Made From Scratch

When I was little, I loved baking with my mom.  I remember standing on a tiny little step-stool in our TINY little kitchen, rolling cookie dough, and dredging it through a mixture of cinnamon and sugar.  When I'd have friends over for after-school playdates or to stay the night, we'd bake with my mom for fun.  Her cinnamon sugar cookies are still my most favorite.  Just biting into them brings back a flood of memories.  I love that.  

Mom made almost every baked good from scratch.  From her cookies to her cakes, she put a little touch of love into everything she made. And she still does.  Only now, it's all gluten free ;)  I think there's something special about baking sweets from scratch.   Sure, they take a little more time and little more elbow grease, but the end result is always worth the time spent in the kitchen.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not knockin' the slice & bake cookies or the boxed cake mixes (Lord knows I love those, too!!!), but I just think there's a little something special about spending time making things from scratch.  

One of my favorite "from scratch" recipes is this sinfully decadent chocolate buttercream frosting.  Like I said earlier, there's nothing wrong with buying it pre-made,  I just happen to REALLY love this homemade version.  And I really think you'll love it, too!!!
This recipe pairs really well with a regular ol' boxed cake mix and really amps it up a few notches and it's absolutely sinful with cupcakes (or cakes) made from scratch! YUM!!!

THE BEST CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

via My Frugal Adventures

2 3/4 C. Powdered Sugar

6 TBSP. unsweetened cocoa powder

5 TBSP. heavy whipping cream

6 TBSP. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

Whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa in a small bowl.  

In a separate, large bowl cream the butter until smooth.

Slowly add the powdered sugar/cocoa to the creamed butter and alternate with the milk (add a little powdered sugar/cocoa...mix...then add a little milk and mix...and keep alternating until combined.)

Finally, add in the vanilla and mix well.

Now frost your cupcakes (or cake) and dig in!!!

I always have piping bags and various sized icing tips on hand because I like to pretend I'm a contestant on Cupcake Wars from time to time  :)  Again, it takes a little bit more effort (not much at all) and looks so very pretty.  

Wouldn't you agree?!

If you're on the hunt for a "made from scratch" chocolate frosting, look no further!!  You'll be happy you stopped here!!!