Chocolate Sundae Cupcake

This is a fun cupcake you can breakout in the summer and not be afraid it will melt into a puddle.  It's also a great cupcake for those who LOVE icing.  For this recipe you'll need a few ice cream sundae fixins and...

• Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water...but you won't need the water for this one!)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing (you may want to double your icing depending how big you want your ice cream scoop to be)
• Room Temperature Whipping Cream (enough to replace the water your cake mix calls for plus another 1/2 of a cup for your chocolate sauce)
• 1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (1/4 of a cup for your chocolate sauce and more for your icing if you'd like)
• Garnish Ides: chopped peanuts, maraschino or fresh cherries, mini coloured spoon

And here's the recipe...

Step 1: Preheat your oven as directed on the cake mix package.  Add all the ingredients your Chocolate Cake Mix calls for EXCEPT for the water.  Instead of the water, replace the called for amount with Whipping Cream - feel free to whip your cream a little before you add it. Mix the ingredients together until it is smooth.

Step 2: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 3: While your cupcakes are cooling, start mixing your icing.  Using you mixer, throw in the Store Bought Vanilla Icing and butter on high until smooth. Give your icing a taste and if it's too buttery for your liking or too runny, add in some icing sugar. Place your icing in the fridge so that it's easy to scoop!

Step 4: Now it's time to make your chocolate sauce. You'll want to make this around 10-20 minutes before you  ice your cupcakes because you want it to be warm enough to go on easily and look like chocolate sauce.  Melt one cup of Milk Chocolate Chips in a saucepan on low.  Slowly whisk in your room temperature cream. Turn off heat and whisk in 1/4 of a cup of icing sugar (you can sift if you want, I'm lazy and didn't) and mix until smooth. Stir for a few minutes off the burner and let stand until warm (so no longer HOT).

Step 5: It's assembling time. To get the full effect of the ice cream, you'll want to use an ice cream scoop.  Using your ice cream scoop, top your cupcake with a scoop of icing.  It will be a lot of icing, so feel free to spoon some of the icing out of the centre of the scoop before adding to the top of the cupcake. For the chocolate sauce, take your lukewarm chocolate sauce and put in a piping bag with a small-medium sized tip opening or a Ziploc bag with the end cut off will work too. Drizzle the chocolate sauce on top - this sauce should be thick enough to stay where you drizzle it and firm up more once it cools. To garnish sprinkle chopped peanuts and top with a cherry.  If you wanted to get really creative you could track down little mini coloured spoons and stick them in the icing.

Happy Faking!

Continue reading...

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake

Whether you're looking for the taste of summer or a Halloween appropriate treat, this cupcake has lots of flexibility.  Plus, it's both kid and adult friendly!  For this recipe you'll need...

• Vanilla Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water, but no water required for this one)
• 1 cup of Cream  (this will replace some of the water your cake mix calls for...feel free to use any cream you want like whipping cream, blend cream, or even coffee cream)
• Orange Juice
• Zest of Two Oranges (Some for the cake and some for the icing)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• Orange Food Colouring (gel is preferred)
• Garnish Ideas: Candy Corn for Halloween or half a Popsicle stick 

On to the recipe...

Step 1: Preheat your oven as directed on the cake mix package.  Add all the ingredients your Vanilla Cake Mix calls for EXCEPT for the water.  Instead of the water, replace one cup of the called for amount with Cream and top the rest off with Orange Juice.  So, if your recipe calls for 1 1/3 cup of water, add one cup of Cream and 1/3 of a cup of Orange Juice. Then add the zest of one orange.  Mix the ingredients together until it is smooth.

Step 2: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 3: For the icing, I decided to make it as authentic to a Creamsicle as I possible could, so I made the centre of the icing vanilla and wrapped it in orange flavoured icing.  To do this I had to make my icing in two steps, but it's really easy!  First, make the base of your icing by mixing together your vanilla icing and butter on high until smooth.  Give it a taste and if it's too buttery for you, add some icing sugar.  Once you're happy with the taste and consistency, you're ready to add a dab on top of your cupcake.  Try to put it as close to the middle as possible. I used a piping bag with tip #12 to make it a little easier.

Step 4: Now that you have your cream filled centre, it's time to make the orange flavoured icing!  Simply add the zest of one orange and a tablespoon of Orange Juice and mix it together on high.  To give it a true Creamsicle colour, add some Orange Food Colouring.  I prefer the gel food colourings because it doesn't alter the consistency of the icing.  Then, simply cover your vanilla icing over with the orange flavoured icing.  You can use anything you like to add the icing onto your cupcake, but it is easiest to use a piping bag.  And that's it!     

Happy Faking!

Continue reading...

Cookies n' Cream Cupcake

Here it is! My second most popular cupcake to date.  You'll have to stay tuned for my most popular:)  It's SUPER easy to make and delicious!  It also looks pretty fancy with the chocolate glaze on top.  For this recipe you will need:

• Vanilla Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Store bought Vanilla Icing
• Butter (room temperate...around 1/2 cup....but it's up to you)
• Icing Sugar (optional)
• Mini Oreos
• Cool Whip
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate

And now the recipe...

Step 1: Follow the direction of your vanilla cake mix - from preheating your oven through to adding the eggs, oil, water, etc.  Mix together the batter and spoon some into your cupcake liners to just cover the bottom - but not too much because you'll now need to...

Step 2: Add two or three mini Oreos in each cupcake and cover them with the batter.  Once they are completely covered, put one more Oreo on top for good measure.  Place in oven and bake as directed on package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 3: And now it is time to ice them!  In a bag, smash up some Oreos.  You can use your hands or use a rolling pin for finer crumbs. I always opt for the rolling pin method - it's much faster.

Step 4: Now it's time for the glaze! Melt together 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate and around a cup of Cool Whip.  Let it cool a little while you make the icing.

Step 5: Add vanilla icing and butter in mixing bowl and mix on high until smooth.  Give it a taste and if it's too buttery for your taste, add some icing sugar.  Once you're happy with the taste, mix in the Oreo crumbs (as little or as much as you want) but keep enough to sprinkle over the top of the cupcakes.  Because of the chunks of Oreo you won't be able to put the icing in a piping bag, so you'll need to spoon the icing on top of the cupcakes.

Step 6: And now it's time to top your cupcakes with the glaze and Oreo crumbs.  Place the warm chocolate glaze mixture in a piping bag or a Ziploc bag.  Cut the tip and drizzle as much as you want over the top of each cupcake.  Then, sprinkle some Oreo crumbs on top.  DONE!!!

Happy Faking!

Continue reading...