CHOCOLATE ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM

Chocolate Italian Buttercream is not as scary as it sounds and tastes like a chocolate cloud in the end. It’s worth breaking out the candy thermometer for!

So around these parts, buttercream reigns supreme. From the best buttercream icing I think you will ever come across, to Swiss, Italian, French, German buttercream, Ermine (flour) icing . We got a whole menu of buttercreams.

So it’s no surprise that a chocolate version would show up at some point. And when a reader asked me, for help in making a chocolate Italian meringue buttercream. I rolled up my sleeves, donned the apron and got to work.

And man am I glad she asked. Because Italian buttercream is by far my favorite. Swirl in some chocolate and it was all I could do not eat it all with a spoon.

How To Make This Chocolate Italian Buttercream

First start with making an Italian buttercream. Italian buttercream is not scary. Just be sure to use a candy thermometer when making the sugar syrup. I can’t stress that enough! I have a digital thermometer, but for me my good old Wilton candy thermometer works like a charm. Some digital thermometers never go up to a high enough temperature, so I stick with my good old non digital clip on the side version. It never fails me.

The second thing when making a meringue buttercream, is to make sure that your meringue mixture has cooled properly before adding your softened butter. My little trick? Feel the bottom of the bowl. Is it still warm? Then don’t add that butter yet friend.

Then the key to making a cloud like chocolate Italian buttercream is to use cooled melted chocolate. I used a bittersweet chocolate, but you could use a semi-sweet if your dark side isn’t as dark as mine. But I love dark chocolate, so I went for it.

It’s super important though to make sure the chocolate is slightly cooled before you fold it into your buttercream, because otherwise it will melt your butter in the buttercream. And probably bring you to tears as well. You’ve been warned.

Now once you’ve got your bowl of chocolate Italian buttercream. It’s time to eat it. I mean frost something with it. Like these easy vanilla cupcakes, red velvet cupcakes, one bowl chocolate cupcakes, or how about mix it up with these banana cupcakes?

Chocolate Italian Buttercream

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 5 large egg whites
• pinch cream of tartar
• 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks) softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 ounces bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate melted, slightly cooled
• Instructions

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage).

Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat.

With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream, beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3 minutes.

Add butter tablespoon by tablespoon, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; beat in vanilla. If icing curdles, keep beating until smooth.

Turn the mixer off and fold the chocolate into the buttercream with a spatula. Then mix on low in your mixer until fully incorporated.

Recipe Notes

Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Re-whip again until smooth and creamy. You can also store this in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 2 hours or so, and re-whip until desired consistency again.

SOURCE : http://www.bostongirlbakes.com

By: Ilona

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. Enzo Matcha Green Tea

pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup greek yogurt

Frosting

1 brick of cream cheese, softened

2 – 3 Tbsp. Greek yogurt

2 Tsp. Enzo Matcha Green Tea

1 cup powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, Enzo Matcha Green Tea and pinch of salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat eggs with sugar for 3 minutes until creamy.

Add the butter, vanilla extract and mix for 3 minutes. Add greek yogurt and blend well.

In a low speed beat in the dry ingredients until just combined. Don’t over-beat, otherwise cupcakes will be dry. You can also just use spatula instead of a mixer.

See More >>>https://enzomatcha.com

This Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake has frosted animal cookies in the crust and throughout the cheesecake! It’s thick, creamy and topped with fun pink-colored white chocolate and sprinkles – much like the animal cookies!

Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake - thick and cream vanilla cheesecake with frosted animal cookies in the crust and the filling! So good!Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake - thick and cream vanilla cheesecake with frosted animal cookies in the crust and the filling! So good!

I am a natural born sweets lover. If loving dessert can be in your blood, it’s in mine. This cheesecake kind of reminds me of that because these frosted animal cookies have been a favorite cookie of mine for as long as I can remember. On many occasions I have picked up a bag from the store, only for it to last 48 hours in my house – at the most. It’s dangerous for me to even buy them and that was the case when making this cheesecake.

Often when buying ingredients, I get plenty extra. Of course there are always endless bags of flour, sugar and packages of butter. But when I need things like animal cookies, I also have to buy several bags. I’m not a fan of running to the store over and over again. And I still had to make a couple trips to replenish these cookies as I was testing out this recipe.

Working with these cookies over a few days and not eating allthecookies was SO HARD! I probably snacked on a few more than I should have, but I couldn’t resist! I feel the same way about the cheesecake – so good!

Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake - thick and cream vanilla cheesecake with frosted animal cookies in the crust and the filling! So good!Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake - thick and cream vanilla cheesecake with frosted animal cookies in the crust and the filling! So good!

To start, there’s the frosted animal cookie crust. This took several attempts before I was happy with it. Because of all the frosted cookies, you really barely need any butter to hold things together. The icing on the cookies kind of melts together and holds it all in place. I added a touch, just to be safe.

For the filling, there’s more animal crackers. About 3/4 cup go right into the bottom of the crust, then another 1 1/4 cups in the batter. The cookies soften up as the cheesecake bake, but still retain just enough crunch. It gives the cheesecake plenty of frosted animal cookie flavor – and color! I tried one version where I added some sprinkles to the cheesecake batter, but because nonpareil sprinkles bleed so easily, it actually messed up the fun pink and white color.

On top of the cheesecake is a white chocolate ganache that is colored to a light shade of pink, similar to the pink cookies. You could leave it white, but the pink is just so cute! Finish off the cheesecake with some sprinkles and animal cookies and you’re good to go!

I really loved the final version of this cheesecake. Between the crust and all the cookies in the cheesecake, it’s delicious! The cheesecake filling is thick, creamy and full of vanilla flavor. The white chocolate finishes it off beautifully! I love all the flavors and every bite is a little bite of pink and white cookie cheesecake heaven!

Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake - thick and cream vanilla cheesecake with frosted animal cookies in the crust and the filling! So good!Frosted Animal Cookie Cheesecake - thick and cream vanilla cheesecake with frosted animal cookies in the crust and the filling! So good!

FROSTED ANIMAL COOKIE CHEESECAKE

Yield: 12-14 SLICES

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST

2 1/4 cups (302g) frosted animal cookie crumbs

2 tbsp (28g) salted butter, melted

FILLING

24 ounces (678g) cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup (207g) sugar

3 tbsp (24g) all purpose flour

1 cup (230g) sour cream, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups (208g) chopped frosted animal cookies, divided

WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 oz (169g) white chocolate chips

1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream

Pink gel icing color

Sprinkles

WHIPPED CREAM

1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold

4 tbsp (29g) powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

CRUST

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.

2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan.

3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.

4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in. Set prepared pan aside.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

5. Reduce oven to 300°F (148°C).

6. In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until well combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

7. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until well combined.

8. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.

9. Stir in about 1 1/4 cups of chopped animal cookies. Stir just until mixed, so the colors from the sprinkles don’t mix into the batter too much.

10. Pour a small amount of batter into the bottom of the crust in an even layer, then add the remaining 3/4 cup of chopped animal cookies.

11. Pour the remaining cheesecake filling into crust, over the cookies, and spread into an even layer.

12. Place springform pan (covered with aluminum foil) inside another larger pan. Fill the larger pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.

13. Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes.

14. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in oven with door closed for 30 minutes.

15. Crack oven door and leave the cheesecake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

16.Remove cheesecake from oven and chill until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.

TO FINISH OFF THE CHEESECAKE

17. When the cheesecake is cool and firm, remove from the springform pan and set on a serving plate.

18. To make the white chocolate ganache. Put the white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.

19. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth. If it doesn’t melt completely, microwave for 10-20 seconds, then whisk until smooth.

20. Color the ganache with a little pink gel coloring, if desired.

21. Pour the ganache onto the cheesecake and spread into an even layer.

22. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

23. Pipe dollops of the whipped cream on top of the white chocolate ganache.

24. Top the cheesecake with frosted animal cookies and some sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cheesecake is best for 3-4 days.

source: https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/2017/04/24/frosted-animal-cookie-cheesecake/

Today I’m showing you how to make these fun, surprise-inside Pinata Cupcakes! Made with my favorite vanilla cake batter, these cupcakes are light and springy and topped off with my recently shared vanilla frosting recipe. The sprinkle filling can be easily color-customized to suit any occasion, and I’ll show you how to use your favorite colors to add a pretty swirl to the frosting!

Today’s Pinata Cupcakes are exactly what I need after mother nature dropped over half a foot of snow on me on the first day of Spring!

They’re light, cheery, colorful, and the perfect way to add some brightness to your day, which is especially helpful if your day is otherwise blinding white from this springtime snowstorm!.

The best part is that these Pinata Cupcakes are so simple to make! Making them is as simple as baking a batch of vanilla cupcakes (you can, of course, substitute any flavor, but you can’t go wrong with these), making a minor incision, filling with sprinkles, and topping with frosting!

Let’s get into the details and break down exactly how you can make your own Pinata Cupcakes.

HOW TO MAKE PINATA CUPCAKES

You’ll want to start with a solid cupcake recipe, one that’s not too light and delicate as you need it to be sturdy enough to withstand being carved.  I used my vanilla cake recipe for the base of these pinata cupcakes, if you haven’t tried that recipe yet this is a great excuse to do so.

Let the cupcakes cool completely before carving into them, and once they’ve cooled use a knife to cut a hole about 3/4-1″ in diameter into the center of the cupcake, cutting about 1″ deep.

Remove the core that you’ve just cut out and slice off the bottom, reserving about 1/4″ of the top. You’ll use this use as your plug to cover your sprinkle filling and to give you a level surface on which to pipe your frosting.

Carving a hole in the center of vanilla cupcakes to make Pinata Cupcakes

Now comes the fun part: the sprinkles!

You can use your favorite variety of sprinkles in your favorite colors. I like to make my own sprinkle blends that I use for most of my decorations.

A jar of colorful sprinkles

Each Pinata Cupcake center should hold about 1 Tablespoon of sprinkles, but add as many as you need, filling each cavity to just below the top of the cupcake.  Return your reserved cupcake “plug” and gently press it down over the sprinkles so that it is level with the rest of the cupcake.

Now our Pinata Cupcakes are ready for their frosting!

You can, of course, use your favorite variety of frosting (I have a cream cheese frosting and a chocolate frosting you may want to check out), but for today’s recipe I’m using my vanilla frosting that I recently shared. It’s easy to make, great for piping, and colors beautifully.

A piping bag that's been painted with food coloring stripes to make a swirled frosting

HOW TO ADD A COLORFUL SWIRL TO MY CUPCAKE FROSTING:

To decorate your cupcakes as you seen in these photos, you’ll need a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip (I used an Ateco 848), your favorite food coloring colors (I recommend choosing no more than 3 for the effect shown here), and a clean, never-before-used paintbrush.

Coloring the frosting is simple, all you need to do is dab a small amount of food coloring onto your paint brush and then use it to draw a straight line (as straight as possible, as you can see in the photo above, mine are a bit crooked, but it still turned out fine!) up the inside of the piping bag. Repeat with the same color on the opposite side of the bag.

Clean and dry your paintbrush, and then repeat with your second and then third color.  Make sure to space each line evenly across the piping bag.

A colorful frosted cupcake

While I really love filling my cupcakes with sprinkles, you can of course use mini M&Ms or other small candies that you think would be appropriate!

Enjoy!

Piñata Cupcakes

How to make brightly colored surprise-inside cupcakes! These are soft vanilla cupcakes filled with sprinkles and topped off with vanilla buttercream frosting!

Course     cupcakes

Cuisine    American

Prep Time  15 minutes

Cook Time  20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings   12 cupcakes

Author     Samantha Merritt || SugarSpunRun

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature 56g

1/4 cup canola oil* 60ml

3/4 cup sugar 150g

2 eggs room temperature preferred

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 188g

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 batch Vanilla Frosting

Food coloring optional

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare cupcake tin by lining a 12 count muffin tin with cupcake liners

2.In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using an electric mixer) cream together the butter, canola oil and sugar until creamy and well-combined.

3.Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4.Stir in vanilla extract.

5.In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

6.Using a spatula and gently hand-mixing, alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, starting and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined after each addition. The batter should be smooth and completely combined, but avoid over-mixing.

7.Evenly divide batter into your prepared muffin tin (I use an ice cream scoop to neatly portion the batter), filling each liner 2/3-3/4 of the way full (do NOT overfill) and bake on 350F (175C) for 17 minutes.

8.When the cupcakes are finished baking, the surface should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with few moist crumbs (no wet batter).

9.Allow cupcakes to cool completely before continuing.  

10.Once cupcakes have cooled completely, use a knife to cut a hole about 1" in diameter and 1" deep into the center of each cupcake.  I carve a hole using the knife and gently lift out the center.  Cut the bottom off of each insert and set aside the top, which will serve as the plug for your cupcakes.

11.Fill each carved hole with sprinkles (about 1 Tbsp), filling just below the brim of the cupcake.  Top with your cupcake plug and gently press down.  Top with vanilla frosting.

12.To get the colorful swirls shown in the pictures, you will need a large piping bat fitted with a large star tip (I used an Ateco 848) and a small, clean, never used paintbrush.  Dab a small drop of food coloring on the paintbrush and then use it to draw 2-3 stripes up the side of your frosting bag.  Clean and dry the paintbrush well, and then repeat with two other colors.  Fill the bag with frosting, and pipe over cooled, filled cupcakes. 

13.These cupcakes keep well when stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or 1 week in the refrigerator.

source: https://sugarspunrun.com/pinata-cupcakes/

This No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake is summer dessert perfection: creamy cheesecake with a sharp orange flavour, all in an easy no bake dessert! Watch the VIDEO below to see how I make it, and don’t forget to stay tuned to the end of this blog post for the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE!

Raise your hand if you’re a citrus lover like me!! I just LOVE cooking and baking with just about anything citrus, especially in the summertime. I’ve been thinking about this No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake for the last several summers – I haven’t made it in years, and it’s an old favorite recipe of mine I just knew I had to share it with you soon. That day has finally arrived!

If you’ve been a reader of mine for the last year or so you’ll notice that I’ve been sharing lots of my favorite no bake cheesecake recipes with you – my Kiwi Lime No Bake Cheesecake, my Simple No Bake Cheesecake, my Easy No Bake Nutella Cheesecake and this Easy No Bake Snickers Cheesecake were all BIG hits with you, my lovely readers, and since it’s clear that you all love no bake cheesecake as much as I do I can’t help but keep sharing them!

This No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake got its name because it reminds me of those deliciously orange-y and creamy ice cream treats I used to enjoy as a child (anyone else??). It’s got an ultra creamy, smooth texture that’s almost similar to a baked cheesecake (minus all the work!) and it’s perfectly sweet and tangy with a strong orange flavor. It’s truly one of the most perfect desserts for the summertime!

No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake

This No Bake Orange Creamsicle Cheesecake is a creamy, easy to make, no bake dessert with a sweet orange flavor, inspired by a delicious summer treat!

 Course Dessert

 Cuisine American

 Prep Time 15 minutes

 Total Time 15 minutes

 Author Chrissie (thebusybaker.ca)

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

4 tablespoons melted butter

For the cheesecake:

1 small box orange Jello (the 4-serving box, 85 grams)

2/3 cup boiling water

900 grams cream cheese (approximately 32 ounces)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

zest of one large orange

2 cups whipped cream

For garnish:

orange zest

whipped cream

Instructions

Combine the graham cracker crumbs and the melted butter in a bowl and press them into the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. 

Chill the crust in the freezer until ready to use.

Add the orange Jello powder to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

Whip the cream cheese and the powdered sugar until well combined. 

Add the Jello mixture to the cream cheese mixture slowly, mixing continuously until everything is incorporated.

Gently fold in the orange zest and the whipped cream with a rubber spatula until combined and pour the mixture into the chilled graham cracker crust. 

Chill the cheesecake overnight to set and serve with some additional whipped cream and citrus zest for garnish.

Recipe Notes

To help the cheesecake set a little more quickly, add it to the freezer for the first 2 hours of chilling, then remove it to the fridge for an additional 12-18 hours until set.

source: https://thebusybaker.ca/no-bake-orange-creamsicle-cheesecake/

This is the Best Baked Donut Recipe I have ever had! They are made with Greek yogurt which makes them light, and moist. Chocolate ganache and sprinkles on top are a must!

Have you ever made homemade donuts? I love making these baked donuts with my kids, and now that I have found a way to make them a little healthier using Greek yogurt, I don’t feel so bad about letting them indulge every now and then.  These only take about 25 minutes from start to finish, so why not try them this week?

While I was writing this post for you today, I was drinking a cup of coffee wishing I could grab a donut right off the screen. My poor coffee seemed so lonely without one. Good thing these come together so quickly. No cup of coffee has an excuse to be lonely when it’s this quick and easy to have warm homemade donuts!

Add some red, white, and blue sprinkles to make these patriotic and perfect for the 4th of July! Or use red and green for Christmas. Orange and black for Halloween. Ok, you get it. They are easy to decorate for any holiday…or a random Wednesday.

These are also fabulous dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, instead of the ganache. That’s our other favorite ways to eat these!

BEST BAKED DONUT RECIPE

Serves 12

Prep time 15 minutes

Cook time 9 minutes

Total time 24 minutes

INGREDIENTS

DONUTS

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 dash nutmeg

1 egg

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

1/4 cup milk

2/3 cups plain greek yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

TOPPING

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup milk

sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Donuts

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, butter, milk, yogurt, and vanilla. Gently stir the dry into the wet, and mix just until combined.

Step 2

Fill a greased donut pan 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 9 minutes. Let cool slighty before removing from pan and frosting.

Ganache

Step 3

In a microwave safe bowl heat the milk for about 90 seconds. Add the chocolate chips and let it set for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth.

Dunk the tops of each donut and add sprinkles if desired.

source: https://backforseconds.com/best-baked-donut-recipe/2/

Want a dessert that’s as pretty as it is delicious? This no-bake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is the perfect treat for any occasion.

I love making cheesecake! Okay, let me rephrase that…I love making no-bake cheesecake. In fact, these No-Bake Cheesecake Bites have become one of my favorite easy recipes. I made them last minute for a party and couldn’t believe how easy they were. Now I wonder why people even bake cheesecake at all. I’m sure I’ll give it a whirl at some point but for now, why make things hard on myself?

That’s why I wanted to try this White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. After all, everything’s better with white chocolate, right? This is a perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day but you can really serve it any time of year. It makes a great last minute dessert since it’s so simple to make. You can even cut the prep time in half by using a pre-made crust. Either way, it’s a delicious dessert that you can whip up in no time at all!

WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

When I found this 8 inch pushpan on sale, I had all kinds of big plans. Now, six months later, I’m FINALLY breaking it in.

You'll need an 8 inch pushpan to make this white chocolate raspberry cheesecakeSave

THE CRUST:

I used Honey Nut Cheerios because they make a great crust (they’re not sponsoring this post…I just really like them for crust). Combine cereal, butter and sugar in a food processor and blend until cereal is crushed and the mixture is a doughy consistency.

Use a food processor to blend the ingredients for your white chocolate raspberry cheesecakeSave

Pour into pushpan and push firmly around the bottom until the crust is packed firmly. You’ll want to make sure it’s not going to fall apart when you cut the cheesecake.

Be sure the crust is packed firmly or your white chocolate raspberry cheesecake will fall apart when you cut it.Save

THE FILLING:

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

To melt the white chocolate, first add about an inch of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and place bowl with the chocolate over the saucepan (you’re basically creating your own double boiler on the cheap). Stir until melted and set aside.

Create your own double boiler with just a saucepan and a bowlSave

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla.

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla for the cheesecake fillingSave

Mix until well blended, then add white chocolate.

Fold in whipped cream.

Fold in the whipped cream and the filling for your white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is readySave

Fill crust with cheesecake mixture.

Fill the crust with the cheesecake mixtureSave

Spread evenly and place in refrigerator while you prepare the puree.

Spread evenly and smooth out the topSave

THE PUREE:

Add 1/2 cup raspberries, water and sugar to small saucepan.

Cook over medium low heat, stirring frequently, until raspberries reach a syrup-like consistency.

When the raspberries form a syrup like consistency, use a strainer to separate the seedsSave

Use a strainer to separate the seeds from the puree. Cut the very tip (just a tiny bit) off the end of an icing bag or the corner of a sandwich bag. Fill with puree (it won’t look like very much but you’ll have more than enough).

DECORATING A WHITE CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE

Push the cheesecake out of the pan before garnishing. Use a toothpick or the end of a knife to mark where you want your raspberry hearts so they’ll be evenly spaced.

If you want to be sure your hearts are evenly spaced, make dots with a toothpick before you startSave

Squeeze small dots of puree in a circle around the cake.

Squeeze dots of raspberry puree in a circle around the cakeSave

Next, pull a toothpick through the puree to make hearts.

Drag a toothpick through the puree to make heartsSave

Finally, add the remaining raspberries as garnish. You may have a few too many but I always like to have extras, just in case.

Your white chocolate raspberry cheesecake needs plenty of raspberriesSave

Originally I was going to stop here but I decided to keep going. You can never have too much chocolate, right? You can use another ounce of the regular white chocolate. I have a pantry full of candy melts so I used those instead (I’m slightly very addicted to candy melts and use them for almost everything!)

Drizzle chocolate over the raspberries and your white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is ready to serve.Save

That was all the cheesecake needed…now all that was left was to eat it!

This white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is also perfect for Valentine's DaySave

I’m not even sure why people bake cheesecakes. The no-bake versions are so easy!

I love this white chocolate raspberry cheesecake because it's as easy as it is delicious.Save

This was sooo delish and I can’t wait to try making more versions of it. Hmmm, I’ll bet a blueberry cheesecake filling would be pretty tasty…stay tuned!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Dessert doesn't get much better than this no-bake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. With heart shaped swirls and white chocolate drizzled raspberries, it's as pretty as it is delicious. 

 Course Dessert

 Cuisine American

 Prep Time 25 minutes

 Cook Time 15 minutes

 Total Time 40 minutes

 Servings 8 people

 Calories 442 kcal

 Author Lisa O'Driscoll | Fun Money Mom

Ingredients

For the crust:

3 cups Honey Nut Cheerios

8 tbsp butter (softened)

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

For the filling:

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

3 oz white chocolate one ounce for drizzling over the top

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

For garnish:

2 cups raspberries (separated)

1 1/2 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp sugar (for puree)

Instructions

Crust

Blend cereal, butter and sugar in a food processor

Pour into 8 inch spring pan and push firmly until bottom layer is well packed (you don't want it breaking apart when you cut it)

Filling:

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form and set aside.

Fill a saucepan with an inch of water and bring to a boil.

Place a bowl over the saucepan and add white chocolate.

Stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Set aside.

Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract. Mix until well blended.

Mix in white chocolate.

Fold in whipping cream.

Add filling and spread until top is smooth. 

Refrigerate cheesecake until topping is ready

Raspberry Puree:

Combine 1/2 cup raspberries, water and suger in a small saucepan.

Cook over medium low heat until raspberries thicken into a syrup-like consistency

Remove from heat and use a small strainer to separate the seeds from the liquid.

Cut a very small tip off an icing bag or the corner of a sandwich bag and add raspberry puree.

Squeeze dots of puree in a circle around the top of the cake (if you want to be sure it's even the first time, you can use a toothpick first to mark where the dots will go)

In a circular motion, pull a toothpick through the dots to form heart shapes.

Garnish with the remaining raspberries

Add remaining white chocolate to an icing bag and drizzle over the raspberries.

Enjoy!

source: https://funmoneymom.com/white-chocolate-raspberry-cheesecake/

I apologize if the word “moist” freaks you out. But there’s really no other way to describe a chocolate cupcake like this! Also, who watches How I Met Your Mother?! I feel like that clip is only funny to HIMYM fans. That’s my favorite episode!

So today’s the day we are diving deep into what I like to call a “foundation recipe.” Basic chocolate cupcakes which are, indefinitely, anything but basic. See? ↓

This is a solid base recipe that serves as a jumping off point for many others. Like my basic vanilla cupcake recipe, these chocolate cupcakes hold a sacred spot in my baking repertoire. There will never be a reason to find a better version– this is THE chocolate cupcake recipe I use time and time again.

The only chocolate cupcake recipe you need! Homemade, moist, rich, super chocolate flavor, and so easy to make with chocolate buttercream! Recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com

I shared the recipe on my blog 3 years ago, but I want to walk you through the process (1) with step-by-step pictures, (2) with careful explanations, (3) and I want to emphasize one VERY crucial instruction. If you skip this instruction, your entire batch will be ruined. Trust me, the evidence has landed in my trashcan time and time again. It’s not pretty.

Curious about other foundation recipes?

Vanilla cupcakes and vanilla cake

Sugar cookies and the chocolate version

Oatmeal cookies

Chocolate cake (try this!!)

Brownies

Today’s chocolate cupcakes are for true chocolate fans. I’m talking about those of you who don’t qualify an item as dessert unless there’s chocolate involved. Strawberry shortcake is a dessert imposter and forget about apple pie. That’s some sort of health food, right?

And lucky for you–my chocolate obsessed friends– there’s a double dose of the good stuff today with both a chocolate cupcake base AND a smooth and silky chocolate buttercream. More on that in a sec.

You need 2 bowls, 1 whisk, and 1 spatula. The base of these chocolate cupcakes– and what is responsible for the super-moist texture is oil. We’re not creaming butter here, so there is no need to break out the mixer. Though you can absolutely use a hand or stand mixer if it’s easier for you! We’re also achieving an incredibly moist texture with buttermilk. Am I broken record here? There’s a reason I always talk about buttermilk in baking recipes: it’s the moist maker! Gives cupcakes, breads, cakes, and the like an unsurpassable moist texture. Nothing compares. I don’t typically have buttermilk in the fridge, so I sour whole milk instead. Check out my recipe notes for how to do that one.

Another tip? Make sure you’re using natural unsweetened cocoa powder, not dutched cocoa. Why? I have a nerdy wordy post explaining it! And if you really want to geek out with me today, here is why I use both baking soda and baking powder in these chocolate cupcakes. And thank you for always accepting my nerd self. ♥

So there’s 1 bowl for dry ingredients and 1 bowl for wet ingredients. Gently mix the two together. The batter isn’t as thick as you would think. We don’t really want a super thick chocolate batter because that would yield a cupcake similar to brownies. Dense. We don’t want dense! We want spongey, cakey, and rich. So the batter is thin.

How to make chocolate cupcakes with chocolate buttercream on sallysbakingaddiction.com

This Will Make or Break Your Recipe

Fill the cupcake liners only halfway full. Not 2/3, not 3/4, not all the way to the top. Half full. You will question yourself as you pour in the batter. Really? This is ALL that I’m using for each cupcake? The answer is yes, that is all you are using for each cupcake.

If you fill the liners too full, the cupcakes will overflow.

Too full = crisp mushroom tops

Too full = sinking in the center

Got that? Halfway full! Halfway full!

One more time: halfway full. 🙂

The only chocolate cupcake recipe you need! Homemade, moist, rich, super chocolate flavor, and so easy to make with chocolate buttercream! Recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com

Now that the cupcakes are baked and your self control is fading quickly, it’s time to frost these babes. The frosting flavor is completely up to you. I have a plethora of options from chocolate buttercream and rainbow chip frosting to strawberry, vanilla buttercream, salted caramel frosting, and cream cheese frosting. Keeping things quite monotone (though highly indulgent) with chocolate buttercream and a friendly dose of chocolate sprinkles. Figured we’re breaking the calorie bank anyway, so why not make it something that’ll seriously satisfy.

And layer that buttercream on nice and tall. (used wilton 1M!)

The only chocolate cupcake recipe you need! Homemade, moist, rich, super chocolate flavor, and so easy to make with chocolate buttercream! Recipe on sallysbakingaddiction.com

I don’t normally reach for chocolate desserts (I KNOW.) if there’s a fruity one on the menu, but I would gladly unwrap one of these over any other choice. Seriously!

Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

yield: 12-14 CUPCAKES prep time: 25 MINUTES total time: 3 HOURS, 25 MINUTES

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

1/2 cup (42g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature*

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (100g) packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable or canola oil (or melted coconut oil)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*

frosting: chocolate buttercream or any of these frostings

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners. Line a second pan with 2 liners - this recipe makes about 14 cupcakes. Set aside.

2.Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla together until completely smooth. Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Then half of the buttermilk. Gently whisk for a few seconds. Repeat with the remaining wet ingredients and buttermilk. Stir until *just* combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.

3.Pour or spoon the batter into the liners. Fill only halfway (this is imperative! only halfway!) to avoid spilling over the sides or sinking. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

4.Frost cooled cupcakes however you'd like. I used Wilton 1M piping tip for these pictured cupcakes. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

5.Make ahead tip: Prepare cupcakes 1 day in advance. Keep cupcakes covered tightly at room temperature and frost the day of serving. Unfrosted cupcakes can be frozen up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before frosting and serving.

Recipe Notes:

Interested in mini cupcakes? Fill mini liners only halfway and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F (177°C).

Interested in making a cake? Here's a triple chocolate layer cake that is just as moist and chocolate-y.

*Why room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read here for more information. If needed, you can use whole milk mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice instead of buttermilk. Fill a measuring cup with the lemon juice/vinegar then the rest with whole milk to reach 1/2 cup.

source: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2017/06/22/super-moist-chocolate-cupcakes/

Black forest cake is a traditional German torte originating from a bakery in the Black Forest. This recipe is a more chocolate-rich version of the original. 

I developed a whole new appreciation for the original fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm last year on our trip to Germany. We drove through part of the Black Forest – the setting for many of the tales. It’s absolutely gorgeous, but a dense forest is not someplace I’d want to be alone after reading the tales! You know what I mean if you’ve read the original and not just watched the Disney movies. On our drive, we stopped in Triberg to hike a waterfall and try Black Forest Cake since that’s where the cake was originally created. No vacation is complete without a little dessert tasting, am I right? Besides, I wanted to know how “real” Black Forest cake tasted. 

And here’s where I might sound a little scandalous… we like this version better! The original has a very mild chocolate flavor, and you all know how I feel about chocolate in my chocolate cake. But it was good, and a few months after our trip I found myself wanting to bake Black Forest cake to pair with a German dinner. That is, as soon as I could find kirschwasser – the cherry liquor used in the cake.

That was an adventure. Lucky you who live in states that don’t have an ABC. The Virginia ABC stores here have the strangest selection, and German cherry liquor (kirsch) for baking isn’t something either of the two local-ish stores carry. So I ended up with some other cherry liquor and results that weren’t quite as good. It’s worth hunting for good cherry liquor. If you can’t find it, or don’t want to use liquor, substitute the syrup from the morello cherries. These are the darker sour cherries (like this), not the bright red ones used for topping milkshakes or pineapple upside down cake. If you can’t find them, sour cherry pie filling is suggested as a substitute.

I hope you enjoy this Black Forest Cake recipe!

Black Forest Cake

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

Course  : Dessert

Servings: 16 servings

Author  : Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Ingredients

CAKE

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups cake flour

2 cups sugar

2 cups buttermilk

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips, melted

4 large eggs

FILLING & FROSTING

3 cups heavy whipping cream

12 ounce jar Morello (sour) cherries My jar was 24.7 oz/700g total weight, 12 oz/340 g drained weight

11/2 tablespoons cherry liquor (kirsch) *see notes

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp cherry juice (from the jar)

6 ounces grated dark chocolate

fresh cherries for garnish optional

Instructions

1.Preheat the oven to 350° F Grease two 9" round cake pans with butter or nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside

2.In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3.In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Gradually beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

4.Stir in the melted chocolate chips and mix just until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

5.Bake the cakes until a tester comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. You may also turn them out onto plastic wrap and wrap well to either freeze for later (thaw in refrigerator overnight) or refrigerate a few hours until well chilled. TIP: Well chilled cakes are easier to level and frost. 

To fill and decorate the cake:

1.Remove the cherries from the syrup and set aside both the cherries and syrup - you'll need both!

2.Make the whipped cream. Place the whipping cream in a large bowl and use either the whisk attachment on your stand mixer or a hand mixer to beat. Start at low speed, then work your way up to high, adding the powdered sugar and cherry juice as you mix. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, then stop and set aside. 

3.Use a long serrated knife or cake leveler to cut each  Place the first layer on a cake board or plate and brush a coating of cherry syrup (or kirsch) over the surface. Spread about a 1/3" layer of whipping cream onto the cake and top with 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers.

4.Use the rest of the whipped cream to coat the sides and top of the cake. Decorate with the grated chocolate and fresh cherries (if using). Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to serve. Since this cake uses a whipped topping, it is best served the day it is assembled since the frosting will gradually deflate. 

Recipe Notes

*Use syrup/juice from the sour cherries as a substitute for the liquor if you can't find it or would like to omit the alcohol. 

source :  http://goodiegodmother.com/black-forest-cake/

Intense red color, dreamy (dairy-free) Red Velvet ‘Cheesecake’! Rich chocolate flavor– made entirely with healthy, whole foods. No dye!

Two bottles of RED dye? Nope!! It’s 100% natural. It’s made from a VEGETABLE, haha! For real. Can you guess which one? 😉

Secret Ingredient

It’s BEETS! Remember my Hot Pink Pie made with beets? I was SO infatuated with that amazing color, and I just had to make MORE with those powerful little root veggies!

It turns out, if you add cocoa to beets (along with the cheesecake base), it turns RED. Deep, dark, glamorous burgundy red. Omg, don’t you love it?! It’s like art class all over again mixing paint colors. 🙂

And the beets add a subtle earthy quality to the chocolaty flavor of the cheesecake. It’s definitely a specialty cake. Unconventional– absolutely. Delicious? Yes!

Birthday Girl

This cake was made for my gorgeous mama, who was celebrating a special birthday last week. (Hi, Mom! Love you) 

We got to spend the weekend at my parents’ house and had such a great time seeing a bunch of family. We made sure to do our favorites: visit 8th Street Coffee House for brunch, shop at the local antique/vintage shop, eat some Tex-Mex and go to TJ Maxx, ha! Love it.

Red Velvet has always been my mom’s FAVORITE, so I was determined to recreate that for her, using only whole foods. And it was a hit! I was surprised that my brother (who is not gluten/dairy/sugar-free) kept asking for more, haha.

Velvety Velvet

The texture of this “cheesecake” is unlike any I’ve made before. It’s ultra VELVETY. Smoother than anything I ever made before. And it has a RICH buttery quality, thanks to cashews and coconut oil.

I decided to use refined coconut oil in this recipe as to not mask the chocolate flavor, but virgin works, too! There is also a “Buttery Flavor” Coconut Oil that I really wanted to get for this recipe, but I waited too long. Someday I must try that!

With a chocolate almond crust, cocoa cashew cheesecake filling and creamy cashew “cream cheese” frosting, this cake is both flavorful and RICH. You only need a tiny slice. 😉

Special

This Red Velvet ‘Cheesecake’ would be wonderful for the holidays (or for any special occasion). Especially for those of us on special diets – without refined sugar, eggs, gluten, dairy and grains. But as my brother could attest, even non-special diet folks love this cake, too! 🙂

If you make it, I’d be so thrilled to hear from you! Leave a comment or share your photo on my Facebook page or tag me Instagram @emily.likes.food and hashtag #prettypies

Red Velvet 'Cheesecake'

Intense red color, dreamy cheesecake texture, yummy chocolate flavor. All with healthy, whole food ingredients!

 Prep Time 25 minutes

 Servings 14 slices

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Crust

1 cup almond flour

2 Tbs  cocoa

2 Tbs maple syrup

2 Tbs refined coconut oil melted

Dash of pink salt

Red Velvet 'Cheesecake'

2 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked

1 2/3 cup roasted beets

1/2 cup + 1 Tbs maple syrup

3/4 cup cocoa

1 oz dark chocolate melted

1 cup refined coconut oil melted

1 1/4 Tbs  vanilla

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/8 tsp pink salt

'Cream Cheese' Frosting

1 cup raw cashews soaked

1 Tbs  maple syrup

2 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Splash of vanilla

Dash of pink salt

Red Velvet Cheesecake - PrettyPies.com

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the crust:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl (sift cocoa first if clumpy). Add a splash of water if it's too dry.

Press into a parchment-lined 7" springform pan. Chill while you make the filling.

To make the cheesecake:

Soak cashews in a bowl of boiling water for 1-2 hours or overnight in room-temp water. Drain, rinse and shake dry.

Blend cashews in a food processor for 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides. Add roasted beets and blend smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and blend. Taste and adjust if needed.

Spread over crust. Cover pan with a paper towel and wrap in foil. Freeze for about 3 hours until solid, then refrigerate.

To make the cream cheese:

Soak cashews in a bowl of boiling water for 1-2 hours or overnight in room-temp water. Drain, rinse and shake dry.

Blend cashews in a food processor for 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides. Add remaining ingredients, to taste and blend smooth.

Transfer to a baggie and snip off the tip to pipe on. ENJOY! 🙂

RECIPE NOTES

Use a small 7" springform to make your cheesecake tall and pretty. A regular size will result in a flatter/shorter cake.

source: http://prettypies.com/recipe/red-velvet-cheesecake/