Pumpkin Patch Chocolate Cupcakes

I love pumpkins and this week I found a pin on Pinterest of the cutest pumpkin cupcakes from Just a Taste so I decided to make my own version. 

My version uses a tried and true favorite chocolate cake from Hershey's and simple white buttercream frosting that I colored orange and then sprinkled with sugar. Add a tootsie roll stem and a curly cue of green frosting and you have the cutest cupcakes. 

Chocolate Cupcakes
Recipe from Hershey's Cocoa

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

 Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking pans with paper liners ad set aside. 

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Basic Butter Cream Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup of softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

Orange food coloring

Green food coloring

Orange sanding sugar

20 tootsie rolls

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the butter and powder sugar on low until blended, then mix on medium for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy. Then add vanilla and heavy cream and blend one more minute. Add more cream to get to desired consistency.

Place a small amount of frosting into a small bowl and add green food coloring until the frosting is the color that you want. Spoon into a baggie and set aside. 

Add orange food coloring to the remaining frosting until you get the orange color that you want. If you are combining red and yellow go slow with the colors because otherwise you could end up with a color that you do not like by adding too much of one color. 

Once you have the decided color frost each cupcake with the orange frosting, then sprinkle with the orange sugar. Snip the corner of the baggie of green frosting and make vines on the cupcakes. Stick an unwrapped tootsie roll into the side of the cupcake where you drew the vines. 

Enjoy

Linking to:
Rooted in Thyme
Between Naps on the Porch

National Chocolate Cake Day!

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

Good morning! Today is National Chocolate Cake Day! Did you know that? There is also a National Chocolate Cupcake Day, National Dark Chocolate Day and many more days devoted to chocolate, in fact I read recently that there is at least on day a month devoted to the celebration of chocolate. 

Moist Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

I LOVE chocolate cake! I have tried many cake recipes, but the two that I always come back to are the Moist Chocolate Cake from Foodness and Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake. In fact the Hershey's cake is one that my family has been making since my mother was a child and that is over 60 years. 

Moist Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Do you have a "go to" family recipe for chocolate cake and scrumptious frosting? Or are you open to trying new recipes each time you make a cake?

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

I would love to see or hear about your chocolate cake recipes, please share your links or recipes with us in the comment section. 

Have a fabulous National Chocolate Cake Day!

You can see my original post for Moist Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting HERE and the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake HERE

Chocolate Cupcakes with Marshmallow Buttercream

If you follow me here or at my other blog Pine Cones and Acorns than you know I love chocolate and sugar, and that is not listed in any particular order. I also love to bake and I really LOVE to give the things I make to people who either no longer bake or people who would never bake. It makes me so happy to see a smile from a cupcake or a brownie.

I frequently make cupcakes because they are easy to make and are easy to transport. Lately I have been meaning to try something new in the way of frosting and I think this cupcake fits the bill. The frosting is basically butter cream but it is taken to a new level with the addition of Marshmallow Fluff! 

I cannot even begin to tell you how good this frosting is. I ate a few spoons fulls to make sure that it tasted great and that the consistency was as it should be. In fact I ate so much I did not even try a cupcake frosted!

For the cupcakes, you can use whatever chocolate cake recipe you like. I used the old standby, which is my favorite, from the back of the Hershey's Cocoa can, which you can find Here. But if you are in a hurry by all means use a mix. Any cupcake or cake is going to be fabulous with the addition of this frosting, I promise!

Marshmallow Cream Frosting:

Adapted from: Kraft Recipes

1 cup of softened butter (2 sticks)

1 7oz jar of  Marshmallow cream of marshmallow fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

2 cups of powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)

2-4 Tablespoons of heavy cream

In your stand mixer, place softened butter and beat for one minute until creamy. Add vanilla and marshmallow fluff, beat until mixed. Make sure to scrape the sides. Add the powdered sugar, mix on LOW! Slowly add the cream and then mix on high for 3-5 minutes. When you add the cream only add enough so that the frosting is at the consistency that you like.

I hope you try this out! I would love to know what you think!

Linking to:
Stone Gable

Christmas Party Chocolate Dessert Bar

Are you ready for the holidays? Will you be hosting a party? I love to have a dessert bar at all of the party's that I host, that way the guests can try a little of each thing. One of my favorite dessert bars, is a Chocolate Bar. 

At this party, which I think would be great for "Ladies Night Out", a Christmas Party or even a birthday, I made Hershey" Famous Chocolate Cake, Double chocolate cheesecake with fresh raspberries, Snowflake Brownie Bites, several "Cereal Bars" and I also served chocolate candies for those that did not feel like more than a bite. 

All of these recipes are easy and many can be made ahead and frozen and then thawed at a later date to be served at your own party.

In addition to these recipes there are so many easy, home made treats that your guests would love.

You can also purchase items from the bakery and combine with an assortment of holiday chocolates. Or ask your family and friends to each bring their family favorite for all to enjoy. Whatever the case I am sure it will be lovely. 

What sorts of treats have you made for your holiday parties? I would love to hear all about them.

Links desserts above:
 Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberries
Hershey's Chocolate Cake and Frosting
Scotcheroos


Linking to the following:

Stone Gable

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake

This post contains affiliate links.

Are you looking for an old fashioned chocolate cake recipe that is delicious, chocolaty and easy? Then look no further than the back of your HERSHEY'S Cocoa can. My family has been making this recipe since I was a little girl and we love it, paired with the frosting also listed on the can it is a perfect combination.

  

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, HERSHEY'S Cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

This cake is frosted with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING" which I posted here, it is my go to frosting and the most requested frosting that I make.

As I mentioned yesterday, this recipe along with several others posted this week were used at a "Chocolate Bar" that I had at party we hosted for the holidays. There are many easy ideas that you can uses for your own holidays entertaining.

What are you baking for the holidays? I would love to know if you are making some delicious chocolate recipes, I love trying new things! Leave me a link in the comments section.

I am guest posting tomorrow at The Enchanted Home for Tina. Come over and see Tina's beautiful dream home!