oreo cupckaes with raspberry fluff frosting

the goods:

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12 Oreo cookies
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam (if you can't find seedless, just warm it on the stove and strain it through a fine mesh sieve)
3 cups marshmallow topping
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners. Melt 2 tablespoons butter; let cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Lightly beat egg and egg yolk and add, along with melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and 1/2 cup hot water; whisk until smooth. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each muffin cup and top each with 1 tablespoon batter. Bake until cupcakes are puffed and set, 15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cupcakes cool in pan on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and raspberry jam on medium-high until smooth. Add marshmallow topping and confectioners' sugar and beat until fluffy and smooth, 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a quart-sized ziploc bag; with scissors, snip a small hole in one corner/ Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and serve immediately.

pumpkin-chocolate whoopie pies

the goods:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/4 cup, room temperature

3/4 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 and 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, melted butter, and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and whisk just until combined. Drop dough in 2-tablespoon mounds, 1 inch apart, onto a parchment-lines baking sheet. Bake until tops of cookies spring back when gently pressed, about 14 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat room temperature butter, 1/2 cup cream, cocoa powder, and confectioners' sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 minutes. Spread filling on flat side of half the cookies; sandwhich with remaining cookies. Dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.

maple-walnut cake with brown-sugar frosting

the goods:

cake:

3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 and 1/2 cups pure maple syrup

3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup chopped walnut halves

frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Make cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans (2 inches deep) with cooking spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; lightly coat parchment with cooking spray. Flour parchment and sides (tapping out excess); set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar on high until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on medium-high, add maple syrup in a slow, steady stream. Add flour mixture in two additions, alternating with milk, beating well after each addition and scraping down bowl as needed. Fold in walnuts.

Divide batter between pans; firmly tap pans on a flat surface several times to remove air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks, 15 minutes, then invert onto racks; peel off parchment. Invert cakes again and let cool completely on racks. With a serrated knife, trim domed top from each cake to make a flat surface.

Make frosting: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and brown sugar on high until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

Assemble cake: Place one layer, top side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread top evenly with 1 and 1/2 cups frosting. Top with second layer, top side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and around sides of cake.

Decorate with walnut halves.