First Place St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes!

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting--Homemade Sugar Candy Crystal on top

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting

Cupcake decorating/best tasting competition at work for St. Patrick's Day.

Didn't think many people would  enter  and I would be the only fool with cupcakes---I was wrong. Many many submissions.

Some were really pretty---others, not so much.

Some tasted good---most, not so much. Just sayin'...

Didn't think I would win because as the judging was going on most people seemed to be raving about all the cupcakes that were made using boxed  mixes. I honestly think majority of people like the taste of those more because it's what everybody grows up with.

That's cool.

I sat around the conference room joking with some of my colleagues, went back to  my desk to get some work done, walked back  to the conference room because I realized I forgot my favorite pen, and everybody started clapping and saying congratulations.

I did win!

It was kind of exciting.

Wasn't going to put these cupcakes up because I already have similar recipes here, but since they DID win (cupcake carrier caddy was the prize) I decided to put up some pictures.

By some,  I mean the 2 that are at the beginning of this post.

That's all I have.   :)


Recipes:

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes from How Sweet Eats

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting from Chaos in the Kitchen 

Peanut Butter Frosting from All Recipes


 

Southern Caramel Cake

Holy Sugar Rush!
Between the cake and caramel frosting, this decadent dessert has 4 different kinds of sugar in it. Yes, 4. Dark brown, light brown, powdered, and granulated.

After I made it I was so shocked that I had to tell my friend Sam about it, and she too was shocked.

Simple vanilla cake base

I ate a piece of the cake immediately after I frosted it, and had to eat it alongside a tall glass of milk to counteract the sugar.

That was yesterday.

Today, the cake is just perfect! I came home from work and sliced a piece for myself to snack on and it was seriously so delicious!

I know it sounds weird, but I think you have to let this cake "rest" before you eat it. I'm convinced that all of the flavors need to settle down and mesh together so you don't only taste sugar.

Mmm! Caramel River!

I hope I don't scare you out of making this caramel cake becuase it is really good!

I had never heard of it until I read a great book called "The Help" about 2 weeks ago. The cake is mentioned several times throughout the book and I was dying to try a piece---so I made it.


If you want a rich and decadent cake, I would seriously give this a try. Just remember to let it sit for a couple of hours to let all the flavors  "get happy".  :)

Recipe for Caramel Frosting
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioner’s (powdered) sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place butter and light and dark brown sugars into a medium sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture combines  and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes.

Add milk and stir bringing back to a barely bubbly boil. Then remove from heat.

Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Stir vigorously with wooden spoon until smooth.

Frost your cake immediately while icing is still warm or it will harden. If it does harden while you are still trying to ice your cake just place the pan back onto low heat and stir until it softens up.


Recipe I used for Cake
If you remember from my past posts, I'm not particularly fond of yellow cakes. I found one that I really enjoyed and have been using it ever since. You can find the recipe at  The Fresh Loaf.