Peanut Butter and Caramel Cupcakes

Peanut Butter and Caramel Cupcakes

• THIS chocolate cake recipe
• 1 C. butter, softened
• 1 C. creamy peanut butter
• 4 Tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4-6 cups powdered sugar
• Caramel sauce and peanuts to decorate

Bake chocolate cupcakes according to directions.

For frosting, cream butter and peanut butter together until smooth.  Add milk and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.  Add powdered sugar and beat until you get the consistency you like.  Pipe onto cupcakes.  Drizzle caramel sauce, then sprinkle peanuts on top.  Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes {and Happy Mothers Day}

This past week, my sweet 5-year-old daughter came home from pre-school with a beautiful potted flower she had made herself, along with a painting that said "Mother, all flowers remind me of you." She showed them to me and since it was days before mothers day, I knew they were a gift for me. I told her, "Aww, this is so sweet. Thank you!" But she just looked at me funny and said, "Uh...these aren't for you. I decided I want to keep them." I gave her my best fake sad face and told her, "What about the card? It says all flowers remind you of me!" She simply said, "Yeah, flowers don't really remind me of you. Stoves and microwaves remind me of you."

SO, my mothers day gift was an afternoon of baking! Actually, this IS what I asked for. A quiet kitchen free of children running under my feet where I get to do one of my favorite things. And here is what I made...

Salted Caramel Cupcakes
{Truffle filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Buttercream Frosting}

• 1 box devil's food cake mix (plus ingredients for cake mix)
• 1 small box instant chocolate pudding
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 jar Caramel topping
• Sea Salt

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3+ tsp. caramel topping (leftover from cupcakes)

Pre-heat oven to 350. In large bowl, combine cake mix plus ingredients for cake mix, pudding, and sour cream. Set aside. In small saucepan, heat whipping cream until boiling. Take off heat. Stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour into cupcake liners about 1/2 full. Spoon about a teaspoon of truffle sauce on top of cupcake batter. Bake for 18 minutes. Cool completely. Top each cupcake with a smear of caramel. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add caramel until desired consistency. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with more sea salt.

P.S. My daughter ended up "surprising me" on Mothers Day morning with the flowers. I guess she was just holding out as a cover-up. I asked her if she would like to take care of the flowers for me, and she thought that was a great idea.

Sinful Chocolate Cake

This is the best chocolate cake recipe I have tried yet. My sister made it for me a year or so ago, and I instantly fell in love. In fact, I had to steal a piece of the cake on my way out her door to enjoy on the 4+ hour drive home. The cake didn't make it 10 minutes out of her town. Then I made it for my husbands family last year, and as I was transfering the leftover cake from their house to my car, it fell onto the driveway. I may or may not have scraped off the top and eaten the rest of it anyway. MAYBE!!


Sinful Chocolate Cake

• 1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
  
• 1/2 Cup water
  
• 1/2 Cup oil
  
• 4 eggs
  
• 1 Cup sour cream
  
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding
  
• 1 16 oz. bag chocolate chips
  
• 1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
  

Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray bundt pan. Mix together cake mix, water, oil, eggs, sour cream, and pudding. Mix for 10 minutes. Then add half a bag of chocolate chips. Pour into bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.

For ganache topping, heat whipping cream just until boiling. Take off heat and add the rest of the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth. Pour over cake. ENJOY!