The first of October I went on a vacation with my mom and both of my kids while Brian went hunting. Literally one hour after getting out of the car to start our vacation I dropped our trusty point & shoot camera in the sand in the play area of an apple cider mill. Literally. One. Hour. The first day of our 5 day vacation. Thankfully my mom had a camera with her, so the trip didn’t go completely undocumented, however the last 2 months of our lives have been camera-less. It’s been rough, I tell you. Rough! (This is where tiny violins start playing sad, sad songs for me. La la laaa)

What does this have to do with Red Velvet Cupcakes? Absolutely nothing! Except as a way to show you what arrived in my house last week. My third child, as I earnestly jokingly call it:

Isn’t she pretty? (She’d be even prettier if I had any blazing idea how to work her. But we can’t have everything, can we?) So once I get over what I like to call the Camera-stupids posting will commence again! You have no idea how much I’ve missed this. Fear not, I have been cooking and baking up a storm

Now… on to these cupcakes? I’d only had Red Velvet Cake once before and it was good. However, it didn’t really strike the love in me that I’d expected. I’d heard so many raves for Red Velvet, so many people saying that it’s their favorite cake. I just didn’t see it. Until now, that is. Daaaang, people. I get what you’re saying! Now, I’m not sure it’ll ever take the place of cheesecake in my heart as my favorite dessert, but it was definitely towards the top of my Dang But That’s a Good Cupcake list. And that is a very, very long list. Top it with cream cheese frosting and oh be still my heart! And how pretty are they for the Christmas season!

Red Velvet Cupcakes
makes 18 cupcakes
printable recipe

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoon (1 oz.) red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

For the frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
12 ounces butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
To make the cake
Preheat the oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with 18 paper liners.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar until well-mixed.

With the mixer on low speed slowly beat in the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.

Scoop the batter evenly between the cupcake liners. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until fluffy. Pipe or spread frosting onto cupcakes as desired.

Source: Apple A Day

I have a confession to make. I’m sorry to have kept it from you for so long. Ok… here goes. I really don’t like frosting. There, I said it. I think most frosting is totally vile. The bakery frostings on those massive sheet cakes for office birthdays and graduations (that are always marble cake. why is that?) is one of the nastier things ever, in my opinion. I actually scrape the frosting off my Oreos before I eat them. (Insert the collective gasp of the horrified world at large right here).

But this? This frosting? It changed my mind. It’s like fudge. Or candy. Or both, but all mashed into this soft and shiny butter cream. Turns out I really, really like butter cream. Combined with this moist and luscious chocolate cake it’s, well, devilishly good. I do, however, still hate bakery frosting. Gag.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Buttercream
printable recipe

makes 36 cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 baking powder
1 1/4  teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature

For the buttercream
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water
2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:
For the cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350. Line 3 muffin pans with liners.

In a small bowl whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a medium sauce pan over low heat melt the butter and sugar together, stirring until combined. Pour into the bowl of an electric mixer. Turn the mixer to low speed and beat until the butter mixture has cooled.

One at a time, add in the eggs, beating to combine between each addition.  Beat in the vanilla and cocoa powder mixture until well-combined.

Add in half of the flour mixture, beating until just combined, then add the sour cream and mix until just combined, finishing with the remaining flour mixture.

Scoop the batter evenly between the lined cups, filling about 3/4 of the way. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pans and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top of the cupcake easily springs back when pressed lightly.  Cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely prior to frosting.

For the frosting
Stir together the cocoa powder and boiling water until the cocoa has completely dissolved.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter, confectioners sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy.  With the mixer on low speed beat in the melted and cooled chocolate, then the cocoa mixture.

Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Source: Martha Stewart Cupcakes

More of my favorite cupcakes
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Raspberry-filled Vanilla Bean Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

One Year Ago on Laura’s Recipe Collection
Soft Pretzels

Two Years Ago
Cajun Chicken Pasta

Alice from Alice in Wonderland said “I give myself very good advice but I very seldom follow it.” Wise girl, that Alice. One of my first cardinal rules of cooking is to read through the recipe twice at minimum before starting. Yet sometimes (cough cough too often) I just assume I can wing it as I go along. Rarely does this work for me.

I made this cake for the first time the day before Mother’s Day. In my own stupidity I did not thoroughly read the directions prior to starting the cake. Further into my own stupidity I didn’t start the first step of this cake until 8:00 at night. Several hours later I was still up piecing together this cake. I was exhausted the next day but this was totally worth it!

The next time I made it I gave myself plenty of time, make a few of the layers ahead of time and took my sweet old time piecing it together and gently frosted it with the ganache. All that careful preparation and what did I do? I picked up the cake to place it in the fridge and in a very I Love Lucy move, slipped and planted the cake down the front of myself.

Ever the optimist, I pulled the cake off my shirt (thankfully still in one piece but very lumpy in the ganache), smoothed the ganache and placed it back in the fridge.

So, in conclusion I strongly urge you to make this addictive cake. BUT, take my advice (since apparently I won’t take it myself) and read through the directions and give yourself plenty of time.

Chocolate Overdose Cake
printable recipe

Brownie Base
Ingredients:
5/8 cup (1/2 cup + 2Tbsp) cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into six pieces
1 1/8 cups (1 cup + 2 Tbsp) sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
With the oven rack placed in the center setting, preheat the oven to 325. Line the sides and bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper cut to fit. Spray lightly with cooking spray.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sugar. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.

Add in half the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the remaining flour mixture and stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the spring form and spread until smooth. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out clean. Cool still in the spring form pan for about an hour.

Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients:
6 oz semisweet chocolate, broken into 1/2-ounce pieces
1 7/8 cups (15 oz) heavy cream
1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:
Chill the bowl and whisk of an electric mixer in the freezer or refrigerator.

Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and heat for 8-10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth. Place the melted chocolate in a stainless steel bowl and set aside.

Whisk the heavy cream and sugar together in a well-chilled bowl of an electric mixer until peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Scoop 1/4 of the whipped cream into the bowl of melted chocolate and gently fold until combined. Add to the remaining whipped cream and fold gently until incorporated.

Chocolate cake
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft
7/8 cups (3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/8 cup (2 Tbsp) Dutch-processed cocoa
1/4 cup hot water
7/8 cups (3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, combine the cocoa powder, chocolate and hot water. Stir until chocolate is melted. Whisk in 1/4 cup of  sugar until the chocolate is glossy and smooth. Remove the bowl from heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl stir together the buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the eggs, egg yolk and butter until combined. With the mixer on high speed whisk in the remaining (1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons) sugar until pale and fluffy.

Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg/butter/sugar mixture and beat until well-combined.

Gradually add about a third of the flour mixture to the bowl, beating until just combined. Pour in half of the buttermilk mixture, beating until just-incorportated. Continue altering the remaining flour and buttermilk. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix again until batter is evenly incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the cake to remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
18 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-ounce pieces

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan bring the heavy cream and butter to a boil. Place the semi-sweet chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Pour the boiling cream and butter over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Reserve 1/2 cup of ganache to use to fix the chocolate covered strawberries to the cake. Bring the remaining ganache to room temperature, about 40 minutes.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients & supplies
15-18 ripe strawberries
semisweet chocolate, cut into small chunks or chips
tooth picks
block of craft foam, covered with aluminum foil

Directions:
Wash and gently dry the strawberries. Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or over a double boiler, stirring frequently until smooth.

Stick the husk of the strawberry with a toothpick, then dip into the melted chocolate.  Stick the other end of the toothpick into the foam. Repeat with remaining strawberries. Let the chocolate set, about 30 minutes.

To Assemble the Cake
Remove the spring form pan from the brownie base, then spoon the chocolate mousse over the brownie base evenly, smoothing the top. Gently place the chocolate cake over the mousse and press down very lightly. Chill for 1 hour.

Cover the edges of a cake board with wax paper strips. Transfer the cake to the cake board, then spread the ganache evenly over the cake top and sides. Chill in the fridge to set.  Once set, remove the wax paper strips from the cake board.

Dab small amounts of chocolate ganache onto the bottoms of the chocolate covered strawberries to glue to the top of the cake. Serve chilled.

Source: Beantown Baker

Need more of a chocolate fix? Try some of these favorites!
Mocha Brownie Cupcakes
Chewy Chocolate Cookies
Mocha Sherbert

I’ve made them a few times now but I think my favorite way to make them is as mini cupcakes, kind of like a shot of espresso, but a million times better

Mocha Brownie Cupcakes
makes about 22 full-sized cupcakes
Print This Recipe

Ingredients:
for the cupcakes
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons espresso powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
½ cup coffee liqueur

for the frosting
16 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons hot coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
To make the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare 2 cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside. Place a heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water and in the bowl melt together the butter and chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and let cool.

While the chocolate mixture is cooling combine flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the egg and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the coffee liqueur and chocolate mixer and beat until combined.

Gradually pour the flour mixture into the electric mixer bowl and beat until just combined.

Spoon the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling the cups about 2/3rds of the way.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter at medium high speed until it is smooth. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar until just blended, then increase mixer speed and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the coffee, coffee granules and vanilla extract and beat until well-blended.

Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.

Source: Annie’s Eats

However, I noticed in reading through the recipe that it’s intended to be made as a sheet cake. I don’t have a sheet cake pan. I did, however, just receive 2 brand spanking new layer cake pans that were begging to be used. I read through some of the comments on the original post from The Pioneer Woman (By the way. I totally want to be Ree’s internet Best Friend. In a completely elementary school note-passing kind of way.  ”Dear Ree, do you want to be my friend. Please check yes or no. Signed, the geek in the back of the class, Laura”) that said that this could be made into a layer cake. So off I went.

The cake came together very quickly. Simple and easy. I like that. I popped it into the oven, let it cool slightly while making the frosting, then read the directions again. It says to pour the warm frosting over the warm cake to let it kind of spread itself. Less work for me. Bonus.

However. I made this into a layer cake. Not thinking about the fact that a sheet cake pan would have sides to it (duh) I poured a tiny bit of the frosting onto the first cake layer, spread it around a bit then set the second layer on top. Then the fun began. I poured, nay, DUMPED, the majority of the frosting over the cake. Then I watched it trickle down the sides of the cake and a little bit onto the wax-paper-edged plate I’d set it on. (Wax paper to make cleaning up the edges of the cake a touch easier so it would look prettier when serving. Ha. Right.) Then I watched as chocolatey goodness ran, not just down the cake, not just down the plate, but all over my counter. It was a frosting flood. 

So this:

actually looked more like this:

Do you see the frosting bits running down the wax paper, thus dripping onto my floor? What you can't see is the other side where it ran all over my counter.

which then, I’m afraid, turned into a bit huge kitchen mess that I left, in frustration, for my husband to clean up. (Thanks babe!) Before sighing and stalking out of the kitchen in a huff, I did lick the counter top. I admit it. Hi, I’m Laura, and I have a cake/chocolate problem.

Thankfully, this cake was worth the whole big mess. X 100 million. Brian’s already asking when I’ll be making it again. I will, as soon as I stop finding bits of chocolate frosting in the nooks of kitchen cabinet doors.

The Best Chocolate Cake in the Entire World
print this recipe

Ingredients:
for the cake
2 cups Flour
2 cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 cup Boiling Water
½ cups Buttermilk
2 whole Beaten Eggs
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Vanilla

for the frosting
½ cups Finely Chopped Pecans
1-¾ stick Butter
4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa
6 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 pound (minus 1/2 Cup) Powdered Sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

In the bowl of an electric mixer add together the flour, sugar and salt.

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter, then add in the cocoa powder. Mix together well. Pour in the boiling water, stirring together and let it simmer for about 30 seconds. Pour the cocoa mixture over the flour mixture and beat together.

In a small bowl whisk together the buttermilk, beaten eggs, vanilla and baking soda. Pour this into the mixing bowl and blend until just combined.

Pour the batter into prepared cake pan(s) and bake about 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack to cool. If using a sheet cake pan, pour the frosting over the top of the cake while it is still warm. If using layer cake pans, remove from the pans and once cooled, spread the frosting over the cake.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Brian has been begging me to make a pineapple upside-down cake for months and months now, but I never get around to it. Finally, I had some time to bake and asked him if he had a preference. When he requested this again I thought perhaps I should come through on my promise to make it.

We really enjoyed this, however we both thought that it was a bit more cake and less caramel sauce than we’d prefer otherwise. Next time I might just leave out a bit of the cake batter when I make it to make the ratio a bit more to our liking. Otherwise, it was delish. In fact, it was even better the 2nd day. I love when food does that!

Ingredients:

Topping:
1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 can (20 oz) of pineapple slices
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 Tbsp cake flour
6 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups of sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
4 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved and the mix is bubbly, then pour into a bunt pan.

Layer the pineapple slices on top of the caramel sauce in the pan. 

To make the cake mix together the flour, almonds, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, then set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add in the vanilla and mix once more.

Alternate adding the flour mix and the sour cream until all ingredients are well combined. Pour the batter over the caramel mix in the bunt pan.

Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn upright on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Source: Joelen’s Culinary Adventures

This. cake. What can I say? Oh, I know- best thing you’ll ever eat. Ever. I promise

I think that’s all the intro it needs.

This is the best photo I got. We ate it too quickly. Oops.

For the cake:

Ingredients:

2C all-purpose flour
1 3/4C sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1C butter, cut into small pieces
1C water
1/3C unsweetened cocoa
2 eggs
1/2C buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Mist a 13×9 pan with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

Add the butter, water and cocoa into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally until mixture simmers and butter is melted.

Add cocoa mixture, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla into the flour mixture. Mix until just combined.

Pour the cake batter into pan and bake for 3o minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

For the frosting

Ingredients:

3 egg yolks
1C evaporated milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1C sugar
1/2C butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2C sweetened coconut
1C chopped pecans

Directions:

Whisk together the egg yolks with 1/3 C milk in a medium saucepan. Then pour in the rest of the milk, the vanilla, sugar and btter.

Cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and mixture comes to a full boil. Then lower heat and simmer for about 7 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

Remove from the heat and mix in pecans and coconut.

Let cool, stirring occasionally, then spread evenly over the top of the cake.

**Note: this cake freezes and thaws again quite well. If there’s any leftover, that is….

Source: My mother-in-law, original source unknown but brilliant