TWD: 2nd Anniversary - Cocoa Buttermilk Cupcakes & Happy 2nd Blogiversary to Me!

Today marks the Second Anniversary post of Tuesdays with Dorie! I can't believe how far we've come! Thank you to Laurie for creating the group and to Dorie for her support and expertise - I know I'm not alone when I say that this group has been life changing and so much fun!

I also find it hard to believe that Monday (January 4th) marked my 2nd Blogiversary here at PheMOMenon! It has been a fun and wild ride, that is for sure! With this current pregnancy and trying to play catch up from the holidays, I have to admit I am still a bit behind, but I do have some fun ideas and things in mind for the coming year. I can't say it enough, so thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you to all my friends and readers for coming here in the first place and giving me a 'home' to express myself and enjoy all your amazing like-minded company - you all ROCK my world!

I've said it many, many times over the course of my TWD membership (almost the full two-years, but not quite) and I really do believe that Baking From My Home To Yours is hands down THE BEST baking book out there. If you like to bake even a little, you absolutely shouldn't be without this book! (And I really can't wait until this coming Fall when Dorie's new book Around the French Table comes out!!!!)

For the anniversary recipe, Laurie has kindly hosted and you can find the original recipes there. The group voted on a few choices, but the winners of the vote were for the Cocoa Buttermilk Birthday Cake and the Tarte Tatin. I chose to make a half batch of the Cocoa Buttermilk cake and turn them into cupcakes, which gave me a bakers' dozen.

Rather than make the malted chocolate frosting though, I opted to just do a thick whipped cream flavored liberally with cocoa powder, a little vanilla and plenty of confectioners' sugar - a concoction which happens to be one of my favorite simple frostings and fillings for chocolate cake. Incidentally, I found that I needed to bake my cupcakes almost as long as I would have needed to bake the cake layers. The cake itself had a nice chocolatey flavor. While not my favorite chocolate cake recipe, it was still delicious and easy.

Happy Anniversary fellow TWD Bakers!

Cocoa Whipped Frosting

Recipe by PheMom (adapted from a family friend)

1 1/2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat thoroughly until smooth and very thick and spreadable - texture will start to become almost buttery. Spread onto cupcakes or use as layer cake filling. Yields about 3 cups frosting. Keep chilled until serving.