This past weekend we hosted our second Central Florida Food Blogger Bake Sale as part of the national Food Blogger Bake Sale campaign. I am thrilled to share that our local event raised more than $1,400 for Share Our Strength. The bakers, volunteers, raffle donors and generous customers all made this possible. Thank you, Central Florida — your energy and generosity were inspiring and left me energized.
All photos of the bake sale were taken with my iPhone — my Canon DSLR battery died, so the phone saved the day!
We had a delightful selection of treats for sale. Thanks to Chris for promoting the event and to Katie for co-organizing. A big thank you to our raffle donors, including KitchenAid, Chicago Metallic, Driscoll’s and several local restaurants and vendors who contributed generous prizes.
Special thanks to John Rife and the Winter Park Harvest Festival for letting us use the outdoor space near his building. It was an excellent location and we’re grateful he’s willing to host us again next year.
Here’s the lovely group of bloggers who baked for Share Our Strength. Back row: Julius (Droolius), Angie (Eclectic Recipes), Wanda (My Sweet Zepol), Robin (Simply Southern Baking), Katie (Katie’s Cucina), me, Chris (Eat Local Orlando), Ricky (Tasty Chomps). Front row: Jillian (Stay Calm Have a Cupcake), Marilyn (Forkful), Pearleen (Mega Yummo) and Jacqueline (BeyondNFinity).
Now to one of the cupcakes I made for the sale: chocolate cupcakes topped with Biscoff buttercream. If you haven’t tried Biscoff spread (also called cookie butter), you’re in for a treat. It has the warm, caramelized flavor of those airline Biscoff cookies but in a smooth, spreadable form that’s fantastic on toast, English muffins or in frosting.
I originally tested this buttercream on coworkers who loved it, and while making peanut butter cup cupcakes for the bake sale I decided to create a chocolate-Biscoff variation so it wasn’t the same as last year. The buttercream is rich but not overly sweet — the mix of salted and unsalted butter keeps the flavor balanced.
The chocolate cupcakes are based on a simple doctored cake mix method using Devil’s Food cake mix and instant chocolate pudding for extra moisture and flavor. If you prefer from-scratch cakes, feel free to use your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe instead.
Cupcake Tips:
- Use a 3-tablespoon scoop to fill each liner for uniform cupcakes. A cookie scoop works well and speeds up the process.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a rack before frosting or storing. Warm cupcakes can pull away from liners.
- If you cover cupcakes while cooling, use a light towel or paper sack so they don’t trap steam. I usually frost the same day they’ll be eaten, then store them in an airtight container.
- Cupcakes don’t need to be perfect to taste great — but if you want to improve presentation, a few basic decorating tools and good liners help a lot.
- I buy sturdy liners and individual holders from specialty baking suppliers; they make transport and display easier for events like bake sales.
Chocolate Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream Icing
Ingredients
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 18.25 oz package devil’s food cake mix
- 1 (3.4 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp instant espresso granules, dissolve in 1/2 cup warm water
Biscoff Buttercream Icing
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup biscoff spread
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsps milk
Instructions
Chocolate Cupcakes
-
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 24-cup muffin tin with liners.
-
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, instant pudding, sour cream, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla and dissolved espresso (if using). Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until just combined; avoid overmixing.
-
Portion batter with a 3 Tbsp scoop into each liner.
-
Bake 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a few cupcakes comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Biscoff Buttercream Icing
-
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat softened unsalted and salted butter with the Biscoff spread on low to medium speed until combined. Add vanilla.
-
With the mixer off, add powdered sugar in two batches and blend until incorporated (it may look dense at first). Add 3–4 tablespoons milk gradually while mixing on low until you reach the desired consistency. Increase speed and whip until light and fluffy, about 5–7 minutes.
-
Pipe or spread the frosting onto cooled cupcakes using a large star tip or your preferred method. Store frosting in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks; bring to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before using.
Notes
Leave a Rating
Disclosure: There are a few affiliate links mentioned in this post.