Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Cupcake

This is THE cupcake that started it all.  The first real Faking Fancy Cupcake that I concocted that made me think you can Fancy-up any cake mix.  I'll be making these this weekend for my sister's birthday, so I thought I'd finally share this yummy recipe that was inspired by a cake my former colleague's wife made from scratch.  For this perfect flavour combination you'll need...  

• Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Milk (to replace the amount of water your cake mix calls for)
• 4 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate (melted - for cake)
• 2 cups of Cool Whip (one for the icing and one for the glaze)
• 4 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate(melted - for glaze)
• 1 - 8oz package of Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
• 3/4 cup Icing Sugar 
• Garnish Ideas: Halves or crumbles Peanut Butter Cups 

And here's the recipe...

Step 1: As per usual, kinda  follow the directions on your Chocolate Cake Mix. Go ahead and preheat your oven and add the oil and eggs...but DO NOT add the water. Instead, replace the water it calls for with Milk.  Mix the ingredients together until it is smooth.

Step 2: Melt down the 4 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate. Be careful not to overheat or burn the chocolate - use a double boiler if you're prone to burning chocolate in the microwave.  Mix the melted chocolate into your batter until fully incorporated.  .

Step 3: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package. Once they are done baking, let them cool completely

Step 4: While you're waiting for your cupcakes to cool, start making the glaze. Melt together 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate.  Add one cup of Cool Whip and mix well until fully incorporated.  Let the glaze cool while you move on the the peanut butter cream cheese icing!

Step 5: Now for the yummy peanut butter cream cheese. Beat the Cream Cheese and Icing Sugar together. Add in the peanut butter and remaining one cup of Cool Whip. Mix well until it is smooth.

Step 6: Now it's time to put it all together.  Spoon or pipe on your peanut butter cream cheese icing.  You'll be topping it with the chocolate glaze, so you can be extra lazy and sloppy on this step.

Step 7: Next, place the warm chocolate glaze mixture in a piping or a Ziploc bag.  Cut the tip off the bag and drizzle as much, or as little, as you want over the top of each cupcake.  For garnish, top with half a peanut butter cup or peanut butter cup crumbs.  If you aren't eating these delicious cupcakes right away, I'd recommend keeping them in the refrigerator or in a cool place for optimal cream cheese icing enjoyment.

Happy Faking!

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White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake

My friends LOVE the Red Velvet Cupcake, but they needed some white or vanilla flavoured cupcakes for their wedding to complement the decadent milk chocolate wedding cake being served.  So, I created something that would be the perfect pairing - a White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcake.  It was a huge hit!  For this summery treat you'll need... 

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• Buttermilk (how much? Whatever amount of water you're suppose to add to your mix)
• 4 ounces of White Chocolate (melted)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Raspberry Flavoured Craisins
• 1 - 8oz package of Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup of Butter (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla
• Icing Sugar
• Garnish:  Fresh Raspberries

Here's the recipe...

Step 1: Sort of follow the directions on your White Cake Mix. Start by preheating your oven and add the oil and eggs...but DO NOT add the water.

Step 2: Replace all of the water your cake mix calls for with Buttermilk.  Mix the ingredients together until it is smooth.

Step 3: Melt down the 4 ounces of White Chocolate and be careful not to overheat or burn the chocolate.  Mix the melted chocolate into your batter until fully incorporated.

Step 4: Now, that your batter is nice and smooth, stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped Raspberry Flavoured Craisins.

Step 5: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 6: Now it's time to make the BEST part of this cupcake...the cream cheese icing!  Beat the Cream Cheese and Butter together until fully incorporated.  Add in the vanilla and slowly add in icing sugar until it tastes the way you like it.  Once it's as sweet as you like it, make sure that your icing is mixed well and is smooth.

Step 7: Icing time!  I always top my cupcakes with HEAPING amounts of icing, so you may want to double your icing recipe.  To ice these I used a piping bag and tip #1M.  Then, I topped it with a fresh raspberry.  Finito!

Happy Faking!

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcake

I LOVE Nutella!  It's delicious!  I also LOVE cream cheese icing.  So of course I had to combine my two loves into a cupcake!  If you're like me, you'll want to double the icing recipe so that you can add as much as possible on top of you cupcake and maybe even have some extra icing left over for later...mmmmm.  For this yummy recipe you'll need...   

• White Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water
• 1 cup of Nutella split between the batter AND Cream Cheese Icing (PLUS more for the top of your cupcake cuz you can never have too much Nutella)
• 1 - 8oz package of Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup of Butter (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla
• Icing Sugar 
• Garnish: Whole Hazelnut

On to the recipe...

Step 1: Follow the directions of your White Cake Mix - from preheating your oven through to adding the eggs, oil, water, etc.  You'll notice that your White Cake Mix (most likely) calls for egg whites only and not the whole egg.  I don't bother with that and add the whole egg.  Mix together the batter until smooth. 

Step 2: Now let's add the best creation ever to go on your sliced bread - or what ever really.  Add 1/2 cup of Nutella and mix it into the batter until fully incorporated. Spoon your batter into the cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 3: Time to make my FAVOURITE  icing...cream cheese!  Beat the Cream Cheese, 1/2 cup of Nutella, and Butter together until fully incorporated.  Add in the vanilla and slowly add in icing sugar until it tastes the way you like it.  Make sure that your icing is mixed well and is smooth.  You may want to double this depending on how much icing you want to top your cupcakes with.   

Step 4: Take your cooled cupcakes and spread some Nutella over the top.  Place you icing into a piping bag.  You could spoon or spread it on, but it's tricky with the layer of Nutella.  Pipe on as much icing as you want!  I garnished my cupcake with a whole hazelnut, but you really don't need anything to top this yummy cupcake off.  Remember, you should refrigerate these if you don't plan to eat them that day or if it's really warm out.

Happy Faking!

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Red Velvet Cupcake

I'm not sure what  I love more about Red Velvet Cupcakes, the chocolate mouth coating texture of the cake or the mouth watering cream cheese icing - YUM!  I have made Red Velvet Cupcakes from scratch and I have to say, my Faking Fancy Red Velvet Cupcake recipe rivals, if not beats, that recipe.  To pull this one off you'll need...   

• Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients to make the cake...usually eggs, oil, and water)
• 1 cup of Buttermilk
• 4 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate (melted)
• Red Gel Food Colouring
• 1 - 8oz package of Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup of Butter (room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons of Vanilla
• Icing Sugar

Here's the recipe...

Step 1: Kinda  follow the directions on your chocolate cake mix. Go ahead and preheat your oven and add the oil and eggs...but DO NOT add all the water.

Step 2: Replace 1 cup of the water it calls for with Buttermilk.  So, if your mix calls for 1 and 1/3 cup of water, then add 1 cup of Buttermilk and 1/3 cup of Water.  Mix the ingredients together until it is smooth.

Step 3: Melt down the 4 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate - but be careful not to overheat or burn the chocolate.  Mix the melted chocolate into your batter until fully incorporated.  Now, add in your Red Food Colouring until it's as red as you want it to be.  To get the best colour using the least amount of food colouring, I'd recommend using a gel food colouring.

Step 4: Spoon the batter into your cupcake liners and bake as directed on the package.  Once they are done baking, let them cool completely.

Step 5: On to the most delicious of all icings...cream cheese!  Beat the Cream Cheese and Butter together until fully incorporated.  Add in the vanilla and slowly add in icing sugar until it tastes the way you like it.  Once it's as sweet as you like it, make sure that your icing is mixed well and is smooth.

Step 6: Now it's time to top off your Red Velvet Cupcakes with the most delicious Cream Cheese Icing.  I like to add a lot, so you may want to double your icing recipe.  To ice these I used a piping bag and tip #1M.
Feel free to pile on the icing - HEAVENLY!

Happy Faking!

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