecake Trifle

from Lauren's Kitchen

• a batch of your favorite brownies (from a box or home-made), cooled
  
• 3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 tubs of Cool Whip (you probably won't use all of it), thawed
  
• 1 package of Oreos, broken but not crushed
  
• 16oz strawberries, sliced

To make the cheesecake mixture, combine cream cheese, vanilla, sugar, and about 1 1/2 cup of cool whip and beat until fluffy and well-incorporated.  Taste it and adjust as needed.

And now... just start stacking it all!  I started with a layer of brownies, followed by cheesecake, strawberries, Oreos, and Cool Whip.  Repeat until you run out of room or ingredients.

Mystery Mocha

My parents came over on the 4th of July for some golf and a belated Father's Day and Birthday dinner. I was excited to try out this recipe I saw on Tasty Kitchen - "Mystery Mocha." Interestingly, this was submitted to Tasty Kitchen by a dude named Larry, and that's my dad's name. Hmmm...


Anyway, make this. Soon. It was so easy to throw together and so delicious. I didn't have enough brown sugar and it definitely made a difference - but almost non-noticeable when you throw some ice cream on top.


Ingredients

• ¾ cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Sifted All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt
• 1 piece Unsweetend Chocolate (1 Square)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• ½ cups Whole Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Granulated Sugar (additional)
• 4 Tablespoons Powdered Cocoa (Not Drink Mix)
• 1 cup Cold Strong Coffee

Sift together 3/4 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Melt square of unsweetened chocolate and butter in the microwave. Add to dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla. Blend. Pour into a greased 8×8 pan.

Combine brown sugar, the 1/2 cup additional granulated sugar and cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the cake batter. Pour the one cup COLD coffee on top. This will look TERRIBLE. Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream or sweetened whip cream or whipped topping. This will serve 8. In a 9×9 square pan, you can cut 9 pieces. Best served warm.

Superbowl Snack Throwdown: Mom's Cheesecake Cups

While I am proud of the snack food I've presented so far during this competition, I thought it was about time I threw in something sweet. After all, no party is complete without a little dessert!

So when sour cream was announced as week 5's secret ingredient, I decided to share with you my mom's delicious Cheesecake Cups. Please head on over to HighLowAha to place your vote; last week I lost by ONE vote, so make sure you vote from as many computers as you can - and tell your friends!

Since we are very unexpectedly without my car until we go buy a new one (don't get me started!), the boys and I are stranded in the house. As you know, Ryan loves helping me in the kitchen, so I figured he'd have a blast helping me whip these babies up. He was a great helper and poured the eggs in so carefully! You could really see the concentration on his face. LOVE that kid.



(Sidenote: this might be my new favorite picture of Ryan, and yes, he wore the hat and boots ALL day - even for his nap.)


My mom makes these sometimes, and I have always loved them. While this might not be the most figure-friendly meal, it is beyond delicious. The cupcake is just so moist and smooth and rich without being too heavy, and the topping adds such a decadent layer of flavor. You can really use anything in place of the cherries - blueberries, chocolate, a banana slice, candy... the possibilities are endless, so you can really have fun making it your own.

Aside from the baking time, these are really so easy and inexpensive to make. I love food that you just dump and combine, and it's an added bonus when they come out looking so elegant and impressive!

I've made these a couple of times since my mom shared the recipe, and they are always a hit. So whether you are celebrating your team's victory or nursing an ego-busting defeat, grab one of these delicious treats!

Ingredients

For the cheesecake:

• 3 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened - don't use lowfat!
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs (I use egg substitute)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

For the topping:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 cans cherry pie filling

Preheat the oven to 300 and line 2 12-cup cupcake trays with liners.

To make the cheesecake, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a mixture and whisk until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and beat for 3-4 minutes. Pour into liners, 3/4-full, and bake for 35-40 minutes. (They will NOT brown!) Let cool for 5 minutes, but leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, make the topping by beating the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla together. Once the cheesecakes have cooled, divide evenly among the cakes (I used about a half-tablespoon per cake). Top with the cherries (or your decoration of choice) and bake for another 5 minutes.

Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake

For my husband's birthday a couple of weeks ago, he opted to stay home for a low-key home cooked meal.  He requested chicken enchilladas but said he had no preference for a dessert.

This recipe for a Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake from Smitten Kitchen has been popping up all over my Google Reader, so I took that as a sign.  We both enjoy cheesecake, and since I've never made it myself, I was excited for the challenge.  Thanks to a friend who lent me her spring-form pan, I rolled up my sleeves (and put Cars on for Ryan) and hopped into the kitchen.

This was actually very good!  It did crack, but not too badly.  I also had issues with the time; I probably kept it in the oven for an extra half hour.  But every hot minute in the kitchen was worth it, because I really loved this cheesecake, and so did the birthday boy.

I modified it a bit, and by "modified," I mean that I cheated; I used a box mix for the brownies and nixed the chocolate topping.  I just copied and pasted Deb's instructions below.  And for the record - I doubled the crust too!

Part One: One Bowl Brownies
Adapted from Baker’s One Bowl Brownies
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (Baker’s chocolate, optional of course)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 3/4cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and salt; mix well. Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Cool brownies, then cut* them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares for use in the cheesecake. You will have more than the two cups of cubes, loosely measured, than you will need, and I’m sorry, you’re just going to have to decide for yourself what to do with the extra. Add cubes to cake batter as directed below.

* I find that brownies are fantastically easy to cut once they’ve been refrigerated–you end up with nice clean lines, and in this case, a sharp pizza wheel was especially helpful. Also, brownies taste better cold. I’m just saying.

Part Two: Crumb Crust
Adapted from Gourmet, 1999
I like a doubled crumb crust. I can’t get enough cookie. Below are proportions for one crust with the amounts to double the recipe in parentheses. You know you wanna.

1 1/2 cups or 5 ounces (3 cups or 10 ounces to double) finely ground cookies such as chocolate wafers. Or Chocolate Teddy Grahams.
5 tablespoons (10 tablespoons to double) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup (2/3 cup to double) sugar
1/8 (1/4 teaspoon to double) teaspoon salt
Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.
Part Three: Cheesecake
Adapted from the Three Cities of Spain Coffeehouse
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 cups brownie cubs (from recipe above)
Make crumb crust as directed above for 24-centimeter cheesecake. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make filling and bake cake: Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla and sugar, beating on low speed until each ingredient is incorporated and scraping down bowl between additions.

Fold brownie cubes in very gently and pour mixture into prepared pan. Put springform pan with crust in a shallow baking pan. Pour filling into crust and bake in baking pan (to catch drips) in middle of oven 45 minutes, or until cake is set 3 inches from edge but center is still slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken.
When completely cool, top with following glaze.
Part Four: Ganache Glaze
Adapted from Purdy’s original recipe

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, broken up, or 1/2 cup chocolate morsels
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
Grind the chocolate into powder in the food processor, scald the butter and cream in a saucepan (or in a Pyrex cup in the microwave). With the machine running, pour the hot cream/butter mixture slowly through the feed tube onto the chocolate. Blend until completely smooth, stopping machine to scrape down sides once or twice. Add the extract and sugar and process until smooth. Spread over cheesecake while ganache is still warm. Chill until ready to serve.

Happy Birthday to Me! Chocolate Overdose Cake

In just 365 days, I will hit the big 3-0... sigh...

I usually take my birthday off from cooking, but as soon as I saw this amazing Chocolate Overdose Cake on Annie's blog, I knew that's what I wanted for my birthday. So I spent the morning in the kitchen on the day we had our families over to celebrate the day I entered this world!


In the interest of time, I did take one major shortcut - I used a brownie mix instead of making the brownie layer by hand (I am still posting Annie's original recipe in case anyone else wants to do the whole shebang). But I did everything else, and I'm pretty freaken proud of myself! This was definitely the most involved dessert I've made, and it was absolutely delicious.


My cake obviously does not look as pretty as Annie's, but it sure tasted great. And pay no attention to the ugly photo below. I almost didn't even post it, but I did want to show the layers in the cake.


Ingredients
For the brownie base:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. cake flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the chocolate mousse filling:

• 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces
• 1 7/8 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. sugar

For the chocolate cake:

• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/8 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 7/8 cup sugar, divided
• 7/8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, soft

For the ganache:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 18 oz. semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-oz. pieces

Directions:
To make the brownie base, line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper and spray the sides with nonstick cooking spray. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a fork to mix. Melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of almost-simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth.

When the chocolate mixture is completely smooth, remove the bowl from the saucepan and gradually whisk in the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until thoroughly combined. Whisk in vanilla. Add in the flour mixture in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until completely homogenous.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Set aside, prepare the cake batter, and bake the two layers at the same time.

To make the cake, line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan. Combine the chocolate, cocoa and hot water in a medium heatproof bowl; set the bowl over a saucepan containing 1-inch of simmering water and stir with a rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. (Note: at this point, my mixture was pretty thick and I thought I had ruined it, but mixing in the sugar was like magic and it made it smooth and liquidy again.) Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add remaining sugar, increase speed to high, and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. Replace whisk with paddle attachment.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition. Add about one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds). Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour. Pour into prepared pan; smooth batter to edges of pan with an offset spatula.

Bake the brownie and cake layers at the same time: the brownie for 25-30 minutes and the cake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownie to cool completely in the pan. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto the wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownie layer has cooled, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Remove the sides of the springform but leave the brownie layer on the springform base. Form a ring of parchment paper around the brownie layer and extending up the sides of the springform pan – reclose the springform so that the parchment is fitted tightly to the sides.

To make the chocolate mousse filling, place a stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer or fridge. Heat 1-inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place the semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap and allow to heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a stainless steel bowl and set aside until needed.

Place heavy cream and sugar in the well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the chilled whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. By hand, whisk to combine 1/4 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate until smooth and completely incorporated. Add the combined whipped cream and chocolate to the remaining whipped cream and use a rubber spatula to fold together.

Spread the mousse over the top of the brownie base evenly. Use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Place the cooled cake round over the mousse, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 1 hour.

To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream and the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Chill 1 cup of ganache for 1 hour. Allow the remaining ganache to come to room temperature (about 40 minutes).

Remove the springform ring and parchment collar from the assembled cake. Carefully transfer the cake to a serving platter, removing the springform base and parchment round. Use a spatula to smooth the room temperature ganache over the cake top and sides, covering evenly.

Place the chilled ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a shell tip and pipe a shell border around the base of the cake. Pipe 12-16 rosettes around the top of the cake to indicate servings. Serve chilled and store leftovers in the fridge. Cut the cake with a hot, dry knife.

Ice Cream Brownie Cupcakes

This past weekend, Sarah, Colleen, and I went to poor bed-ridden Brooke's house for lunch. Whenever we get together, we all bring a dish so that it's never extra work for the hostess (unless you're me and you suddenly find that you have a clean your house because you haven't cleaned it in about 3 months because your 2-year-old just destroys everything you clean).

I volunteered to bring the dessert, and I could not decide what to bring. Nothing seemed exciting or special enough. Finally, the day before our lunch, I sat down to make my grocery list and forced myself to just make a decision.

To procrastinate, I decided to check out my Google Reader, and lo and behold, fate intervened. The very top post was a recipe for Ice Cream Brownie Cupcakes from Annie. It was different, interesting, and very delicious sounding. Perfect.


I ended up with a few changes; I decided to keep the chocolate them going and used Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream instead of strawberry. I also ran out of time to make the ganauche (we were out getting Ryan his big boy bed!) so I had my husband run to the store and grab me a bottle of Magic Shell. Perfect.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the concept of this recipe. The only thing I didn't like was the actual brownie. I was skeptical about it from the beginning, because the batter was very dry and didn't really "spread" in the oven. I also thought it had kind of a weird taste to it... I'm sure it's the fault of the baker and not the recipe! I would for sure try these again.

(Annie later informed me of a typo in the original recipe. It should be 3/4 cups of flour, not 3 cups! No wonder... I fixed it below. Thank you, Annie, for salvaging this yummy dessert for me!)


Ingredients
For the brownies:

• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the ice cream:

• 1 batch of chosen ice cream, slightly softened

For the ganache:

• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

To garnish:

• Fresh strawberry slices (I omitted)

To make the brownie bottoms, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with foil liners. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; stir together and set aside. In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water combine the butter and chocolate. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk to blend. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture, and then the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of batter into cupcake liner. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 6-8 minutes. Leaving the brownies in the cupcake pans, cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Top with strawberry ice cream until the cupcake liner is full. (If the ice cream is freshly made, it is just the right consistency for filling the cupcake liners.) Return the cupcake pans to the freezer for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour the cream evenly over the chocolate, let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth with a rubber spatula. If the ganache is too thin, allow it to stand at room temperature to cool and become more easily spreadable. Once the ganache is at the correct temperature, scoop it by the teaspoonful on top of the ice cream cupcakes and spread over the tops. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices, if desired.

Remove cupcakes from the freezer 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Mocha Cupcakes

When Annie first posted this recipe for White Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes, I starred it immediately and couldn't wait to make them. Chocolate + Coffee + Cupcakes = goooooood.

Our families were coming over to our house after brunch on Mother's Day, and I thought these would be a perfect contribution. I even got to whip out the cupcake stand that I haven't used since Ryan's first birthday party!

If you aren't a coffee drinker, fret not - you really can't taste the actual coffee. It just adds a layer of richness to the chocolate and really enhances the flavor.

(I don't know why the top right of this photo is so overexposed... pretend there isn't a chunk of picture missing, 'kay?)

These cupcakes were delicious, and I received many compliments on them - especially on the heart decorations! I don't have piping bags, so I used a sandwich baggie which worked beautifully. I do wish I had made the hole just slightly bigger for thicker outlines, but that's okay.

I also had no success at all with the icing. I'm not sure what I did wrong. The first portion of heavy cream whipped right up, but then that was it. Once I added the white chocolate/cream part, it kind of thickened a little, but no peaks. I kept the white chocolate/cream combo in the fridge, but maybe it wasn't cool enough? That's really all I could think of. So, on our way to brunch, we stopped at the grocery store for some store-bought frosting. Oh well.

So for obvious reasons, I removed the "White Chocolate" part of the title. :)


Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 5 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 5 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups hot coffee
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar

For the whipped cream:

• 6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

For decorating:

• 4 oz. chocolate (I used semisweet), finely chopped
• chocolate sprinkles

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa powder and baking soda. Mix to form a paste and then slowly whisk in the coffee. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add the egg and vanilla mixture and beat until combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat well. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the liquid mixture, beating just until all ingredients are incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the white chocolate whipped cream, place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Melt, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is almost melted, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil. Once the chocolate is fully melted, transfer the bowl to a counter, pour in the hot cream and let it sit for one minute. Then stir gently with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth. Let the chocolate sit until it reaches room temperature – the chocolate can’t be the least bit warm when it is added to the whipped cream.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup cream only until it holds the softest peaks. With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks. Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

While the cream is setting, make the chocolate decorations. Spread a piece of wax paper on a flat work surface. Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 seconds intervals, stirring in between, until completely melted. Allow the chocolate to cool for several minutes (I probably waited 10-15 minutes). Transfer the melted chocolate to a plastic squeeze bottle (a plastic bag with the corner cut off would also work). Carefully squeeze the melted chocolate onto the wax paper in the desired shape. Allow to set completely. Carefully peel off of the wax paper.

Frost the cupcakes with the now set white chocolate whipped cream, top with chocolate sprinkles, and garnish with chocolate decorations. Store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature for best flavor.

Source: Annie's Eats - cupcakes adapted from Miss Cupcake Face, whipped cream from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

Apple Streusel Coffee Cake

When I showed up to Palm Sunday dinner with this Quadruple Chocolate Bliss Cake, my brother Chris questioned my ability to create a dessert without the use of chocolate.

"Seriously," he said, "don't you ever just make an apple coffee cake or something?"

Well, the answer is really probably no. I am a chocoholic (like you haven't noticed) and it's just not dessert if there's no chocolate!

Since we were heading up to my parents' house this past weekend to have a belated Easter celebration, I figured that would be the perfect time to prove my anti-sweets brother wrong. I searched through my blogs and found this one from REC(ession)IPES.


I really enjoyed the flavor of this little cake, but I think I should have kept it in the oven a bit more. It completely fell apart as I tried to cut it, and I needed to perform minor surgery on it to get a somewhat-solid piece to photograph!

Here is a really creepy picture of Chris eating his - what a ham:
Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups flour total, equal parts white and whole wheat, sifted, then measured
  
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/2 cup milk (can be skim)
  
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, melted (shortening melts very quickly, so use low flame, and keep an eye on it)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped apples (about two large apples), any semi-tart to tart variety
  

For the streusel topping (aka, the crumb part that everyone likes):

• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1/4 cup flour total, equal parts white and whole wheat
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnnamon
  
• 2 tablespoons butter (right out of the refrigerator is fine)
  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift flour together with other dry ingredients.

Beat the egg, then add the milk and melted shortening.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry then add the raw apples and mix well.

Pour the batter into a well-greased 8-inch square pan.

To make the streusel, stir together the dry ingredients, then cut in butter using a pastry blender**** until it forms pea-sized pieces with the dry ingredients.

Finish combining with your fingertips until you have small clumps.

Sprinkle topping over the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

****If you don't have a pastry blender, butter may be cut in using two butter knives in a criss crossing motion, or just work it in with your fingertips. If you like to make struesel toppings, or any kind of fruit crumbles, you may want to get a pastry blender - it cuts time in half, easily.

My first "piping" experience

Since I used boxed funfetti cupcakes and its coordinating canned icing (I know, scandalous!), there is no recipe in this post.

However, this was the very first time I tried piping rather than slapping the frosting on with a spatula. I dumped the frosting into a ziploc and clipped the corner, and poof!

Although, note to self: 1 can would be fine when you do the spatula method, but when piping? Spring for the extra can. My little masterpieces got smaller and smaller as I went through the tin!

Quadruple Chocolate Bliss Cake

I wanted a yummy dessert to take to Nana's for Palm Sunday dinner. I could have sworn I had saved a chocolately bundt-style cake in my reader, but I couldn't find it.


I found this Triple Chocolate Cake on the Kraft website, and immediately thought it would be perfect. You may notice, however, that I titled this post Quadruple Chocolate Cake; well, I decided that 3 kinds of chocolate (cake mix, pudding mix, and the chocolate frosting) weren't enough. I added a handful of chocolate chips to the batter as well.


This was so, so, so, so delicious. My only regret is that I didn't use all of the sauce for on top. When I poured it on, it seemed like way too much, so I may have used about half of it; it definitely could have used more.


Once again, I had some assistance from my little helper:



Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix
• 1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
• 1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
• 1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
• 1-1/2 cups raspberries

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Beat all ingredients except whipped topping, chocolate and raspberries in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 min. scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or metal spatula and gently remove cake. Cool cake completely on wire rack. Place on serving plate.

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. of the whipped topping. Microwave remaining whipped topping and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each min. Drizzle over cake. Immediately drop reserved whipped topping, by scant teaspoonfuls, around top of cake; create star shape by drawing wooden toothpick through middle several times. Spoon raspberries into center of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Oreo Truffles

I think everyone's made these Oreo Truffles at some point. If you haven't, you SHOULD! They are easy and delicious.

(Don't mind the pictures - I forgot to take them when I first made them, so they were kind of rushed!)


I made them for last year's Superbowl, and thought they were be a cute addition to my Christmas dessert tray. Rather than sprinkle with more crushed Oreos, however, I sprinkled with some colored sugar for a more holiday look.

When Brooke made them not too long ago, she mentioned that she stuck the Oreo/cream cheese mixture in the fridge for about 24 hours. I tried that this time, and it made a huge difference. I'd definitely recommend that step if you have the time!

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed, divided
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

MIX 3 cups of the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

DIP balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover melted chocolate can be stored in tightly covered container at room temperature and saved for another use.) Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Peppermint Brownie Cups

Between Christmas Eve and Christmas, we travel to 4 different houses, not counting our own. So when I volunteered/was asked to bring desserts, I knew I needed something to withstand a pretty decent car trip.

I decided to make a little platter that had several finger-food type desserts in them. These brownie cups from Baking Blonde were the first on my list!


I ended up altering the recipe a bit, but the original can still be found below. My changes were minor, really - I couldn't find Andes baking bits, so I bought regular Ande's Candies in Peppermint and just chopped them a bit. Also, I was out of peppermint extract so I had to omit it - but really, they were plenty minty, so I didn't miss it at all.

These were a huge hit, and I will definitely make them again.

Ingredients

• 6 TBS butter
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate (chopped
• 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 2 cups Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with cooking spray.

In a heat-proof bowl, melt together butter and chcolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth. Allow to cool for 5 mintues.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Whisk or beat the sugar into the chocolate mixture. Add eggs and peppermint extract mixing until combined and smooth. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Gently fold in the 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips.

Carefully pour batter to prepared each muffin liner filling about 2/3 full. Sprinkle a few Andes Peppermint chips over the top of each individual brownie. . Bake for 18-23 mintues or until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs.

*Baking time will depend on your oven, watch carefully so you don’t overbake! Mine were done in 20 minutes.

Allow to cool before removing from muffin pan.

Keep brownies in cupcake liners until ready to serve to help prevent them from drying out.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

We had bits and pieces of our families over for dinner last night (the ones who weren't sick or working or already had plans) and at first I wasn't even going to make a dessert.

But when I was scrolling through my reader to find dinners for the week, I came across this Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie from Beantown Baker.


Oh, was this delicious... it did end up a little bit sweet, and I was bummed that all chocolate chips sank to the bottom so it wasn't really cookie-ish (more like a fudgey layer on the bottom) but it was gooooood. I completely cheated and used a ready-made pie crust (a chocolate one!!).


Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• Serve with ice cream (optional)

Preheat oven 325 degrees F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.

Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.

Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Another dessert from Ryan's party! This delicious dip comes to me courtesy of Kelly, and it was another crowd-pleaser. So fast and easy to put together!

I served this with vanilla wafers, chocolate graham crackers, and animal crackers. Yum!

(The recipe is actually supposed to be a cheese ball, but I left it as a dip instead.)

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

1-2-3-4 Cake

Oh, this cake was gooooood. Moist, and flavorable, and yummy... it was a big hit, and there wasn't much left after Ryan's party was over.

This cake was recommended to me by lovestoeat, and it was a winner. I may never buy a box cake again...


Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups cake flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (I omitted and just used a little extra vanilla.)
  

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour three 9 inch cake pans (I used cupcake liners and cupcake pan). In a mixing bowl cream butter and gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and flavorings, beating after each addition until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 mins. Cool in pans 10 mins and remove from pans to finish cooling. Top with frosting.

Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

I brought a billion party-related questions to my cooking board, and those ladies never let me down. Bethany recommended this Hershey's Deep Dark Chocolate Cake, and it was freaken fantastic. Moist, gooey, chocolatey... perfect.

Don't mind the picture. First of all, I didn't let the icing thicken long enough, so it's all gooey. Plus, I hate my camera, so I couldn't get a decent shot. Looks can be deceiving, however, because this cake was gooooood. Did I already say that?


Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.

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.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Deep Dark Chocolate Frosting
from Hershey's, recipe on back of Special Dark cocoa

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
  
• 1/2 cup Hershey's Special Dark cocoa
  
• 3 cups powdered sugar
  
• 1/3 cup milk

Melt the butter. Stir in cocoa. Add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beating to spreading consistency. Makes about 2 cups.

Death By Chocolate Cake

A few months ago at work, I volunteered to make a cake for a coworker's 50th birthday. Not too soon after, I brought in some baked goodies for my department. I was then dubbed the department baker, which is ironic, because I'm barely a beginner.

Anyway, last week another colleague hit a milestone birthday, and I was asked to bring one of my "special desserts." I wanted an easy crowd-pleaser, and opted for this Death by Chocolate Cake that Emily shared earlier this summer.


As you can see, my glaze looks NOTHING like hers! I heeded her warning about pouring the glaze before it hardened a bit too well, I think, and probably should have actually let it sit a bit before pouring. Also, why did I have a few globs of powdered sugar left undissolved??

This cake was a huge hit today, and not to pat myself on the back or anything, but it was REALLY good. I loved that it was so simple to throw together but really presented and tasted delicious. I will definitely repeat this one.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 pkg. Devil's Food cake mix
• 1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
• 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sour cream, water and oil together in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into bundt; bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Substitution: Can replace 1/4 cup of water with Grand Marnier (so 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup Grand Marnier)

Caramel Glaze

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons half and half (I actually didn’t have this—so I made my own using 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of whole milk)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the half and half and brown sugar, stir to combine. Boil vigorously for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar. Let cool for a minute and then add the remaining powdered sugar and vanilla. Depending on desired consistency, may need to add additional half and half (I think I added another 2-3 tablespoons). Quickly spoon over cake before the glaze gets too hard!

Double Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

BakingBlonde is my hero. Seriously. Go to her website and look at all of her amazing things.

I normally avoid dishes that involve peanut butter since my son cannot have it; I just feel plain mean having things that I can't share with him.

But these are SO worth waiting for naptime.

I've been trying to cut back on what I bake because I ALWAYS gain weight over the summer when I'm home. I guess at work I'm always running around and rarely have TIME to snack, so it's easier to be good. Plus, at home, I eat crap because it's THERE. So I'm trying to just not have the stuff THERE.

But these babies make me not care.

I cannot say enough about these little brownies. I had been toying with making them for awhile, and tried to not tempt myself... but when my pregnant friend Denise was planning to come over, I figured I should be a good hostess and make them for her. I mean, it was totally selfless. I did it just for her. Really.

Uh huh.

Ingredients:
Brownie batter:
(The brownie batter was very un-batter-like; it was much closer to the texture and consistency of a chocolate mousse. I was worried about this, but they were perfect!)

• 1 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• 3/4 cup butter, very soft (not melted but softer than room temp)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 TBS vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
  

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Swirl

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened1/2 cups creamy PB
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 5-6 Reese's peanut butter cups (regular size) cut into 6-8 pieces each

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8" square pan with foil and lightly coat with PAM cooking spray.

In a microwave safe bowl melt the two baking chocolate squares in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval until smooth and melted after stirring. Do not scortch! Remove from microwave and allow to come to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Add vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl and wisk together. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture. Do not overmix.

In separate mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg and beat until just combined. Spread about 2/3 of chocolate brownie batter into prepared pan. Evenly drop 1/2 of cheesecake batter in dollups over brownie batter. Run a knife through both mixtures to slightly swirl.

Dollop remaining brownie batter and cheesecake batter over swirled mixture. Run knife through the browine and cheesecake dollups (not all the way through the already swirled layer) to create a swirled pattern.

Bake for 40-45 minutes**, or until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not overbake or they will harden, if underbaked they will be too gooey. Every oven is different so watch and check these after about 35-40 minutes of baking to ensure propper doneness.

**After about 35-40 minutes of baking (with about 5-7 minutes of baking time left, you just need to eyeball it) gently place cut up Reese's cups over top of almost fully baked brownies. Finish baking until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few crumbs stuck to it. The Reese's PB cups will melt but hold their shape slightly. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting and serving.

Really Fudgy Mini-Cakes

Today is the FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the day we closed on our little townhouse!

I remember the stress... it was just a couple of weeks before our wedding, and it had been pushed back a bunch of times for various reasons. We both took the day off from work and became homeowners.

Here is a picture of our home-sweet-home:

Anyway. On to the food stuff.

I cannot believe that I never thought of this before, but Brooke told me I should get my house a birthday present! WHY did that not occur to me?! This afternoon I planned on running to Crate and Barrel for a gift, so I figured I'd pick something up there.

I was already planning on making a special little dessert, so I got these:

I think I've already talked about one of my favorite baking books before: Small-Batch Baking. I love that I can get the fun of baking without all of the calories. I knew this book would give me the perfect little treat to celebrate our house-iversary. This recipe is designed to yield four cupcakes, but I made two little heart-shape cakes instead.

I thought that the cake was a little dry, but good. I didn't really get a fudge vibe - it was chocolately for sure, but not fudgy. The icing on its own was a bit too orange-y for me, but coupled with the chocolate cake, it was perfect.

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the muffin cups
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted, plus more for flouring the muffin cups
• 1/2 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• Yolks of 2 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Frosting (recipe follows)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350. Grease and lightly flour 4 muffin-tin cups.

2. Place the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl and heat on high until glossy - about 60-90 seconds. Stir the chocolate until it is smooth, then let it stand until cool - about 10 minutes.

3. Combine the buttermilk and baking soda in a small bowl and stir to mix. Gently whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla.

4. Place the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium-size mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Add the butter and half of the buttermilk mixture. Beat with a hand-held mixer on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the speed to medium and beat until the mixture is lightened and slightly increased in volume, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour in the remaining buttermilk mixture and the melted chocolate, and beat on medium about 15 seconds. Scrape the sides.

5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. Fill the empty cups with water. Bake about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cold cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon thawed frozen orange juice concentrate (I used fresh OJ instead.)

Place the cream cheese and butter in a medium-size mixing bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed until blended, 20 seconds. Add the sugar, orange zest, and vanilla, and beat to mix. Then add the orange juice concentrate and beat until the frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute. Use right away, or cover and let stand for up to 1 hour before using.