The Ultimate Gooey Caramel Brownie Mug Cake Sundae

The Ultimate Gooey Caramel Brownie Mug Cake Sundae
The Ultimate Gooey Caramel Brownie Mug Cake Sundae

5 from 1 reviews
The Ultimate Gooey Caramel Brownie Mug Cake Sundae
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
I took an already-great mug cake from one of my faves, America’s Test Kitchen, and pumped it up! I added some espresso to deepen the chocolate flavor and a slew of my favorite toppings from my pantry to create a dessert as decadent as one it takes hours to make. Throw this together at home when you want a special dessert but don’t want to get out of your jammies! I used a big espresso mug for this cake, but you can use any regular size coffee mug that’s microwave safe. Different microwaves may require different cooking times, but your finished cake should look set up but very moist.
Author:
Serves: 1
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (half bittersweet and half semisweet)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 square of your favorite dark chocolate bar
Topping Ingredients:
  • 3 Werther’s Original® Baking Caramels
  • 2 teaspoons milk
  • melted chocolate chips
  • vanilla bean ice cream or gelato
  • crushed toasted nuts
  • crushed cookie
  • whipped cream
Instructions
  1. Place butter and chocolate chips in a coffee mug and heat on half power for 15 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until melted (about 45 seconds total). In a separate small bowl or ramekin, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate small bowl or ramekin, whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and espresso powder. When the chocolate is melted in your mug, stir in sugar and cocoa powder. Stir in the egg mixture. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir well to eliminate lumps.
  2. Microwave the mug on half power for 30 seconds (I set mine on a plate just in case there’s spillover). Stir. Microwave on half power for 35 seconds (the cake will rise over the top of your mug like a giant soufflé, but stay calm.) Press the square of chocolate bar down into the center of the cake (I broke mine into two pieces), being careful not to burn your fingers. Microwave on half power for 40 seconds. Let the cake cool in the mug for 2 minutes while you prepare your toppings.
  3. Melt the chocolate chips by heating on half power for 20 second intervals, stirring between each, until melty. Melt the Werther’s Original® Baking Caramels by placing them in a small bowl with the milk. Heat on 30 second intervals, stirring carefully between each, until melty. Top your mug cake with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, crushed toasted pecans, a crushed cookie (I used a Biscoff cookie), and the kitchen sink. Just kidding about the sink. Enjoy!

 

Willow Bird Baking’s 13 Best Recipes of 2013

Willow Bird Baking's 13 Best Recipes of 2013

Happy New Year! My head is spinning with thoughts of resolutions and responsibilities for the upcoming year, but let’s relax first and just enjoy some edible reflection, shall we? You guys have good taste. Here are Willow Bird Baking’s 13 Best Recipes of 2013, as chosen by your visits. At the end, I’ve included a few recipes that didn’t make the “Most Popular” list but are actually some of my favorites from the year!

Want to gather lots of amazing recipes from other blogs, too? I’ve just created a Best of 2013 Recipes Pinterest board where you can see “Best of” posts from some of my favorite blogs. This is one of the best times of the year to gather top eats from around the internet! While you’re there, make sure you follow me on Pinterest. I’m kind of a food lover, in case ya didn’t know. My pins are gonna make you hungry.

Without further ado, Willow Bird Baking’s 13 Best Recipes of 2013:

1. Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns
Lemon Cheesecake Morning Buns

These things totally deserve their “Most Popular” title. They are absurd.

2. The Ultimate Moist, Fluffy, Ridiculous Coconut Cake
The Ultimate Moist, Fluffy, Ridiculous Coconut Cake

YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT COCONUT.

3. Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pillow Popovers

These use premade crescent dough! So easy.

4. Key Lime Pie Cheesecake with Sky-High Meringue
Key Lime Pie Cheesecake with Sky-High Meringue

Tangy, sweet, and stunning! Such a show-stopper.

5. Gooey Chocolate Coconut Cream Skillet Cake
Gooey Chocolate Coconut Cream Skillet Cake

DID I MENTION HOW I FEEL ABOUT COCONUT.

6. Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie
Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie

CO.CO.NUT.

7. Boozy Icebox Cake
Boozy Icebox Cake

It’s like regular icebox cake, but (duh) better!

8. Bailey’s Hazelnut Chocolate Tiramisu
Bailey’s Hazelnut Chocolate Tiramisu

Bailey’s makes any dessert totally nuts.

9. Chocolate Poke Cake with Whipped Coconut Icing
Chocolate Poke Cake with Whipped Coconut Icing

COCONUT, Y’ALL (and my new favorite frosting in the universe).

10. Biscoff Spread Gooey Butter Cake
Biscoff Spread Gooey Butter Cake

I don’t know what got into me, but I have no regrets.

11. White Sheet Cake with Fluffy Whipped Icing
White Sheet Cake with Fluffy Whipped Icing

Just like those awesome sheet cakes you buy at the store (with the fluffy frosting, not the weird crusty stuff).

12. Lasagna Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
Lasagna Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Hearty, delicious meal.

13. Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake
Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake

Pumpkin and Tres Leches: two of my faves combined.

…And a few of my personal favorites from this year:

1. Samoa Monkey Bread with Ganache Dipping Sauce
Samoa Monkey Bread with Ganache Dipping Sauce

It’s a crime that this recipe didn’t go viral. It’s nuts!

1. Buttery Coconut Almond Pull-Apart Bread (with Heavenly Coconut Cream Glaze)
Buttery Coconut Almond Pull-Apart Bread (with Heavenly Coconut Cream Glaze)

Coconuttttt.

1. Flan Tres Leches Cake
Flan Tres Leches Cake

For when you can’t decide between making flan and making tres leches cake, and also you’re feeling a little crazy. So good.

1. Limoncello-Spiked Shortbread Icebox Cake with Fresh Raspberries
Limoncello-Spiked Shortbread Icebox Cake with Fresh Raspberries

The shortbread makes all the difference here! And the Limoncello, obv.

1. The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns
The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

Pure decadence. Don’t skip the syrup drizzle.

1. Gooey Carmelitas
Gooey Carmelitas

Gooey, chocolatey masterpiece.

1. Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake
Lemon Raspberry Gooey Butter Cake

Bright, springy, fresh! I love lemon.

1. Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring
Sausage & Corn Chile Con Queso Taco Ring

Again, HOW did this recipe not go viral? TASTE IT. JUST TASTE IT. It’s like the best thing I’ve ever eaten.

1. Dutch Roomboter Banketstaaf (Flaky Pastry with Almond Filling)
Dutch Roomboter Banketstaaf (Flaky Pastry with Almond Filling)

This is also the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Don’t question me.

Don’t forget to see what others have cooked up on my Best of 2013 Recipes Pinterest board. Happy happy happy almost-2014!

Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Smash

Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Smash
Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Smash

Raspberry Lemonade Champagne Smash



Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking, inspired by A Beautiful Mess
Yield: 2 cocktails

This punchy cocktail is tangy and sweet, with a shot of Limoncello and plenty of peppy champagne! I love the fruity bits of raspberry throughout the cocktail.

Ingredients:
6 ounces raspberries, plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chilled Limoncello
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups chilled champagne
1 cup chilled sparkling water
ice*
lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Directions:
*Note: You can omit the ice if all your ingredients are well chilled and you don’t have an ice strainer.

Make a simple syrup: In a small saucepan, mix 1 tablespoon water and 2 tablespoons sugar over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is simmering. Transfer this to another bowl and stick it in the fridge to chill.

Muddle raspberries: Put most of the raspberries (reserving just a few for garnishing your drinks) into a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon sugar. Muddle them together with a muddler or the back of a spoon until the raspberries are all broken down and combined with the sugar. Divide this mixture into the bottom of 2 tall glasses.

Finish and assemble: In a cocktail shaker, mix Limoncello, lemon juice, champagne, sparkling water, 2 tablespoons of your chilled simple syrup, and ice (if your shaker is a smaller capacity, consider mixing just one drink at a time: 1 tablespoon Limoncello, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3/4 cup champagne, 1/2 cup sparkling water, 1 tablespoon simple syrup, and ice for each drink). Shake well for several minutes and pour into the two glasses, straining out the ice. Garnish with lemon slices and raspberries and serve immediately.

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns
The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns

The Ultimate Sausage Breakfast Buns



Recipe by: Willow Bird Baking; idea first created by Amanda at Treasures of the Phoenix
Yield: 24 servings

These are straight-up incredible. They’re worth every bit of butter, every egg, and every minute spent making them — which is considerable. They’re definitely a special occasion treat! They would be perrrfect for Christmas breakfast! You can prepare them the night before, wake up early to preheat your oven and set them out to rise, and then just pop them in the oven 15 minutes before you eat.

Roll Ingredients:
1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees F)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 cups milk minus 2 tablespoons, room temperature
5 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup cold shortening
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for after baking

Filling Ingredients:
2 cup plus 2 tablespoon milk, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup stone-ground grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 cups plus 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds pork sausage
2 cups frozen shredded hash browns
20 eggs
2 tablespoons diced green chiles
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) melted butter
maple syrup for drizzling

Directions:
Note: I don’t recommend halving yeast recipes; instead, if you don’t want 24 rolls at once, consider freezing some for later. Sometimes I even make two types of rolls (savory and dessert), by making the full amount of yeast dough but halving the filling recipe for both. To freeze unbaked rolls, just wrap them well before the second rise and freeze them. Once frozen, pop them out of the pan all together and store in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap and in a zip top bag. When you want to bake them, stick them back in a greased pan, thaw them in the fridge overnight, proof for the instructed amount of time, and bake like usual.

Make yeast dough the night before: Mix the warm water and yeast in a medium bowl and let the yeast foam for about 10 minutes. Put 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a measuring cup and then add milk up to the 2 cup line. Set this aside. In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook), whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and cut the shortening into the mixture with two knives or a pastry cutter until the shortening looks like small peas. Stir yeast mixture and milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well, kneading just a few turns. Transfer the dough to a large bowl (keep in mind that it will rise) lightly sprayed with cooking spray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store in refrigerator overnight.

Make grits: The next morning, in a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups of milk and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir in the grits with a whisk. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until all the milk is absorbed (see the directions on your package for how long this should take. Mine took 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, heavy cream, and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese. Season to taste with pepper (and salt if more is needed; I didn’t need to add any). Cover these and set aside.

Make sausage, egg, hash brown mixture: In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. In the sausage drippings (add a little butter if there isn’t enough), brown the hash browns by spreading them over the bottom of the skillet in a flat layer. Cover the skillet and let them cook without stirring for around 6 minutes (double check the directions on your hash browns package). When one side is browned, flip the hash browns and brown the other side. Remove these to the sausage plate to drain. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1 tablespoon milk until fluffy. Scramble these in the sausage drippings (or some butter if your sausage drippings have run out) over medium heat until they’re almost done but still wet. Transfer them back to the bowl where you scrambled them. Add the sausage, hash browns, and chiles into the bowl and mix gently. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble your rolls.

Roll out the dough: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly spray two 9 x 13-inch baking dishes with cooking spray. Turn the chilled dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle about 1/8-inch thick (I carefully cut the dough in half and worked with half at a time to make it more manageable; if you do this, just spread on half of the filling ingredients for each half you roll).

Assemble the rolls: Spread the melted butter all over the top of the dough. On top of this, gently and evenly spread the cheese grits and egg mixtures (I use two spoons to spread the cheese grits mixture. It doesn’t have to be perfect — just get it here and there all around). Sprinkle on the remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese. Gently roll the dough up into a spiral (I use a bench scraper to help me roll) and cut it into 2-inch rolls, placing them close together in your prepared baking dishes (at this point, you could wrap and freeze the rolls for later if you wanted).

Bake and serve: Cover the rolls with a clean dish cloth and let them rise in a warm spot (I set them on my oven’s heat vent) for 1 1/2 hours. Bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until browned on top (if you take them out at just lightly golden brown, they may still be doughy in the center). Brush with 2 tablespoons melted butter and return to the oven for 1 more minute. Pour a light drizzle of maple syrup over the warm rolls. Serve immediately.

Dutch Roomboter Banketstaaf (Flaky Pastry with Almond Filling)

Dutch Roomboter Banketstaaf (Flaky Pastry with Almond Filling)
Dutch Roomboter Banketstaaf (Flaky Pastry with Almond Filling)

Dutch Roomboter Banketstaaf (Flaky Pastry with Almond Filling)



Recipe by: Adapted from Mama Pranayama
Yield: 8 servings

If you love almond croissants, you’re gonna flip. This buttery, flaky pastry envelopes a sweet almond filling. It’s also surprisingly easy to make.

Dough Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup cold water

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup almond paste (or one 8-ounce can)
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
dash of salt
1/2 cup butter, melted

Topping Ingredients:
1 egg white, beaten
sugar for sprinkling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
sliced almonds

Directions:
Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add cold chunks of butter and pulse 6-10 times to cut the fat into the flour. The butter should end up looking about the size of small peas. Add the water and process on low just until the dough rolls into a ball — don’t overprocess. (Note: You can also do these steps by hand in a large bowl using a pastry cutter or 2 knives to cut the fat into the flour and salt mixture, and then stirring in the water and forming a dough). Divide the dough into 4 discs on 4 sheets of plastic wrap. Wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or so.

Use a hand or stand mixer to mix the almond paste, sugar, almond extract, and egg together in a large bowl. Blend until the mixture is mostly smooth.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll each disc of chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle (about 12-inches by 3-inches). Spread 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter all over the surface of the dough. Take about 1/4 of your almond paste mixture and spread it in a log, leaving about a 1-inch border on all sides, down then center of your dough. Then, close the dough by folding over each end (using a brush to brush off excess flour as you go) and then folding up the sides, pinching to seal (and using a little melted butter as glue if needed). Place your little dough packet seam-side-down on a prepared baking sheet. Egg wash it with the beaten egg white and sprinkle on some sugar. Repeat this process with your other 3 discs.

Bake packets 15-20 minutes or until nice and golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet for around 5 minutes before transferring them (use two spatulas or one long one to ensure they won’t break) to a platter to finish cooling. As they cool, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract to form a glaze. Drizzle the glaze and sprinkle the sliced almonds over each pastry. Slice and serve warm or room temperature.

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