Learning new recipes is the perfect way to spend a summer day, whether you’re an experienced baker or a complete novice.
We have three delicious dessert recipes to try, including brownies, cupcakes and buttercream frosting. These recipes are easy to make, easy to master and taste amazing.
Extra Fudgy Brownies
This recipe is one of my easiest and favorites to make for birthdays, holidays, or simply my own enjoyment. Created through studying other recipes and making modifications to suit my personal tastes, these are perhaps the best brownies I’ve ever had.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup melted butter
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray
- Alternatively, for all edge piece brownies, cook in a cupcake tin
- Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls
- Combine wet and dry ingredients
- Pour into pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean
These brownies are sweet, chocolatey, and rich, and perfect if you like a softer texture for your brownie. Add chocolate chips (I recommend at least half a cup) for extra chocolate.
Chocolate Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup chocolate syrup or melted chocolate
- 1 cup sugar (can use white, brown, or a mix of both depending on preference)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup warm water
Instruction:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line a baking sheet with cupcake liners
- Mix wet and dry ingredients separately
- Mix together and add to liners
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean
These cupcakes are moist and chocolatey, made better by the use of syrup for part of the flavoring, and pair excellently with the next recipe for buttercream frosting. Additionally, the coconut oil adds a very subtle coconut accent to the chocolate flavor. However, if desired, it can be replaced with vegetable oil.
Buttercream Frosting
What is a cupcake without frosting? This recipe is a perfect addition to the cupcake recipe, and can be modified for a variety of flavor pairings. I’ve made this recipe by itself, with peanut butter, and with various additions such as orange zest or lemon extract. Once the recipe has been nailed, I highly recommend experimenting with flavor additions. Just be careful not to over mix!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 – 4 cups of powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk
Instruction:
- Begin by whipping the butter with an electric mixer or stand mixer, until it lightens in color and becomes creamy
- Add vanilla extract and mix slowly until combined
- Add powdered sugar little by little until desired taste is achieved, testing frequently
- Add milk as needed for desired consistency
This recipe is fairly basic, but easy to add to. Add different extracts for unique flavors or peanut butter to create a chocolate peanut butter cupcake with the recipe above. Much of making buttercream is experimenting with flavors and the basic ingredients until you achieve a frosting you’re happy with. A small amount of salt can be used to add more layers to the flavor, and it can be made just as well, if not better, with dairy substitutes.
