Tag Archives: individual dessert

Caramel Pecan Cup of Cake!

Posted on November 19, 2016 by Ruthanne

Take a plain cupcake and turn it into a layered work of art this Thanksgiving!

Everyone loves those beautiful layered trifle desserts. This recipe creates individual layered desserts. Aren’t they fun?? I used butter pecan cupcakes with yummy caramel sauce, pecans and homemade butter cream frosting. They were delicious! You can use this idea with literally ANY combination of flavors though! Get all the flavors of a “filled” cupcake- but SO much easier to assemble!

Plus, you can wrap them up in cello bags with pretty fall ribbon and ties for an elegant holiday dessert!

Can you tell that I enjoyed taking pictures of these!?! Here is how we made them (printable recipe here):

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 24 cups of cake!)

Cake:

One boxed cake mix (plus oil, water and eggs to make according to package). I used Betty Crocker’s Butter Pecan cake mix. It was AMAZING!!!!!!!

Caramel sauce:

32 unwrapped Kraft caramels
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Buttercream:

4 sticks of butter (softened)
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
You will also need 4-5 pecan halves per cup- and small clear Solo cups!

DIRECTIONS:

Make cake mix according to package and bake in 24 cupcake tins as directed by box (spray the pans with non-stick spray if you don’t use liners!). Cool.
Make caramel sauce by placing caramels, butter (1 stick) and sweetened condensed milk into a saucepan.
Melt over stove, stirring constantly, until caramels are entirely melted and smooth.
Cool and place in a zip-top bag.
Make buttercream by placing 4 sticks of softened butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
Use hand mixer to beat on high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Place frosting in a zip-top bag that has been fitted with a decorating tip. Set aside.
To assemble, cut a cupcake in half. Pipe a little bit of frosting into bottom of cup and press cupcake bottom in cup.
Clip a corner off the bag of caramel and pipe along edge of cup on top of cupcake bottom.

Press pecans into caramel along edges
Pipe a little frosting between pecans (only use a little- mine had a touch too much icing in the middle- you could even skip this step and just have frosting on the bottom and top)
Place top of cupcake on, pipe a little more caramel on top of cupcake, and pipe a swirl of frosting on top.
Add a pecan and decorate as desired. I used cute icing leaves by Wilton that I found at Michael’s.

You’ll want to wrap these up or put them in an air-tight container to keep them fresh. I chose cello bags and ribbon ties- and they made me smile 🙂 These stay fresh for 3-4 days when covered.

My thoughts: These got RAVE reviews. Personally, I thought they were a little sweet and I wished I had used less frosting (plus I ran out of frosting with 3 to go!) so use a little less than pictured (or make a little more…if you really like frosting!!) One of my friends HIGHLY recommended crumbled bacon as a layer in these 🙂 The GREAT news is that you literally can add anything you want to make these into your family’s favorite dessert! Enjoy!! ~r

Other yummy pecan and/or caramel treats here on Easybaked! (click on a photo to see the recipe)

Fall Marshmallow Cakes

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Ruthanne

These delicious little chocolate cakes are filled with creamy sweet marshmallow, and decorated to make everyone at your fall table smile!

I’ve been craving HoHos lately. Do they even still make those? Seems like Hostess went out of business awhile back…? Anyway- or those Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls. Both of those desserts remind me of high school lunches. My friends and I would sit at lunch, peel them apart in layers, and talk about boys and such while we ate them.

Anyway… so I started thinking about a way to do a grown-up version of these flavors. My friend Angie gave me SUCH a fun pan- it makes little cakes with a cavity in the center that holds filling. See what I mean HERE. I’ve used these pans before here on Easybaked and they seemed perfect for this idea. Instead of topping cake with cake—- I topped each cake with a thick layer of chocolate glaze that was decorated with chocolate transfers.

I love how they turned out! This was my 1st time using transfers, and they are a little fussy- but the wow factor….!!!!!

Mmmm……!! So there is some special equipment to make these exactly like I did (cake pans, silicone molds to make the top chocolate layer). If you hate to purchase the pans and chocolate mold, make these as cupcakes. Fill them with marshmallow and pour the glaze over the top. Or make this as a layer cake maybe- with the marshmallow in the middle and the glaze drizzled over the top?

However you choose to make it, the flavors are wonderful together!

Here’s how we put these together. (Printable recipe here)

Ingredients (makes 8 mini cakes)

Cake:

1 chocolate cake mix (plus water, oil and eggs to make according to package)

Filling:

2 cups marshmallow creme
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Topping:

2 cups chocolate chips
12 tablespoons of butter
1 large (12″x16″) chocolate transfer sheet (here is where I got mine)

Directions:

Start with the chocolate toppers. To add a chocolate transfer on top, cut 8 circles in a 4 inch diameter. I traced the pans with a marker and the cut the transfer just inside the line. Place the smooth side down and the rough side up inside a 4 inch silicone cake mold (I got mine here, in the medium size).
Place chocolate chips and 12 tablespoons of butter into a microwave safe dish and melt in 30 second increments, stirring between until smooth.
Gently spoon chocolate over the top of each transfer until it is covered completely.
Freeze for about 20 minutes- until completely hard.
Gently peel away the silicone mold, leaving the chocolate. Keep this chocolate in the freezer until use.

Repeat process (re-melt chocolate glaze if needed) until you have 8 toppers in the freezer.
Make cake according to mix and bake in 4 pans as directed on box. Only fill the pans 1/2 full, or they will overflow. And grease the pans generously!!! My 1st batch stuck a little.
You will need to bake two batches to get your 8 cakes. Cool completely.
Make filling by beating together the marshmallow creme and the butter until smooth and light (about 2 minutes).
Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating on low until it is fully mixed in, and then increasing to high and beating until light and fluffy (another 2 minutes or so).
Place filling into a zip top bag and zip it tightly closed. Clip a corner off and squeeze filling into each open cake cavity.
Gently set a chocolate topper over the filling, pressing it lightly against the filling. As the topper warms to room temperature, it will soften and stick more firmly to the cake.
Gently peel away the plastic from the top of the transfer.

Keep at room temperature until serving. Kept covered, these can be stored for two to three days.
Enjoy!

My thoughts: If you don’t mind the extra equipment and a little bit of time, these are positively the most elegant and delicious little cakes! I had so much fun serving these as individual desserts- and everyone loved them. If what you are aiming for is extra special- this is your dessert. If you need your chocolate fix right now? Get those Little Debbies!!! 😉 ~r

Other fall treats here on Easybaked:

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Posted in Cakes, chocolate and tagged cake, chocolate, chocolate transfers, fall dessert, fall recipe, filled cakes, fudge, ganache, glaze, how to use chocolate transfers, individual dessert, marshmallow, marshmallow chocolate cake, thanksgiving dessert. Bookmark the permalink.

Frosty Fall Pudding Treats

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Ruthanne

Who says you can’t do frozen treats for Halloween?? These yummy little frosty pudding cups have a Golden Oreo crust and are decorated like fun candy corn treats!

I’m back with a recipe in my Chicago Metallic Mini Cheesecake Pan.
For those of you who haven’t gotten one of these yet, they are SO much fun. I’ve done some of my favorite desserts in this little pan. You can do this particular dessert in cupcake liners placed in muffin tins, but they are just SO cute in the mini cheesecake pan.

Here’s how the pan works: You get a pan that looks just like a muffin tin but each cup has a hole in the bottom. You also get 12 little metal disks that fit perfectly in each cup, covering up that hole. You make, bake, freeze, etc. your dessert and then just push up through that hole in the bottom and the disk pushes out with your little dessert on top. I love fun individual desserts, so this is pretty much the perfect idea, in my opinion!

These are really easy, but they need to freeze for several hours/overnight, so make them ahead.

Here’s the recipe: (printable version)

INGREDIENTS:

One package of Golden Oreos
1 package (4 servings, 3.3 oz.) of Jell-O Instant White Chocolate Pudding
1 1/2 cups of cold milk
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool-Whip topping (thawed in refrigerator)
Food colorings in yellow and orange
Fall sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

Crush about 2/3 package of Golden Oreos in a food processor or large food chopper.
Add orange food coloring until desired shade of orange is reached and mix on high until cookie bits and color are well combined.
Place metal disks into cheesecake pan and spoon cookie crumbs evenly into all 12 wells of mini- cheesecake pan (or cupcake liners), and press firmly into bottom (I use a Mini Tart Shaper– and I love it!)
In a large mixing bowl, mix cold milk with pudding for 2 minutes.
Add yellow food coloring to get desired shade and mix until well combined.
Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip (the rest will be used as topping- keep it refrigerated until use)
Spoon pudding mixture into a large zip-top bag (and zip it tight).
Cut a corner of the bag off and pipe pudding mixture into each cup, all the way to the top.
Use a knife to smooth the tops flat and cover entire pan with plastic wrap.
Freeze until serving (at least a few hours)
Before serving, remove pan from freezer and allow it to warm up a little bit before popping desserts out.
Press a finger up through the hole in the bottom of the pan, pushing each dessert up- grab it by the crust and take metal disk off the bottom.
Serve immediately, or place in a sealed container back in the freezer until ready to serve.
Pipe remaining Cool Whip on top of each little dessert cup and decorate as desired.
Enjoy!!

My thoughts: There are two things that make a dessert perfect in my mind. Taste and the amount of smiles that happen when you serve them. These are really yummy (how can you go wrong with pudding and Oreos???) and the number of smiles….? Well, you are just going to have to make them to see that for yourself! Enjoy!! ~R

Other mini-cheesecake pan recipes you will love:

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Posted in Cookie Cups, Frozen desserts and tagged baking, cool whip, dessert, fall, favorite, Golden Oreo, Halloween, individual dessert, kids, mini cheesecake pan, oreo, pudding, recipe, white chocolate pudding. Bookmark the permalink.

Mini Cookie Dough Cheesecakes

Posted on August 25, 2012 by Ruthanne

These yummy little cheesecakes have chocolate chips in the crust and adorable little chocolate chip cookies baked right on the top. A perfect mini party dessert!!

INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 mini cheesecakes)

3/4 c. finely crushed graham crackers
2 1/2 T. melted butter
1/3 c. mini chocolate chips
1 (8oz) bar of Philadelphia Cream Cheese (softened to room temperature)
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 t. vanilla
1 tube of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (I use Pillsbury)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325.
Open tube of cookie dough and using a small melon baller or Mini Cookie Scoop make 12 small cookie balls (about an inch in diameter) and set aside. (You will not use much of the dough for this recipe- which means you can make cookies later!!!)
Combine graham cracker crumbs with butter and mix well.
Add mini chips, and when well combined, evenly divide into a Mini Cheesecake Pan (make sure you place your metal disks in each cup first!)
Press crumbs into bottom of each cup using a Mini Tart Shaper
Combine softened cream cheese with sugar and add egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Evenly divide batter into each of the 12 mini cheesecake cups.
Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven and gently place one cookie dough ball on the top of each mini cheesecake.
Return pan to the oven for 10-12 minutes- until cookies are baked on the top of each cheesecake and starting to brown.
Remove from oven and cool completely.
Refrigerate overnight, remove from pan and ENJOY!!

My thoughts: It took me two tries to get the cookie dough to bake on the top all cute and pretty. Its all in the timing. My first attempt at this recipe, I put the cookie dough on top before the cheesecake was baked. The cookie dough sank and pushed the cheesecake batter right over the top of the pans, leaving a huge mess! Putting the dough on near the end of baking worked perfectly. Lesson? When at first you don’t succeed, try again! (also, stock up on cream cheese when it is on sale so it doesn’t cost a fortune to experiment!) I really hope you love these yummy little treats! Enjoy!! -r

11 Comments

Posted in Cheesecakes and tagged baking, cheesecake, chocolate, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate chip cookies, cookie dough, Cream Cheese, dessert, graham cracker crumbs, individual dessert, mini cheesecake, mini cheesecake pan, mini chocolate chips, party, philadelphia cream cheese. Bookmark the permalink.

Frosty S’more Cups

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Ruthanne

Graham Crust topped with soft chocolate, mini marshmallows and creamy whipped pudding- all frozen in a cute individual cup! YUM!

I’m back with a recipe using my Chicago Metallic Mini Cheesecake Pan that I just love. My Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecakes were my first experiment using this pan and these are my second experiment. I’m just so impressed by how easy it is to make these using this pan- love it! These frozen treats are rich and creamy and oh-so-yummy! I hope you love them as much as I do!

INGREDIENTS:

18 graham cracker squares (9 sheets or about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
2 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c. cold milk
1 box (4 servings, 3.9 oz)instant chocolate pudding
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip (thawed in fridge)
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips (as topping)

DIRECTIONS

Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs.
Melt butter and add to graham crackers, mixing until well combined to make crust.
Prepare pan by placing disks into the bottom of each cup.
Evenly divide crust mixture into all 12 cups, saving about 1/4 cup to use as topping later. (I used a Mini Tart Shaper to press crumbs firmly into the bottom of each cup).
Place milk chocolate chips and whipping cream into a small bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
Spoon chocolate into a zip top bag, cut a tip off and evenly pipe chocolate into the center of each cup, on top of the crust.

Divide Marshmallows among cups.
Mix cold milk with pudding on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip container (the rest will be used as topping).
Spoon filling into a large zip top bag (and ZIP it or you might have a mess!) Clip a corner off and pipe pudding into each cup evenly. Try to pipe it in between the marshmallows so that the whole cup is filled. I did have a little left over (which was really tasty straight out of the bag!)
Use a knife to smooth the tops level with the top of the pan.
Freeze for at least a couple of hours.
Allow the pan to warm just a bit before popping each dessert cup out. Poke a finger up through the hole in the bottom of the pan and grab that s’mores cup by its crust. Remove the disk from the bottom and you are ready to add topping.
For topping, I just piped a little bit of the left over Cool Whip on each dessert using a decorating tip. Then I sprinkled the remaining crust and mini chocolate chips on top.
Serve cold right away– or put them in a sealed container and freeze until you are ready to serve.

My thoughts: I love these so much. They are ok at room temperature, but serve them frozen and they are amazing! The pudding stays so creamy and that chocolate layer in the middle…. it is a miracle I didn’t just sit down and eat them all. Seriously. Enjoy!!! -r

6-5-12: Check out this bloggers version using muffin cups: A Bunch of Bishops –so fun!