Cream Filled Chocolate Cake

My bff/roommate/sister's real sister came to visit last weekend from Washington and she happened to be here during her 21st birthday so I had to make sure she had a delicious cake to celebrate with! I did a little research… (asking her best friend).. and discovered she likes chocolate cake and decided that's what I would make! What's better with chocolate cake then cream filling?? Right, nothing! 

I made one batch of my cake recipe and then divided it evenly between 4 cake pans, well, actually I had to bake it in 2 batches because I only have 2 pans. 

Side note: I'm not exactly sure why, but, for some reason I have no pictures of the cakes out of the oven. Weird, I know. So, just pretend you see them! :)

While the cakes were cooling I started on the cream filling. 

Add water and gelatin to a small sauce pan and then heat it up while stirring until it's dissolved. I then poured it into a chilled bowl to speed up the cooling process. 

While that is cooling, beat heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Next, beat in the vanilla. Once the gelatin is cooled but not thick pour it down the side of the bowl mixing it in slowly.

Start with the first layer, used a bread knife to level it out, next use a slanted spatula to add the cream filling.

Repeat for each layer and top with the last layer.

Put the stacked cake in the fridge to set and make the buttercream. Once the buttercream is made it is time for the crumb coat.

Using a slanted spatula give the cake a very thin crumb coat.

Once the crumb coat is finished put the cake back in the fridge to set.

Next, frost cake with remaining buttercream and decorate as desired.

Cover top with sprinkles if desired.

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Cream Filled Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake; use cake pans instead of cupcake pans
Buttercream frosting

Filling:

2 tsp. unflavored gelatin 

3 tbsp. cold water

2 cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Filling:

1. In a small sauce pan pour gelatin over cold water, heat on medium, stirring constantly until dissolved.
2. Whip whipping cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form, add vanilla and continue to beat.
3. Once gelatin is cooled slowly pour it down the side of the bowl while mixing.

Cake Assembly:

1. Bake and cool cake. Make filling. Assemble cake by placing about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of filling between each layer. Repeat for each layer. 
2. Top with last layer. Refrigerate.
3. Give cake a crumb coat. Refrigerate.
4. Icing and decorate how desired.

Try it out, let me know what you think! xoxo

Halloween Marble Cupcakes

These cupcakes were made for a Halloween potluck my bff was having at work. I decided to do a vanilla chocolate "marble" cupcake which would allow me to do both orange and black cake.

I started with a box mix and then separated it in two, one half I made orange and the other black.

I added cocoa powered and black americolor gel in order to get a strong black color and not a grey.

The vanilla I just turned into orange with a little orange americolor gel. 

I started by placing a small scoop or orange cake in the pans.

Then I added some chocolate.

And topped them off with more orange.

They baked up to be a nice orange and black color!

I decided to go with a strong orange colored vanilla buttercream and black pearls.

Try them out and let me know what you think! 

I look from the inside.

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Halloween Marble Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

1 box mix

3 eggs

¾ cups heavy cream

¼ milk

½ cup butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup cocoa powder

Orange food coloring

Black food coloring

­Frostings:

Vanilla Buttercream

Orange food coloring

Directions

Cupcakes:

1.     Heat oven to 350º. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.

2.     Add mix, eggs, heavy cream, milk, and butter to bowl of your stand mixer and beat on medium for 2 minutes.

3.     Divide batter in half, add cocoa and black food coloring to half and mix well.

4.     Add orange food coloring to the other half and mix well.

5.     Divide batter between pans, alternating between orange and black batter.

6.     Place in oven and immediately turn down to 325º.

7.     Bake for 18-22 minutes.

Frosting:

1. Make frosting, add orange food coloring and mix well.

Thanks for coming, stay awhile, and return often! xoxo

Marshmallow Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

I love to bake and I am always baking, coming up with new ideas, recipes, figuring out tricks and tips and more. Luckily I have built in taste testers thanks to my mom and best friend who live with me. Every once in awhile I'll get a text from my best friend when she's at work begging for requesting a certain cupcake, or can you try and make this or that, etc. Well, this time it was the request for a Hostess  Cupcake knock-off. Is it just me or are you always left wanting more creme when eating those? So I set out to make just that with a twist and extra creme in the middle!

I started with my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe because really-- you just can't fail with it. I am not a chocolate fan, I don't really care for chocolate cake, candy, ice cream-- any of it, but this cupcake I will eat. Always. So good! 

I decided to use marshmallow fluff to fill them since it is both delicious and easy. Since it is so thick I knew I wouldn't be able to use my Wilton Round Decorating Tip 230 that I normally use to fill cupcakes. So I decided to use my mellon baller instead. I started by taking off a little "hat" and some more cupcake inside and discarding the crumbs but saving the "hat".

I filled a decorating bag with marshmallow fluff and just cut off then end to pipe the filling into the cupcake. I filled them as much as I could and then some! 

Next, I put their little "hat" back on to cover the surprise that's in the middle. 

I decided to top them with caramel buttercream because I just love it! It is so delicious and goes perfect with a chocolate cupcake. However, you could top them with a chocolate ganache for a more Hostess Cupcake look if you wanted! 

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Marshmallow Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients 

Cupcakes:

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream (you could use all milk or all cream, I only had fat free milk so I mixed the two)

1/4 cup fat free milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Filling:

1 1/2- 2 cups Jet Puff Marshmallow Creme

Frosting:

Caramel Buttercream 

or 

Chocolate Ganache

Thanks for coming, stay awhile, and return often! xoxo