Cupcake Tuesday-Chocolate, Three Ways

Life is interesting.  The way you identify yourself is a challenge.  You can't really rely on what you do for a hobby or a job because that could always be taken away.  So how do you identify yourself outside of you actions?  What makes you, you?  

This has been taking over a lot of my thoughts recently, and I think it's an important question for all of us to ask.  Who are you?  I would love to hear about it :)

Now on to why you're really here, the baking :)

Due to my identity crisis I haven't made any cupcakes recently, I'm branching out ;)

But!  Just in case you missed it, here are three recipes you can make from my standard chocolate cake recipe!  Check that out!

These Chocolate Honey cupcakes are my standard chocolate cupcake topped with a delicious honey cream cheese frosting.  This cupcake recipe is the jumping off point for the next two recipes :)

These Black Forest cupcakes loving combine chocolate and cherry.  Some of the sour cream from the standard recipe is replaced with cherry preserves.  Delish!

My Malted Chocolate cupcakes will take you back to the good old days!  This shows that one simple addition can have a huge flavor change.  Just add a couple tablespoons of malted milk powder and ta-da!  

Hope this gives you some ideas!  Thanks for stopping by :)

Love, 

Keely

Weekly Wrap Up

Hello beautiful!  Did you get Monday off?  I hope you did and I hope that you were able to enjoy a wonderfully short week!

My week was quite crazy (what's new) and so wonderful!  I had so much fun experimenting with games at work, going thriting on Monday (so many of the stores had 50% off sales!) and GETTING PROMOTED what what!?!  I'm super excited, I'll be working on a show called Hurricane Hunters starting on Wednesday!

I also spent a day on set for a pilot, so this week has been just great, however I've never known what day it was (today feels like...Wednesday maybe?)

Hope you had a wonderful week as well.  What was your favorite thing that happened this week?

Love, 

Keely

Cupcake Tuesday-Chocolate Nutella and Salted Caramel

Yeah, it's possible to sneak that much goodness into just one cupcake.  It's mind blowing.

Remember my Chocolate Peanut Butter cupcakes?  Yeah this wins, hands down! (I mean it has Nutella in it, how can it not?) Oh and P.S. these really just these, but way better!

Sorry I've been so MIA recently this weekend.  I ended up last minute in the mountains with the fam and took what ended up being a much needed weekend off from the interwebs.  Sometimes these things just happen and you have to roll with it.  Sometimes things happen and you NEED to make these cupcakes, who knows.

Chocolate Cupcake
makes 24
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans.

In a large bowl whip together the room temperature butter with the sugar until they get nice and light and fluffy.  Add the 2 eggs and beat for about another minute.

When the eggs are fully incorporated add in the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder.  Mix well.

Next, measure out your baking soda, baking powder and flour in a medium bowl.  Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.  Add 1/2 of the sour cream.  Follow that with another 1/3 of the flour, the last of the sour cream and the last of the flour, beating well after each addition.

Scrape the sides of the bowls and mix on last time to make sure it is all combined.

Scoop into the cupcake pans using a 2 oz ice cream scoop, or filling about 2/3 of the way full.  My rule with chocolate cake is that it should look like chocolate ice cream before it bakes

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool.


Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting
2 blocks cream cheese
1 stick butter
1/4 cup Nutella
3-4 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl combine the cream cheese and the butter with a mixer until it gets a little fluffy, this will take about 2 minutes.

Add in the Nutella and briefly mix until combined.

Now slowly add the powdered sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time, keeping the mixer on low to let it mix in. Once you have the right sweetness, scrape the sides and mix on medium for about 20 seconds to make sure everything is smooth.  The secret to this frosting is to whip it really well and make sure it's nice and light and smooth.  Everyone will be astounded.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.

Salted Caramel Sauce
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
sea salt
1/2 cup room temperature heavy cream

In a medium sauce pan stir together the sugar, water, corn syrup and salt.  Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.  DO NOT STIR.  If you stir the sugar while it is boiling it can knock crystals off the side and ruin your sauce.  

Boil for 7-10 minutes, make sure to keep your eye on this, it can turn from delicious golden brown to nasty burned in a split second.  You're looking for this boiling mixture to turn into a beautiful golden brown, caramel color.

Once this changes to our desired color STOP.  Remove it from the heat and whip out a wooden spoon.  Slowly add your room temperature cream (cold cream will cause the syrup to clump).  Stir constantly until all the cream is added.  Allow to cool for a bit.

Using a spoon or a squeeze bottle (the latter is certainly much easier) drizzle over your frosted cupcakes.

Sprinkle a touch of sea salt on top if desired and enjoy!

Love, 

Keely

Weekly Wrap Up

What a week!  My work life has been insane and subsequently my personal life has been entirely BORING!  I have spent a lot of time lounging around my house!  6 of the 8 pictures were taken inside my house, which seems rather unusual for me, but it's been pretty nice, I do love my apartment.

Can you see why I love it.  Check out how pretty it is, and this is just the view from my couch!

I got some new business cards (thank you Klout and Moo.com)

A Denver staple, the Duffyroll.  Hello delicious!

Look at how cute my friend's dogs are, they always wrestle with each other!

This is my new favorite thing.  Are you catching on to how much I love cupcakes?  So much so that I hung some cupcake pans on my wall.  Love!

Chocolate, Nutella and Salted Caramel cupcakes.  Hello delicious!

Strawberry and cream scones anyone?  Yes please!  Perfect way to bribe your boss during a morning meeting.  I shamelessly push baked goods :)

Ah good life choices.  San Pellegrino and garlic truffle fries.  I'm a fatty.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Love, 

Keely

Budget With Me Wednesday-Week 6

Getting back on track is tough.  It's hard to correct your direction.  I kinda splurged this week, I don't even really know what happened.

Perfect is not the goal, improvement is the goal.  No one is perfect.

I'm making improvements, I'm striving for less spending, and I'll figure this out a little bit more.

This week was just a hiccup.  I'm going to move forward and not be concerned about the past, I'm just going to let it be.

Love,

Keely

Cupcake Tuesday-Peanut Butter Chocolate

Chocolate and Peanut Butter are such a classic combination!  It's just silly that it took me THIS long to get around to making a good chocolate peanut butter cupcake!  But I have hit my stride and this is the PERFECT way to do this cupcake!

Gosh this is so good! 

Having a girls night?  Bring these! 

Trying to impress that boy?  Bring these!

Need that promotion?  Bring these! (ok maybe don't do that!)

Chocolate Cupcake
makes 24
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans.

In a large bowl whip together the room temperature butter with the sugar until they get nice and light and fluffy.  Add the 2 eggs and beat for about another minute.

When the eggs are fully incorporated add in the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder.  Mix well.

Next, measure out your baking soda, baking powder and flour in a medium bowl.  Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.  Add 1/2 of the sour cream.  Follow that with another 1/3 of the flour, the last of the sour cream and the last of the flour, beating well after each addition.

Scrape the sides of the bowls and mix on last time to make sure it is all combined.

Scoop into the cupcake pans using a 2 oz ice cream scoop, or filling about 2/3 of the way full.  My rule with chocolate cake is that it should look like chocolate ice cream before it bakes

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool

Chocolate Cupcake
makes 24
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
vanilla
salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans.

In a large bowl whip together the room temperature butter with the sugar until they get nice and light and fluffy.  Add the 2 eggs and beat for about another minute.

When the eggs are fully incorporated add in the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder.  Mix well.

Next, measure out your baking soda, baking powder and flour in a medium bowl.  Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.  Add 1/2 of the sour cream.  Follow that with another 1/3 of the flour, the last of the sour cream and the last of the flour, beating well after each addition.

Scrape the sides of the bowls and mix on last time to make sure it is all combined.

Scoop into the cupcake pans using a 2 oz ice cream scoop, or filling about 2/3 of the way full.  My rule with chocolate cake is that it should look like chocolate ice cream before it bakes

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting
2 blocks cream cheese
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
2-3 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl whip the cream cheese until smooth.  Add in the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.

Once everything is well mixed, start slowing adding in the powdered sugar.  This can get too thick really quickly so go slow and take your time.

Pipe the frosting on to the cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

Love, 

Keely

Sunday School-Peach Bundt Cake

So I've sort of fallen in love with my bundt pan.  It makes everything so much prettier than it otherwise would be, and it makes a normal cake seem much more brunch (but that may just be me!).

So, going along with the peach situation (oh my gosh the peaches are so good!) I made you a peach bundt cake, and since it has fruit in it you SHOULD eat this for breakfast, and lunch, and dinner.

Have a wonderful Sunday my friends!

Peach Bundt Cake

adapted from Taste of Home

1/3 cup butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 eggs

vanilla

1 cup peach puree

2 cups flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

salt

1 cup sour cream

Diced peaches

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a bundt pan, extra well!  I use so much non-stick spray, it's just ridiculous

In a large bowl add the butter and sugar.  Cream with a mixer together until lighter in color and slightly fluffy.  Mix in the peach puree.

Add the eggs and vanilla to the butter mixture and mix well.

In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt

Add 1/3 of the flour to the butter mixture and mix until incorporated.  Add 1/2 of the sour cream.  Add another 1/3 of the flour, then the last half of the sour cream and finally, the last 1/3 of the flour.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix in the chopped walnuts.

Pour half the batter into the greased pan.  Toss the diced peaches in maple syrup and pour over the batter.  

Spoon the other half of the batter over the peaches.

Bake for 45-50 minutes.  Allow to cool and flip out of pan.

Top with more peaches and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Slice and enjoy!

Love, 

Keely