Delicious!

Over the past week or so I've had the opportunity to try out some new recipes. I started the week off baking to celebrate a birthday of one of the members of the cast of my current play. The stage manager, director and I decided we were more of a chocolate kind of cast so I made these:

Known as German Chocolate Cupcakes these babies are AMAZING! Simply Delicious. Just ask the cast of "The Prince of Atlantis." After tasting I got a lot of "these are so good," "wows!" and one of even said "There are no words . . ." so if you'd like try your hand at such tastiness, the recipe originally found here (along with a few other recipes I'd like to try) is as follows:

Chocolate Cake:

1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix

3 eggs

½ cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (plus what spills over the edge)

¾ cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream (if there was a secret ingredient, this might be it)

German Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/2 cup butter (melted)

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (plus what spills over the edge)

1 ½ cup flaked coconut

Chocolate Buttercream:

4 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk or cream (if needed - I added an additional 1 tablespoon)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners.

2. In a large bowl, gently whisk until combined oil, eggs and vanilla extract.

3. Mix in about 1/3 of the cake mix and stir until combined.

4. Add Buttermilk and stir until combined.

5. Add another third of the cake mix.

6. Add sour cream, then final third of cake mix.

7. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 18-22 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

8. German Chocolate Frosting: On medium heat in a sauce pan, constantly stir evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks and butter until thickened. (Basically, until it boils plus 2 or 3 minutes.) Stir in vanilla extract and coconut. Let cool. (I cooled mine overnight in the refrigerator and made the Buttercream the next morning) 

9. Chocolate Buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter for 4 minutes. Add cocoa, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Let beat for 3 minutes. If it is too thick, add milk (which I did). If it is too thin, add powdered sugar. Or if it is not dark enough, add more cocoa (I did this too because I wanted a real chocolatey flavor).

10. Pipe Chocolate Buttercream around the edge of the cupcakes to create a well, and fill with cooled German Chocolate Frosting.

SHARE & ENJOY!