Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

My mom can sometimes be kind of obsessive when it comes to food, so when she started randomly hinting at how much she hoped I would make this for a Mother's Day treat for her, I knew better than to deny her.  :) I was glad I did...this frosting is the perfect balance of sweet and salty. It has great peanut flavor, without being overwhelming, and is paired perfectly with the garbanzo bean chocolate cupcakes. This frosting holds it's shape and pipes beautifully, it's great for any peanut lover!

The ingredients:

1 jar (7-oz.) marshmallow cream
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 Tbs. milk (I used heavy cream instead)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 cups powdered sugar

Directions: In a medium bowl beat marshmallow cream, creamy peanut butter, and butter until smooth.  Increase speed to medium and beat in milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency and sweetness level is reached.   Pipe or spread over cooled cake or cupcakes.  Enjoy! 

Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

If you like mint chocolate ice cream, you will LOVE this frosting. It is creamy, cool, and absolutely perfect to round out a rich chocolate cupcake, like the garbanzo bean cupcakes. I was in a rush to make these for a bake sale, but the frosting also holds beautifully when piped. Speaking of the bake sale, these cupcakes were very eye catching and were among the first items to sell out. I drizzled melted mini chocolate chips over the top using a spoon, but I thought it would also be pretty to sprinkle a few unmelted ones on top. This frosting is fun and different, and I strongly recommend it for any occasion.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups (1 lb.) powdered sugar

2-3 teaspoons peppermint extract

green food coloring
mini chocolate chips (for garnish)

Directions:

Whip butter with electric mixer until pale and creamy.(about 2 minutes) Add powdered sugar and mix until combined. Add vanilla and peppermint extract.* Finally add green food coloring until desired color.

**Note: Start with less peppermint extract, then add more as needed

garbanzo bean chocolate cupcakes

I don't like chocolate cake. Let me rephrase that, I didn't like chocolate cake. Every time someone chose chocolate cake for their birthday I would literally groan. It's always dry, heavy, and lacks a real chocolate flavor. Then everything changed the day my mom asked me to make this recipe. It is amazing! It is moist, rich, and literally goes with any frosting you can think of. Don't be scared off by the beans, you can't even tell they are in the cake, and they make it super moist. Trust me, once you try this delicious cake, there will be no going back.

The ingredients:

CAKE: 

1 pkg. (12-ounces)  semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

2 cans (15-oz. each) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

6 eggs

1-3/4 cups sugar

2 Tbs. cocoa powder

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

 In a small bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently until smooth.  In a blender, blend the beans and eggs until creamy.

 

Add remaining ingredients, including the melted chocolate and blend well.  If your blender is not big enough, pour into a bowl to mix.  Put batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick in center comes out with moist crumbs--DO NOT OVERBAKE.  For cupcakes, bake for 20-25 minutes.  When cool, frost with chocolate frosting. 

Enjoy!