Desserts

Name: Devils Food Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 1 h 31 min
Yield: 36
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3/4 cup cocoa powder, dark; 3/4 cup water, hot; 3/4 cup sour cream; 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled; 3 cups all purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp salt; 3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp; 2 1/4 cups sugar; 4 eggs, large; 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract, I prefer Nielsen-Massey; 4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp; 2 lbs powdered sugar (2 boxes); 1/4 cup green Creme de Menthe; *pinch kosher salt; Chocolate mint candies for garnish (optional)

The best no bake blueberry cheesecake bars

May 12, 2021

Home » Desserts

No bake blueberry cheesecake bars have a chocolate crust with a thin layer of melted chocolate in between for that something extra. Make a pan of no bake strawberry cheesecake bars too for all of the red, white and blue summer holidays.

Super creamy, silky smooth filling swirled with fresh blueberry sauce make these bars as pretty as they are delicious.

No bake blueberry cheesecake slice on white plate with blueberry and sauce.

Bars are the go-to dessert when you are feeding a crowd. If I can get away with not turning on the oven, that’s even better.

For a sweet, tart, lemony no bake cheesecake, try these No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Parfaits. Studded with fresh raspberries, they make a light and tasty summer treat.

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How to make loquat cobbler

April 26, 2021

Home » Desserts

Loquat cobbler with a buttery biscuit topping is a delicious and simple dessert. Not to be confused with a loquat crumble, which has a crumb topping, a cobbler has fluffy biscuits on top of sweetened fruit. This one is sprinkled with coarse sanding sugar for a bit of texture.

loquat cobbler in mini baking dish with antique silver spoon

Cobblers, crumbles and crisps are usually lumped together into one category of simple fruit desserts. Cobblers, like this one, generally have a biscuit topping. Although, in some areas, it can be more like a batter or dumpling. Crumbles are topped with large buttery crumbs and crisps have the addition of oats in the topping.

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How to make loquat crumble

April 10, 2021

Tart, sweet and covered with a buttery topping, a loquat crumble is the perfect way to use this seasonal fruit. An easy loquat jam is another great recipe to use up this abundant fruit.

loquat crumble in glass baking dish with antique spoon

Crumbles are a great dessert to make when you’re craving something sweet, but also want a low effort, comfort food style treat.

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How to make citrus biscotti

March 26, 2021

Citrus biscotti are a delicious spring treat. Full of bright, citrus flavor, they are light and delicate. For a more decadent cookie, try my butter pecan biscotti.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.

Biscotti are the perfect treat alongside a cup of coffee or tea. They are made for dunking.

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How to make cream cheese cupcakes

March 24, 2021

Cream cheese cupcakes are made with tangy cream cheese mixed into the batter for an extra moist cupcake. Topped with fluffy cream cheese frosting, they are the perfect treat for celebrating any occasion. Try topping them with my strawberry cream cheese frosting for a fruity twist.

cream cheese cupcakes with cream cheese frosting covered in sprinkles — *Cream cheese cupcakes with sprinkles*

Perfect for spring or Easter weekend, these sweet little cupcakes are covered with festive sprinkles to make them extra cheery.

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How to make no bake chocolate cheesecake

March 22, 2021

Home » Desserts

Decadent no bake chocolate cheesecake is a perfect dessert to make when you are craving something sweet, but don’t want to turn on the oven. Another summertime favorite are my no bake blueberry cheesecake bars.

slice of no bake chocolate cheesecake on white plate with strawberry

No bake dessert lovers may want to check out these no bake lemon cheesecake parfaits too!

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Devil’s Food Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

March 9, 2021

Deep, dark devil’s food cupcakes with mint buttercream are the perfect treat for those who love the combination of chocolate and mint. These cupcakes, along with sweet Irish soda bread are my favorites for St. Patrick’s Day. Shaved chocolate mint candies are the perfect garnish for these tasty cupcakes.

Devil's food cupcakes with mint buttercream frosting

American buttercream made with crème de menthe makes this an adults-only cupcake, but there is a non-alcoholic version to make it kid-friendly!

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Devil’s Food cupcakes

I’ve made thousands of chocolate cupcakes in my lifetime, as I’m sure some of you have as well. You wait with anticipation for that dark chocolatey goodness only to find it falls short of being really chocolatey.

Does this sound familiar? That really takes the wind out of my sails.

If I’m promised a devil’s food cupcake, call me crazy, I want a super chocolatey cupcake.

devils food cupcakes with green buttercream

After many versions, I’ve finally landed on a solid recipe for a devils food cupcake recipe that doesn’t leave me feeling like it didn’t quite hit the mark.

Chocolate mint cupcakes

For those of us who love the chocolate and mint combination, the best frosting for devil’s food cupcakes would be mint buttercream.

By topping the chocolatey cupcake with mint frosting, it tastes like mint aero cupcakes. That’s a chocolate mint candy bar from the UK that I discovered years ago in Canada. Sometimes I find them in the international aisle at the store.

Mint buttercream frosting

Green crème de menthe frosting tops this devils food cupcake to make these a fantastic sweet for St. Patrick’s day.

mint buttercream in mixing bowl with pastry bag for devil's food cupcakes

The mint frosting recipe is super simple. It is an American buttercream, so no fussing with egg whites like you would for a Swiss meringue buttercream.

Butter and powdered sugar are beaten together until light and fluffy. This one has the addition of mint in the form of green crème de menthe.

If you would rather make it without the alcohol, there is a note in the recipe for doing just that. A couple of swaps and you have basically the same frosting without the alcohol.

How to Make Chocolate Curls for Garnish

This is a really easy thing to make that looks a bit posh. Get the rectangles of chocolate mint candies and stash them in the fridge.

Using a vegetable peeler, gently pull the peeler toward you along the longest side of the candy. The lighter you press, the thinner it will be and it will curl a bit easier. If you press harder, the curl will be thicker and not quite as curly.

Devil's food cupcakes with creme de menthe frosting

You want the candy to be cool but not very cold. If it is too cold, it will be brittle and it’ll break into shards, which is also fun.

After a few candies, you will quickly find your groove and what you like best. You’ll see what I mean when you make them.

It is very easy to do, it just takes patience. If the candy breaks, just eat it and grab another piece. No one will be the wiser.

I really hope you love this recipe. If you make it, snap a pic and share it with me either in the Fabulous Foodie Friends Facebook group or on Instagram by tagging @pookspantry and using hashtag #pookspantry.

Here are a few more of our favorite cupcake recipes:

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Devil's food cupcakes with chocolate mint candy curls

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Yield: 36 cupcakes

Devils Food Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream

Devil's food cupcakes with American buttercream flavored with crème de menthe for a 21+ treat.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 16 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 31 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

3/4 cup cocoa powder, dark
3/4 cup water, hot
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, large
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract, I prefer Nielsen-Massey

For the Buttercream

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
2 lbs powdered sugar (2 boxes)
1/4 cup green Creme de Menthe
*pinch kosher salt
Chocolate mint candies for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C / Gas Mark 4. Line cupcake pans with papers.
In a medium bowl, whisk cocoa and hot water together until smooth.
Let cool slightly, then whisk in sour cream and melted chocolate until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with the flour; beat until combined.
Using a scoop (I used a size 20 scoop) divide batter evenly into cupcake liners. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting.

Mint Buttercream

Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients together on low speed for one minute until combined, then at high for another 3 - 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Transfer into piping bag fitted with star tip & pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Garnish with shaved creme de menthe candy.

Notes

To make this recipe kid-friendly, omit the creme de menthe and replace with a drop of green food coloring and a teaspoon of peppermint extract.

Strawberry cream cheese pound cake

March 3, 2021

Delicious strawberry cream cheese pound cake is a simple tea cake made with ripe strawberries. Like my blueberry pound cake, the cream cheese batter makes a moist cake with a tender crumb and fabulous flavor.

strawberry cream cheese pound cake with dark pink napkin

If peaches are more your thing, check out this peach pound cake.

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Chocolate coconut truffles with almonds

February 1, 2021

These chocolate-dipped coconut truffles taste like a bite sized Almond Joy candy bar. They are an easy, no bake treat that is perfect for Valentine’s Day. For another delicious dessert, try this dark chocolate cake with red wine chocolate ganache.

These are super easy to make and if you have kids, they can help roll and dip the treats.

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Coconut truffles

Valentine’s Day is for chocolate, that’s not up for debate. Whether it’s a box of candy or a chocolate bundt cake, we need some of that cocoa goodness.

Coconut is a favorite of mine, and the combination of chocolate and coconut is delicious.

A very long time ago when I worked in catering, we were craving something sweet that was fast & easy and did not need cooking. What I came up with was this recipe. It earned the name “crack balls” by the kitchen staff because we couldn’t stop eating them.

How to make truffles

These aren’t your normal chocolate truffles made with a ganache. This bite-sized copycat Almond Joy is made even better with an unexpected ingredient – a pinch of salt.

I use a combination of sweetened and unsweetened coconut flakes so the candy isn’t overly sweet. If you prefer them very sweet, use all sweetened coconut flakes to make them.

1. Combine both toasted and untoasted coconut with a pinch of salt and evaporated milk.

2. Using a small scoop, portion out truffles and place on baking sheet.

step by step instructions for making coconut truffles

3. Roll into balls, lightly packing them with the palms of your hands while rolling so they stay together.

4. Dip into melted dark chocolate and toss in chopped nuts.

I like to roll them in chopped toasted almonds, but you can use anything that you have. I’ve used peanuts, cashews and pistachios to coat these coconut truffles and all were delicious.

You can also opt for no nuts, if you prefer, and just dip them in chocolate. Another fun option would be to roll them in red or pink sprinkles.

sprinkling almonds onto coconut truffles

Once you have them covered, place them back onto a sheet pan to let the chocolate set up.

Finished chocolate coconut truffles coated with almonds on sheet pan.

These candies also make great homemade gifts. Tuck a few truffles into valentine’s treat bags to share with friends, family and neighbors.

Quick, easy and delicious, these chocolate coconut truffles are perfect for surprising your special Valentine.

Please share

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Yield: 16 truffles