Double Chocolate Malt Shop Cupcakes

We saw these on Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown. Tony thought they looked really good so I decided to try baking them even though chocolate cake isn't my favorite. We both agreed that they tasted decent, but nothing amazing.

Double Chocolate Malt Shop Cupcakes with Cherry-Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients

For cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup whole milk
  
• 2/3 cup malted milk powder (recommended: Carnation brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (left out because I didn't have any)
  
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
  

For buttercream:

• 4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons whipping cream
• 2/3 cup tart cherry preserves
• Malted milk balls or maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, malted milk powder, and espresso powder. Add the canola oil and eggs; whisk to blend. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.

Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins, filling only halfway full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 17 minutes, until they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare the buttercream. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the sugar and the butter on medium-low speed until well blended. Add the vanilla and whipping cream and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light, spreadable and fluffy. Beat in the cherry preserves until well incorporated.

When the cupcakes have finished baking, let sit in the pans for 2 minutes and then transfer the cupcakes to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes more.

While the cupcakes cool, transfer the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Alternatively, you can frost the cupcakes with a knife or offset spatula. When the cupcakes have cooled, pipe the buttercream in decorative swirls on top of the cupcake (or swirl with a spatula). Garnish the top of each cupcake with a malted milk ball or cherry and serve.

Source: Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown

Pumpkin Cake with Butterscotch Filling

I was trying to decide what kind of cake I wanted to make Tony for his birthday. I found this recipe on a blog, and I knew he'd love it. He loves pumpkin so I knew I couldn't go wrong with this recipe. It look an entire afternoon to make, but it was worth it.

I had issues with the butterscotch filling, but it ended up tasting fine. When I added the cream to the caramelized sugar, it turned rock solid. I put it back on the heat and kept whisking until most of it turned to liquid again. I couldn't get rid of a few chunks so I just put the mixture through a sieve and threw out the "rocks."

My other issue was with the brown sugar frosting. After following the recipe, my frosting was not thick enough to ice a cake so I mixed in powdered sugar until I reached a good consistency.

I made a basic buttercream and used a piping bag to write the message on the cake.


Pumpkin Cake with Butterscotch Filling and Brown Sugar Frosting

Ingredients:

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. salt

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

1 cup buttermilk

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the filling:

¾ cup heavy cream

¾ cup sugar

¼ tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 – 1 oz. pieces

¾ cup chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts (optional)

For the icing:

2 cups tightly packed brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 8 – 1 oz. pieces

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

Directions:

Line the bottoms of 2 round 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the parchment, as well as the sides of the pans. Preheat the oven to 325°. Center a rack in the oven.

To make the cake, combine the flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine pumpkin puree and buttermilk and mix until smooth. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase to high speed and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and scraping down the bowl between additions. Add the vanilla extract and beat on high for 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter, until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Immediately divide the batter between the prepared cake pans, spreading evenly. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pans 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the filling, heat the cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot (do not allow to boil or simmer). Combine sugar and lemon juice in a separate saucepan and stir with a whisk to combine (the sugar will resemble moist sand). Caramelize the sugar for 4-5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a whisk to break up any lumps. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the hot cream, one half at a time. Add the butter, one piece at a time, stirring to incorporate completely before adding the next piece. Cool in the refrigerator 45 minutes. Place in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 2 minutes, until light (but not fluffy). Add the chopped nuts and stir to incorporate. Set aside.

To make the icing, heat the brown sugar, heavy cream, 2 – 1 oz. pieces of butter, and cream of tartar in a 2-3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, while bringing the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to continue boiling while stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Transfer the bubbling hot mixture to a stainless steel bowl and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding. Place the cooled mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, adding the 6 remaining pieces of butter one at a time, until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for an additional 1 minute until light and fluffy.

To assemble the cake, place one of the pumpkin cake layers on a cake platter or a cardboard cake circle. Spread butterscotch filling evenly on top of cake. Top with remaining layer of cake, pressing down firmly. Frost sides and top of cake with brown sugar icing. Use remaining frosting to pipe decorative accents onto top and bottom edge of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.

Source: Annie's Eats