Easy Chocolate Cake Cups

Love cake and frosting? Try it in a new way in these chocolate coated chocolate cake cups!

These are like a mashup of cake pops and peanut butter cups (without the peanut butter), and they are so, so yummy! Chocolate coats a layer of cake and a layer of frosting. Need I say more?

I'm not using exact measurements for this recipe simply because no measurements are really needed. It will all depend on how much cake versus frosting you want inside of the cups.

Easy Chocolate Cake Cups

• 1 to 1 1/2 Cup Chocolate
• Chocolate Cake, crumbled (about one slice, or a cupcake or two will do)
• Frosting, small batch (my fluffy buttercream frosting would be delicious)
• Sprinkles, optional

1. Line a mini muffin tin with 12 paper wrappers.
2. Crumble the cake with your fingers and set aside.
3. In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate.
4. Divide half of the chocolate between all 12 wrappers, spreading it around up the sides of the wrappers. Chill until solid.
5. Take a bit of the cake crumbles and put them inside of each cup, pressing down slightly.
6. Top cake crumbles with a dab of frosting.
7. Top the frosting with more chocolate, spreading it evenly over the tops. Sprinkle, if you desire.
8. Chill until solid and consume. Keep leftover cake cups in the fridge.

Enjoy!

-Bethany

Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

Love buttercream and whipped cream? Can't decide on which one to make? The two come together in this fluffy buttercream frosting! It is light, airy, and full of buttercream flavor.

This is the perfect frosting for cupcakes, cake, and more! I especially liked it on these funfetti cupcakes, and on a dark chocolate cake!

Fluffy Buttercream Frosting

• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Pinch of Salt

1. In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and sugar. Beat until well combine.
2. Add the heavy whipping cream, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Scoop into piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes or cake.

Enjoy!

-Bethany

Linking up to #FreeFromFridays link party.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cupcakes With Cookie Dough Frosting

Do you love cupcakes? 

Are you a big fan of cookie dough? 

Do you dream about chocolate ganache?

If the answer is yes to every one of those questions, then you need to make these cupcakes. Right now.

These vanilla cupcakes are loaded with chocolate chips, filled with a rich chocolate ganache, and then topped with a creamy cookie dough frosting. Does it get any more cravings-worthy than that?

I even drizzled a bit of chocolate ganache on top to make them extra special.

The Best Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 1 Cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Flaxseed Meal
• 6 Tablespoons Hot Water
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup Hot Milk
• 3/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons White Rice Flour
• 1/4 Cup plus 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1/4 Cup plus 3 Tablespoons Tapioca Starch
• 1/2 Tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat the water and add in the flaxseed meal. Set aside for about ten minutes.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
4. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar for five minutes, until light and fluffy.
5. Add a bit of the flaxseed mixture at a time, with the mixer on, then add the vanilla and beat until fluffy again.
6. Add in half of the dry ingredients and blend. Then add half the milk and blend again. Repeat, and then beat it all together for about two minutes.
7. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
8. Divide batter between 18 paper lined muffin tin holes and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Heat heavy cream until boiling. Pour over chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.
2. Refrigerate just for a bit, until thickened up slightly but not too thick. 
3. Use a knife to scoop a bit of the cake from the center of each cooled cupcake, then fill each center with ganache. 

Gluten Free Cookie Dough Frosting

• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Rice Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• A pinch of Salt
• 1/4 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Cream together the butter and both sugars until they are nice and smooth.
2. Add the rice flour, milk, vanilla and salt and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy Add a bit more milk if too thick for your taste.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Frost cupcakes. Eat right away or refrigerate. 

Enjoy!

-Bethany

Linking up to Allergy Free Thursdays.

Sugar Free Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

This recipe is super simple, sugar free, and completely delicious. All that you need to make this sugar free frosting is some Nustevia Cocoa Syrup, cocoa powder and heavy whipping cream. When those three ingredients are put together, you will create something completely delicious. Use it to frost my Sugar Free Chocolate Black Bean Cake, and you will have a dessert that no one will guess is healthy.

Here is the recipe. See how easy it is? I challenge you to try it today! I know you'll be happy if you do. :)


Sugar Free Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons Nustevia Cocoa Syrup

1. Put the heavy whipping cream in the bowl of your mixer and whip until soft peaks form.
2. Sift in the cocoa powder, add the Nustevia Cocoa Syrup and beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Frost cake and keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!

-Bethany

Although NuNaturals sent me the products, all of the opinions and the recipe are by me.

Gluten Free Cookie Dough Frosting

It was my sister's 29th birthday a few days ago, and to celebrate I knew that I wanted to make her a special cake. I decided on a chocolate cake, and I considered all of my options before I settled on a cookie dough frosting for it. Oh, I am so glad that I did. 

This frosting is just what you would expect from its name. It is sweet, but not too sweet. It is filled with cookie dough flavor, and it has a texture that is somewhere between a frosting and cookie dough. I will definitely be making it again!

In addition to the cake, we put up a few decorations for my sister's birthday...

And, of course, there were some presents...

And we made her a birthday meal...

 But the cake... it was definitely the star!

We even decorated the top with some mud and pigs!

Gluten Free Cookie Dough Frosting

• 1 Cup Butter
• 2 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup plus 3 Tablespoons Rice Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1. Cream together the butter and both sugars until they are nice and smooth.
2. Add the rice flour, milk, vanilla and salt and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy Add a bit more milk if too thick for your taste.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Get frosting and enjoy! (I stored my cake in the fridge)

Adapted from this recipe.

-Bethany

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I didn't know what a real frosting was until I made this recipe. 

I'm not sure where I originally found it, but I am so glad I did.

Before, I used to just add a dab of butter, a ton of powdered sugar, too much milk, and imitation vanilla extract and mix it all together with a spoon and wonder why my frosting didn't hold up. I didn't fully realize all that I was missing out on until I made my first buttercream. 

This frosting is so rich, smooth and delicious. It takes a few minutes longer than just tossing some ingredients together, but the effort is definitely worth it. 

But don't just take my word for it. Try this buttercream frosting the next time that you are making cake or cupcakes or filling for whoopie pies or just about anything that requires frosting, and you are going to fall in love with it yourself. It holds up well when frosting layer cakes and it adds a rich, buttery flavor to any dessert.

Buttercream Frosting

• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

1. Cream butter in a large bowl for about a minute or so. 
2. Add three cups of powdered sugar and beat again until combined. 
3. Add two or three Tablespoons of milk, vanilla extract and salt and beat again, for about three minutes. Add more milk if necessary.
4. Sample. Frost. Sample. Repeat.

This is seriously the best. You don't know what frosting is until you have made your own buttercream.
-Bethany

Recipe: Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

To me, there is nothing better than a good frosting. Whether it's coating a cake, brownies or eaten straight from the bowl, frosting is my favorite. 

And chocolate frosting? Even better.

Especially Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
• 3-4 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
• 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt

1. Cream butter in a large bowl for about a minute or so. 
2. Add three cups of powdered sugar and beat again until combined. 
3. Add two or three Tablespoons of milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and beat again, for about three minutes. Add more milk if necessary.
4. Sample. Frost. Sample. Repeat.

Enjoy!
-Bethany