Butter Cream Frosting

I made this frosting for my sons' 3rd birthday and I'm making it again for a surprise birthday party for my niece. This is my Aunt Connie's recipe that is in our family cookbook. My Aunt Anna-Maria and her son Michael used to make it as well and I remember having it at their house several years ago and liking it. This pairs really well with the Hershey's 5-Minute Chocolate Cake. I prefer to make my cakes in a 9x12 rectangular pan and this is the perfect amount of frosting for that size.

Butter Cream Frosting                                                                                                      

This icing will not mix if milk is cold.  Milk must be at least room temperature or heat slightly until warm.

CREAM:

1 stick butter or margarine

AND

½ cup Crisco

 

ADD (slowly, beating as you add sugar) *REALLY SLOW*:
1 cup granulated sugar

 

THEN ADD:

3 Tablespoons flour

 

NEXT ADD GRADUALLY:

2/3 cup warm or room temperature milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Beat a long time until smooth.

Refrigerate the frosted cake before and after serving it.

 

NOTE: This icing must be made slowly and beaten for a long time and completely after each addition.  When you are finished it should not feel grainy – if you have beaten it long enough it will be very smooth – no sugar grains.

Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

My niece Emma has become quite the baker and made these delicious vanilla cupcakes a few times. I finally tried them out myself for my twin sons' 6th birthday earlier this week. I have always made them a birthday cake in the past, but it was just going to be our family of 4 eating it on their birthday, so I did not want a big cake. I made half of this cupcake recipe (12 cupcakes) and it was perfect for just us. We enjoyed them over 3 days and they tasted great each day!

The buttercream frosting was just OK - it's been a while since I've made buttercream and I was rushing to get it made before my boys returned from sledding with my husband. Next time I will try a different frosting.

These were so good that today I'm making the same recipe as a 9x13" cake for a larger celebration with more family tomorrow. I'll post that recipe separately since it has a different frosting, which I think would taste a lot better than the buttercream. This recipe comes together quickly and no mixer is needed - you can easily use a whisk.

Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

Recipe from “Life, Love and Sugar” Website

 

These Moist Vanilla Cupcakes are super easy to make and so moist – for days! They are my new favorite vanilla cupcake!

 

VANILLA CUPCAKES:

2½ cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup water*

 

VANILLA FROSTING:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2–3 Tablespoons water or milk

Pinch of salt

 

Preheat oven to 350° and prepare two cupcake pans with liners.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and combine. Set aside.

Add the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs to a medium sized bowl and combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.

Slowly add the water to the batter and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined. Please note that the batter will be very thin.

Fill the cupcake liners about three quarters full and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove the cupcakes from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

To make the frosting, beat the softened butter in a large mixer bowl until smooth.

Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Add the vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of water or milk and mix until smooth.

Add remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Add remaining water or milk, as needed, and salt and mix until smooth.

Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes. I used Ateco tip 844.

 

Yield: 24-26 Cupcakes

 

 

NOTES:

*Some people report having issues with these cupcakes. If that happens to you, you could try leaving out the water entirely.

Hershey's 5-Minute Deep, Dark Chocolate Cake & Hershey's One-Bowl Buttercream Frosting

These two recipes have been used in my family for years. It's the only chocolate cake I've ever made, and also works well for cupcakes. The buttercream frosting is also delicious - if you want a double chocolate cake/frosting recipe, look no further! I oftentimes make this with a different frosting though because an all-chocolate cake is pretty rich.

A few things that I want to remind myself when making this (since I only bake 1 or 2 cakes a year and I always forget), if making two 9" rounds, the layers will be pretty thin. This cake looks better if it's made with thicker frosting, as opposed to cream cheese frosting that is also pretty thin. I prefer to make this cake in a 9x13 rectangular pan because then it is not such a thin cake. It's also a lot easier as it doesn't need removed from the pan!

I've made this with various frostings - chocolate buttercream (recipe below), vanilla buttercream, cream cheese, whipped cream frosting (and ricotta filling), whipped frosting (the recipe I just posted earlier today).

Below are a few photos from various times I've made this cake. It's always delicious!

Hershey’s 5-Minute Deep, Dark Chocolate Cake

1¾ cups unsifted all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup Hershey’s Cocoa

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water

 

Combine dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients except boiling water; beat at medium speed 2 minutes.  Remove from mixer; stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).

 

Pour into two greased and floured 9” or three 8” layer pans or one 13 x 9” pan.

 

Bake at 350˚ for 30-35 minutes for layers, 35-40 minutes for 13 x 9” pan, or until cake tester (inserted in center) comes out clean.

 

Cool 10 minutes on rack.  Remove from pans; cool completely.

 

Top with your favorite frosting.

 

 

Hershey’s One-Bowl Butter Cream Frosting

                                                           

6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

Hershey’s Cocoa:

            1/3 cup for light flavor

            ½ cup for medium flavor

            ¾ cup for dark flavor

2 2/3 cups confectioner’s sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

In small mixer bowl, cream butter.  Add cocoa and confectioner’s sugar alternately with milk; beat to spreading consistency (additional milk may be needed).  Blend in vanilla.

 

Make about 2 cups frosting.

9x13 Cake

Made with "Not-So-Sweet Whipped Frosting"

Made with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

Batter in pans

Two 9" round cakes

Made with with Ricotta Filling

Made with with Ricotta Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting

Made with with Ricotta Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting

Made with with Ricotta Filling and Whipped Cream Frosting

Made with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cupcakes

Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting