♥ Happy Halloween

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I wish Halloween was as drawn out as Christmas, the spooky decorating ideas I have are endless. For my "stabbed" cupcakes I made a Molten Chocolate Cupcake with a traditional buttercream frosting. Please check out my website, www.carlymakescakes.com,  for ordering information. 

Cupcake Ingredients:

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Butter, to coat muffin tin
1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture.

Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.

♥Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread

Once I want to make banana bread, it seems I have to wait weeks to actually eat it. After I patiently waited for the bananas to ripen, I made this chocolate marbled banana bread and it was worth all of the waiting.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, in a small bowl stirring with a whisk.
3. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add banana, egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.
4. Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at MED POWER for 30 seconds until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Swirl batters together using a knife. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

♥ Blueberry Cupcakes with a Honey Buttercream

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups blueberries

Honey Buttercream:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup honey

4-5 cups powdered sugar

dash of milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-count muffin tins with paper liners and set aside. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.
2. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together melted butter and oil, then add in eggs, buttermilk and extracts. Whisk to combine.
3. Mix the liquid ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries.
4. Divide the batter among the cups and bake for 15 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, frost and decorate as desired.
5. To make the frosting, cream butter and honey together in a large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar carefully at first, then mix until fully combined. Add milk if frosting is too thick.

♥ UCLA Bruins Cake

Baked inside was a Hersey's Perfect Chocolate Cake layered with a Salted Caramel Frosting. 

For the Cake:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S 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
• 
  

Directions:

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

2. 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 mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. 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.

For the Frosting:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy cream, or as needed

1 pinch salt

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1. To make caramel, Place the brown sugar, 1/2 cup margarine, corn syrup, and vanilla into a large saucepan over medium heat, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes; remove from heat and allow to cool to warm (not hot) temperature. Add the cream, a little at a time, until the caramel has the consistency of honey. Mix in the pinch of salt, and allow to cool to room temperature.
2. Beat the salted butter with confectioners' sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture is fluffy; slowly add and beat in the caramel, a tablespoon at a time, beating until the frosting is smooth.

♥ Cupcakes, Coffee and Booze

This is what happens when you combine three of my favorite things!

Dark Chocolate Mocha Cupcakes with a Bailey's Irish Creme Frosting.

♥ Rose Cupcakes for a new Bride

A traditional red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting, decorated with edible accents. These cupcakes were ordered by a husband to tell his new bride, "Stefee," that he loves her. Swoon!

♥ Nautical Baby Shower Cake

Inside this nautical themed cake is a triple layer lemon blueberry cake with a whipped lemon frosting. The 9" cake, which serves 10-20 people, is covered in fondant and all accents are edible.