Chocolate Cupcakes + Cream Cheese Frosting

Because, well, who doesn't love cupcakes?

This recipe may not be holiday related, but I've been craving these for a while now.  The Chocolate Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting recipes are both from the beloved Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook.

Chocolate Cake

Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book

3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup milk

Allow eggs & butter to stand for 30 minutes.  Prepare cupcake pan or grease bottom of 2 round cake pans & lightly flour.  (As this is a chocolate cake, flour the pan with cocoa powder!)  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside

In a large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well-combined.  Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.

Alternatively add flour mixture & milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.  Beat on medium to high speed for 20 more seconds.  Spread into prepared pans or scoop into cupcake tins.

Bake 30-35 minutes for cake, 20-25 minutes for cupcakes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2-5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, & vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.  This time I used about 5 cups, but I prefer a little bit sweeter frosting, so you may want less.  Don't be afraid to taste test while you're mixing!

This also makes way more frosting than I have ever used, so I suggest topping off your regular snacks with it: ice cream + frosting, chocolate chip cookies + frosting, and my personal favorite stew + frosting.  Just kidding...or am I?

Your eyes don't deceive you, that is a hammer, bottle of rubbing alcohol, and the lining of a helmet in the background.  Our kitchen counter tends to have a random assortment of junk on it.  Don't judge me.

I have already eaten far too many (7...okay maybe 8) of these in 48 hours, again, don't you judge me.  They're delicious.

In yo' face!

Words on Wednesday: Pleasantries

Now that it is socially acceptable to listen to Christmas music, I've been rocking out while cooking, cleaning, class working, caravaning, colluding, and any other appropriate alliteration-ing.  Check out Pandora's "She & Him (Christmas)" station - loving it right now.  I have also begun my holiday baking with my new, most favoritest, awesomest, glorious...est kitchen gadget!

That's right.  I am officially a registered Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer owner, and I couldn't be happier.  She's so shiny and blue.  I'm pondering a good name for her, as I consider her to be a family member (Tyson may not, but since when does he have a say?).  Hit the comments with your suggestions.

In honor of my blue beauty's arrival and Christmas music, I have chosen this week's Word on Wednesday!

dulcet, adj. 

        

        1. pleasant to the ear; melodious: the dulcet tones of the cello.

        2. pleasant or agreeable to the eye or the feelings; soothing.

        3. Archaic . sweet to the taste or smell.

             Origin: 1350–1400;  obsolete dulce  (< Latin,  neuter of dulcis  sweet)

This week's WoW adapted from Dictionary.com.

Check back tomorrow for shots of my girl in action whipping up her first batch of dulcet delicacies: Chocolate cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!

I have also been crocheting up a storm, so keep an eye out for a few crochet-centric posts.

Holiday Baking Line-up

I am thisclose to being done with the third quarter (out of five) of my Master of Library and Information Science!  Very exciting, but even more exciting is the holiday baking that is about to take over my kitchen.  Cookies, cupcakes, bars, and dog treats are all on my to-do list.  (Too bad I don't have a fancy Kitchenaid Stand Mixer....yet...)  Tomorrow, I will be hitting up the store for all my baking needs, so today I'm sharing the starting line-up for Christmas 2011.

Dog Treats
Shadow rolls with a pretty tight crew of pups, so a few homemade treats with a nice Christmas bow will be perfect gifts.
1. Cinnamon Bites
2. Peanut Butter Cookies
3. Puppy Power Treats
All three recipes come from Throw Me a Bone by Cooper Gillespie with Sally Sampson.  It was an impulse buy over a year ago that I just found sitting with the rest of my recipe books.  This will be my first venture into homemade dog treats and I'm pretty excited.

Human Treats
1. Peppermint Bark
2. Graham Bars
3. Candy Cane Cookies
4. Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
5. Sugar Cookies
6. Pinwheels
7. Gingerbread Softies
8. Plain, old Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (Because I'm a fatty, and have been craving them for weeks.)

Our lovely (fake) Christmas tree.

Here's hoping I can:
1. actually whip all of these up
2. not gain 30 pounds in the process.

Enjoy your week, INM readers.  Keep an eye out for recipe posts with pictures and a new Words on Wednesday.

Where Have I Been?

Dear Blog Readers,

My apologies for pulling a Harry Houdini on you. I'm back now with a new attitude, a new house, a new kitten, and a new DIY/baking/decorating obsession.

I know many of you have been wondering where this obsession desire came from. I can narrow it down to two key factors; cable television and our new house.

Until January 2011, I had lived without cable for over a year, and not felt like I was missing out on much. When we moved into our new house, we opted into cable tv, and I haven't been able to pull myself from HGTV. Glorious! As for the new house factor, this one has a much better layout and color scheme than the old one (brown walls and dark purple carpet don't brighten anything up). I could wax poetic about our new place for hours, so, instead, I'll show you a few of my most recent projects that it inspired, from completely from scratch cupcakes to chair reupholstering!

Valentine's Day Cupcakes (2.5 hours to bake & decorate with my new Wilton cake decorator!!)

Brass Spray Painted Geese, adding bit of color to my bookcase (I'm sorry, dear audience members, but I forgot to do a "Before" shot).

Before: Craigslist chairs ($50 for all 5!)

After: Reupholstered and lookin' good. Think I'll leave the wood as-is for now, though. Thoughts?

I have new projects on my To Do list, and will update my blog with them and many of my other life observations as they arise.

Stay Tuned!

**I'm officially on the hunt for new refurb/DIY ideas, so if anyone has something they've repainted, reupholstered, refurbished, handmade, poured their hearts into, I'd love to see it! And any blogs, websites, magazines, etc that can offer inspiration or how-tos pass along my way. One of my current faves is Young House Love. (Thanks to Stacey for sending YHL to me!)