Celebrating Friendship with Moist Yellow Cupcakes and Chocolate Truffle Frosting

One of the greatest parts about being a pastor’s wife is all the awesome people we get to know at The Oaks. Even though we’re still a relatively young church, we’ve already had many people come and go through our doors. It’s bittersweet, but such a joy when we know that God is continuing someone’s journey states away. I love that I have brothers in sisters in multiple states around America – Minnesota, Kentucky, California, Washington… all sent out from our home at The Oaks. What a blessing. And just a small picture of how the kingdom of heaven works.

We were blessed to have Bob Daniels join our community and especially our community group the past year or so. He is moving down to West Virginia to pastor a small town church there and he is just bubbling over with excitement. God has done big things in his life and will continue to and we are just so thankful that our community group and The Oaks got to be a part of his journey. We’re thankful for you Bob! We’ll be praying!

 Our group helped Bob pack up his house Sunday night and of course – I celebrate people with cupcakes. These were what I made for Bob’s send off.

Moist Yellow Cupcakes

from Cupcakes! From the Cake Doctor

Makes 20-24 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 package (18.25 oz) Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 package (8 oz) regular or reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 T. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and put 24 paper liners in your cupcake pans and set aside.
2. If cream cheese isn’t at room temperature, take it out of the wrapper, put it on a plate and pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds at a time until its malleable.
3. Beat cream cheese. When it’s mixed, blend in cake mix, sugar and water. Mix well. Add in eggs and vanilla. Beat well for a few minutes until ingredients are well blended.
4. Use 1/4 c. measuring scoop, an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop to scoop out your cake batter into your cupcake pans.
5. Bake at 350 for about 24-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, the tops are golden brown and the tops spring back when your touch them lightly with your finger.
6. Let cool for a minute or two in the pans then remove the cupcakes to wire cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Truffle Frosting

adapted from Cupcakes! From the Cake Doctor

Makes a generous portion for piping 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 8 T. (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c. cocoa powder (I did half dark cocoa and half regular)
• 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 c. sifted powder sugar
• 1/4 – 3/4 c. milk ( add more, 1 T at a time if necessary)
• 1/4 t. almond flavoring
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Beat the butter and 1 1/4 c. cocoa powder together.
2. Sift in 4 1/4 c. powder sugar. Mix. Slowly stream in 1/4 c. milk, almond flavoring and vanilla. Throw in your salt. Beat well.
3. Taste it. Too sweet? Want more chocolate flavor? Add more cocoa powder. Want it sweeter? Add more powdered sugar. Too dry? Not coming together well? Add more milk. Good luck! You can do it! After you’ve got it the way you like, pipe it on generously to cupcakes and sprinkle with decorations.

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