Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

August 18, 2017 Chelsweets 2 Comments

As fun as summer has been, I am so ready for Fall! By time August rolls around, I’m usually over the humidity, heat waves, and constant “glistening” whenever I step outside. Fall brings so many great things, including boots season, beautiful foliage, and yes, PSL! I might be getting a bit ahead of myself, but I couldn’t resist making these Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes. And yes, that is a pumpkin spice caramel drizzle. The full recipe is included below:

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcake Batter:

1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ⅓ tsp. pumpkin spice
¾ cup canned pumpkin
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks or 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4oz cream cheese, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Pumpkin Spice Caramel Recipe:

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 tsp
2 tsp. pumpkin spice

Bake time: 17 minutes

Yield: 12-14 cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Place the flour, sugar, dark brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice into a large bowl. Gently stir to combine. Add in the oil and pumpkin, and stir until incorporated. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the espresso, and stir until the batter in smooth. Another option is to swirl this batter with my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe! I decided to combine the two batters, to give these cupcakes a more exciting look. I alternated scoops of each batter, then used a knife to create a swirled pattern. This doubles the yield of the recipe.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake for 17 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire racks to cool. To speed up the cooling process, you can also place the cupcakes in the freezer for 15 minutes.

While the cupcakes bake, prepare the pumpkin spice caramel! Turn stove onto medium heat, and place a pot over element. Pour in sugar. Using a heat proof stirring utensil (I use an old-fashioned wooden spoon), stir until sugar begins to melt into a clear liquid. Continue to stir, until clumps of sugar begin to form. Slowly the color of the sugar clump will deepen from white to amber. Keep stirring until all the clump of sugar have dissolved, and then turn off the heat. Mix in butter slowly, then stir in cream, salt, and pumpkin spice. Place in fridge to cool for 20 minutes, then pour into desired container. I put mine in a squirt bottle (for drizzling over cakes), but a mason jar or Tupperware container would work great too! The caramel will keep for several weeks in the fridge. You can see a full tutorial on how to make this caramel here.

Next, prepare the cream cheese frosting. Beat the butter and cream cheese on a medium speed for 30 seconds, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time). To watch a full tutorial on how I make my frosting, you can click here.

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, frost them with a Wilton 1M (open star) tip. Drizzle with Pumpkin Spice Caramel. Be sure the caramel is fully cooled, or else it will melt the frosting! Lightly dust the cupcakes with pumpkin spice.

To take the decoration of these one step further, you can place them into the short cups from Starbucks (I filled the base with pumpkin candies, to make sure the cupcakes were elevated enough, and add a trimmed green straw!

By swirling the batters together, you get the below look!

Pink Lemonade Cake

August 15, 2017 Chelsweets Leave a comment

I felt compelled to make a pink lemonade cake before summer comes to an end! I’ve always wanted to make a strawberry cake, but really struggled getting a strong strawberry flavor in my cake layers! Most strawberry cake recipes use strawberry jello, and while I was extremely hesitant to try it, it truly is the best way to incorporate a bright, vibrant strawberry flavor into cake. You have to try it to believe it!!

I made this cake using two strawberry cake layers, and two lemon cake layers. I frosted it with a lemon buttercream, and used dehydrated lemons and fresh berries to decorate this cake.

Strawberry Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup strawberry jello mix (1/2 package)
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)
1/4 cup strawberry puree (I blended frozen strawberries)
1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp. vegetable oil

Lemon Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
2 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 cup egg whites (about 3 large egg whites)
3/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 tsp. vegetable oil
zest of one lemon
2 drops yellow gel food coloring

Lemon Buttercream:

4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
pink and yellow gel food coloring
2 tsp lemon extract
zest of 1 large lemon

Decorations:

dehydrated lemon slices
fresh strawberries
fresh raspberries
pink sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 7″ round pans.

First, make the lemon cake better. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined. Mix chunks of butter slowly into the dry mix on a low speed. Continue to mix until no chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly. Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in lemon extract, lemon zest, and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Next, make the lemon cake better. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, strawberry jello mix, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined. Mix chunks of butter slowly into the dry mix on a low speed. Continue to mix until no chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly. Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in strawberry puree and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans, pouring half of each batter into a pan. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the layers bake, prepare the frosting. Beat the butter on high for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with cream, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. Once fully mixed, add in the lemon extract, lemon zest, and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time). Divide the frosting, place 3/4 in one bowl, and 1/4 in another. Color the bowl with 3/4 yellow using a few drops of yellow gel food coloring, and color the other bowl with pink gel food coloring.

To assemble the cake, frost each cake layer with buttercream. You can also add some of the fresh berries between each layer. Alternate yellow and pink layers, then apply a crumb coat.

Freeze cake for 5 minutes to allow the crumb coat to set, then use remaining frosting to add a second layer of frosting using piping bags. I cut my bags to have an opening of about 1.5 cm.

Smooth with a bench scrapper. Add fresh berries, citrus accents, and sprinkles in a semicircle around the top of the cake.

Cakes, Sweets, Tutorials, Uncategorized

Rice Krispie Burger Cake

August 3, 2017 Chelsweets Leave a comment

@Mister_Krisp and I made this rice krispie burger cake to celebrate the launch of her book, Treat Yourself! You can order a copy of it here: https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Yourself-Ridiculously-No-Bake-Crispy/dp/0761189807

Treat Yourself! is the perfect answer for any cook, crafty food lover, or creative parent looking to make crowd-pleasing and personalized treats for birthdays, holidays, school events, and virtually every other occasion. With no baking required, these playful, visually dazzling sweets are simple enough for anyone to whip up.

The full recipe can be found below:

Burger Buns:

2 1/2 cups (324g) all purpose flour
2 cups (424g) sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 large egg
1 cup (240ml) water

Rice Krispie Burger Patty:

2 Tbsp butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups rice krispies

Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting:

4 sticks (2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla

Additional Decorations:

8 half circle cutouts of red fondant (tomatoes)
4 large yellow triangles of fondant (cheese)
white sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease and line 2 8 inch round baking pans.

Begin by making the burger buns. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and gently mix. Add the buttermilk, and gently stir until just combined. Next, add in the water, vanilla, and vegetable oil, and mix until the batter comes together. Next, mix in the eggs (one at a time) until well combined.

Pour into lined pans, and bake for roughly 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let layers cool in pan for 10 minutes, then place in freezer to cool fully.

To make the rice krispie burger patty, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add 3 cups mini marshmallows and stir until coated and 75% melted, add brown food coloring. Turn off burner and add 4 cups Rice Krispies, stir until coated and pour the mixture into greased 7″ cake ring, press to edges.

While the cake and krispie layers cool, prepare the vanilla frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the heavy cream half way through. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Color 2/3 of the frosting tan using a couple drops of brown and yellow food coloring. Divide the remaining frosting between three bowls , coloring one green (lettuce), one red (ketchup), and one yellow (mustard).

To assemble the cake, first trim one cake layer to make it;s shape resemble a dome. Place the bottom cake but on a cake round, and place the top bun onto a flat surface. Smooth the tan frosting onto the two cake layers using an offset spatula, and an acetate sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds onto to top, rounded bun.

Place the burger patty onto the bottom bun, then drape the yellow fondant triangles over the sides of the patty. Place green frosting into a piping bag with petal tip (Wilton 402), and pipe ruffles around the perimeter of the patty.

Place red fondant semicircles on top of the lettuce, and fill the center with the red and yellow buttercream. Gently lift the top burger bun up using a larger offset spatula, and place on top of the cake.

Then it’s time to slice in and enjoy!! I’m always amazed at how delicious cake and rice krispies are together!!

Cupcakes, Sweets, Uncategorized

The Best Dark Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

July 8, 2017 Chelsweets 13 Comments

I’m starting a cupcake series on my YouTube channel, and plan to use this recipe as my go-to chocolate cupcake recipe! After testing out several different recipes, it’s by far my favorite! It’s a modified version of the Brown Eyed Baker’s chocolate cupcake recipe. I am a huge fan of one-bowl recipes, and have done my best to make this cupcake recipe as easy as possible!

I replaced the dutch-processed cocoa with black cocoa powder, to really give these a beautiful color, and to intensify the taste! The best comparison is to think of the bittersweet, chocolaty taste of an Oreo cookie!

I only recently discovered black cocoa, and I’m obsessed. Black cocoa has a slightly higher pH than dutch-processed cocoa (8 vs.7), and is much less acidic than natural baking cocoa (5-6). However, this is optional, and you could also use regular cocoa if that’s what you have on hand.

I always frost my cupcakes with a half batch of my American buttercream, and usually use a Wilton 1m tip (open star) or a Wilton 2D tip (closed star).

Chocolate Cupcake Batter:

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup (28 grams) black cocoa powder
¾ cup (177 ml) hot water + 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
¾ cup (117 grams) flour
¾ cup (149 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate American Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup black cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Filling: Chocolate Ganache

Yield: 14 cupcakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 18 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in baking pans.

Fill measuring cup with very hot water, and add in espresso powder. Stir until combined, then pour into a bowl. Add the chocolate chips and black cocoa powder. Let this sit for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate, then stir until no chunks remain.

Add the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and gently mix. Pour in chocolate espresso mixture, and stir until just combined, being sure to scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl while mixing. Next, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Then add the oil, vinegar, and vanilla, and mix until the batter is smooth.

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full, and back for about 18 minutes. Once a toothpick comes out clean (or with minimal crumbs), remove from oven. Allow cupcakes to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and place in the freezer for 15 minutes (to accelerate the cooling process).

While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the chocolate frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the cocoa powder half way through, along with the heavy cream. Once all the powdered sugar is added, mix in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, it’s time to fill them! Remove the center of the cupcakes using the wide end of a frosting tip, and add chocolate ganache to the center of each cupcake. Pipe on a large swirl of frosting, using a Wilton 2D tip. If you don’t have any frosting tips, you can always use a zip lock bag and just trim the tip to have a 2 cm opening.

To make these a bit more fun, I also added drizzle some warmed up ganache over the frosting, and grated some dark chocolate over the top of the cupcake!

Cupcakes, Sweets, Uncategorized

Classic Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

July 3, 2017 Chelsweets 10 Comments

I’m about to start a cupcake series, and plan to use this recipe as the base recipe for all my cupcakes. After testing out several different recipes, it’s my favorite and now my go to! It’s a slightly modified version of Life Love and Sugar’s Vanilla Cupcake Recipe.

I swapped out the regular milk and used buttermilk (my personal preference!), and made it all in one bowl! I hate making extra dishes, and always try to simplify recipes when baking.

I always frost my cupcakes with a half batch of my American buttercream, and usually use a Wilton 1m tip (open star).

Vanilla Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cup (162g) all purpose flour
1 cup (212g) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup (120ml) water

Vanilla American Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla

Yield: 12-14 cupcakes

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 17 minutes

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and place cupcake liners in baking pans.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a large mixer bowl and gently mix. Add the buttermilk, and gently stir until just combined. Next, add in the water, vanilla, and vegetable oil, and mix until the batter comes together. Next, mix in the egg until well combined.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 way full, and bake for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

While the cupcakes bake and cool, prepare the vanilla frosting. Beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add the heavy cream half way through. Once fully mixed, add in the vanilla and salt, and beat on medium low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the desired consistency is reached. If the frosting is too thick, add in cream (1 teaspoon at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

Once the cupcakes are fully cooled, add a large swirl of buttercream. I used a Wilton 2D tip, but you can use whatever you prefer! If you don’t have any frosting tips, you can always use a zip lock bag and just trim the tip to have a 2 cm opening.

I also added a bit of gold leaf to these cupcakes to jazz them up! I gently added the gold leaf using a sterile paint brush and sheets of 23k edible gold leaf. I purchase mine on amazon!

Cakes, Sweets

Beer Mug Cake

July 2, 2017 Chelsweets Leave a comment

Originally I wanted to share a beer cake for Father’s Day, but I wasn’t able to edit the footage in time! Luckily, beer never goes out of style, and this cake is also perfect for summertime bbqs / cook outs! I replaced some of the buttermilk with beer in my go-to vanilla layer cake recipe, and frosted the cake with a vanilla buttercream. The full recipe and instructions can be found below:

Beer Cake Batter:

2 1/8 cup flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter (1.5 sticks), room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup beer, room temperature (I used Budweiser)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

American Buttercream Ingredients:

6 sticks (3 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 cups powdered sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
3 tsp vanilla

Additional Decorations:

white gum paste or fondant with tylose powder
toothpicks

Instructions:

Prepare the beer handle the night before using white gum paste or fondant with tylose powder. Mold handle to be roughly 6 inches tall, and insert toothpicks into the tips of the handle. Set onto parchment paper to fully firm overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line six 6” round pans.

Begin by preparing the cake batter. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk on a low speed, and then the beer. Add in oil and vanilla, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds.

Divide evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the cakes bake and cool, prepare the buttercream frosting (click here for tutorial). Whip the butter until it is light and creamy, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Alternate installments of powdered sugar with heavy cream, and continue mixing until the frosting has reached desired consistency. Add salt, and vanilla extract, and continue mixing on medium-low until fully incorporated. Color 2/3 of the frosting the shade of your favorite beer, and leave the remaining 1/3 uncolored. Place the white buttercream in a piping bag.

Stack and frost the cake layers using the beer colored frosting. Once stacked, apply a thin crumb coat. Chill cake in the freezer for 5 minutes.

Once the crumb coat is firm to the touch, apply a thick, second layer of frosting. Pipe a line of white frosting around the base of the cake, the cover the rest of the cake with the beer colored frosting. Smooth with a bench scraper. Clean the bench scraper, then make vertical lines around the sides of the cake, roughly 1 inch apart.

Gently insert handle into the side of the cake. Use the remaining white frosting to pipe foam around the top of the cake, and a bit down the sides of the cake.

Cakes, Uncategorized

Oreo Waffle Cake

July 2, 2017 Chelsweets 2 Comments

As part of Oreo’s flavor creation campaign, I made an Oreo waffle Cake! I used my go-to vanilla layer cake recipe, and added crushed oreos and a touch of maple extract! I frosted the cake with a maple buttercream, and drizzled some maple caramel between the layers. It’s any waffle enthusiast’s dream, plus oreos!! The full recipe can be found below:

Maple Oreo Cake Batter:

3 1/4 cup flour
3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 tsp maple extract
1 cup eggs white, room temperature (I use egg whites from the carton to avoid wasting egg yolks)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped oreos

Maple Buttercream:

5 sticks butter
10 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. maple extract
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt

Maple Caramel Recipe:

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp maple extract

Additional Decorations:

Miniature waffles
milka oreo chocolate bars
1 cup crushed oreos (to place between layers and for decoration)
1 sleeve regular oreos

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line four 8” round pans.

Begin by preparing the cake batter. Mix together all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt) in a stand mixer with a paddle until fully combined.

Mix chunks of room-temperature butter slowly into the dry mix, on a low speed. Continue to mix until no large chunks of butter remain, and the mixture becomes crumbly.

Pour in egg whites, and mix on low until just incorporated. Mix in the buttermilk in two installments, on a low speed. Add in maple extract and oil, and mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium high for about 30 seconds. Fold in crushed oreos using a spatula.

Divide evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan. Place cake layers on a rack to finish cooling.

While the cakes bake and cool, prepare the maple buttercream frosting (click here for tutorial). Whip the butter until it is light and creamy, then slowly add the powdered sugar. Alternate installments of powdered sugar with heavy cream, and continue mixing until the frosting has reached desired consistency. Add salt, and maple extract, and vanilla, and continue mixing on medium-low until fully incorporated.

Next, prepare the maple caramel (click here for a tutorial)! Turn stove onto medium heat, and place a pot over element. Pour in sugar. Using a heat proof stirring utensil (I use an old-fashioned wooden spoon), stir until sugar begins to melt into a clear liquid. Continue to stir, until clumps of sugar begin to form. Slowly the color of the sugar clump will deepen from white to amber. Keep stirring until all the clump of sugar have dissolved, and then turn off the heat. Mix in butter slowly, then stir in cream, maple extract, and salt. Place in fridge to cool for 20 minutes, then pour into desired container. I put mine in a squirt bottle (for drizzling)!

For the cake assembly, I also made miniature waffles to decorate the cake. I used pre-made waffle mix, as this cake already has enough components from scratch!! I also added 1/2 cup of crushed oreos. You could also cut out premade waffles using a circle cutter to make miniature waffles!

Stack and frost the cake layers, adding a few spoonfuls of crushed Oreos and a drizzle of maple caramel between each layer.

Once stacked, apply a thin crumb coat. Chill cake in the freezer for 5 minutes. Once the crumb coat is firm to the touch, apply a thick, second layer of frosting. Smooth with a bench scraper. Alternate adding full Oreo cookies and waffles to the base of the cake. Chill cake again for 5 minutes in the freezer. Add warm drizzle of maple caramel around the sides of cake using a squirt bottle or spoon, then pipe swirls around the top of the cake using a Wilton 4B tip.