Rum Chata Cupcakes

After bringing home a rather large bottle of Rum Chata the other day, I decided I had to find some recipes to put it to good use. After searching Pinterest for a few minutes I decided this recipe for Rum Chata Cupcakes looked the yummiest! Here is the link to the pinned website Love Life and Creative Things: Rum Chata Cupcakes.

Now if there is anyone who hasn't had Rum Chata before, it is a liquor that tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, it has a sweet, creamy, cinnamon flavor and works wonderfully in this recipe. So yummy! The recipe calls for 1 whole cup of Rum Chata... it seems like a lot, but it is just the right amount.

The Rum Chata cream cheese frosting makes a great contrast for the sweet and fluffy cake. This recipe calls for 1 1/2 sticks of cream cheese, but I only used one and it was delicious. It is sweet without being overly sweet. This recipe makes a lot of frosting, I only used half of the frosting and froze the rest to use at a later date.

Rum Chata Cupcakes and Frosting

Cupcake Ingredients
1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Flour
2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Rum Chata
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Egg Whites

Frosting Ingredients
12 Ounces of Cream Cheese (1 1/2 Packages, at room temperature)
1/2 Cup of Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla  Extract
5 Tablespoons Rum Chata
1 - 2lb Bag of Powdered Sugar

Cupcake Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F
In a mixing bowl, combine sugar & butter and beat until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt & cinnamon  then set aside
In another bowl or wet measuring cup, combine Rum Chata & vanilla then set aside.
Alternating, add the flour mixture and Rum Chata mixture to the butter and sugar mixture.

In a clean mixing bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
Use a spatula to fold egg whites into the batter mixture.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cake "bounces back" when touched.
Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Directions
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Add vanilla.
Slowly add powdered sugar.
Mix in Rum Chata (use more or less based on the thickness you like)

Frost the cupcakes
Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is one of my Mom's recipes, it was also one of my favorites growing up. These Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins remind me of deer hunting season, because they are the perfect snack to take up into the stand with you on a cold fall morning. But clearly it is not November and they are just as delicious. 

One of my favorite things about these muffins is their small size. I have made this recipe in regular muffin size as well as mini and regular loaf sizes. But it is the mini muffin size was my favorite. I have found that using the mini chocolate chips works best for this bite size recipe too. 

These muffins tend to fly off the cooling rack at our house, I suspect they should have the same result in your home too. 

 Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients
4 Eggs
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Can 15oz Pumpkin
1 1/2 Cups Canola Oil
3 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth.

In s separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In small batches, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.

Add chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Fill mini muffin tins 3/4 full and bake at 400 F for 10-11 minutes.

Enjoy!

Apple Upside-Down Cake

Oh my ooey gooey goodness... What a rich and comforting dessert. I stumbled on this recipe from King Arthur Flour: Apple Upside-Down Cake on Pinterest and could not pass it up.

This cake doesn't need much introduction... it makes a super moist spiced apple cake that reminds me of a treat you would have on a crisp fall day.

Apple Upside-Down Cake

Topping Ingredients
2 Medium Apples
4 Tablespoons Butter
3/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
2 Tablespoons Boiled Cider or Thawed Apple Juice Concentrate
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup

Cake Ingredients
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
2 Tablespoons Boiled Cider or Thawed Apple Juice Concentrate
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Large Apple, Peeled and finely chopped
3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter, flour, and place parchment paper in a 9" cake pan that is at least 2" deep, set aside.

Peel and slice the apples in the topping ingredients list. Arrange in the apple slices in a ring around the bottom of the 9" cake pan.

Topping 
Heat butter, sugar, thawed apple juice concentrate, cinnamon, and corn syrup until sugar is dissolved.

• Pour 1/2 cup of the syrup mixture on to the apples in the cake pan. 

Cake
In a mixing bowl combine oil, brown sugar, thawed apple juice, eggs, spices and salt.

• In a separate bowl combine flour and baking soda. 
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredient in two or three batches
• Add the chopped apples and nuts (optional) to the batter. 
• Gently spread the batter on top of the apple slices in cake pan.

Bake at 350 F for 50-55 minutes. Cake will be done when toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes then turn it out onto your serving plate of choice. 

Reheat the reserved topping and pour on top of the cake.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

Homemade Beer Bread

I'm not a beer drinker, but this recipe may have me convinced to keep a can or two at the house all the time... I have been searching for a killer beer bread recipe for a while now and thanks to Pinterest, once again, I have finally found it! This is the link to the original Pinner's recipe to give credit where it's due. Short Stop: Homemade Beer Bread

This recipe was unbelievably simple to put together and came out so light and wonderfully spongy. This beer bread is perfect because it does not have a strong beer taste, rather a light nutty flavor. The slightly buttery and salty crust was killer too!  Ok, I digress... here is the recipe for you to try too!

Homemade Beer Bread

Ingredients

3 Cup Flour

1/3 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1 (12 oz) Beer

3 Tablespoon Butter, Melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 5" x 9" loaf pan and set aside. 

• In a mixing bowl
• Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt 
• Add beer to dry mixture and mix until combined 

Back to the buttered and floured loaf pan

• press the dough into loaf pan
• dough will be sticky
• Pour melted butter on top the dough

Bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes uncovered until golden brown. 

So delicious, Enjoy!

Molten Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Yum, this dessert was so rich and delicious, I know valentines day just passed but this would be a delightful dessert to share with someone special! The warm cookie with a hidden chocolate gem inside makes this a yummy chocolaty treat.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and HAD to try it... here is the link to the pinned recipe Baking And Boys!: Molten Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie I baked my cookie cakes in a 2 cup Pyrex glass container, this recipe makes about 5 cakes this size.You can make one or two cakes and scoop individual cookies out of the rest of the batter, or place the remaining batter in the freezer to finish baking at a later date.

Molten Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Ingredients
1 C Butter
1 C Tightly Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 C and 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
16 oz Flavorful bitter or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ( I just used semi-sweet chocolate chips, because that is what I had at the house)
1 Piece (per cookie cake)  Dove Dark Chocolate Promises (you could use Hershey Kisses or a similar product)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour your baking dishes, I used the 2 cup size glass Pyrex containers, and set aside.

• In a mixing bowl, using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and both sugars 
• Add in the eggs, and vanilla
• In a large separate bowl mix together: 
• flour, baking soda and salt
• In small batches add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in the mixing bowl 
• Add in chocolate chips

Back to your buttered and floured baking dishes.

• Lay the base layer of cookie dough
• Put the Dove Dark Chocolate in the center of the bottom layer of cookie dough
• Press on the top layer of cookie dough, make sure it is sealed around the edges

Bake your cookie cakes in a 350 F oven for 23-27 minutes, the pinned recipe says 15 minutes, but i think that my cups were maybe a little larger because they were not completely cooked at 15 minutes. I baked another batch of them and they were perfect at about 25 minutes. 

Let the cookie cakes cool for about 5 minutes and flip over onto your serving plate, finish with a scoop of ice cream and a few chocolate shavings and you are set with a yummy chocolate treat!

-Amanda

Jewish Coffee Cake

Alright brace yourselves, because we are about to begin!!

I thought I would begin my journey into blogging with some thoughts of the past...My Grandmother was well known for her wonderful pies and sweet desserts, especially her double chocolates (one of our family's favorite treats around Christmas time.) My Grandma passed away in February of 2011. So, I found it appropriate to start my blogging journey with her by my side. I was introduced to this recipe for  Jewish Coffee Cake about a year and a half after my Grandma passed. 

I have no idea why or where it got it's name but it is moist and delicious! I think it is best eaten when warm, adding a scoop of ice cream on top would be a nice treat too!

 

Jewish Coffee Cake

Batter Ingredients

1/2 C Butter

1 C Sugar

3 Eggs - Beaten one at a time

1 C Sour Cream

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 C Sifted Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

Sugar Crumb Ingredients

3/4 C Brown Sugar

1/4 C White Sugar

3 Tsp All-Purpose Flour 

1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

1 C Finely Chopped Nuts (optional) 

Directions

Butter and flower a cake pan then set aside. (cut parchment paper and line the bottom and sides of the cake pan if you plan on taking the cake out and placing it on a separate plate.) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

To prepare the dry ingredients: Sift flower, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl then set aside.. 

To prepare the wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until a light yellow color, add eggs in one at a time. Add the sour cream and vanilla to the make the wet ingredients. 

To prepare the sugar crumb mixture: Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. 

To create the batter: With your mixer on a low speed incorporate your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients in 3 or 4 sections. 

Back to the butter and flowered cake pan, take 1/3 of the sugar filling ingredients and sprinkle it on the bottom of the cake pan to create the bottom layer. Next, take 1/2 of the batter and gently spread it over the top of the sugar mixture. Sprinkle on another 1/3 of the sugar crumb mixture which will make the middle filling of the coffee cake. Spread the other half of the batter mixture and top it off with the remaining sugar crumb mixture. Tip: when adding the batter make sure to spread it gently to the edges, that way the sugar underneath won't push outwards and will stay in a nice even layer. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. -  If you lined your pan with parchment paper wait for it to cool and remove the edging paper and use a plate or other flat surfaced item to remove the cake from the pan. there your will be able to remove the bottom layer of parchment paper. You will now be able to set your delicious Jewish Coffee Cake on what ever pretty tray you decide! I generally don't use the parchment paper because it gets eaten right out of the pan at our house. But, it would look very nice on a fancy cake tray. :)