Bready or Not: Baileys Irish Coffee Creamer Chocolate Mini Muffins
I’m not ashamed to use cake mix every now and then. It’s fast. It can make delicious things. In this case, about 70 delicious things.
I doctored this recipe to use nonalcoholic refrigerated Baileys Coffee Creamer instead of the hard stuff, and I also adapted it for mini muffins. Loads of them.
These are bite-sized dollops of chocolate: chocolate cake dappled with chocolate chips, with the added smoothness of Baileys. Plus, it’s fast to whip up, especially if you have more than one mini muffin pan!
Since I bought a large container of coffee creamer (hey, it was a good sale, and I needed St. Patrick’s recipes, so…), you’ll see more recipes with Baileys featured the next two weeks as well!
Modified from Couponing & Cooking.
Bready or Not: Baileys Irish Coffee Creamer Chocolate Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup Baileys Irish Coffee Creamer nonalcoholic
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips, + additional for tops, if desired
Instructions
- Prep your mini muffin pans(s) by placing liners and dousing with nonstick spray. Note that the recipe makes about 70 mini muffins. Preheat the oven at 350-degrees.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil, and Baileys Creamer. Once that's mixed to show no clumps, add the chocolate chips. The batter will be a little runny.
- A teaspoon scoop makes it easy to dole out batter into the liners--but don't fill to the top! They will grow as they bake. Top with a few extra chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are springy and the innermost muffins pass the toothpick test. Use a fork to pop them out and onto a rack to cool.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Praline Cake
If you love quick and easy dump cakes, let me introduce you to one that is full of pumpkin goodness.
Last year I went through a stack of old issues of Betty Crocker magazine. I sliced out recipes that looked promising. This was one of them.
I was amazed at how easy this recipe was. It literally came together in the time it took for the oven to preheat. The flavors and texture are amazing: you have a cakey base topped with spicy pumpkin custard, with a nutty-crunchy layer atop.
Plus, you can cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for days! It tastes even better after a day or two. The spices meld with everything.
My husband took this cake to work. He returned with an empty dish. The guys raved about it.
If you like pumpkin, if you like cake, this is the way to start your fall off right.
Bready or Not: Pumpkin Praline Cake
Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 12 oz evaporated milk
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice heaping
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a 13x9-inch pan by lining with foil or parchment and then greasing it well with Pam or butter.
- In a large bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. It should be smooth. Pour it into the pan.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the pumpkin goop. Sprinkle the nuts all over the top. Pour the melted butter evenly over everything.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife in the center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Cut and serve from the pan; warm slices in the microwave, if desired, or eat cold.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Twinkie Cake
The Clockwork Crown is out next week, and that means this is CAKE MONTH on Bready or Not! We start that off with a glorious layer cake that tastes like a fresh version of a Twinkie.
Seriously, that’s what this is. A totally fresh, melt-in-your-mouth version of a Twinkie.
I wanted to make this from scratch because I believe in making my life extra difficult. I found this awesome yellow cake recipe at Mel’s Kitchen. I used the dry ingredients to form my base of the Twinkie Cake.
The good news is that you can make this using a store-bought mix–heck, you could even do it gluten-free!
The marshmallow frosting here is amazing. It’s not overly sweet but it does pack a sugar wallop. Eat a few slices of this and you might have trouble sleeping tonight.
Varied reactions to this cake: “It’s… a Twinkie. That you made?” “Wow.” “You are trying to murder me with diabetes.” “Good grief.” “Don’t tell my doctor I’m eating this.”
One funny note, too. This was at room temperature for a few hours at a party. When it was down to about a quarter of the cake, the top layer kept sliding off. The frosting layers didn’t budge and the yellow cake didn’t even crumble. I kept going over to slide it back into place again because I’m OCD like that.
Finally, I told my husband we had to finish the cake because it didn’t look right.
The things I do.
Yellow cake mix modified from Mel’s Kitchen and Twinkie Cake modified from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen.
Bready or Not: Twinkie Cake
Ingredients
Homemade dry cake mix:
(Or disregard this section and use a boxed yellow cake mix)
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Add to cake mix:
- 5.1 oz box instant vanilla pudding large box
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup salted butter 1 stick, melted and cooled slightly
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
Filling/Frosting:
- 1/2 cup salted butter 1 stick, room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 7 oz marshmallow creme
- 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- rainbow sprinkles if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Butter or add nonstick spray to 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, then cut out parchment rounds to place inside each pan, then butter or spray again.
- Combine the dry ingredients of the cake mix (this can be done a day or two ahead of time) or open up a box of yellow cake mix.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs and butter. Slowly add the cake mix (homemade or store bought), pudding mix, vanilla extract, and water. Beat on medium for a minute or so, until it's smooth and thick.
- Spread batter in the prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is spongy to the touch and/or it passes the toothpick test.
- Cool cakes in pans for a few minutes, then gently run a plastic knife around the edge. Turn cakes out onto wire racks, remove the parchment, and let them completely cool.
For frosting/filling:
- In a mixer, beat together the butter and vanilla extract. Add the jarred marshmallow crème and beat until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar and then pour in the heavy cream. Put the mixer on high and beat for a minute or two, until the frosting is light, smooth, and fluffy.
- To assemble the cake, dab some frosting on the cake plate and set the bottom cake layer on top. The frosting dabs will act like glue. Note that this cake doesn't have frosting on the sides. Place about half the marshmallow frosting on the cake layer and even it out. Place the second cake layer on top. Dollop on the rest of the frosting and swirl it to be all pretty. Add sprinkles on top. Store in fridge.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Lemon Bars
I present to you one of my favorite stand-by recipes, one of the first that I mastered as a newlywed.
I originally featured this recipe on Bready or Not back in 2012. I didn’t have as many blog readers then, and my pictures sucked, so I decided it was time to share the recipe again. It’s worthy of the repeat.
There’s a lot to love about the recipe. It’s quick and easy to make. Lemon or yellow cake mix forms the base; there’s no major taste difference between the two. You get to smash up crackers, which is fun.
Cake mix and cracker crumble.
The resulting taste is a mix of lemon, a touch of sweetness, and saltiness, and it works so well. I’ve tried other lemon recipes that have a thicker custard layer, and they don’t keep or travel well. These do. They should be chilled, but they remain solid to pack in a lunch or to bring to a potluck.
Smooth mix of condensed milk, lemon juice, and egg yolks.
These are really the perfect summer dessert. Lemony, sweet, salty. Cool to the tongue.
Plus, they are pretty–ah, the pictures turned out so much better this time around! See? These lemon bars are downright photogenic AND delicious.
Originally posted on Bready or Not in 2012; based on recipe from a Real Lemon juice advertisement.
Bready or Not: Lemon Bars
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix or yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 cups finely crushed saltine crackers whole sleeve of crackers
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, butter, and one egg until mixture is crumbly. Stir in saltine crumbs. Reserving two cups of the crumb mixture, press remaining crumbs on bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Use your fingers to mush it as evenly as possible.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
- With wire whisk, beat 2 egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Spread over prepared crust using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Evenly top with reserved crumb mixture.
- Bake 25 minutes longer or until set and top is golden. Let cool. Refrigerate within 2 hours. Cut into bars. Store covered in fridge.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Lemon Cake Batter Fudge
No foolin’. Back in December, I shared my Cake Batter Fudge to rave reviews. Soon after that, I noted a box of lemon cake mix in my pantry that I needed to use.
I got to thinking, “What if…?” I searched on Pinterest and couldn’t find any recipes that used cake mix for lemon fudge.
Therefore, I resolved to make my own.
I figured the amount of lemon extract used for a cookie recipe should also work for a fudge recipe. Bingo!
The crazy thing about this fudge is that it tastes just like lemon cake and icing all in one. It’s weird in a way, because your brain realizes that the texture isn’t right for either, but the taste nails it.
No joke!
Based on my recipe for Cake Batter White Chocolate Fudge.
Bready or Not: Lemon Cake Batter Fudge
Ingredients
A Bready or Not Original
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp lemon cake mix any brand, sifted
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup salted butter (1 stick) cut into chunks (or use unsalted and add a pinch of salt)
- 1/4 cup milk almond milk works
- 2/3 cup white chocolate chips
- 3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles/non pareils/jimmies
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. Measure the white chocolate chips and the sprinkles in separate dishes so they are ready to add quickly.
- Mix sifted cake mix and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add milk and butter, without stirring, and microwave for 2 minutes.
- Promptly mix ingredients until the butter is fully melted and incorporated. The batter will be very thick. Fold in white chocolate and lemon extract. Add the sprinkles last and stir gently so they don't leak too much color.
- Scoop into prepared baking pan. Level it across the top. Chill the fudge in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before cutting into small blocks.
- Fudge will keep upwards of a week in the fridge, if it lasts that long.
OM NOM NOM
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