day of the dead cake

With butter in hand hubby went to work on the very important task of greasing and flouring our skull cake mold from Williams and Sonoma. Paying careful attention to the eyes and nose he quietly worked while I completed the cake batter. After about fifteen minutes he was satisfied. Coming to my side he handed me the red food dye he had gotten from the cabinet, "Let's make it red!" Well, how could I say no to that! Throughout the making of this cake he followed closely behind, cleaning up my messes, finding my lost frosting tips, and giving advice the moment I asked for it. Funny how a skull cake can make me love my hubby even more! 

For the cake:

I used the recipe that came with the cake mold with the addition of red food coloring. However, you could really use any cake batter you like! To keep the cake from sliding apart I used three wooden skewers and a thin layer of black buttercream frosting. For the design I used Day of the Dead masks as a model finishing off with a black buttercream rose (my very first buttercream rose ever!).

caramel pumpkin spice layer cake

So I'm typically not someone who plays with my food too frequently... but I may fall victim to talking to my food. You know "Well, don't you look tasty," or "something smells nice." But this saucy little number caused a "Well hello gorgeous!" to escape my lips... What can I say, I like food and this Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Homemade caramel is too tasty for words... except maybe, "Well hello gorgeous!" 

Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake Recipe via Taste Spotting:

butter for pans and parchment liners
3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
2 stick butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (about 1½ cups)
Cream Cheese Frosting
Caramel Sauce (this recipe by Rose Levy Berenbaum)

1. Preheat to 350°F.

2.Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with rounds of parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper, as well, then flour the parchment paper bottom and sides of the pan.

3. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat on medium speed granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla until just combined (low speed on the mixer).

5. Add the flour/spice mixture to the butter/sugar/eggs mixture, stirring until just combined.

6. Divide the batter between the buttered pans. Lightly tap the pans on the countertop and smooth out the tops of the batter.

7. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pan, start to barely turn golden at the edges, and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool the baked cakes for 15 minutes in their pans. Flip the cakes onto wire cooling racks and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely (upside down, so the rounded tops can flatten out a little).

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ox. cream cheese, doesn’t have to be room temperature/softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 – 3 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar

1. Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

2. Make the caramel or just buy it. Whatever your heart desires. I was just up for a little challenge. 

3. Frost cake and drizzle caramel sauce over the top of the cake... Or scoop it on like I did. I mean I really like caramel.  

pumpkin mocha cupcakes

Tomorrow is the first day of October! Ten days till my birthday, Halloween is just around the corner, and pumpkin is on every menu! Today a little treat from My Baking Addiction, Pumpkin Mocha Cupcakes. These are just lovely. The cupcakes are so moist. If you really like coffee though I would suggest substituting two cups of coffee in these treats instead of one cup of coffee and one cup of hot water. 

Recipe via My Baking Addiction

Cupcakes:

2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup coffee, hot
1 cup hot water
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Spice Buttercream:

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 pounds (about 7 1/2 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons homemade pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a whisk, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cocoa powder until thoroughly combined.

3. Add in oil, coffee, water, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well combined and smooth. Batter will be thin.

4. Using a large cookie scoop, distribute the batter between 36 muffin wells; about 3 tablespoons of batter per well.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes or until the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly touched. Allow cupcakes to cool inside muffin tins for about 10 minutes.

6. Remove cupcakes from muffin tins and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. Once cupcakes are cool, prepare your frosting.

For the Pumpkin Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter medium-high speed for about 6 minutes.

2. Turn the mixer down to low speed and gradually add in the confectioners' sugar until it is completely incorporated. Add in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and check the buttercream for taste and texture - add more spice if necessary. Turn the mixer back up to medium-high speed and beat the mixture for about 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. If the buttercream is a bit too thick, you add in a bit of milk one teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

3. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes and if desired.

pumpkin brown butter cupcakes

I have a thing for fall. I love pumpkin patches and making toasted pumpkin seeds, stuffing my face with candy on Halloween, preparing and gobbling down pie on Thanksgiving, living off of cranberry/turkey/dinner roll sandwiches for days to follow... are you catching the trend? So I decided to transition into the fall season with some yummy treats. Enter pumpkin brown butter cupcakes with cinnamon frosting. These cupcakes are just delicious... even if I did get over excited to eat them and didn't wait for the frosting to cool enough. Hey, my tummy doesn't care if they are pretty or not.

Recipe via Sprinkle Bakes

Cake:

¾ cup unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. allspice

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

3 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins with papers.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not solidified.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and allspice.  Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups of pumpkin puree with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and sour cream until well combined.  Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  Whisk in the browned butter until well blended.  
5. Divide batter between cupcake liners.  Fill them about half full.
6. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back when pressed in the middle.

Cinnamon Frosting 

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and heavy cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to chill slightly, and then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

salted caramel cupcakes

So I don't know how you feel about the salty & sweet combination, but I'm for it. I mean pretzel m & m's. Yes, please. Buttery popcorn and chocolate chips. Can't pass it up. So of course when I ran across this salted caramel cupcake recipe I couldn't help myself. These cupcakes are easy to throw together and delicious... not to mention that oh so mouth watering salty & sweet duo. 

Salted Caramel Cupcake recipe via Foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 whole vanilla bean, split
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) salted butter, melted
2 cups all-purpose flour
Caramel Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows

Coarse salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners (24 regular size or 48 mini size).

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the sour cream, baking soda, salt and eggs until combined. Scrape out the insides of the vanilla bean. Add the vanilla and granulated sugar to the egg mixture. Mix until combined.

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter with 1 cup water. With mixer set to a low speed, alternate adding the water and butter, with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until well combined.

Fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full with the batter. Bake until golden brown and baked through, 22 minutes for regular size and 16 minutes for mini size. Now use all the patience you have to allow the cupcakes to cool completely... or maybe just try a bite or two or five. Frost with the Caramel Buttercream Frosting. Add some pretty little touches like caramel sauce. I use the Pioneer Woman's super easy recipe. Then sprinkle with coarse salt. Finally, dig in!

Caramel Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed and chilled
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup caramel sauce

Using a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and beat until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until fully incorporated and smooth. Reduce the speed and add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Mix until fully incorporated. Add the caramel sauce to the buttercream mixture.