Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Fudgy Centers

This flavor combination has been a long time coming.  Peanut butter is one of my absolute favorite things.  When I was a child, I remember eating peanut butter sandwiches for lunch everyday at school on my Papa's homemade bread.  Sometimes I ate jelly sandwiches, but never peanut butter and jelly together.  I know, I'm some kind of freak of nature that doesn't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but it just never made much sense to me.  Plus peanut butter is completely delicious on its own, so why add jelly?  Chocolate and peanut butter . . . now that's a different story.  Those are two that belong together - a match made in heavy!  These cupcakes have a delicious fudgy center that add something special to its overall texture.  And the frosting, don't even get me started on that.  I'm lucky I had enough to frost the cupcakes.  Enjoy!
  
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Fudgy Centers
Cake:
1/2 cup oil
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 box devil's food cake mix


Filling:
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 T heavy whipping cream


Frosting:
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup peanut butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T half and half


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  Combine filling ingredients in medium bowl, over a double boiler.  Let ingredients melt, stirring occasionally.  It will be very thick.  Refrigerate until later use.  
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
5.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Cake Mix while stirring.
6.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
8.  Place refrigerated filling into bowl of stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy.
9.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with chocolate peanut butter filling.
10.  To make frosting:  beat butter until light and fluffy; add peanut butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until combined; add half and half 1 T at a time until desired consistency is reached.
11.  Pipe onto cooled and filled cupcakes.  

Source:  Adapted from Your Cup of Cake's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

S'more Cupcakes

For most people s'mores bring about memories of camping, sitting fireside, and staring up at the starry night sky.  Let me just say that the closest I've ever been to camping is sleeping on an air mattress in my parents basement.  This is what my sister and I called "camping."  A self-proclaimed germaphobic and arachnophobic, you will find me as far away from nature as humanly possible.  Forget camping, one mosquito bite will have me swollen and needing a 10-day course of antibiotics.  I will However, a few years ago my parents bought a fire pit, and we got hooked on s'mores.  Now don't let me kid you, this is not the slightest bit like camping.  The fire pit is powered by gas and it sits atop their deck, far away from the grass and any sort of creepy crawly creatures.  These cupcakes remind me of summer nights, sitting around the fire pit with my family, laughing and reminiscing.  Hope you enjoy!         


S'more Cupcakes
Cake:
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup light sour cream
3 eggs
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix
graham cracker crumbs


Marshmallow Filling:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup marshmallow fluff
2-3 cups powdered sugar
2 T half & half

Graham Cracker Buttercream Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 T heavy whipping cream


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
3.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
4.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Cake Mix while stirring.
5.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and sprinkle with 1 tsp graham cracker crumbs.
6.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7.  Place cupcakes on wire rack to cool completely.
7.  To make filling:  beat cream cheese and marshmallow fluff until light and fluffy; add powdered sugar and half and half; beat until combined.
8.  After cupcakes are cooled, using an apple corer, remove center of cupcake and fill with marshmallow cream.
9.  To make frosting:  beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy; add powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and vanilla and beat until combined; add whipping cream 1 T at a time until desired consistency is reached.
10.  Pipe onto cooled and filled cupcakes.  

Source:  Adapted from Your Cup of Cake's S'more Cupcakes

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

My little sister is allergic to gluten.  I feel like I've been torturing her with all of my pictures and postings of treats she can't eat.  So I decided to create a cupcake for her and everyone else who may be allergic to gluten.  I chose to use a gluten-free cake mix containing all of the dry ingredients necessary for this cupcake.  Most gluten-free recipes contain a blend of different gluten-free flours.  In order to make it simple, I picked up a Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mix, which already contains the perfect blend of gluten-free flours.  It is a very simple recipe, and it produces a moist dark chocolate cake.  Since this cupcake is dark chocolate, and not too sweet I decided to pair it with a sweet strawberry frosting.  Hope you enjoy!      


Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 box Devil's Food Gluten-Free Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker)


Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup strawberry pie filling, puréed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 T half & half


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
3.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
4.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Gluten-Free Cake Mix while stirring.

5.  Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full and bake for 18-24 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

6.  To make frosting:  beat butter and vanilla extract until light and fluffy; add strawberry pie filling, 1 T half & half, and 1 cup powdered sugar; beat until combined.  Continue to add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached.  Add remaining 1 T of half & half if frosting becomes to thick.

6.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Cookies & Cream Mini Cupcakes

Tonight's baking endeavor was an exercise in self restraint.  I didn't know going into it that this would be the case.  I had plans to make these cookies & cream mini cupcakes annnnnd classic vanilla mini cupcakes for Thanksgiving tomorrow.  Unfortunately, I won't be eating any turkey or watching any football because I'll be at work, so I decided to send myself in spirit with these cupcakes.  Being Italian, and this may be somewhat stereotypical, but nonetheless very true, I have inherited the desire to feed people.  Any family event involves enormous quantities of food because we are always worried about not having enough.  Now in all my life, I have never seen this occur, but it is always a concern.  By the time I was finished baking these cupcakes, I ended up with an even 60.  But somehow, sitting on my counter, it just didn't look like very many.  I started gathering up the ingredients to make my vanilla cupcakes when my finacé asked what I was doing.  "Making more cupcakes for tomorrow," I replied without a second thought.  The look on his face explained just how crazy he thought I was before he even said a word.  After he went on about how everyone didn't need a cupcake because there would be other desserts, which of course I didn't agree with, I put my ingredients away and decided to stick with my 60 cupcakes, as opposed to the 120 I would end up with if I made vanilla cupcakes too.  This was a very difficult thing for me to do! And even now, as I sit typing this post, looking at my tiny little cupcakes in their tray, I'm wondering, should I have made more?  Either way these minis are delicious and they are topped with my favorite frosting I have ever created!

 Cookies & Cream Mini Cupcakes
(makes approximately 60 mini cupcakes)


60 1/2 tsp Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup light sour cream
3 eggs
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix


Frosting:
1 cup butter
Oreo cream from separated cookies
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T half & half
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs sifted


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line mini muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  Separate 1 package of Oreo cookies.  Scrape off the cream center and set aside for later.  Put the cookies in the food processor to crush.
3.  Sift the crushed Oreos.  You will need 1 cup sifted cookies for the frosting, so set this amount aside.  Any left over sifted cookies, as well as the larger pieces that did not sift, can be used in the next step.
4.  Place 1/2 tsp of larger crumbs and left over sifted cookies into the bottom of each cupcakes liner.
5.  In a large bowl, whisk together water, buttermilk, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
6.  Add eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition.
7.  Slowly add the Devil's Food Cake Mix while stirring.
8.  Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9.  To make frosting:  beat together butter and Oreo cream centers.
10.  Add vanilla, powdered sugar, and half and half.  Beat until combined.
11.  Add sifted Oreo cookie crumbs and beat just until combined.  Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.  

Source:  Adapted from Your Cup of Cake's Oreo Crumble Cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Açai Oatmeal Cookies

A few months ago I made a delicious discovery while wandering the aisles of our local Costco - dark chocolate covered açai berries!  I had heard a lot about these berries because of there antioxidant properties, but I had no idea what on earth one might taste like.  So I decided to do something completely out of character, and accept the free sample offered to me.  You might wonder why this is such a big deal.  Those who know of my germaphobic tendencies will understand how something as simple as a free sample is enough to make me cringe.  The thought of my food sitting there, out in the open, unprotected, as customer after customer examine it, and breathe on it . . . a scary thought!  Well I am happy to say I survived the experience, and may even sample again . . . gasp!  I had been eating these berries for a couple of months by the handful when I was craving something sweet.  Then one day it dawned on me, something this delicious belongs in a cookie!  After some brainstorming, I decided the oatmeal cookie was the proper choice.  This recipe is 100% my own, so I hope you enjoy!        

Dark Chocolate Açai Oatmeal Cookies
2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup dark chocolate covered açai berries (such as Brookside), coarsely chopped


1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3.  Beat butter and sugars until creamy.
4.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
5.  Add combined flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt; mix until combined.
6.  Add oats and mix just until combined.
7.  Fold in chopped berries.
8.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
9.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
10.  Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheets before moving to wire rack.

Banana Rum Fudge Cake

I thought it would make sense to have my first recipe post explain the name of my blog "Banana Rum."  Since my baking was inspired by my Papa, I picked a name that would pay tribute to my favorite cake that he baked.  It is a delicious dark fudge cake with a fluffy, light, pudding-based frosting.  Like the name says there is rum in it!  If you are looking to make it kid friendly just use the rum in the cake (where it will bake off) and nix the rum in the frosting.  However, I remember asking my Papa many times to just make a batch of frosting for my sister and I to eat by the spoonful.  I'm pretty sure he never left out the rum and we turned out just fine :)  I've made a few changes to the recipe over time, but it's still just as delicious as I remember!

Banana Rum Fudge Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa (or Hershey's Cocoa for a lighter cake)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2-3) mashed banana

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup dark rum

3 large eggs

1 package (3 3/4 oz) instant banana cream pudding

1 cup cold milk

1 T dark rum (optional)

8 oz whipped topping, thawed

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.

2.  Add mashed bananas, water, rum, and eggs to mixture.  Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until completely combined (about 4 minutes).

3.  Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.  Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

4.  Cool completely.

5.  To prepare frosting combine pudding mix, milk, and rum (optional).  Beat at medium speed until thickened.

6.  Fold in whipped topping.  Spread evenly over cooled cake.

7.  Refrigerate cake (and leftovers) until serving.

The cake above was made with Hershey's Cocoa, not Special Dark Hershey's Cocoa.