Victoria Sandwich Whoopie Pies

Anyone else addicted to all things The Great British Baking Show? I've been dying to make Mary Berry's Victoria sandwich cake and decided to turn it into a whoopie pie, 'cause, well, you know how I am. 😉

Fancy something fancy? Try these gorgeous Victoria Sandwich Whoopie Pies.

I used a cake mix to bake up the cakes. I also subbed in my favorite vanilla frosting for the usual buttercream or whipped cream.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

I'm desperately trying to enjoy what's left of California's chilly weather. I love being cold and all the fun things that come with it - sitting by a fire, snuggly blankets, a mug of hot tea in the middle of the day, and warming up with a batch of these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes. Of course, I'll settle for the cupcakes any day.

Warm up with these delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes!

I made these cupcakes with a doctored chocolate cake mix, filled them with a creamy dreamy marshmallow filling, and topped them off with sweet and spicy milk chocolate buttercream and a grating of Mexican chocolate. The perfect treat to enjoy in front of a cozy fire with a steaming mug of whatever you like.

Valentine Party Cupcakes

If you've got a Valentine's Day party coming up, or just wanna make something sweet for your sweeties, I've got the perfect cupcake for ya.

Party perfect Valentine Party Cupcakes.

I baked up a batch of Valentine Party Cupcakes for my friend, Cara, over at Fork and Beans. I have the wonderful opportunity of being a regular contributor on her awesome blog. If you haven't checked it out yet, Fork and Beans does some of the funnest kid food around. You're gonna love it!

Chocolate Cupcake Bread Pudding

I hope all of you having a true winter are reveling in it. I'm so jealous. Over here in California life is pretty moderate. Even though it's gotten colder this last week, a light sweater will do during the day (sigh). Not my favorite, to say the least. But, carry on we must. I'm still cooking and baking up my favorite cold weather favorites in spite of the lack of a real winter. Maybe even in defiance to it.

Get your chocolate fix in a comforting bowl of Chocolate Cupcake Bread Pudding. So yum!

This Chocolate Cupcake Bread Pudding is comforting and satisfying whether you're enjoying a true winter or just pretending to, like me.

This Chocolate Cupcake Bread Pudding is the best way to use up leftover cupcakes.

I actually baked this pudding with grain free chocolate cupcakes that I made from a recipe over at Living Healthy with Chocolate, but any chocolate cupcakes will do. Just make sure they're unfrosted. If they are frosted, just push off the frosting (I'm wincing as I say that) and use the cake part only.




Start by breaking up 10 to 12 chocolate cupcakes into a buttered dish. Sprinkle on a handful of chocolate chips and pour your custard mixture over the top.

Just look at that chocolaty goodness swimming in a sea of luscious custard. Oh baby!

Be sure to push the goodies down into the custard.




Bake 45 to 55 minutes until center is set, but still jiggly. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before digging in.

I serve this Chocolate Cupcake Bread Pudding with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, and chocolate sprinkles.

I serve this pudding with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate sprinkles. It is a cupcake pudding after all. Nuts would be totally awesome, too. 😉

Chocolate Cupcake Bread Pudding

INGREDIENTS
butter for greasing your dish
10 to 12 unfrosted or de-frosted cupcakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate sprinkles for serving

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 3 quart casserole dish.
2. Break the cupcakes up into your dish.
3. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips.
4. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
5. Add the milk, vanilla, and sugar, and whisk to combine.
6. Pour over the cupcakes and push all of the goodies down into the custard mixture.
7. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the center is set, but still jiggly.
8. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before digging in.
9. Serve with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate sprinkles.

Easy Gourmet Cupcakes: Gluten Free Fudgy Mint

This one goes out to all of my gluten free cupcake-loving peeps out there, and to my baby girl. This cupcake has Nora's name written all over it. That little girly girl loves her some mint. So much so that we have to hide the toothpaste. No joke! If she happens to get her hands on a tube we have to chase her down while she gleefully sucks out as much as she possibly can. All those poor candy canes on our Christmas tree didn't stand a chance. Oh, that girl.

Eating gluten free doesn't get any better than these Easy Gluten Free Fudgy Mint Cupcakes.

I'll confess right off the bat that these Easy Gluten Free Fudgy Mint Cupcakes are just a little over the top - but just a little. 😉 A chocolate mint gluten free cake gets filled with hot fudge, frosted with creamy peppermint frosting, drizzled with more hot fudge, and topped with chopped chocolate mints. Welcome to gluten free indulgence, my friends.




I used a gluten free cake mix for this recipe, but you can sub in a regular one if you don't need to eat gluten free. The Andes chocolate mints, Mrs. Richardson's hot fudge, and McCormick peppermint extract are all gluten free products you can find at your local supermarket. If you are an exclusive gluten free eater, make sure you buy the "Marshmallow Fluff" brand of marshmallow cream or that your jar reads "gluten free" on the label. While other Kraft marshmallow products read "gluten free" on the packaging, their Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme does not. Just a word to the wise.




Start by mixing up your gluten free cake mix according to the package directions and adding in 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract.

You can prep your toppings while your cupcakes are cooling. Chop up the chocolate mints so they're ready to sprinkle onto your cupcakes. Also, fill a Ziploc bag with some of the fudge and snip off less than 1/4 inch off of one corner to drizzle on the frosted cakes.




Once your cupcakes have cooled, use the end of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of each cupcake being careful not to punch through the bottom.

Fill another Ziploc freezer bag with more hot fudge, snip off 1/3 inch off of one corner, and squeeze some into the center of each cupcake until you can see it coming up out of the top.




Now, make the peppermint frosting. Beat a stick of butter with the marshmallow cream.




Beat in 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tsp of peppermint extract and then another 2 cups of powdered sugar.




Beat in 3 or 4 drops of green food coloring and one to two tablespoons of milk.



Scrape down the bowl and beat for 3 minutes until light and creamy.

Say hello to gluten free indulgence with these Easy Gluten Free Fudgy Mint Cupcakes.

Frost your cupcakes, drizzle them with more hot fudge, and sprinkle the tops with chopped chocolate mints. You may need to push them into the frosting a little.

Is the fudgy minty awesomeness getting to you yet? It's okay to drool. I won't tell. 😉




Easy Gourmet Gluten Free Fudgy Mint Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)


INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
1 15 oz gluten free chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker's)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
3 large eggs
1 cup water
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

For the peppermint frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 7 oz jar marshmallow cream (gluten free eaters, make sure you buy "Marshmallow Fluff" brand or that the label on your jar reads "gluten free")
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
2 Tbsp milk
3 or 4 drops green food coloring

1 16 oz jar Mrs. Richardson's hot fudge, room temperature
1 cup chopped Andes chocolate mints

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.
2. Make your batter according to the directions on your box of cake mix adding 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract.
3. Divide batter evenly among the 12 cupcake liners.
4. Bake cupcakes for the time recommended on your cake mix box for cupcakes. Check them at the earliest time by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes near the center of the oven. The cupcakes are done when it comes out clean.
5. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 15 minutes and then remove from the pans to cool completely.
6. When your cupcakes are completely cool, use the end of a wooden spoon to make a hole in the center of each cupcake being careful not to punch through the bottom.
7. Fill a Ziploc freezer bag with 1/2 cup of hot fudge, twist the top closed (you can use a twist tie if you like), snip off a 1/3 inch off of one corner, and squeeze filling into each cupcake until you see the filling coming up out of the top of the cupcake.
8. Chop the Andes chocolate mints, if you haven't already, so they are ready to top your cupcakes.
9. Fill another Ziploc freezer bag with more hot fudge, twist the top closed, snip off less than 1/4 inch off of one corner, and set aside.
10. For the peppermint frosting, beat the butter in a stand mixer for 30 seconds.
11. Beat in the whole 7 oz jar of marshmallow cream.
12. Scrape down the bowl and beat in 2 cups powdered sugar. Then, beat in 1 tsp peppermint extract.
13. Beat in 2 more cups of powdered sugar.
14. Beat in 3 or 4 drops of green food coloring and 1 to 2 Tbsp milk.
15. Scrape down the bowl and beat on high for 3 minutes.
16. Snip off one corner of another Ziploc freezer bag a little smaller than your piping tip. Slide in your piping tip and set bag in a tall cup to easily fill with frosting.
17. Twist the top of your bag closed and pipe frosting onto each cupcake.
18. Immediately drizzle with more hot fudge and sprinkle with chopped chocolate mints.

* If you don't need to eat gluten free use a regular chocolate cake mix. Doctor it up by adding an extra egg, subbing whole milk for the water, subbing melted butter for the oil, doubling the amount of butter, and stirring in a tsp of peppermint extract. You'll need to double the frosting recipe and use more fudge and chopped chocolate mints than the recipe above calls for since it makes 12 cupcakes and your regular cake mix box will make 24.

Easy Gourmet Cupcakes: Maple Bacon Brown Butter

Get ready to love me forever. Brown butter. Maple cream. Bacon. If you're trying to win someone over, use this cupcake.

These Easy Maple Bacon Brown Butter Cupcakes will be your new favorite breakfast.

The maple cream buttercream is to die for. (Feel free to die, but only if you must.) The cake mix is doctored the way we usually do it, except that this time we're browning the butter first. You can totally do this. Here's a video if you need encouragement. And, to top it all off - BACON!!! Come on now!




Here's our line up - yellow cake mix, brown butter, crumbled bacon, and maple extract. There's just a couple of extra steps in this recipe, but they are so worth it. And I know you can handle it. You're a cupcake making pro now, after all.




First, let's make us some brown butter. Put two sticks of butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and melt over medium high heat. As soon as the butter is melted, swirl the pan, or stir with a wooden spoon, continuously until butter browns. If you stop swirling or stirring the butter will splatter, so keep it moving. It should take 3 to 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a heat proof bowl and let cool for a bit. You can cook up your bacon while you're waiting for the butter to cool.

When your butter has cooled down from boiling hot to warm you can mix up your cupcake batter. Bake your cakes and then cool.

After your cupcakes are completely cool, crumble your bacon so it's ready to top your cupcakes and work on whipping up the best frosting ever. I say that about every frosting, don't I?




Beat three sticks of softened butter for 30 seconds.

Beat in 3 cups powdered sugar. Scrape down the bowl and beat in a pinch of salt and 1 3/4 tsp maple extract. Beat in another 3 cups powdered sugar. Then, beat in some milk a tablespoon at a time until your buttercream is piping consistency - not too stiff, not too soft.

The fluffiest maple cream buttercream tops my Easy Maple Bacon Brown Butter Cupcakes.

Then, scrape down the bowl again and beat on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. So light. So fluffy. So maple-y (happy sigh).

My Easy Maple Bacon Brown Butter Cupcakes will make a morning person out of you.

Pipe the buttercream onto your cupcakes and top with crumbled bacon. I find it's best to kinda push the bacon into the buttercream a bit.

These Easy Maple Bacon Brown Butter Cupcakes make the best breakfast ever.

Welcome to your new favorite breakfast!

Easy Gourmet Maple Bacon Brown Butter Cupcakes
(makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS

For the brown butter cupcakes:
1 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
* These ingredients are based on a cake mix that calls for 3 eggs, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of oil. I added an extra egg, subbed whole milk for the water, and subbed butter for the oil, and then doubled the amount of butter.

For the maple cream buttercream:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
1 3/4 tsp maple extract
a pinch of salt
1 to 4 Tbsp milk

1 cup crumbled bacon to top cupcakes (about 8 slices)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
2. Brown the butter for the cupcakes. Heat 2 sticks of butter over medium high heat until melted. Then, swirl or stir continuously for 3 to 5 minutes until butter is a deep auburn color. Immediately pour into a heat proof bowl and allow to cool to warm.
3. Cook and crumble bacon while butter cools.
4. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the cupcakes, including the brown butter, and mix well using a hand mixer, whisk, or wooden spoon. The batter should be smooth.
5. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of batter (or use a size 20 cupcake scoop) into each liner.
6. Bake cupcakes for the time recommended on your cake mix box for cupcakes. Check them at the earliest time by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes near the center of the oven until it comes out clean.
7. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 15 minutes and then remove from the pans to cool completely.
8. For the maple cream buttercream, beat 3 sticks of softened butter for 30 seconds.
9. Scrape down the bowl and beat in 3 cups powdered sugar.
10. Scrape down the bowl again and beat in the maple extract and salt.
11. Scrape down the bowl and beat in 3 more cups powdered sugar.
12. Scrape down the bowl again and beat in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a good pipable consistency - not too stiff, not too soft.
13. Scrape down the bowl again and beat on high for 3 minutes until buttercream is light and fluffy.
14. Snip off one corner of a Ziplock freezer bag a little smaller than your piping tip. Slide in your piping tip and set bag in a tall cup to easily fill with buttercream.
15. Twist the top of your bag closed and pipe buttercream onto each cupcake.
16. Immediately top with bacon pushing it into the buttercream a bit.

Easy Gourmet Cupcakes: Salted Caramel Pecan Spice

It's fall y'all! I know I did a lot of complaining about attack of the pumpkins a couple months back, but I actually adore fall. The weather is so very awesomely awesome. I love the excuse to eat soup every day, enjoy a mug of creamed tea in the middle of the afternoon, and live in my favorite sweater. Ahhhhhh, fall.

Enter in, my Easy Gourmet Salted Caramel Pecan Spice Cupcakes. You'll fall in love with fall baking with this easy cupcake recipe.

These Salted Caramel Pecan Spice Cupcakes have fall baking written all over them.

This delectable cupcake has all the best things about fall going on in it - warm autumn spice, toasted pecans, salted caramel. Although, salted caramel is a year round kinda flavor. Don't ya think?




A box of spice cake mix, a couple of cups of pecans, and a can of dulce de leche are the star ingredients in this easy fall recipe.

Doctor the cake mix by adding an extra egg, subbing whole milk for the water, subbing melted butter for the oil, and then doubling the amount of butter. Scoop about 1/4 cup into each muffin cup and gently press in some pecans.

Toasted pecans adorn the tops of fluffy spice cake in my Easy Gourmet Salted Caramel Pecan Spice Cupcakes.

The nuts get toasted to perfection while the cupcakes bake.




To make the salted caramel buttercream, beat 3 sticks of butter, 1 cup of dulce de leche, a teaspoon and a half of vanilla, and a teaspoon and a half of salt.




Then, beat in 3 cups of powdered sugar.




Scrape down the bowl and beat in another 3 cups of powdered sugar.




Scrape down the bowl again and beat the buttercream for 3 minutes.



This salted caramel buttercream is softer than most of the frostings and buttercreams I usually work with. But it's oh so creamy and fluffy. Think marshmallow cream - but with all the flavor of perfectly sweet and perfectly salty salted caramel.

Btw, any leftover buttercream can serve as a fabulous dip for sliced apples.

The spice cake is so tender and packed with warm autumn flavors. The pecans are nutty and crunchy with just a hint of sweetness. The buttercream is fluffy beyond belief and exactly the flavor you imagine when you think "salted caramel." We've got ourselves a real fall goodie with this cupcake, folks.

Happy fall baking!

Easy Gourmet Salted Caramel Pecan Spice Cupcakes
(Makes 24 cupcakes)

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
15.25 oz box spice cake mix
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
* These ingredients are based on a cake mix that calls for 3 eggs, 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of oil. I added an extra egg, subbed whole milk for the water, and subbed melted butter for the oil, and then doubled the amount of butter.

2 or 3 cups of pecan halves to press into the cupcake batter before baking

For the buttercream:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dulce de leche
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with 24 cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the cupcakes and mix well using a hand mixer, whisk, or wooden spoon. The batter should be smooth.
3. Scoop a scant 1/4 cup of batter (or use a size 20 cupcake scoop) into each liner.
4. Gently press 4 to 6 pecan halves onto the top of each cupcake.
5. Bake cupcakes for the time recommended on your cake mix box for cupcakes. Check them at the earliest time by inserting a toothpick into the center of one of the cupcakes near the center of the oven until it comes out clean.
6. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove them to cool completely.
7. For the salted caramel buttercream, beat the butter, dulce de leche, salt, and vanilla until creamy and well combined.
8. Scrape down the bowl and beat in 3 cups powdered sugar.
9. Scrape down the bowl again and beat in 3 more cups powdered sugar.
10. Scrape down the bowl and beat buttercream for 3 minutes.
11. Snip off one corner of a Ziplock freezer bag a little smaller than your piping tip. Slide in your piping tip and set bag in a tall cup to easily fill with buttercream.
12. Twist the top of your bag closed and pipe frosting onto each cupcake.