Cupcake Bites

I finally used the instructions on my cupcake pops link. I didn't have the pop sticks, so I made Cupcake Bites! They were delicious.

I decided to make some chocolate ones, because almost everyone I know LOVES chocolate. I used a recipe for Hot Water Devil's Food Cake. Yum.

Hot Water Devil's Food Cake

1/2 c Shortening

1 1/2 c Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 c Cocoa

3/4 c Sweet Milk

2 c All-purpose Flour

1/4 t Salt

2 t Soda

1 c Boiling Water

Mix in order given, when mixed thoroughly add boiling water. Batter will be thin. Bake at 375* for 35-40 minutes in a 9x13 in. pan until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

We almost always double this recipe and use Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream Frosting with Orange Extract for birthdays. But this recipe only needs a single for about 50 cupcake bites!

Let the cake cool, and make Cream Cheese Frosting. I guess you could buy it too, but its not nearly as good.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 c Butter, softened

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 T Vanilla

1 lb Powdered Sugar

Cream the butter and cheese, add the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar in batches.

When the cake is completely cool, crumble it into a large bowl. And I mean LARGE. Add 2 cups of the cream cheese frosting (1 can or about 1/2 of the recipe here). And mix together. Mash the frosting into the cake with a wooden spoon, or knead it with your hands. When the frosting is all mixed in, use a 1 T spoon or a small cookie scoop and roll the mixture into thick oval shapes. When all rolled press into a flower shaped cookie cutter. Mold the cake mixture into a small cupcake shape. (You can just roll them into balls an be done, also.)

I ended up with 50 little cupcakes. When they were all set on the pan they looked like truffles!

Melt candy for the bottom, I used Vanilla Almond Bark. Dip the bottoms in the candy and place on waxed paper with the top side down, to set. I also used a little bit of yellow food coloring to make the candy look like cupcake wrappers.

You can do the same for the top with any kind of candy you like. I decided to use frosting, Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream Frosting, to be exact.

Hershey's One Bowl Buttercream Frosting

6 T Butter, softened

1/3-3/4 Cocoa (1/3 is pretty light but 3/4 is EXTREMELY rich)

2 2/3 c Powdered Sugar

1/3 c Milk

1 t Vanilla

In small mixer bowl, cream butter. Add cocoa and sugar alternately with milk. Beat to spreading consistency (additional milk may be necessary). Blend in the vanilla. Makes about 2 cups of frosting.

I then used a small spatula to spread about 1 tablespoon, maybe less, of frosting on each cupcake bite.

These are very rich! But very tasty.

I did the same with my pumpkin cookie recipe, just baked it as a cake, then crumbled it...but I left them as Cookie Balls and glazed them with a powdered sugar glaze. Mmmmmm!