Pumpkin Cakes with Cinnamon Glaze

Hello.  My name is Maureen, and I am addicted to pumpkin.  Pumpkin spice coffee.  Pumpkin pie (with Cool Whip).  Pumpkin fudge.  Pumpkin pie dip with graham crackers.  Pumpkin butter.  Pumpkin soup. 

AND I LOVE PUMPKIN CAKE, especially the ones that I made tonight.  Okay...so I didn't make them all by myself.  The monkey did lend her hand.

I am super excited that fall is right around the corner (although I am not ready for summer to end) because I love fall foods.  Fall = Pumpkin Season.  Here is the first of what I hope is many more pumpkin baking recipes to come.

The finished product

Pumpkin Cakes

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie)
• 1 egg
• 1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice





Cinnamon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 heaping teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons whole milk.

Combine the cake mix, pumpkin, egg and spices in a mixing bowl and mix well. 
Pour the cake batter in your choice of pan (I used my Texas cupcake pan....everything is bigger in Texas)
Bake according to the package directions.
Prepare the cinnamon glaze: Combine the four ingredients, and stir until well blended.  Store in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve the cakes.
The cakes can be allowed to cool, or can be served warm.  The glaze is best added to the cake when you are ready to serve it.

Enjoy! 



Here's my monkey putting the ingredients together.



The naked cake



Chocolate Peanut Butter Filled Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

It's time for me to put up, or shut up.  No more sitting around waiting for a reason to bake.  I'm just going to do it.  Why not?  What's stopping me?  Nothing.  The only thing that can get it my way is me.

With that said, I am challenging myself to a 52 week baking challenge.  Each week, I am going to make and/or create some sort of baked good -- cakes, cupcakes, pies, you name it (in fact, I'm open to suggestions). 

The challenge started on Sunday, when I was looking for someone to bake for.  The obvious choice was my husband because it was Father's Day.  This is a cupcake he requested.  It was his day.  How could I say no.  The actual cake is pretty simple, since I used a box cake mix.  The filling is a take off of the recipe we use to make peanut butter eggs at Easter.  The frosting is my old stand by, courtesy of Wilton.

Sorry about the picture quality...I took this using my phone

Chocolate cake mix, and ingredients necessary

Peanut Butter Filling
1 stick butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powered sugar, sifted

Buttercream Frosting
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 stick Crisco
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted.
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a standard muffin tin with paper lines.

Prepare and bake the cupcakes according to the directions on the back of the box (tough, right).  Allow cupcakes to cool completely.

Prepare the filling: In a glass bowl, melt the butter and peanut butter for one minute.  Stir until the butters are combined.  Add the sugar, one cup at a time, and mix well.  Place in the refrigerator to cool.

Prepare the frosting by following the directions found on the Wilton website (no need for me to copy and paste!).

Once the cakes have cooled completly, use a small knife and remove a hole in the center of the cake.  Fill the hole with the peanut butter mixture, and frost the cakes.  I used the Wilton 2D tip to make them pretty (food should take good and look good too).

Happy eating!

Why The Name Buttercream Queen?

This is why.  This is a cake I made two years ago just because.  It's a yellow cake covered in buttercream spaghetti, and topped with chocolate truffle meatballs.  The sauce is thinned rasberry jam.

This was Megan's birthday cake when she turned 6.  Her birthday is in May, and she asked for a Rudolph cake. 

So...that's why the name Buttercream Queen.  It's actually Buttercream B*tch because I won't let my family eat the homemade icing I make. 

I've been toying with the idea of making some money on the side -- all of which would be donated to Autism Research -- from my love of baking.  I just don't know where to start.  I thought I would start with the name, but I don't think Buttercream B*tch would look good on a business card.

Any thoughts?  I would love to hear them.