This week in A Taste of Disney: two tasty desserts that you might not have known existed. These two desserts are found in a couple of Magic Kingdom® Park hidden gems. To be honest, I didn’t even discover them until a few weeks ago, even after my countless trips to WDW in the past. These are definitely worth a midday stop in the park for a “taste test.”
1.) Handmade Birthday Cake Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich– Yes, homemade chocolate chunk cookies with a scoop of cake flavored ice cream in between. What’s not to love? The birthday cake ice cream flavor is apparently limited time, but don’t fear–they serve other delectable flavors such as peppermint during Christmas and pumpkin in the fall. They also allow different cookie options as well. Look for this treat at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments!
2.) New Alice in Wonderland Gourmet Cake Cups– New to the Cheshire Cafe, this dessert features cake and frosting layered together in a cup and topped with edible characters from Alice in Wonderland. Currently, there are two main flavors: Cheshire Cupcake and Mad Hatter Mocha. The Cheshire Cupcake is layers of funfetti cake and fluffy vanilla frosting topped with sprinkles. While on the other hand, the Mad Hatter Mocha is layers of chocolate cake and coffee frosting intertwined and topped with dark chocolate shavings and white chocolate straws.
This week’s recipe is for the Mad Hatter Mocha cake cup. Recipe courtesy of The Disney Diner and can be found at http://www.thedisneydiner.com/2014/02/mocha-cake-cups-recipe-from-chesire.html
Mocha Cake Cups
(Makes 10)
Cupcake Ingredients:
1 chocolate cake mix (or your own personal recipe)
water (as indicated on package)
oil (as indicated on package)
eggs (as indicated on package)
Directions:
Mix according to directions on back of box (or recipe). Pour into cupcake pan and bake. Let cool overnight. When cool, cut each cupcake in half horizontally. Set aside.
Mocha Buttercream Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup all-vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cold coffee
chocolate sprinkles (optional)
hazelnut wafer cookie rolls (optional)
Directions:
Brew a cup of coffee and set aside to cool.
Place butter, shortening and vanilla in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer on high until creamy. Add in cocoa and blend well. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The mixture will be thick and crumbly. Pour in cold coffee and mix on high speed until it reaches a light, whipped consistency.
Spoon frosting into a cake decorating bag fitted with a star tip (or gallon-size baggie with the corner cut off).
Set half of a cupcake into the bottom of a clear punch cup. Squeeze a swirl of frosting on top, filling in the middle). Set another cupcake half on top and add another layer of frosting. Add a third layer of cupcake and finish off by swirling a mound of frosting on top.
Top with chocolate sprinkles. Now stick 2 hazelnut wafer cookies into the cake cup. That’s it!
Kristin Casagrand is a student currently studying physical therapy at Bellarmine University. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Kristin has taken many a family vacations as a child driving 24 hrs, cramped in the back of the car and fighting with her sister to get to Disney (definitely worth it though). She looks forward to sharing “A taste of Disney” with everyone each week.
