Honey Cupcakes with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo Credit: The Cake Blog

Cake Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla 

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients: flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl mix together wet ingredients: buttermilk, honey, and vanilla. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined. 
5. Add eggs to the butter mixture beating in one at a time and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Gradually add wet and dry ingredients to butter and egg mixture. Alternate between wet and dry, ending with dry. Mix until combined.
7. Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. 
8. Bake cupcakes for about 18-20 minutes. 
9. Let cupcakes cool in pan for about 5 minutes before removing them to finish cooling on a wire rack.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool, ice with Honey Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Frosting Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
3 Tbsp honey
yellow food coloring (optional)
yellow sugar sprinkles 

Directions:
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together on medium speed. 
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 
3. Mix in honey.
4. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring to tint the frosting.
5. Place the icing in a piping bag fitted with a round decorating tip and swirl the frosting on top of the cupcake going in a circular motion.
6. Decorate with some yellow sugar sprinkles and enjoy.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cake:
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Cup Sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 Cups Milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter

Cinnamon Topping:
1 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
3/4 Cup chopped Pecans, Optional

Glaze:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
3-5 Tablespoons Milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using an electric or stand mixer, mix together four, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add in milk, vanilla, and eggs once the dry ingredients have been combined.
3. Once combined, slowly stir in 1/2 melted butter.
4. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
5. In a large bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and pecans. Once well combined, drop evenly over the cake by the tablespoon. Use a knife to swirl and marble the cinnamon topping into the cake.
6. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (mine took longer than 30 minutes).
7. Mix together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm cake. Serve the cinnamon roll cake warm or at room temperature with a tall glass of milk.

Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Andes Mint Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped Andes Mints

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease/flour three 9 inch cake pans. Bring some water to boil and keep it simmering while you mix together the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Once the wet ingredients are combined, add them to the large mixing bowl with the wet ingredients and beat until well combined. 

Add 1 cup of boiling water and carefully stir until it is well combined. Beat for 1 and 1/2 minutes. (The batter will be very runny, don't worry it is supposed to be.) Stir in Andes Mints. Pour cake batter into the 3 prepared pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool on baking rack. (If preparing the night before, cover the cakes in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator). 

Mint Buttercream Frosting

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 to 6 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract
• green food coloring
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk (may use less)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, peppermint and green food coloring on low speed in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add milk until you reach the desired consistency. 

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Heat cream over medium heat in a small saucepan. Keep and eye on it and as soon as it starts to boil remove cream from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let cream and chocolate chips sit for 1-2 minutes. Stir chocolate mixture until well combined. Stir in vanilla extract. 

Allow chocolate ganache to cool and thicken. Cover ganache and place in refrigerator for a couple of 1-2 hours or until thickened.  

When ready to assemble the cake, frost the entire 3 layers with mint buttercream. Once the cake is frosted, pour chocolate ganache in the center of the cake. Work your way outwards in a circle until the ganache is about 1-inch from the edge of the cake. Lightly spread the ganache from the center of the cake to the edge of the cake. Adding more ganache as necessary, direct the ganache over the edge to create drips down the side of the cake. Top the cake with extra mints. 

Source: Bird on a Cake