Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Cream Filling

I haven't made these yet, but the cream filling is delicious!

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2-oz dark chocolate
1 cup water, boiling

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by sour cream and vanilla extract.
Stir the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate into the boiling water (easiest in a large measuring cup). Pour chocolate water into the rest of the batter and stir until uniform.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the chocolate mixture, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix. Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.
Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. (It’s fine if you can’t fit both trays into the oven at the same time, just wait until one batch finishes before putting in the second pan)
Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and filling.

Vanilla Cream Filling
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup butter (or trans fat-free shortening)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 scraped vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour and milk and cook in a small saucepan over medium heat until thick. This will only take a few minutes. Sir continuously to prevent the mixture from clumping and do not bring all the way to a boil. When thickened (consistency will be that of a thin pudding or custard), strain with a mesh strainer into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely to room temperature.
When the milk mixture is cool, cream the butter (or shortening) and sugar together in a medium bowl until lightl. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the scraped vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract) and beat at high speed with an electrick mixer for 7 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, or a large ziplock bag with the corner cut off, and set aside until ready to fill your cupcakes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat, with an electric mixer, until frosting is creamy, 3-5 minutes. Add additional powdered sugar as needed to achieve a thick, but not stiff, frosting that is easy to spread. Add additional milk, if necessary, to thin the frosting if it gets too thick.

Assembly
(A photo how-to of the assembly method can be found here.) Take a cooled cupcake and, using a small pairing knife, cut a cone of cake (1-inch across by 1-inch deep) out of the top. Trim off the pointy end of the cone, leaving a flat circle of cake. Set aside and repeat this process for all the cupcakes.
Take the cream filling and squeeze a tablespoon or so into each cupcake cavity, filling the hole up to the top with filling. Top off with a flat circle of cake to plug the hole and keep the filling in place.
Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, frost each cupcake with a layer of chocolate buttercream frosting. Place a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake (on top of the cut out circle of cake) and spread from the center to the sides of the cupcake.
If you have leftover filling, transfer it to a fresh ziploc bag and cut a very small opening in one corner. Pipe a swirly line down the center of each cupcake.
Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Makes 2-dozen.

http://bakingbites.com/2007/09/devils-food-cupcakes-with-vanilla-cream-filling/

Claim Jumper Chocolate Motherlode Cake

6 eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 3/4 cups flour
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
4 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups boiling water
3 cups chocolate chips, divided

Heat oven to 350

Put eggs, sugar, butter, oil, cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl, mixing well after each addition.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together, and add to the wet ingredients.

Fold in the water. Pour equally into 6 (8 or 9-inch) baking pans and add 1/2 cup chocolate chips into each pan (I prefer to add some batter, add the chocolate chips, then add the rest of the batter). Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Cool 10 min in pan before removing to cooling rack. Cool on the rack, then wrap with saran wrap and place the cake rounds in the freezer. Remove and ice the rounds with chocolate cake frosting.

To make a 2 layer cake, here are the changes:
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup chocolate chips, divided


Chocolate Ganache Frosting (this makes enough to cover the cake, but not to fill between the layers; double it if you want it in between all the layers):
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable (depending on chocolate used, it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency).

Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides.

Add any chopped nuts or shaved chocolate to outside of cake.

Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon good-quality ground cassia or cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 cinnamon or cassia sticks, each broken into 3 or 4 pieces
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2-¾ cup granulated sugar (I prefer less sugar)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• a touch of vanilla

Directions

1. In a small, dry, non-stick skillet over low heat, toast the ground cinnamon until it is warm to the touch and fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes: Keep the spice moving, either by shaking the pan or by stirring, to prevent scorching. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

2. In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine the milk, 1/2 cup cream, and the pieces of cinnamon stick. Place the pot over medium heat and bring just to the boil, watching closely so the cream doesn’t boil over. As soon as bubbles break the surface, remove the pot from the heat and let the custard infuse for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then gradually whisk in the sugar. Beat just until it pales and thickens ever so slightly. Place a damp kitchen towel around the base of the bowl to keep it still and whisk in the hot cream, a little at a time, until it is all incorporated.

3. Rinse out the saucepan but don’t dry it; this will help prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom. Have ready a fine strainer set over a clean bowl. Return the custard mixture to the pot over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes. A finger drawn across the back of the spoon should leave a clean trail. Immediately pour the custard through the strainer and set aside for a moment.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream to the roasted cinnamon and use a rubber spatula to blend into a thick, smooth paste. Add another 2 tablespoons of the cream and work this in until the mixture is about the consistency of a spreadable icing. Whisk the cinnamon paste into the hot strained custard until smooth. Stir in the remaining whipping cream and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the custard to prevent it from forming a skin. Poke a few holes in the plastic to allow steam to escape and place the bowl in the refrigerator until very cold, at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

5. Process the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the softly frozen ice cream to a freezable dish and freeze until firm. This richly flavoured ice cream is wonderful on its own, but makes an exceptionally good accompaniment to many other desserts. Although best within a few days of being made, this ice cream can be stored for up to 1 week.

Skinny Spaghetti

This isn't really a recipe, but if you've never tried spaghetti squash, you should! Especially awesome if you're trying to lose weight, but want to eat some pasta (or if you're feeding someone that can't have wheat!). Cut the Squash in half length wise (really hard to do, find a sharp knife and try not to lose a finger), scoop out the seeds and gross stuff, then place on a pan cut side down with a little bit of water and bake for 30-45 min at 350. Once you can easily stick a knife in it, take it out and just scrape out the "spaghetti" strands. If you don't cook it long enough, it will be a little crunchy, but even when it's totally done, it's still not going to be as soft as spaghetti noodles. Still really good, and Claire doesn't even know the difference. I tried baking it whole, but then the stuff you are supposed to spoon out gets all mushy and mixed in with the good stuff and it just makes it really hard to deal with. One it's done baking, just use like you would any noodles.

Brie's Smoothie Recipes

Since several of us have gotten into green smoothies lately, I thought we should post our recipes so others can try them out. I don't measure anything do I'm just going to put down the ingredients.

Green:
Equal amounts Kale and Spinach
Vanilla Coconut Milk (or regular, or cow milk)
Ground Flaxseed
Sometimes a few clippings of wheat grass

Lately, I've been adding a little wedge of lemon (with the rind), really good, you just need a little.

Fruit Added (I usually use frozen, but have started using some fresh):

Mixed Berries (the Costco bag)
Pear

Mango
Peaches

Banana
Strawberry
Oranges
Pineapple
Mango

Banana
Strawberry
Pineapple
Mango

Peanut Butter
Banana
Blueberries

Raspberries
Pear
Banana (little bit)


I'll add more as I find variations that are good. I like to make a big batch and put the extra in a jar in the fridge. Still tastes great at lunch!