Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Layer Cake

Ingredients: 

Cake:

• 3 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup + 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder 
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 tsp instant coffee granules

Filling:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 5 to 6 cups powdered sugar

Frosting:

• 12 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup very hot water
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• pinch of salt

Instructions: 

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9" cake pans and set aside. 

In an electric mixer, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the eggs, milk, and oil. Stir for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add the coffee granules to the boiling water and stir into the batter. The batter will be very thin. 

Distribute evenly between three cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Filling:

In a saucepan, slowly combine the sugar and water. Be careful not to let the mixture splash upon the sides of the pan. Set the pan over low heat and stir gently until the sugar completely dissolves, about 10 minutes. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before letting the mixture come to a boil. 

Once the sugar is dissolved, increase the heat and bring the syrup to a boil. Once brought to a boil, cover the saucepan and let boil for 2 minutes. After the 2 minutes reduce the heat, and continue to let the mixture boil until the edges turn golden brown. Once the edges turn golden brown, gently swirl the pan until the syrup turns a dark amber color. 

Remove the syrup and add the butter. Stir until the butter is melted. Next stir in the cream. Stir in the vanilla and the salt. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove any caramel lumps. Pour into a bowl to let cool to room temperature, or put in the refrigerator to speed up the process. 

Once the syrup is room temperature place 1 1/2 sticks of butter into the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until the butter is light and fluffy. Add in the caramel sauce and then add in the powdered sugar until desired constancy. 

Frosting:
Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a double broiler. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Let the melted chocolate cool to room temperature. In a small bowl stir the cocoa powder and water. 

With an electric mixer, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Add in the room temperature, melted chocolate, and the cocoa powder water mixture. Beat until smooth.

Assembly:

Level the cake layers if necessary. Place the cake layers on a cake board or platter. Top the cake layer with 1/3 of the caramel buttercream and smooth out evenly. Place the second cake layer on top and smooth another 1/3 of buttercream. Place the final cake layer on top. Cover the top and sides of the layer cake with the chocolate frosting and smooth out with an offset spatula. 

Use additional caramel buttercream to pipe decorative accents on the top and bottom of the cake like I did in the picture above. 

Banana Whoopie Pies

Ingredients: 

Banana Whoopie Pie:

• 1 lb. (about 4) bananas
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Buttercream:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, very softened
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, ONLY IF buttercream is too thick

Instructions:

Banana Whoopie Pie:

MAKES 24. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

Peel and mush bananas with a fork until there are only a few small lumps. Blend together the lemon juice and the banana with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla into the banana mixture. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture. 

Using a pastry bag or  plastic dip lock with a hole, squeeze the banana whoopee pie mixture onto the pan with a 2 inch diameter. Leave at least an in between each banana circle. Immediately put the whoopee pies into the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown and spring back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool completely. 

Vanilla Buttercream:
Cream the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until there are no chunks. Slowly, with the mixer on a low speed add the powdered sugar, very slowly. Increase the speed of the electric mixer and add the vanilla. Once the entire mix is well combined, continue to mix the buttercream for 2 more minutes to get the light and fluffy effect. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Now if the buttercream is too thick add only 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until desired thickness is achieved. If the buttercream is too think and liquidly add more powdered sugar gradually until thickened.

Assembly:
To fill the whoopie pies turn half of them over. Using a pastry bag, pipe a good amount of Vanilla Buttercream into the center of each whoopie bottom. Top with the remaining whoopies and slightly push down.

Coffee Cake

Ingredients: 

Cake:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Topping:

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cole unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Instructions: 

Cake:

Preheat oven 350º. Grease and flour an 8 by 8 pan.

Combine sour cream and baking soda in a bowl with an electric mixer, set aside (this will double in size). Cream butter and sugar. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Alternately add in the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture into the batter, ending with the flour mixture. 

Topping:

Place the brown sugar, all purpose flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and mash up with a fork until it forms a crumble. 

Assembly:
Pour half of the cake batter into the greased and floured pan, sprinkle half of the topping over the batter evenly. Cover with remaining batter and sprinkle with the left over topping mixture.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Chocolate, Chocolate Cake Pops

To make the lollipop sticks stay in the cake pop; dunk it into the chocolate coating

 An easy holder to make for the cake pops! 

Ingredients: 


Chocolate Cake:

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• a tiny bit less than a cup of flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Butter cream Frosting:

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter at room temp
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Coating:

• 1 lb semi sweet chocolate chips or confectionery chocolate coating

Other:

• 25 to 30 lollipop sticks
• sprinkles of your choice!

Directions:

Chocolate Cake:
Preheat oven to 325º. Grease a circle pan or a glass pan. In a large bowl mix together the baking powder, salt, flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Slowly stir in the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour into the greased pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean.

Chocolate Butter cream Frosting:

While the cake is baking start making the butter cream. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, mix together the butter, cocoa, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until nice and fluffy.

Assembly:
When the cake is finished, let cool for about 20 minutes. In another bowl start crumbling the cake into very small pieces. Make sure there are no big clumps left over before adding the butter cream. Add one spoonful of butter cream at a time. Mix the butter cream into the chocolate cake crumbles, until the consistency is like a dough. Make sure you don't add too much butter cream, or else the balls won't hold their shape, and if the dough is too dry the balls wont shape at all. 

If the dough is too moist, let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes before making into balls. Shape the chocolate dough into about 25 balls. 

Chocolate Coating: 
Melt the chocolate coating in a double broiler.

Attaching the Lollipop Sticks:
Dip the lollipop stick into the coating, just enough to act as glue when put into the cake ball. Immediately after dipping the stick in coating, stick it into the cake ball. Once all the lollipop sticks are in the cake balls, place the cake pops in the fridge for about 10 minutes to harden them. 

Chocolate Coating the Cake Pops:

Re-melt the coating if needed. Dunk the cake pop into the chocolate coating, making sure all the excess coating comes off. If you have enough chocolate coating, dunk the cake pop into the coating twice for a thicker chocolate outside layer! When the last layer of coating goes on the cake pop, apply the sprinkles and press them into the coating a bit so that the sprinkles stick. 

Store the cake pops in a card board box with holes hand made holes like i did in the picture above, or in a styrofoam block. Store the cake pops up to 3 days in the fridge while not being eaten. This recipe make about 25 Chocolate, Chocolate Cake Pops!

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate, Bundt Cake!

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:

• 1 package devil's food cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup or 8 oz sour cream
• 1 package or 5 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups MINI semi sweet chocolate chips

                               or
Yellow Cake:

• 1 package yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 cup or 8 oz sour cream
• 1 package or 5 oz instant vanilla pudding  mix
• 2 cups mini white chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. 

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, water, sour cream, and instant pudding mix. Once this mixture is completely mixed together, stir in the mini semi sweet chocolate or vanilla chips. 

Grease or spray a bundt pan with cooking spray very well. 

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before flipping onto a plate. 

For a more finished look; drizzle chocolate syrup or dust with powdered sugar.