I have a confession to make.

I only made it through the first four Harry Potter books. And I have only seen the first movie.

Blasphemy! Heresy! I know some of you are screaming this right now, and I’m sorry! Consider these little butterbeer gems my sincere apology.

Truth is, I would love to finish reading the series…but between Indian history, microeconomic analysis, physiology, and environmental policy readings, I haven’t the opportunity this semester. Maybe over winter break? Is it worth it?

(Don’t yell!)

So anyways…my sister’s 17th birthday was this past week. Months ago, we were perusing Pinterest together and she saw some butterbeer cupcakes from amybites that promptly elicited an, “I want THOSE for my birthday!!” Being a good sister, I tucked that tidbit of information away and whipped the recipe back out this week. Now here is where the story takes a less-than-perfect turn.

We all have those “duh” moments in baking, right? Or is it just me? Darn.

Let me rewind a bit. I wanted to take Amy’s butterbeer cupcake idea and adapt it, since I have several boxes of cake mix sitting around. I looked to the soda can cupcake idea and figured I’d do that with a yellow cake mix and a bottle of cream soda. To make the cakes more “butterbeer-y”, I thought it would be a fabulous idea to throw in some butterscotch chips. Sounds okay so far, right?

Well. As any nominally experienced baker would expect, I predicted that the chips would sink to the bottom of the cupcakes. What I did not predict was that the chips would be irrevocably stuck to the paper liners

Sigh.

But I’m no quitter! I scraped the salvageable bits of cake and butterscotch into a bowl, added some butterscotch caramel sauce, mixed it all together, and candy-coated it to make some cute little butterbeer cake truffles instead.

Not a horrible failure, right?

So instead of including the cupcake recipe (which was a disaster), I’m going to include a “what I would have done” recipe for the truffles, which will really only leave out the step that involved frantically scraping mangled cakes from their paper liners

Butterbeer Cake Truffles
Yield: 40-50 truffles, depending on size

1 box yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 can/bottle (12 oz) cream soda, room temperature (I used Jones Soda)
1 cup butterscotch chips (about half of an 11 oz bag)
butterscotch caramel sauce (can sub regular butterscotch or caramel sauce here, I’m sure)
1 bag vanilla candy melts
yellow gel coloring, if desired
sprinkles for decoration, if desired

1. Combine the cake mix and soda in a bowl and whisk until only a few lumps remain. Bake the cake in a 13×9″ pan according to box directions. Cool completely before proceeding.
2. Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl. Melt the butterscotch chips over a double boiler or in a microwave on low power, stirring at frequent intervals to avoid scorching. Add the melted chips to the crumbled cake and mix well.
3. Add butterscotch caramel sauce by the spoonful, at your discretion, until desired truffle consistency is reached. I ended up using around 3-4 Tbsp, but use whatever makes you happiest!
4. Roll the mixture into small, uniform balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Chill the balls in the fridge (or freezer) for 20-30 minutes before proceeding.
5. Melt the vanilla candy melts over a double boiler or in a microwave on low power, stirring at frequent intervals to avoid scorching. Color with yellow gel coloring, if desired. Dip the truffle balls into the melted candy and tap to remove excess. Place back on the wax paper and decorate with sprinkles while still wet. Cool completely.
6. Dig in!

Did you hear me, people?

It’s almost FALL!

^Last year, on a hike.^

Please excuse me if I seem disproportionately excited for something that most “normal” people dread – the end of Summer, but I live for the Fall. Pretty leaves, pumpkins, cool nights, spices, and fireplaces? Summer ain’t got nothin’ on Fall.

And with that in mind, today I made a pumpkin cake. Yes, it’s the second day of September and already I’m breaking out the canned pumpkin and the pumpkin spice Hershey Kisses (of which I bought four bags)…who’s gonna stop me?! Certainly not you after you make this cake. It is super-duper-Alice-Cooper easy, starting with a boxed mix and all, which is simultaneously fantastic and dangerous. This cake is wonderfully moist, not too dense, and the chopped Kisses and cinnamon-vanilla glaze really give it that extra oomph!

I made this particular cake for a family gathering today…it’s a good thing I set aside a couple pieces for us to take home because the rest was demolished in under ten minutes. I served it with vanilla ice cream on the side, but I think it would be even more divine with some of Talenti’s Sea Salt Caramel (drool).

Anyhow, enough ranting for me. Make this baby and just try to tell me you don’t love the Fall!

Pumpkin Kiss Bundt Cake
Adapted from: Pinch of Yum
Yield: 16 slices

1 package yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Classic Yellow)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (I used Libby’s)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 package Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses, coarsely chopped (save a few for garnishing the top, if you like)

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix first set of seven ingredients together using an electric mixer. Beat for 3-4 minutes. Add chopped kisses, fold in by hand. Pour into greased bundt pan (I used a Nordic Ware Heritage pan, which has a 10-cup capacity, and the cake was beautiful. Most regular Bundt pans have a 12-cup capacity).
3. Bake cake for 45 minutes.
4. Mix last 4 ingredients to make the glaze while cake is baking. Let cake cool completely. Drizzle with glaze. Devour.

No, you say? “I love chicken and broccoli,” you say? Okay. Well, indulge me and have one of these brownies before you scold me and start lecturing on how eating healthy will make you feel so great. Because I’m willing to bet that these bad boys will make you feel great too…maybe not in a “where’s my bikini?” way, but certainly in a chocolaty-creamcheese-caramely-peanutbutter-pretzely way.

I first made these Ben & Jerry’s themed brownies about a year ago for a friend’s birthday, but have made them several times since! They’re decadently delicious, pack an impressive visual punch, and are surprisingly easy to throw together. Plus, who doesn’t love chocolate, peanut butter pretzels, caramel, and cheesecake filling? Anyone out there saying “eww, peanut butter pretzels!” has just made me cry a little bit, on the inside.

But seriously, MAKE THESE the next time you have an occasion! I fully support “Tuesday afternoon” as an occasion, by the way. Also, “I’m sorta hungry” is a perfectly valid occasion.

Chubby Hubby Brownies
Source: Piece of Cake
Yield: 16 brownies

For the swirl:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup malted milk powder

For the brownies:
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons oure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

Add-ins:
4 ounces store-bought caramels, unwrapped and quartered
3 ounces peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets, lightly crushed

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8- inch baking pan with foil or parchment (I wouldn’t skip this part, if you usually do!) and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make the cream cheese swirl, get a medium bowl and beat together the cream cheese, 1 egg, sugar, vanilla and malt powder until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder and set aside to cool.
4. In another medium bowl, whisk together the 3 eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt until combined, about 15 seconds. Whisk the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Spread half the brownie batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the caramel bits and half the crushed pretzels evenly over the top. Pour in the cream cheese mixture and smooth the surface with a spatula. Dollop the remaining half of the brownie batter over the cream cheese mixture in 5-6 generous blobs. Using a butter knife, lightly swirl the brownie batter and cream cheese mixture together. Sprinkle the remaining caramel bits and pretzels over the top.
6. Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick comes out clean when tested 1 inch from the edges (it will look a bit underdone in the middle), about 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours, before cutting and serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Today is my dear, sweet, beautiful mother’s (hi Mom ) birthday. A while back, she found a silly picture on the web of a dog sitting with a bunch of dog-shaped cupcakes that she adored. I thought I’d recreate that for her with mini versions of our own mutts, immortalized in cake and sugary, buttery icing. What could be better?!

The cupcakes themselves (which kind of get overlooked here) are moist, buttery and almond-tastic. I was short on time yesterday so I used a doctored-up cake mix recipe, but they turned out fabulous. The recipe made 12 regular-sized cupcakes and 24 minis, but if you’re using it to make all regular-sized cupcakes it would make 24. The frosting is a vanilla buttercream from Rosie at Sweetapolita that I use often; it’s silky smooth and so easy to whip up and work with! The frosting is the same for both pupcakes, it’s just been colored tan for the terrier version.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes
Source: Gimme Some Oven
Yield: 24 cupcakes (or 12 regular + 24 minis)

1 (18.25 oz.) white cake mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups (or 12, and 24 minis) with paper liners.
2. Add the cake mix, buttermilk, oil, almond extract and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until moistened, about 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, until the batter is well-mixed. Increase speed to high and beat until thick and fluffy, 2 minutes longer.
3. Pour or scoop the batter into the paper liners until they are 2/3 full. Bake regular-sized cupcakes for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Minis will need to bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool on a wire rack.

Bakery-Style Vanilla Frosting

Adapted from: Sweetapolita
Yield: enough to frost 24 cupcakes

3 sticks (340 grams/12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
5 cups (625 grams/22 ounces) confectioners’ sugar (icing, powdered)
1 tablespoon (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale and creamy.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.
3. Add touch of gel food colour, if desired and mix until blended.
4. Best used right away.

So our Norfolk Terrier’s name is Ajax; he’s kind of a crotchety old grouch, even though he’s only three years old. He loves the sun, hot dogs, and going for walks. He hates sharing, the word “shower,” and baby gates. He also has a love/hate relationship with car rides. He’s a spoiled little guy who is lately not so “little” and probably should cut back on the hot dogs and bump up the intensity of his walks!

Our other dog is a mutt (Mom says “designer dog,” I say mutt!) named Loki, he’s half Lhasa Apso and half Bichon Frise. He is the sweetest, cuddliest, and dopiest dog I’ve ever been around. He’s like a ragdoll; any position you put him in, he’ll stay in…as long as you continue to pet him. His underbite makes him, in my opinion, simultaneously hideous and endearing. But he was, without a doubt, born to be a loverboy.

…please excuse the fact that both dogs are in need of a good grooming

Anyways, the cupcakes were a big hit! They are time consuming, especially if you’re a perfectionist like me, but I think that the end result is totally worth it. The tutorial I used is from the book Hello, Cupcake! and is actually pretty simple. The head is constructed from a mini cupcake and marshmallows, and then just placed on top of the frosted-cupcake body. I found another site that has step-by-step photos and instructions, similar to the way I did my version.

I wonder what Ajax and Loki thought of their look-alikes. I think mostly they just wanted to eat them. But hey, they have good taste.

Let me know which one is your favorite!

So we have a perfectionist’s hodge-podge of cake and frosting recipes today, yay! I settled on a double vanilla cupcake, a classic red velvet, and a double chocolate. Of course, I like to keep things complicated for myself, so I spliced together recipes from five different places. First, we’ll address the vanilla:

Vanilla Bean Sour Cream Cupcakes
Adapted from: The Little Kitchen
Yield: 30 cupcakes

1 box white cake mix (I used Duncan Hines French Vanilla)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups water
2 Tbsp coconut oil (feel free to use vegetable oil, I was out!)
1 cup (8oz carton) full-fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground Tahitian vanilla bean

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl and using a stand or hand mixer, mix on low for about 2 minutes. Using a large cookie scoop, fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
3. Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly in cupcake tin on a cooling rack before removing and allowing to cool the rest of the way on cooling racks.

Bakery-Style Vanilla Bean Frosting
Adapted from: Sweetapolita
Yield: enough to frost 24 cupcakes

3 sticks (340 grams/12 ounces) unsalted butter, softened and cut into cubes
5 cups (625 grams/22 ounces) confectioners’ sugar (icing, powdered)
2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground Tahitian vanilla bean
pinch of salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed (I use “4″ on my KitchenAid). Butter will become very pale and creamy.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 5 minutes. Frosting will be very light, creamy, and fluffy.
3. Add touch of gel food colour, if desired and mix until blended (I did not add color, obviously).
4. Best used right away.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Silky Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: 24 frosted cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

For the Frosting:
2 sticks (8 ounces) butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners.
2. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to high and add the eggs. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined. You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
5. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a thin knife or skewer inserted into the center of the largest cupcake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from the pan and place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
7. To make the frosting: Using the whisk attachment, whip the butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl down as necessary. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Increase the speed to medium high and whip for a few minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Chocolate-Oreo Cupcakes
Adapted from: BruCrew Life
Yield: 30 cupcakes

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Devil’s Food)
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix (3.9 oz. box)
1 cup brewed coffee, cooled
4 eggs
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt (I used some Yoplait Light)
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 cups chocolate cookie chunks (I found this to be about half a regular-sized package)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, coffee, eggs, yogurt, and melted butter. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed and beat on medium for 2 minutes. The batter will be very thick. Stir in the cookie chunks by hand.
3. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full. Bake for about 18 minutes. Cool slightly in pan before removing cupcakes to wire rack.

Nutella Cloud Frosting
Adapted from: Sweetapolita
Yield: enough to frost 24 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), softened, but cool
2 1/4 cups icing sugar (confectioners’ or powdered)
3 teaspoons (15 mL) pure vanilla extract
6 ounces premium bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly (I used Ghirardelli 72%)
1/2 cup Nutella
pinch of salt

1. In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed (I use #2 on my KitchenAid mixer) for about 1 minute.
2. Add vanilla, and beat on low speed until well combined. Add the melted and slightly cooled chocolate and beat on medium speed (I use #4 on my KitchenAid mixer) until smooth (about 2 minutes).
3. Add the Nutella and pinch of salt, and beat on med-high speed for another minute.
4. Brace yourself. <—This part is important; this frosting is heavenly!

So in all, I would up with 72 cupcakes (24 of each flavor), plus a little extra batter that found itself transformed into bite-sized mini cupcakes. Every time I undertake large orders for parties, I find myself going, “what was I thinking?!” about halfway through. But by the end, the cupcakes looked so cute that all my irritation melted into admiration

Everything is better with Biscoff, yes? I’m not sure who was the first to think, “I should smash up these cookies and add fat and sugar,” but I’m glad they did. I actually made these cookies some time ago, but I bought a few jars of Biscoff spread on sale the other day and thought of these delicious devils. These cookies are fantastic; well worth all the scooping and smushing of dough and Biscoff!

The recipe comes from Jenny over at Picky Palate; the only modification I used was to swap chopped chocolate bars for the chips that she used in her cookies.

Biscoff-Stuffed White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Source: Picky Palate

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces white chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli bars)
2 cups Biscoff Spread

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla beating until well combined.
3. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with white chocolate chunks until just combined.
4. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. With your thumb, press into each cookie making a little well for the Biscoff. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop about 1 tablespoon Biscoff into each pressed cookie. Place another scoop of cookie dough on top and press edges gently. Biscoff will not be completly enclosed and will be visible around edges.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges are just golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Best served with a tall glass of milk.

Makes 24 large cookies, plenty to share. Or to hoard and savor, one by one.