Slice of Heaven Cupcakes {Giveaway}





This week (Friday to be exact) this little blog turns two.  It’s hard to believe I’ve been blogging for two years already.  And it’s nothing short of amazing to think about how far I’ve come!  Heavy reliance on processed soups to mostly scratch.  Abysmal pictures to…well…I’m working on it, but there is marked improvement!

To celebrate I thought I’d whip up some completely sinful cupcakes and host a little giveaway.

First let’s talk cupcakes.  Cupcakes that are so delicious, I had no other choice but to name them Slice of Heaven Cupcakes.  Because, well, you’re in heaven while you eat them!  The base of the cupcake is an über chocolaty cake that topped with a salted caramel buttercream that is absolutely over. the. top. 

Drizzle a bit more salted caramel and (why not?) top off with a superty delicious, salty-sweet Chocolate Covered Potato Chip!  You will seriously think you’ve died and gone to heaven!

Now let’s get on to that giveaway, because what’s a birthday without presents?  I thought I’d give one of you readers a fun little kitchen toy!  I was recently visiting my mom & she had the Babycakes Mini Doughnut Maker!  


Source

Since I want one so badly myself, I thought I'd give one away for my Bloggy's birthday.  Just use the Rafflecopter form after the recipe (yep, it’s a long one) to enter!


Slice of Heaven Cupcakes
Inspired by Brown Eyed Baker

Cake
½ cup hot water
1 tbsp instant espresso
1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
3 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1 cup sour cream
½ cup canola oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract



Salted Caramel Sauce
1 (11 oz) bag caramel bits
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 ½ tsp coarse sea salt


Salted Caramel Frosting
¾ cup salted caramel sauce
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 ½ - 5 cups powdered sugar


Garnish
Salted Caramel Sauce


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two muffin tins with paper liners.

Combine all of the cake ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix on low until the ingredients are combined.  Then, turn the mixer to medium and beat for 2-3 minutes or until the batter is smooth.  Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake liners.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.  Remove the cupcakes from the tins and cool completely on wire racks.

To make the salted caramel sauce, combine the caramel bits and the sweetened condensed milk.  Melt the caramel mixture in a double boiler or the microwave, stirring occasionally, until very smooth.  Stir in the sea salt.  Set aside to cool slightly.

To make the salted caramel frosting, place the butter and the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.  Add in the salted caramel sauce and beat until combined.

Turn the speed to medium-low and mix in the powdered sugar, a bit at a time until it is combined and the desired consistency is achieved.  Turn the speed back to medium-high and beat for another 2-3 minutes of until light and fluffy.  Note: if all of the powdered sugar had been added and the frosting is still too runny, place the frosting into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to help it set.

To finish, pipe the frosting over the cooled cupcakes.  Reheat a bit of the salted caramel sauce and drizzle over the cupcakes.  Top each cupcake with a chocolate dipped potato chip.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Babycakes Mini Doughnut Maker Giveaway
Rules:
*You must be a US resident to enter
*This post/giveaway is sponsored by me, no one else
*For the one mandatory entry, comment on this post, answering the question below in the Rafflecopter form.
*There are loads of other ways to enter, too – check them out on the form below!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Comments

  1. I love to stay in and have a nice meal with family. I love so many things, I don't really have a favorite meal...but for dessert I love anything with chocolate; cheesecake, cupcakes, home made mousse, etc...

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  2. I love to go to dinner with my family and eat my mom's devil's food chocolate cake!

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  3. Awesome giveaway! And congratulations on two years...happy anniversary!!! :) On my birthday (the actual day) I usually do something with my husband. The weekend before or after I'll go to my parents' house for a home-cooked meal of my choosing with the entire family. And then dinner/out one night with friends. Plus another dinner out with my in-laws. It's always a fun week!

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  4. My birthday is actually next weekend! :) We usually go to my favorite Italian restaurant here for my birthday, but we have been there the past 2 weekends in a row so I doubt I will want to go again next weekend, lol!
    And I usually have a big family party with my mom and son (our birthdays are all within the same couple of weeks), but we have already celebrated with family. Soooooo... I pretty much have no obligations on my birthday weekend! :) And I kind of like that. ;)

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  5. You had me totally with the salted caramel frosting!!! I want to eat that by the spoonfuls for sure!!! And then eat more with the yummy cupcakes:-) Congrats on 2 years and how far you have come!!!

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  6. Happy blogaversary!!! Those cupcakes do look like little bites of heaven!!!

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  7. Wow, those cupcakes look so tasty! Congrats on two years - very exciting.

    I like to tell me fiancé that August is my "birthday month" so we can celebrate all month long. ;-) Really, though, I am just crazy about cake, cupcakes, ice cream cake, anything sweet to celebrate the day. :-)

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  8. Wow, those cupcakes look so tasty! Congrats on two years - very exciting.

    I have a big sweet tooth so I always like to celebrate my birthday with a fabulous cake, cupcakes, ice cream cake, or other special dessert. The rest of my plans vary year to year, but something sweet with candles is always a must!

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  9. What a fun contest! On my birthday we try to go out to these best restaurant in our city that we haven't already been to yet. Such a fun splurge... good thing it's only once a year!

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  10. Your cupcakes look amazing! Congrats on the blog b-day! My birthday is next month. I want to make my favorite meal (My Granny's famous meatloaf) and eat chocolate cake. Salivating!

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  11. I like to stay in with my family. My favorite kind of cake is donut cake! My mom always got it for me as a kiddo:)

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  12. Since we have kids, we normally stay in. However, I like to go to the Olive Garden. I love their Black Tie Mousse Cake!! YUM!

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  13. Coconut Cream Pie from Marie Callendars used to be my all time favorite pie....I haven't been able to reproduce it yet! However, my favorite dish is my mom's green bean casserole.....just green beans and a cheese sauce...to die for! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Melanie

    Reasons To Skip The Housework

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  14. There used to be a wonderful restaurant in town we went to every year until it closed a few years back... The name of the restaurant was Applewoods and they served apple fritters as appetizers! They also gave me an apple spice cake for my b-day every year and I really didn't get to appreciate it until I was older... too bad because I would love to have one now. I just pick any place to go to now. We have great family and friends!

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  15. I don't know if my last comment went in... but we used to go to a great restaurant every year till it closed down. Now my mom and sister usually cook something up! I love apple spice cake!

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  16. Happy early blog birthday! :)

    My birthday is coming up soon - I personally like to celebrate small with just family and my favorite meal. I also really like picking out and making my own cake. I'm kind of weird that way. Maybe it's the control freak in me LOL

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  17. I love eating out for my birthday - some restaurant what is new to me to discover new food
    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    pumuckler {at} gmail {dot} com

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  18. Yum! I'd love to have a donut maker.

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  19. Oops, didn't see the question. So, anyway - I usually like to go out for Thai on my birthday. I don't like cake, so I skip that. :)

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  20. I love to celebrate at home with my husband and kids, and with a super chocolatey cake!!!

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  21. I love to celebrate at home with my husband and kids, and with a super chocolatey cake!!!

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  22. Oh my goodness these look scrumptious!!!

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  23. These are mouth watering delicious! Great job!

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  24. My birthday is actually my daughter's birthday. She was born on my 30th birthday so I try to have her party the day before or after so that we can relax on the day of our birthday.

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  25. Congrats and happy 2years! Your cupcakes look wonderful! It's just me and my kids so we usually go out to sushi (strange, I know). But it's not a birthday without cake!

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  26. I stay in town and have a fabulous dinner. It's either cheesecake or some sort of chocolate cake.

    These cupcakes look fab. Totally pinning.

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  27. These sound wonderful! I can't wait to try them! THanks for sharing at Must Try Monday, and what a fun giveaways! For my birthday, my husband takes us out to dinner usually at Macaroni Grill or wherever I choose :).

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  28. we like to go out to dinner or have a fun family dinner at home!!

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  29. Wow! Where does time go? I cannot believe it's been two years. I'm in awe of your cooking adventure! My birthday usually begins with lunch at yummy Mexican restaurant with my family. My birthday is right after Christmas, so I'm always impressed everybody is able to make it. The evening is often another meal out (I love eating out!) with friends and sometimes a movie. My two favorite things...dinner and a movie. Keep up the great blogging, and maybe one day I'll become a fabulous cook/baker and try even more of your fabulous recipes!!

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  30. Hi Amy,
    I love your blog and the recipes you share. Keep it up. I'm always looking for something new to cook for the fam.

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  31. Amy,
    Your cupcakes look AMAZING! :) Thanks for hosting the giveaway.

    Julie

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  32. As for how I like to spend my birthday - My boyfriend and I go out of town each year for my birthday. We usually go to a coastal town (even though we now live in a coastal town) and spend a few days there. This year, we are going to Ft. Myers Beach. I can't wait! I've never been there before.

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  33. I love cupcakes! So, I like to enjoy my birthday with my family and cupcakes.

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  34. These look amazing Amy! I can't wait to make them for my friends. I love your blog, it really inspires me to cook and try different things.

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  35. We usually don't do anything big for the adults in the family for birthdays.. I usually want cupcakes though! :)

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  36. Oh yum, these look fabulous, and congrats on almost 2 years! Thanks for sharing at The Fun In Functional!

    My favorite way to celebrate my birthday is to go out for sushi. Sushi is my favorite!

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  37. Amy - these look amazing!!! I saw them linked up and came over to pin them to my cupcake love board. Yum!!

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  38. Friends, family, and lots of cake!

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  39. I'm not for the giveaway, just to tell you that these cupcakes look AMAZING !!

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  40. I like to spend my birthday with my family in a low key sort of way, as long as it involves cake! Happy Blogging Anniversary!

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  41. Thank you for linking these up to Tasty Thursday last week :)

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