Chocolate and Peanut Butter cake

A few weeks ago, we had our besties over to make dinner/date night and play games.  Cathy brought dessert, which her darling gourmet daughter, Erica, had made.  These cupcakes were KILLER.  I called Erica last night and she said she found (of course) the recipe on Pinterest.  Thanks to Erica and also www.delightfullydowling.com  for this awesome recipe.

The Best Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake

for cake:

1 box devil's food cake mix

1 large package of jello instant chocolate pudding mix

1 C sour cream

1 C vegetable oil

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 C milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 C mini Reese's cups, chopped

1. preheat oven to 350 f.

2. in a very large bowl, mix together everything except Reese's cups. batter will be extremely thick. stir in Reese's cups. pour batter into cake pan of choice {i made 8 cupcakes & filled 2 8-inch round cake pans}. for cooking time, use the cooking times on the back of the devil's food cake box as a guide & add {approx.} 10 minutes to whatever it says. check with a toothpick to see if they are done.

for frosting:

1 C shortening

1 C smooth peanut butter

4 C powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 C heavy whipping cream

 In a mixing bowl, cream shortening & peanut butter until fluffy. add sugar & continue creaming until well blended. Add salt, vanilla, & whipping cream. blend on low speed until moistened. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

for this recipe, I buy the 2.5 pound bag of mini Reese's cups...

 use them all.

you could easily just put the 2 C in the cake,

but what takes it over the top {in my opinion} is the fact that it's garnished

with the remaining chopped Reese's cups.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

(a take-off on my Strawberry Cream Cheese cupcakes)

1 package lemon cake mix
2 cups sour cream
2 eggs

Filling:
1/3 cup lemon curd
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
½ c. sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Mix filling and set aside.

Line 24 muffins cups with paper baking cups. In large bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream and eggs; stir with spoon until well blended. Reserve 1½ cup batter. Fill cups ½ full with remaining batter.
Using spoon, make slight indentation in center of each cup; fill with heaping spoon of lemon cream cheese filling. Spoon reserved 1½ cup batter evenly over each filled cup, covering preserves and filling. Muffins should be ¾ full.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Store in refrigerator. Either dust with powdered sugar or frost with a light lemon glaze.

(We served these at BFF Cathy's surprise party and I actually frosted them....just so they would look prettier. I made a basic cream cheese frosting with cream cheese, powdered sugar and about 1/4 cup of lemon juice, a tsp. of lemon extract, a couple of drops of yellow food coloring.)

S'More Recipes!

I seldom post recipes on this site without trying them to make sure it is "tru-luv." But when I found out it was National S'More Day.....

and I'm trying to eat low-carb (sigh....)

and I am in love with S'More but didn't want to make them because then I would eat them (you know, THAT problem)....

in celebration of National S'More Day, I thought I would post a www.bakerella.com recipe that someday, in my skinnier life, I will try. You can't go wrong with Bakerella!

S’more Cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups 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
6 jumbo marshmallows cut in half, plus more for decorating

Graham Cracker Crumb topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Ganache
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda together with a wire whisk.
Separate the mixture in half into two bowls.

Stir cocoa into one bowl and the graham cracker crumbs into the other.
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.
Repeat adding the same ingredients to the graham cracker crumb flour mixture.

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.

Pour a little graham cracker cake batter into the bottom of your baking cups and then sprinkle the topping mixture lightly on the surface.
Place a marshmallow half on top and then cover the marshmallow with the chocolate cake batter until it is about 3/4 full.
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.

This recipe will make at least 12 cupcakes. I had a some batter from each left over so you can probably get more like 14-16.

Let cool and top with ganache.

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.
Pour over cupcakes and add more marshmallows if you desire.

Enjoy!

Filled Black Bottom Cupcakes

These filled black-bottomed cupcakes don't even need frosting. I usually just dust them with powdered sugar. There is also a yummy surprise inside. One of my two favorite cupcakes!

Filled Black Bottom Cupcakes

1 1/2 c. flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup water

1/3 c. oil

1 Tbsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

6 oz. (3/4 cup) chocolate chips

Mix together flour, 2 cup sugar, cocoa, soda and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Mix well. Fill cupcake papers 1/3 full. Make filling with remaining 5 ingredients. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling right in the middle of each (uncooked) cupcake, being careful not to let it touch the sides. (No need to cover filling with batter.) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 18 cupcakes.

Snowman Donuts

Brandi made these cuties for the girls' birthday parties. Just take powdered mini donuts, candy corn for noses, and dots of food coloring for eyes. So cute!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

These are, hands down, my favorite cupcake experience. Normally I think of cupcakes and little kid's fare....not so moist. Kind of crumby.

But these? Wowzer, wowzer! Of course they have a killer filling. And these are the EASIEST cupcakes to make. When you make them, please invite me over!!!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

(formerly called Lickety Split but what in the heck is lickety split?)

1 package strawberry cake mix
2 cups sour cream
2 eggs
1/3 cup strawberry preserves (if you don't have homemade strawberry jam, try Bonne Mamon...strawberry preserves from France...that is sold in most grocery stores. It's yumo!)

Filling:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 egg

½ c. sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

Mix filling and set aside.

Line 24 muffins cups with paper baking cups. In large bowl, combine cake mix, sour cream and eggs; stir with spoon until well blended. Reserve 1½ cup batter. Fill cups ½ full with remaining batter.

Using spoon, make slight indentation in center of each cup; fill with heaping ½ teaspoon of preserves and a tsp. of cream cheese filling. Spoon reserved 1½ cup batter evenly over each filled cup, covering preserves and filling. Muffins should be ¾ full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Store in refrigerator.