Cakes/Cupcakes

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

Want to make an impression on someone this weekend? Try these Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes. These cakes have cinnamon and ginger and are super chocolatey with a warm molten center that will impress anyone. I used regular cinnamon in these although the recipe calls for Saigon cinnamon (anyone know what that is?) and it tasted delicious. These bake quickly in the oven and should be eaten within a few hours of baking in order to keep the molten center. Just be careful that you don’t dig in too quickly or else the entire center might come flowing out. Don’t have Cabernet? No big deal. Use any red wine you might have on hand. These pair deliciously with wine (or milk!) so if you are planning on a low key New Year’s Eve and want to put a smile on your sweetie’s face, definitely consider these.

The ingredients:

Melt the butter and the chocolate in the microwave for one minute. Stir until the mixture is fully melted and mixed thoroughly.

Add in wine, vanilla, and powdered sugar.

Stir in eggs and yolk.

Mix in flour, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves (if using which I didn’t).

Spray four ramekins with non-stick spray and divide the batter evenly. Bake for 15 minutes in a 425°F oven.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Ground cloves

Substitutions:

Ground cinnamon for Saigon cinnamon

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: McCormick Gourmet

Triple-Chocolate Cake

In some homes, chocolate cake may not be a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but in my home, chocolate is always a welcome addition. I came across this recipe for Triple-Chocolate Cake in Cooking Light Magazine last month and knew right away I’d be making it for Turkey Day. This cake has cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and milk chocolate and yes…it’s chocolatey! The cake is made with egg whites instead of whole eggs and the middle layer of filling is made with whipped topping so the overall cake is light and moist. The top glaze of bittersweet chocolate and cocoa is the richest of all layers but it doesn’t overpower this delicious cake. I plan on saving a little bit of room after dinner tomorrow and sitting down with small plate of this cake and a little glass of milk. I’ll be honest, this might even be my breakfast on Friday. 😉

The cake ingredients:

Combine boiling water, cocoa, and bittersweet chocolate in a bowl and mix until chocolate has melted. Cool to room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and vanilla.

Beat in egg whites one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add in sour cream and beat well.

In a smaller bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking flour, and salt. Alternate adding flour mixture and chocolate mixture into sugar mixture.

Pour batter evenly into two cake pans sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with wax paper. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

The filling ingredients:

In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and add chopped milk chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted. Cover and cool.

Once the milk chocolate mixture has cooled, fold in the whipped topping.

The glaze ingredients:

In a small saucepan, combine powdered sugar, milk, cocoa, instant espresso, butter, and a dash of salt. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the cooled cake from the pans. Top one layer of cake with the filling and spread, leaving a small border.

Carefully place the other layer on top of the filling.

Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the top of the cake, spreading to cover the top. Let glaze drip over the edges if necessary.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Frosting

I wanted to make cupcakes to take into work for Halloween but found myself not being satisfied with the chocolate cupcake recipes I was finding. So I decided to combine two recipes, one for the cupcakes and one for the frosting, to come up with these Chocolate Cupcakes with Fluffy Frosting. The cupcake recipe comes from Shape Magazine and is lighter in calories than normal cupcakes but you would never know it. The cake, which includes a wee-bit of coffee, is light and chocolately, just what I wanted. And the frosting (which I colored orange), while not lighter in calories, is thick and sweet. I made these cupcakes while The Rocky Horror Picture Show blared on my television in the background and the whole scenario got me into the Halloween spirit. Happy Halloween!