Blackforest Cupcakes

           I love, love, love blackforest cake. To me it combines the best of everything into one food - chocolate, whip cream, and cherries. Since I'm doing weight watchers, I need a VERY special occasion to make these. What better event than a coworkers birthday? I made 24 and brought every single one of them to the office to share. They were a huge hit, and they looked gorgeous - I highly recommend making them for a special occasion like a shower or a birthday. Here are photos of the process, since some of you amateur bakers might not know where to start. I promise that they are actually quite easy.

The final product!

Using a paring knife, cut the centre out of the cupcake

Put the cherry pie filling in

Add the top back on

Delicious.

Ingredients:

For the cake:


1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour


2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted


1½ tsp. baking soda


1 tsp. salt


1 tsp. espresso powder


8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature


1½ cups sugar


2 large eggs


1 tsp. vanilla extract (pure, not artificial if possible)


1½ cups buttermilk (whole milk + 1tbsp lemon juice will work)

Filling: I used store-bought cherry pie filling

Frosting:


1 cup heavy cream


6 tbsp. sifted confectioners’ sugar


1 tsp. clear vanilla extract

Garnish:


Fresh (or maraschino) cherries


Chocolate shavings


Directions

1.    Preheat oven to 350° F.  Place a large,  heavy bowl in fridge or freezer to chill with beaters for hand mixer (this is for the whipped cream)

2.    Line 24 cupcake wells with paper liners & spray with Pam.

3.    In a medium bowl (NOT the one that is chilling), combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder together; whisk to blend, and set aside.

4.     Cream together the butter and sugar with wooden spoon until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Mix in the vanilla extract.

5.     Mix in the dry ingredients with the buttermilk and wet ingredients, about 1/2 of each at a  time. Mix each addition just until blended, do NOT overmix.

6.    Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full.  Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

7.    To fill the cupcakes, use a paring knife to remove a portion from the center of each cupcake.  Spoon in about 1 ½ tbsp of cherry filling. Slice bottom of cupcake top and then put top back on. *see photo*

8. To make the whipped cream frosting, use a large chilled bowl with a beater. Start beating whipping cream on medium-low speed, slowly increasing as the cream begins to thicken up to medium-high speed.  While the cream is being whipped, gradually add in the confectioners’ sugar a spoonful at a time.  Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the vanilla extract. This process takes about 10 minutes. Put the whip cream in the fridge for about ½ hour to chill.
9. Frost the filled cupcakes with the whipped cream just before serving if possible.  Garnish as desired with a cherry and chocolate shavings.  Refrigerate until ready to serve (it is preferable to frost just before serving, if not, no more than 24 hours - cupcakes will keep but I find that the frosting keeps its form and texture best within the first 24 hours). 

Source: Adapted from Annies Eats

Mom's Pumpkin Bars

    


           Long before I ever started baking or cooking on my own, I still loved to eat. Which was pretty convenient growing up with my mom, who was (and still is!) and excellent baker. Her recipes are no-fuss - made with simple, pure ingredients. And they are fabulous!
           This recipe for pumpkin bars, which I got from my mom, is my go-to recipe when I am asked to bring something. First of all, its a big recipe - it makes enough for at least 25 people (I took it into my old work, with about 30 people, and it was perfect). Secondly, it freezes PERFECTLY. And last, but certainly not least, its DECADENT!
         One word of advice - don't substitute. At all. Please. If you are going to try to make it healthier, just make something else!! Cause this recipe is perfect, and needs no substitutions. :)

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Bar:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

4 eggs

2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin 

1 1/2 cups oil

Cream Cheese Icing:

1 package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup butter (NOT margarine), softened

2 tbsp cream

2 tsp vanilla

4 cups icing sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon together. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, pumpkin and oil together.
4. Mix together until combined, but do NOT over-mix. 
5. Pour into an ungreased jelly roll pan (17" by 11")
6. Bake 25 minutes until toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
7. Blend cream cheese, butter, cream and vanilla (can use a beater, but best if use wooden spoon. This will take at least 5 minutes). Add the icing sugar and mix until well blended.
8. When pumpkin bars are completely cool (possibly overnight), spread cream cheese icing over and cut into bars. Freezes perfectly (with icing ON) and serves at least 25. You could certainly serve up to 40.

  

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

I thought for our first Valentines Day together I would make something instead of buying a gift. Justin isn't normally a huge dessert fan, but he LOVES ice cream - and I love cake! I thought I would try to combine the best of both worlds and make an ice-cream cake. It turned out wonderfully & was actually quite easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 packages of cookies - I used Fiddle Stix
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted
1 cup hot fudge topping (I used Smuckers)
1 cup caramel or butterscotch topping (Smuckers)
2 quarts premium vanilla ice cream

• 
  

Directions:
1.Crush half the cookies (about 20) to make crumbs. Combine crumbs with melted margarine and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan or pie plate. Spread 3/4 cup fudge topping over crust. Stand remaining cookies around the edge (see photo) and push gently into fudge to hold. Freeze 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, soften 1 quart of ice cream in microwave or on countertop. After crust has chilled, spread softened ice cream over fudge layer. Freeze 30 minutes.

3. Spread 3/4 cup other topping over ice cream. You can also add more chopped cookies to this layer. Freeze another 30 minutes.

4. Scoop remaining quart of ice cream into balls and arrange over spread ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight. To serve, garnish with remainder of fudge, caramel and chopped cookies. Could also use nuts, whipped cream & cherries if desired.