Buttercrunch Cake

In honor of January 20th being National Buttercrunch Day, I decided to make a Buttercrunch Cake. Did I say cake? Yes, c-a-k-e! I've been nursing a cold since the weekend. I wasn't in the mood for cupcakes, nor was I in the mood to bake from scratch. Truthfully, I've been craving the flavor of cake mix lately. I'm not gonna be all hoity-toity about it and act like "eww cake mix is so gross." No way, I grew up eating it, and I freakin LOVE the stuff! I did make my own buttercrunch candy, though. I found the recipe for Pecan Buttercrunch on one of my favorite blogs, Dessert First. I followed her recipe exactly, including sprinkling sea salt on top, and it's delicious! I used it to top my Buttercrunch Cake. I'll get right to it because my lunch is calling me from the microwave... Mmmm, my mom's leftover herb-crusted pork loin! But let me just say, this cake is delicious! The caramel filling is SO good. I'll definitely be using the recipe for it again!

Making the candy... Mmm doesn't it look good?
Buttercrunch Cake!
Want some?
This is what I had for breakfast! ;)

Pecan Buttercrunch with Fleur de Sel (from DessertFirst)
about 16 pieces (I got 45-50 small pieces)

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped into small pieces
Fleur de Sel

Line a baking sheet or pan with a silicone baking mat.
Combine the sugars, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring to combine, until it comes to a boil.
Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture reaches 298°F on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.
Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread it out evenly, working quickly before it sets. (I spread mine in a 12" circle) Let the toffee layer cool completely.
Either temper the chocolate or simply melt it in a double boiler. Pour the chocolate over the toffee layer and spread out evenly.
Immediately sprinkle the pecans over the chocolate. Sprinkle a few grains of fleur de sel over the chocolate. Let the chocolate fully set.
Break the toffee into pieces before serving.

Quick Caramel Frosting (from The Cake Mix Doctor)
(Makes enough to fill a 3 or 4 layer cake)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(I added 1/2 teaspoon sea salt)

1. Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. (The book forgets to mention to be very careful on the next step. Add the milk slowly, because it will spatter a lot in the pan!) Add the milk, stir, and bring back to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth. (The book says to use the frosting while it's still warm, but it was way too thin to spread. I let it cool all the way to room temp. Then I beat it on high with and electric mixer to fluff it up a little. It will thicken a lot when you start spreading it on the cake. If it gets too stiff, pop it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds.)

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy cream (depending how thick you want your ganache to set up)

Put chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your microwave. Stir gently with a rubber spatula. Heat for 15-20 more seconds. Stir until well blended. Let sit about 30 minutes (or cool in an ice bath for 5 minutes) until ganache is spreadable.

To assemble the Buttercrunch Cake:
Bake and cool two 8-inch round cake layers. Split each layer in half. Fill with cooled caramel filling. Top with cooled chocolate ganache. Decorate with buttercrunch candy!

I don't even know if anyone even reads this far down but, PS: The new season of Big Love started on HBO last weekend. It looks pretty good so far. AND my new favorite show, United States of Tara, comes on Showtime. You should totally watch it. It's so hilarious and fun!!

Dad's Boston Cream Birthday Cake!

My dad loooovvves Boston Cream pie. Last year I made Boston Cream cupcakes for his 50th birthday party. This year I was in a bit of a rush. I came home early from work, rummaged up a box of cake mix and some instant pudding, quickly made some ganache... and TADA! Everyone absolutely loved this cake. And even though I cheated with the cake mix, I'll say this is one of the best layer cakes I've ever made. The ganache set up perfectly in the refrigerator. And the lightly sweetened whipped cream was a perfect touch! Sooooo... If you wanna make this at home, here's exactly what I used.


Boston Cream Cake (Serves 14-18)
1 box Betty Crocker® Golden Vanilla cake mix (PLUS water, oil and eggs according to the box)
1 package JELL-O French Vanilla Instant Pudding (PLUS whole milk according to "Pie Filling" directions on the box)
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream (plus more for garnish)

1. Bake and cool the cake according to package directions in two 8" round pans.
2. While cakes are cooling, prepare pudding according to "Pie Filling" directions on the box.
3. Split each cooled cake layer into two. Spread 1/3 of the pudding on each of the first 3 cake layers, leaving about 1/4" space around the edges. Place the last layer of cake on top.
4. In a measuring bowl, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir with a rubber spatula. Microwave for another minute on high. Stir until no lumps remain. Chocolate should be thick but pourable.
5. Pour about 1/3 of the chocolate over the top of the cake. With an offset spatula, spread the ganache over the top of the cake and let it begin to spill down the sides. Slowly continue to add the chocolate a little at a time, letting it spill down the sides a little more each time. When all the chocolate is on the cake, smooth the sides. The chocolate will be a very thin layer, just enough to cover the cake.
6. Cover and refrigerate for an hour before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired. Keep leftovers refrigerated up to 3 days.

Tastefully Simple® Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix

I'm not really sure how this box of Tastefully Simple pound cake mix came into our house. I've had it in my room since uhh... last November?? Last Tuesday I was anticipating my Daring Bakers challenge, so I was trying to throw something together quickly for "wing night." I went to my room, closed my eyes, and reached into my box of goodies. Pound cake mix is what I pulled out. I added some melted semi-sweet chocolate chips to about 1 cup of the batter. And of course I made little pound cake cupcakes out of it! They smelled soooo good, almost like a Tootsie Roll. I topped them with a light dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. They were sooooo delicious! According to their website, the mix costs $5.99. If I see this in any store, I'd probably pay that much for it.

Ingredients Plain and chocolate pound cake batterAdd a spoonful of chocolate batter ontop of plain cupcake batter.I tried to marble it with a toothpick, but it didn't work.So I ended up with blacktops... :)Yum!!!

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: [none]

Triple Strawberry Cupcakes

I know, I know! I owe you guys the Salted Caramel Cupcakes that won the poll like forever ago. But I had strawberries that were going bad, and mom requested these. They are triple strawberry cupcakes because they have strawberry jello mix and chopped fresh strawberries in the batter, then strawberry mousse for frosting. They really are a perfectly light summer cupcake. The frosting is SO good! I used the leftover cream cheese mousse from the Barefoot Contessa cake and added some strawberry flavoring. It's so fluffy and delicious! Make these for your next cookout and you won't be disappointed.
PS: New video in the YouTube, I Tube section over on the left!!

Ingredients...Ready to be mixed!Bright pink batter ready for the oven...Cooling and smelling so summery!Topped with strawberry mousse frosting!Inside you can see pieces of strawberry... yum!

Recipe for "Pretty in Pink" cupcakes from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. Strawberry mousse frosting recipe from me! :)

MY NOTES: My sugar-free Jello box said it was .6 ounces. I just used the strawberries I had; it didn't make a whole cup, but it still worked.

Triple Strawberry Cupcakes
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix
1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries with juice from 1 1/2 cups whole berries (see “The Cupcake Doctor Says” below)
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Strawberry Mousse Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon strawberry flavoring

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
2. Place the cake mix, gelatin, strawber­ries and juice, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat 2 minutes more on low speed, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. Place the pans in the oven.
3. Bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden around the edges and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cup­cakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your finger­tips. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
4. Beat heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and extract on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Frost cupcakes and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The Cupcake Doctor Says…
“Although these cupcakes put the season's best berries to good use, they are also perfect for those berries that arrive at your market from far away and have little juice and less flavor than good local berries. If you are using juicy berries, drain them well and use only the juice that clings to them when the berries have been chopped for the cake and the frosting. A pinch of cinnamon picks up the strawberry flavor in the cup­cake batter.”

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5

White Russian Cupcakes

Monday, I went to my cousin Stephanie C.'s house to bake some cuppies with her. I brought my "Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor" book, and Stephanie chose the recipe for White Russian Cupcakes. Yum! White Russian is my favorite drink on the rare occasion that I actually drink alcohol (...mix a little Bailey's with that and someone better watch out!). These cupcakes are really delicious. How can you ever go wrong with Kahlua whipped cream??

I didn't get a photo of the ingredients,
but here are the cupcakes going into the oven.Look how much they puffed up in the oven!We brushed them with Kahlua while they were still warm.I think Stephanie learned the importance of not over beating whipped cream... hehe

Recipe from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.

White Russian Cupcakes
Makes 22-26 cupcakes

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Kahlua
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Kahlua Whipped Cream
1 cup (8 ounces) heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon Kahlua
2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.
2. Prepare the cupcake batter: Place the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, milk, eggs, vodka, 1/4 cup Kahlua, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. Spoon or scoop1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 26 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
3. Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 17 to 20 min­utes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Brush the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining 2 tablespoons Kahlua. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners. Lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: Place a large, clean mixing bowl and electric mixer beaters in the freezer to chill for 1 minute. Remove the bowl and beaters from the freezer. Pour the cream into the bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the cream has thickened. Stop the machine, and add the sugar and Kahlua. Beat the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. DO NOT OVERBEAT OR IT WILL TURN INTO BUTTER.
5. Frost cooled cupcakes with whipped cream. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5

Barefoot Contessa® Country Cake Mix

It's about time for another product review, wouldn't you say? I'm gonna make a link section in the sidebar that lists the things I've reviewed. That way it will make for some very easy browsing when you get bored. Okay, Saturday I had a tiny cookout in my house. SO TINY, in fact, that it consisted of only four people including myself! Regardless, we had fun watching a documentary about two guys with the highest scores on the Donkey Kong arcade game. It sounds completely moronic, but it was actually entertaining. ANYWAY, more about the product since this is a product review! I made a cake using the Barefoot Contessa Country Cake Mix I got on clearance for $3 at TJ Maxx a few weeks ago. It made one 8-inch round cake. It came with an extra packet of stuff that you mix with heavy cream to make whipped cream, but as far as I could tell it was just granulated sugar with some vanilla flavoring... nothing special. I didn't even use it. I split the cake in half (USE STRING, IT'S SO EASY!!), layered it with macerated berries and cream cheese mousse, and topped it with more fresh berries. The cake was very moist like pound cake and was scented with orange zest. The zest paired perfectly with the berries. I definitely give this cake mix an A+. It was worth $3, but I dunno if I would've paid the regular price of $6 for one 8-inch round cake.

IngredientsFirst, you mix 1/2 cup of cake mix with 1 stick of butter. Then add the rest of the cake mix and some water.
It makes enough for one 8-inch cake.Tada!It was really yummy!

For the berries, combine 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 sliced strawberries, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a bowl. Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Mash berries and spoon mixture directly onto cake layers.

For cream cheese mousse, beat 1 cup heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, beat 8 ounces of cream cheese, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Spread over macerated berries. Keep the cake refrigerated.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 5

Dean Jacobs® Cupcake Mix: White Chocolate & Raspberry

The winner of Cupcake Poll #19 is... White Chocolate Cupcakes w/ Raspberry Frosting! I bought the Dean Jacobs mix at TJ Maxx a few week's ago. The cupcakes were really easy to make. This was the first time in a long time that a recipe actually yielded exactly as many cupcakes as stated. The box said "Makes 12" and I got 12. What a miracle! The cupcakes came out very nice. They are soft and yummy. But they do not taste like white chocolate. They taste like a plain white cake mix with a very faint hint of raspberry (actually more like strawberry). The frosting doesn't taste like raspberry. It has a strange fruity taste, so I added some extract to help it out. We didn't have any raspberry flavoring, so I used about 1/4 teaspoon of strawberry flavoring. Overall, I'd say they really taste like Betty Crocker cupcakes covered in store-bought strawberry frosting. Delicious... but not quite worth $5.99.

IngredientsMixing for 2 minutes...

Ready to be baked for 16 minutes...

Cooling for 20 minutes...

Tada!

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: 2

PS: I'm working on an entry for tomorrow complete with a new recipe! I'll give you a hint... What's cool, creamy, and peach colored?

Sprinkles® Vanilla Cupcake Mix

Don't get caught in the hype and waste your money. These cupcakes aren't very delicious, and the mix takes all the fun out of making them yourself. The thing I said about the Sprinkles Red Velvet mix goes for this Vanilla mix too; Betty Crocker cake mix tastes 1 million times better and costs less than $2/box (Betty Crocker makes 24 cupcakes, and Sprinkles at $14/box only makes 12-16). So anyway, that's my review. Here are the photos. Oh yeah I topped these babies with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting to cover up the flavor of the not-so-yummy cupcakes.
EDIT: After actually eating one of these and not just nibbling on crumbs, I change my opinion from "not very delicious" to barely edible. Sick. Really, please don't waste your money! For some reason my mom's co-workers liked them. I have a feeling they were just being nice.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese.
2. Slowly add sifted confectioners' sugar and salt and mix until smooth.
3. Add melted chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Add heavy cream and mix on medium-high for 30 seconds.

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 2
Tenderness: 2
Frosting: 4

Sprinkles® Red Velvet Cupcake Mix

The winner by a LANDSLIDE of 117 votes is Red Velvet! Thanks to everyone who participated. If you voted for vanilla, no worries. I'm making them next Tuesday, but don't expect vanilla buttercream. ;)

As for these red velvets... what a mess. Sprinkles is trying to sabotage home bakers with this stuff. As soon as you pour the mix into the mixer, be prepared to be engulfed in a red cloud. Then be prepared to have your kitchen counters covered in red streaks. Then be prepared to have red fingers and hands. Then be prepared to have a red dish cloth, sink full of red water, red, red, red, EVERYWHERE! In the end it's not even worth it. I didn't have a problem with the cupcakes being dry. But I did discover that this mix can be stretched to make 16 cupcakes, and they only bake for 14 minutes (not 20 like the recipe says!). I just didn't like the flavor. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something just wasn't great. I did follow the recipe for the frosting, but I only made 3/4 of the recipe. It was plenty to cover 16 cupcakes, and it was tasty.

All things considered, I would not recommend this flavor of Sprinkles Cupcake Mix. It's definitely not worth the $14 price tag. Go buy the Betty Crocker stuff, or use Chockylit's fabulous recipe.

Ingredients Cream the butter; add the mix
Beat on medium for 2 minutes (this is where it goes everywhere!)

The finished batter (this is when you get red hands!)

16 cupcakes ready to be baked

Perfect domes cooling

Almost cool enough to frost...

Tada! This is when you get a red tongue!

Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 3
Tenderness: 3
Frosting: 4