Chocolate Cheesecake

I made this decadent dessert for Thanksgiving…how is that already almost a month ago?? And Christmas is in a week? Holy moly. Life needs to slow down a bit!

My friend Jenny Lynn gave me a Junior’s Cheesecake cookbook. Remember the cheesecake showdown last summer? Yep, that was with her! She convinced me that Junior’s is the best New York style cheesecake around and this cookbook has become a proven keeper.

My task had been to bring a chocolate dessert and wow, was this a good choice! With a chocolate shortbread crust, rich creamy filling, and a pretty drizzle on top, this cheesecake is super impressive. The recipe might look long and intimidating but it’s not too hard to make if you have the time and plan ahead. Maybe bring it to an upcoming Christmas shindig and knock the socks of your family and friends!

PS: Congrats to Shannon, winner of the Trader Joe’s giveaway!

Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients:
For the chocolate shortbread crust:
1 cup and 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temp
1/3 cup sugar
1 extra large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

For the cheesecake:
10 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
4 packages of cream cheese, at room temp (8 oz packs, regular cream cheese only)
1 2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 extra large eggs
3/4 cup heavy or whipping cream

For the chocolate drizzle:
4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

Yield: One 9 inch cheesecake (8-12 slices)

Directions:
For the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Wrap the outside with aluminum foil, covering the bottom and extending all the way up the sides.

Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on high until creamy. Blend in the egg yolk and vanilla, then the melted chocolate. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour mixture just until it disappears and a dough forms.

Push the dough over the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Flour your hands, then smooth out the dough evenly to the edge of the pan with your fingertips, working in a circular motion. Do not press up the sides.

Bake the crust until it’s set and forms a light brown crust on top, about 15 minutes. (do not over bake!) Leave the crust in the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

For the cheesecake:
Keep the oven at 350 degrees F. Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool. Put one package of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of sugar, and the cornstarch in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl several times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time, scraping down the bowl after each one. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat in the remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the cream, just until completely blended. Don’t over mix! Gently spoon the batter on top of the crust.

Place the cake in a large shallow pan containing hot water that comes about 1 inch up the sides of the pan. (make sure you still have the foil on the bottom of the pan!) Bake until the edges look baked and the top of the cake appears set, about 1 1/4 hours. Remove the cake from the water bath, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours. (just walk away – don’t move it) Leave the cake in the pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until completely cold, preferably overnight or at least 4 hours. Transfer to the freezer for 1 hour.

Once cooled, release and remove the sides of the springform pan, leaving the cake on the bottom of the pan. Place on a cake plate and decorate however you like, or leave it plain and simple!

For the optional chocolate drizzle, put the melted chocolate in a piping bag with a small round tip. Pipe a web in a zig zag movement on top of the cheesecake.

Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve. Slice it with a sharp straight-edge knife, not a serrated one. Cover any leftover cake and refrigerate or freeze up to 1 month.

Source: Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook

Diva Cookies

I’ve named these sassy cookies “Diva Cookies” because well, just look at them! Sparkly hot pink bottoms with a zebra striped top. Total diva!

These cookies have made an appearance at two special events – my lovely friend’s bachelorette party and a coworker’s baby shower that had a pink/zebra theme. Even though they look super snazzy, these treats are so easy to make. It’s basically a peanut butter blossom cookie rolled in colored sugar and topped with a Hershey’s Hug, rather than a Kiss.

I started thinking of all the fun color and flavor combos that could be used with this style of cookie. Like right now, with Hershey’s dark chocolate mint, milk chocolate cherry cordial, and candy cane kisses. So be prepared, this diva cookie might come back again in other festive forms!

Diva Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pink food coloring
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup colored sugar for decoration
2 (9 ounce) bags Hershey’s Hugs, unwrapped

Yield: About 80 cookies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Mix in milk, vanilla, and a few drops of food coloring. (either liquid or gel coloring)

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Add more food coloring as needed, if you want a brighter color.

Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in the colored sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, and immediately press a Hershey’s Hug into each cookie. Allow to cool completely; the kiss will harden as it cools. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Source: Cookie recipe slightly adapted from My Baking Addiction

Mocha Scones + Giveaway

It’s fun when you’re inspired to make something, all because of one cool ingredient you acquire. So last month, Jason and I took a trip to Virginia since Jason was running the Marine Corps Marathon, plus we got to visit some family and have a little getaway. And praise God, we survived Hurricane Sandy with no damage and flew home without delay.

Now, while we lived in Northern VA a few years ago, one store I fell in love with was Trader Joe’s. So you can imagine I was stoked to stop in at the nearest location during our trip and grab a few treats to take home. Granted, they’ve recently built a few TJ’s in north Texas, but it’s still a bit of a drive from my home in the country.

Unfortunately, I was limited to things that could go in my carry on luggage. (darn, no cookie butter!) So I got a few tasty things like chocolate covered sunflower seeds and one of my new loves, a cinnamon sugar grinder. They also had a sugar, chocolate, and coffee bean grinder. Be still my heart! I had to buy it. My mind started thinking of all the delicious things this could be used with. Which (finally) leads me to this recipe – mocha scones.

I’m a big fan of scones so the first thing I wanted to make was a chocolate and coffee infused scone with some of this magical mixture sprinkled on top. I wanted to create a scone with the same rich flavor of a mocha, my go-to drink at coffee shops. Ladies and gentlemen, these scones are amazing. Don’t get me wrong, they’d be good by themselves, but grinding some of that sugar/coffee/chocolate on top adds another dimension.

So while at Trader Joe’s, I had you lovely blog readers in mind and picked up a spare to share. Plus, this is my 200th blog post (holy cow!) so I thought I’d make it extra special. To win this sweet little treat, you can:

1. (Mandatory Entry) Leave a comment on this blog post. It can be about anything, preferably telling me what you’d like to sprinkle the yummy sugar/chocolate/coffee on.
2. ”Like” Beckster’s Laboratory on Facebook and leave a separate comment saying you’ve done so. (current followers can too!)
3. Subscribe to Beckster’s Laboratory and leave a separate comment saying you’ve done so. (current subscribers can too!)

You can enter the giveaway until midnight (central time) on December 10, 2012. I’ll pick a winner via a random number generator. Good luck!

Now on to the fabulous recipe…

Mocha Scones

Ingredients:
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tsp instant coffee (or instant espresso)
1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chocolate chips
A sprinkle of sugar, chocolate, and coffee bean mixture

Yield: 8 scones

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt, and instant coffee. Stir to combine. Add the butter and mix into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. (use a pastry blender or I just used the paddle attachment on my stand mixer) Mix in the chocolate chips and add the wet ingredients. Mix everything together until the dough comes together. If too dry, add a little more cream and if too wet, add a little more flour. (dough should be a little sticky)

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Shape it into a circle (about 7-8 inches) and cut it into eight wedges. (I like to use a pizza cutter) Brush off any excess flour and place either on a lined baking sheet or in a scone pan. Grind some of the sugar/chocolate/coffee bean mixture onto the tops of the dough. (optional)

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are firm and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in/on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve while warm or store in a container for a few days, reheating as desired.

Source: Adapted from Joy of Baking

S’more Cupcakes

I have to be honest – these cupcakes are one of the most amazing things I’ve ever made. They weren’t terribly hard, they just take some time and patience. You have the three classic flavors layered together – the graham cracker crust, the chocolate cupcake, and the marshmallow frosting. It makes for an impressive (and delicious) bite when you dig in. Also, if you’re in a crunch, you can absolutely use a boxed cake mix instead. No one will know…or care, to be honest!

I was way excited to use my handy kitchen torch – oh how I’ve missed you! But a word to the wise, be careful when toasting the frosting – if you get too close to the cupcake paper, you’ll have some little flames to extinguish. You don’t have to toast the frosting, but if possible, please do.

By the way, am I the only one who can’t eat anything s’more related without thinking of the classic scene from The Sandlot? Here’s some nostalgia for you. You’re welcome. And “you’re killing me, Smalls!”

S’more Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the graham cracker crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 1/3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the cake:
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp hot water
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks plus 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

For the frosting:
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork. Drop about 1 Tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. (Note: The bottom of a small cup or bottle works well here.) Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.

In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and hot water and whisk until smooth. In another medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to blend. Combine the butter and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and the butter is completely melted. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-low speed until the mixture is cool, about 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla and then the cocoa mixture until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing each addition just until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared liners, filling each about ¾-full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan about 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a bowl set over a pan of a few inches of simmering water. (Note: I use my clean, dry mixer bowl right off the bat to avoid dirtying two bowls.) Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. Mix in the vanilla until combined. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate and graham cracker pieces if wanted.

Source: Annie’s Eats

German Chocolate Cupcakes

I (somewhat) apologize for all the sweet recipes heading your way. I promise I do cook savory food too! But these desserts are too delicious not to share. I made these cupcakes for a recent Birthday and had actually never made German chocolate cake before. It was surprisingly easy, especially the German chocolate frosting which I was unsure of when I started. The cupcakes are made from a doctored up cake mix, but you could totally go for the gold and make it all from scratch.

I loved the idea of creating a gooey coconut and pecan “nest” on top of each cupcake, surrounded by the rich chocolate buttercream. You get all of the traditional German chocolate cake components with a cute and creative twist!

PS: I was actually baking for two Birthdays so made half of the cupcakes German chocolate and half were girly double chocolate with extra chocolate frosting and pretty pink pearl sprinkles!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
Chocolate Cake:
1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream

German Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cup flaked coconut

Chocolate Buttercream:

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp milk or cream (if needed)

Yield: 20-24 cupcakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins with 20-24 cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, gently combine oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Sift (for easy mixing) in about 1/3 of the cake mix and stir until combined. Add buttermilk and stir until combined. Add another third of the cake mix (again, sifting for easy stirring). Add sour cream, then final third of cake mix. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-22 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

For the German chocolate frosting: On medium heat in a sauce pan, constantly stir evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, and butter until thickened. (Basically, until it boils and it will take approximately 15 minutes.) Stir in vanilla extract, pecans, and coconut. Let cool.

For the chocolate buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes. Add cocoa, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Let beat for 3 minutes. If it is too thick, add milk. If it is too thin, add powdered sugar. Or if it is not dark enough, add more cocoa.

Pipe the chocolate buttercream around the edge of the cupcakes to create a barrier, and scoop a small amount of cooled German chocolate frosting into the center.

Source: Your Cup of Cake

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Chocolate Ganache

This is basically a duplicate recipe, just with a different filling. I made these whoopie pies last year with the standard marshmallow filling, but then recently made them for a chocolate lover’s Birthday with ganache in the middle. In my book, ganache is always a good idea – I could sit and eat it with a spoon. Plus it sounds so fancy but is SO easy to make! You can imagine that sandwiching the rich smooth filling with these soft delicious pies is a chocoholic’s dream! Plus I added some fun sprinkles for a little color and pizazz!

Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:
For the whoopie pies:
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
4 Tbsp vegetable shortening
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk

For the ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)

Yield: Around 24 whoopie pies & about 1 1/4 cups ganache

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or another nonstick sheet.

In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, beat butter, shortening, and sugar with a mixer on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for about 3 minutes.

Add egg and vanilla and beat for two more minutes. Add half of the flour mixture and half of the milk and beat on low until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and milk and beat until combined.

Using a Tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop batter on baking sheet two inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes each or until pies spring back when pressed gently. Remove from oven and cool for about five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, in a small saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat, swirling the pan a few times, until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan but the cream is not yet boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and let sit for 30 seconds. Slowly whisk the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Let it cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, spread or pipe the ganache onto the flat side of one pie. Find a matching sized pie and sandwich them together. Decorate with sprinkles or any other things if you want. Enjoy!

Source: The Novice Chef Blog for the whoopie pies & Fine Cooking for the ganache

Semi-Homemade Treats

Hey folks! Sorry I’ve been MIA for a while – I was out of town for a bit and have needed a little break from the blogosphere. I was also recently busy baking 100+ cupcakes for an event and still needed to make desserts for two coworkers birthdays. So instead of buying a totally premade treat, I decided to make some semi-homemade desserts that were quite impressive.

My first request was a chocolate dessert and the other asked for something red velvet with cream cheese. For the chocolate lover, I used a Devil’s Food cake mix, added a few ingredients, and made some delicious chocolate crinkle cookies with extra powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

As for the red velvet fan, I used a Red Velvet cake mix, added the same extra ingredients, and created some mini whoopie pies. I had some leftover cream cheese frosting that I piped in the middle to add that classic component. (but you could use store bought too!)

Both desserts went over great and everyone thought they were totally made from scratch. Plus, you can use any cake flavor your heart desires. So if you’re in a bind and need to bake something quick, give these recipes a shot!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
18.25 oz box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Yield: 18-20 cookies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F and line two cookie sheets with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs, and cake mix until there are no large lumps left.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls (about 1 Tbsp worth of dough) and coat in powdered sugar. Place on cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches for spreading.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the tops have cracked and the tops look set (the centers will still be gooey). Let sit for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Sprinkle with more powdered sugar if wanted. Serve warm or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source: The Novice Chef Blog

Mini Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:
6 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
18.25 oz box Red Velvet Cake Mix
Cream cheese frosting (bought or homemade)

Yield: 24 mini whoopie pies

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F and line two cookie sheets with a silicon mat or parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs, and cake mix until there are no large lumps left.

Roll dough into small balls and place on cookie sheets, leaving about an inch for spreading. Bake for 6-8 minutes and let set for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.

Match cookies with like sizes and pipe cream cheese frosting on the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich the other cookie to make a whoopie pie and store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Source: Recipe & method slightly adapted from The Novice Chef Blog

Roasted Cherry Brownies

Cherry season is upon us and I, for one, am loving it! Whether adding them to cocktails or just grabbing a few as a quick and healthy snack, I can’t seem to get enough.

I remember growing up, the men in my family always loved getting a box of chocolate covered cherries as a gift. I never bothered to try them as a youngin, but now my grown up taste buds adore the combination of chocolate and cherry.

This recipe caught my eye a while back and recently made my taste buds oh so happy. First, you roast some cherries in the oven to get the juices flowing and soften them a bit. Then spoon them into a delicious homemade brownie batter and magic is made. The brownies are gooey and rich and the cherries add a nice fresh flavor. If only I’d bought some Cherry Garcia ice cream to top it off, then we’d really be in business!

Roasted Cherry Brownies

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
1 1/4 cups, plus 2 Tbsp, sugar, divided
5 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into quarters
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Yield: 9+ servings (depends how big you cut them!)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450˚ F.  Combine the cherries and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a small roasting pan and toss well to combine.  Roast the cherries for 10 minutes, or until they begin to release their juices.  Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350˚ F.

Line a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with foil.  Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, remaining sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until combined, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated.  Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Gently fold in the roasted cherries.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer.  Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, about 35 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Remove the brownies from the pan using the foil and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into squares as desired.  Store in an air-tight container.

Source: Annie’s Eats

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Cast iron skillets are great for many things – one such thing being massive chocolate chip cookies! This dessert is so easy to throw together, especially since you only use one pan from start to finish. The edges are a nice crisp golden brown while the center is still a bit gooey, which makes for my kind of cookie. You can easily take this recipe and turn it into a massive version of your favorite cookie. Say, white chocolate macadamia nut or oatmeal raisin? I think I’ll stick to chocolate chip, but the possibilities are endless and delicious!

Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated Sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips (whatever type you prefer)

Yield: 1 big cookie…8 servings or so

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir in sugars and vanilla and remove from heat. Let rest until pan is warm, but no longer very hot, about 5 minutes.

Crack an egg onto the butter and sugar mixture and whisk it into the mixture. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and very carefully stir into the mixture until smooth and well-mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place the skillet in the oven for 15-25 minutes, or until it starts to turn golden on the top and around the edges, but still soft in the center. Cut into wedges and serve while warm, top with ice cream if wanted.

Source: How Sweet Eats

Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

These beauties were for my coworker Sarah’s birthday and were the perfect balance of sweet and salty. I tried a different chocolate cupcake recipe than my usual, and they turned out great. Very moist and not too rich. I really whipped the frosting to give it a lighter texture and avoid a heavy dessert.

This recipe does call for you to make some homemade caramel sauce for the frosting. But if you don’t have the time, you could definitely skip those steps and just add some store bought caramel sauce. And if you have some extra sauce? Why not drizzle some on top for more color and a sticky sweet finish! If you really like a salty frosting, you could always sprinkle some sea salt on top for another level of texture and taste.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For the frosting:
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp water
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3+ cups powdered sugar

Yield: 18-20 cupcakes

Directions:
For the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool before frosting.

For the frosting: Combine the sugar & water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil & cook, without stirring, until it turns a dark amber color, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from the heat & slowly stir in the heavy cream & vanilla. The mixture will bubble up quite a bit, so do this slowly, stirring as you pour! Set aside until cool to the touch. (if using store bought caramel sauce, simply skip this section!)

Beat the butter & salt in a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, until light & fluffy. Reduce the speed to low & add the powdered sugar. Beat until completely incorporated. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the bowl & pour in the caramel. Turn the mixer back on & beat until light & fluffy. If the frosting isn’t thick enough, add more powdered sugar, a little at a time, until you get the right texture.

Frost your cooled cupcakes, drizzle with extra caramel sauce if wanted, and enjoy!

Source: All Recipes for the cupcakes and slightly adapted from The Parsley Thief for the frosting