BROWNIE:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

in a medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. mix in egg and vanilla until thoroughly combined. mix in cocoa powder, flour and salt until just combined. set aside.

CUPCAKE:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whole roasted coffee beans
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup whiskey
brownie batter from above

in a small saucepan on medium-high, heat milk and coffee beans until just boiling. remove from heat, cover, and steep for 15 minutes. using a sieve remove the beans from the milk and set the milk aside. you will only need 3/4 cup of the milk so it’s okay if some sticks to the beans during this process.

preheat oven to 350°.

in a medium bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. in a separate medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. in a small bowl, mix together whiskey and 3/4 cup of the coffee-infused milk. alternately mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients into the butter/sugar bowl, mixing until just combined. fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with cupcake batter. spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of brownie batter into the center of each cupcake. bake for 25 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when lightly touched.

FROSTING:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons whiskey

in a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. mix in powdered sugar a little bit at a time until fully combined. mix in cocoa powder and whiskey. spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

16 cupcakes

CAKE:

1 (18.25 oz) package plain devil’s food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

TOPPING:

1 (8 oz) jar caramel topping
1 (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
4 butterfinger candy bars (2.1 oz each), crushed
1 (12 oz) container cool whip, thawed
1 (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

place rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°. lightly mist a 13″x9″ cake pan with pam. set the pan aside.

place the cake mix, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. the batter should look thick and well blended. pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with the rubber spatula. place the pan in the oven.

bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35-38 minutes. remove the pans from the oven and place it on a wire rack. immediately poke holes in the top of the cake with a drinking straw or chopstick.

to prepare the topping: place the caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. spoon this mixture over the warm cake so that it can seep down into the holes. measure out half of the crushed candy bars and sprinkle the pieces over the cake.

place the cool whip and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and combined, 1 minute. spread the mixture over the top of the candy. sprinkle the remaining candy pieces on top.

place the pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator to chill the cake for about 20 minutes before cutting it into squares and serving.

serves 20

1 cup guiness
1 stick + 1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
8 ounces cream cheese
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk

preheat oven to 350°. place liners in cupcake tins.

combine the guiness and the butter, cut into 1″ chunks, in a large saucepan; heat to melt the butter.

remove from heat; whisk in the cocoa and sugar.

in a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla; add to the beer mixture.

sift together the flour and baking soda; fold into the batter.

pour batter into cupcake tins and bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

let stand 10 minutes; remove from tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

to make glaze: using a mixer, whip cream cheese until smooth. sift in sugar and beat. add milk; beat until smooth. spread glaze over cooled cupcakes.

makes 12 cupcakes

1 (18.25 oz) butter recipe cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, undrained and separated
3 eggs

FROSTING:

1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (3.4 oz) box vanilla OR french vanilla instant pudding mix
13 oz cool whip, thawed

for the cake: add the cake mix, oil, eggs and mandarin oranges to a large mixing bowl. put a few of the mandarin oranges aside for garnish (about 6-8 segments). mix using an electric mixer. pour into two greased and floured round cake pans. bake at 350° approximately 30 minutes. remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. remove from pans and cool completely on a baking rack. frost when cakes are completely cooled.

for the frosting: mix pudding mix and pineapple together with spoon. fold in cool whip until well blended. keep refrigerated.