Tag Archives: Cream

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes

Posted on by

1

I was seriously thinking about calling these “fluffternutter cupcakes”. Like it was big, real decision. But every time I’ve heard of something being called “fluffernutter”-whatever there has been marshmallow involved.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

This time, the marshmallow was replaced with whipped cream; however, I do fully intend on coming up with a marshmallow frosting version soon!

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

The whipped cream was a huge hit. My dad, the leading taste-tester in the family with the most honest and un-biased feedback, gave in a full-mouthed double thumbs up.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

 

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

These cupcakes consist of my absolute FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe that I use all the time, stuffed with a delicious and super creamy peanut butter filling, and topped with a fluffy and perfectly sweet whipped cream frosting.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

This may be one of my all-time favorite cupcake combos!

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes

(makes about 12-16 cupcakes)

FOR THE CUPCAKES: 

(My absolute FAVORITE chocolate cake recipe)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line regular cupcake tins.
  2. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa powder, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Into a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Cream butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture. Add the cocoa mixture. Pour batter into prepared cupcake tins.
  4. Bake in preheated oven 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool in tins, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When thoroughly cooled, stuff with peanut butter frosting below and frost with whipped cream frosting below.

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING FILLING:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup peanut butter

2 teaspoon2 vanilla extract

6-8 cups powdered sugar, or until correct consistency

  1. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and peanut butter on high speed until creamy. Mix in vanilla extract. Slowly add in powdered sugar until a semi-creamy consistency that resembles frosting, but is creamy [thin] enough to pipe into cupcakes.
  2. Once cupcakes have been cooled, fill piping bag, that has been fitted with a standard-sized round piping tip, with the prepared peanut butter filling. Stick end of piping bag into the center of a cooled cupcake and squeeze filling into cupcake until small cracks start to show by where you inserted the piping bag tip. Continue with the remaining cupcakes until each has been filled, you may end up with excess filling

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-4 Tablespoons powdered sugar, depending on how sweet you like your whipped cream

  1. In the chilled bowl of an electric stand mixer, whip the cream using the whisk attachment for about 1 minute. Add in powdered sugar gradually to taste and continue whipping until stiff peaks form and the mixture resembles whipped cream. Pipe and frost onto stuffed cupcakes. Keep cupcakes in fridge, as it is unsafe to have whipped cream sitting out for extended periods of time.

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

 

Fluffy Nut Cupcakes | Beautiful Disasters

Random Fact of the Day: A survey reported that 12% of Americans think that Joan of Arc was Noah’s wife. Yikes

Related articles

Fluffy Reese’s Cake

Posted on by

4

Fluffy Reese’s Cake? What kind of a name is that? Hopefully it sounds half as awesome as it tastes.

6b40a20e-6b40-4b4f-afc6-8eff3bf005c4_zps670131df

I made this cake for my parents who were having a couple foodie friends over and I wanted to impress them with a knockout cake. Okay, so it wasn’t the prettiest cake…but it tastes out of this world.

8d5a955e-5298-4952-a380-7883489bf959_zps8b05db86

Take my word on this one, because I’m like the expert on every component of this cake. I ate basically half the batch of peanut butter swiss meringue filling (scrumptious on steroids), ate the leftover cake batter (no shame at all), and taste tested the whipped cream frosting…just to be sure it was perfect.

4c728506-9232-43ae-8636-c87689e1b1a1_zpsa510dcc1

And then when it was all put together and I finally ate a slice of the real cake, I think I heard angels singing (not to toot my own horn).

2d948806-5d99-4766-9a83-5d855a276018_zps1781b6bc

So you can bake this cake for your next guest, for a party, or just because it’s Monday. Whatever works.

Chocolate Cake

(Makes 1 thick 6-inch spring form cake)

(How could I possibly use anything but my go-to favorite chocolate cake recipe?!)

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

1 cup plus 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 1 (6-inch) springform cake pan.
  2. In a medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa powder, and whisk until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside
  4. Cream butter and sugar together in mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. There will be extra. You can either make cupcakes, whoopie pies, or freeze the batter for later use with the extra batter.
  5. Bake batter that is in prepared cake pan in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until top springs back when touched and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. Let cool on wire rack for 25 minutes. Invert out of cake pan and onto wire rack. Cool an additional 30 minutes. Pop in fridge for 15 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise. Assemble with peanut butter swiss meringue filling, then frost with whipped cream, and top with chocolate ganache.

Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream

(Makes enough for the filling of about two layers of a cake)

3 egg whites

5 oz. white sugar

3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cubed and softened

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

  1. In a double boiler, whisk together egg whites and white sugar. Put double boiler over heat and whisk constantly until mixture reaches 150 degrees F. 
  2. Pour egg white-sugar mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until stiff peaks form. Switch to paddle attachment.
  3. With mixer running on high, add in butter 1-2 cubes at a time until it is completely incorporated. Mix in peanut butter and vanilla extract and continue mixing until frosting is desired consistency

Whipped Cream Frosting

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks and becomes whipped cream consistency. I used this to frost the top and sides of my cake. Keep cake refrigerated.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

  1. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat unit it is boiling, bubbling, and expanding in size. Quickly pour over chocolate chips, mix with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Top cupcakes with ganache and enjoy!

9adcfc0b-a093-44cd-bbdb-3d5fcc1343ad_zpsd4fd22c7

Random Fact of the Day: Of all the words in the English language, the word “set” has the most definitions

Related articles

Healthified Chocolate Cupcakes

Posted on by

4

Finals week is this week.

HealthifiedChocolateCupcakes_zps1cfee844

It’s a time when you really see people’s true colors. And if you wear jeans, you get dirty looks. So it was only appropriate to bake cupcakes.

HealthifiedChocolateCupcakes_zps5b518cf1

Lucky for my thighs these babies are HEALTHIFIED! Yes, I’m gonna scream it from the rooftops, because even though there is nothing like my classic go-to chocolate cake recipe, sometimes you need a cupcake that doesn’t make you feel like you need to run 2 miles to burn it off.

HealthifiedCHocolateCUpcakes_zps53c3dd01

No, you need a cupcake that you can eat with your head held high and a smile on your face that makes you feel like you can tackle the world finals.

Healthified Chocolate Cupcakes

(Makes about 9 cupcakes)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup PLUS 1 Tablespoon brown sugar

3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons margarine (or vegetable spread, butter, or oil), melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tin with about 9 liners. 
  2. In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, flours, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine water, unsweetened applesauce, distilled white vinegar, melted margarine, and vanilla extract. Pour this liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until thoroughly incorporated.
  4. Pour batter into lined cupcake tins about 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in tins for about 5 minutes, then invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

  1. Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium-high heat unit it is boiling, bubbling, and expanding in size. Quickly pour over chocolate chips, mix with wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Top cupcakes with ganache and enjoy!

HealthifiedCHocolateCUpCakes_zpsaea7674a

Random Fact of the Day: Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors.

Related articles

Chocolate Biscoff Whipped Cream Layer Cake

Posted on by

7

As unbelievable as it may seem, I have finally entered adult-hood. Legally, at least.

Last Friday, I turned 18! The most exciting part about turning 18 for me was that I was finally able to change my name to Crasey Rich. It’s just like Casey Ulrich, but just a couple confused letters.

KIDDING guys!! Sheesh, I hope you would never believe me that I’d change my name to that…especially considering I made like negative dollars the past year.

BiscoffSwissMeringueButtercream_zps8908f1fe

I guess to some people, turning 18 means tattoos, cigarettes, and lottery tickets. Let me share my view of these shiny, brand new privileges. I would rather clean port-o-potties with a toothbrush everyday for 2 months then have a needle, NEEDLE :0 inject stuff into me…and then it’s permanent! Oh gosh, I think they look cool on other people, but for me oh no, nope, no chance that I could ever be convinced to pay to have a needle in me. Shots and when I have to get my blood drawn for allergy tests are my worst enemies. Cigarettes, are another fear of mine. I would prefer to wait to start my personal voyage to cancer. No need to buy it. Lastly, I don’t have many bad things to say about the lottery because I don’t even know all the ins and outs of it. I got 3 tickets on my birthday, buttttttt how the heck do you find out if you won?! Heck I could have won 300 million dollars right now and I have no idea.

BiscoffSwissMeringueButtercream_zps0c51bc46

Anyways, the real exciting part of my birthday was my cake. Yes, I made my own birthday cake. I’m a little weird, but if you haven’t noticed that by now, I’m not exactly sure what you’ve been doing with your life.

This was my first time successfully making swiss meringue buttercream. Notice: “successfully”. I attempted swiss meringue buttercream about a year ago and it was more than hot mess. It was like a hot mess caught on fire, married another hot mess, and had hot mess babies. It was bad. But I digress.. I re-attempted and my cooking powers prevailed!

BiscoffSwissMeringueButtercream_zpsba1343d8

Some things that helped the process go smoother this time around were that I had a candy thermometer. Turns out sticking your finger in a mixture doesn’t magically tell you when something hits 150 degrees. Weird, I know. Also, patience is a key ingredient, so if you think your buttercream is starting to look like cottage cheese, it’s okay. Mine looked like cottage cheese’s ugly stepsister, so you’re golden. Just keep mixing and don’t worry about it. I had the Ellen show on while I made mine, and I do think she secretly had some voodoo that made mine workout this time, so I would recommend doing that too ;)

Chocolate Cake

I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe, seriously once you try this baby you’ll never go back to your old recipe! Click here for the recipe

Biscoff Swiss Meringue Buttercream

5 eggs whites

1 cup white sugar

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups butter, room temperature

1/3 cup biscoff spread

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches about 150ºF.
  2. Take the bowl and attach it your mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the egg white mixture until it reaches room temperature and stiff peaks have formed, about 5-10 minutes. At this point the mixture will be thickened and white.
  3. With the mixer on low speed, add the butter, 2 tablespoon as a time. Once all the butter is added, raise the speed to medium high and mix until the mixture starts to come together. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with the beater attachment. At this point, my mixture looked a little bit like cottage cheese, but don’t worry!! Beat until the buttercream comes together fully and is smooth.
  4. Once the buttercream is silky and smooth, mix in the vanilla. Beat in the biscoff until thoroughly combined. I used this as the filling of my cake.

Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until it forms stiff peaks and becomes whipped cream consistency. I used this to frost the top and sides of my cake. Keep cake refrigerated. 

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 cups plus 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips

  1. Place chocolate in heat proof bowl and set aside. Make ganache by heating cream in saucepan until boiling and it starts increasing in size. Pour hot cream over bowl of chocolate and stir until fully incorporated. Let cool for about a minute before pouring on chilled cake.

BiscoffSwissMeringueButtercream_zps5fd55550

Random Fact of the Day: The Earth’s atmosphere weighs about 5.5 quadrillion tons.

Related articles

Triple Threat Cookies ‘N Cream Cupcakes

Posted on by

2

Triple the cookies ‘n cream, triple the fun.

cupcakes_zpsfa8c073f

Get ready for the cupcake of a lifetime. Forreal guys.

cupcakes_zps87ad7866

This cupcake consists of a cookies ‘n cream cupcake, stuffed with cookies ‘n cream whipped cream (my crack), and topped with cookies

‘n cream frosting.

cupcakes_zps4916226f

It’s basically the best thing in the world. One of my favorite parts of this cupcake is that it is super easy to make. Three simple recipes combine to make something that seems pretty darn impressive.

cupcakes_zps93b09904

I used this cookies ‘n cream whipped cream as the frosting on my birthday cake that I ate with my family to celebrate while everybody was in town during the holidays, and I just can NOT get enough of it.

cupcakes_zpse644726c Make.

cupcakes_zpse34306a9

Bake.

cupcakes_zps0c8ef426

And enjoy!

Cookies ‘n Cream Cupcakes

(Makes 12-14 cupcakes)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

10 Oreos, crushed

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar. Mix in eggs. Add in vanilla extract
  3. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add milk. By hand, stir in crushed Oreos.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool on wire rack before stuffing and frosting.

Cookies ‘n Cream Whipped Cream

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

8 Oreos (white sandwich creme removed)

  1. Pour heavy cream and powdered sugar into a bowl. Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer whip the cream and powdered sugar for several minutes, on high power, until it forms into whipped cream consistency. 
  2. Meanwhile, take your oreos (sandwich cream removed) and place in food processor and process until the cookies become fine crumbs. Fold cookie crumbs into whipped cream.

Cookies ‘n Cream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

about 4-5 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

about 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk

11 Oreos, crushed

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and powdered sugar until thoroughly combined. Mix in vanilla extract. Add in heavy cream (or milk) until frosting is desired consistency. Mix in crushed oreos by hand.

cupcakes_zps7e157175

Random Fact of the Day: More than 40,000 parasites and 250 types of bacteria are exchanged during a typical French kiss!

Related articles