Chocolate Eclair Cake

I was really craving those red velvet cupcakes that Melanie posted. I was all ready to make them today and realized, I didn't have any cocoa, and forgot it at the store!! I was in the chocolate mood, which is hard when you don't have cocoa. So this is as close to chocolate that I'm getting today. My sister in law Laura posted this quite a while ago and I've loved it ever since. Now go and make it and don't share it with anyone else. You won't be sorry!!Chocolate Eclair Cake

Crust:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Bring the water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add flour. Beat in the eggs with a spoon one at a time. Bake in a 9x13 greased pan at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
1 (6 oz) package vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
Mix the milk and pudding, fold in the cream cheese and pour over crust. Put in refrigerator until set.

8 oz. Cool whip

Top with cool whip.

Chocolate:

3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cups chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Melt together milk, choc. chips, butter. Add powdered sugar. Cool, then drizzle over cool whip. Refrigerate.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I know I've said this before about a recipe on a recipe blog because I haven't actually made these cupcakes but that doesn't mean I don't want to share it. I've only eaten them and they are sooooo gooooooood!! At Heidi's (my sister in law) brother's wedding reception her mom served these delish cupcakes and I thought I'd share just in time for Valentine's Day. Cute red cupcakes for the holiday, what a good idea. Thanks for sending the recipe on Heidi! (Sorry this is so spaced out, it's how it copy/pasted since I'm too lazy to retype it all. They come from this website)

Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 bottle (1 ounce) McCormick® Red Food Color

2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup two-thirds full.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting: Beat 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened, 2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar until smooth.