Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling

I completely spaced getting the January Crazy Cooking Challenge of chicken noodle soup, but I wasn't about to pass up February's. Why is that? Oh, only because it is chocolate cake! I just can't wait to see the delicious recipes linked up below!

I knew my favorite food blogger, The Girl Who Ate Everything wouldn't let me down when it came to needing a chocolate cake recipe for this challenge. She posted this recipe which was originally from Kevin and Amanda. I am sure I won't be the only one who posts this particular recipe. I saw it on many of blogs, but there is a reason for that. It is deeeeeelicious, moist and just the right density.

1 box devil’s food cake mix

1 small box Jello instant chocolate pudding mix (not the sugar or fat free kind)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips (I left these out just because I wasn't feeling them)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything together, except the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick like pudding. Stir chocolate chips in, if you wish. This will make at least 24 cupcakes. Bake for about 10 minutes longer than whatever the box indicates for whichever pan you use. Stick a toothpick in to check when it's done.

I wanted to have a fun filling so I made  this Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting from myrecipes, originally from Southern Living. One review said it will taste good on anything, even gym socks. I agree. Well, okay, maybe not quite off gym socks, but really, it would complement pretty much any sort of cake, chocolate, vanilla, carrot, pumpkin, banana, red velvet (like the original recipe shows). I will definitely be using it more.

1/4 cup butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened (make sure you soften it or it will be very hard to mix)
16 oz (2 lbs) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon vanilla

Brown butter in saucepan over medium heat, constantly stirring for 6-8 minutes. Keep a close eye on it and as soon as it starts to golden, remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for about a hour, or until the butter begins to solidify. Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until creamy. Slowly, add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla.

I scorched my first attempt at browning butter, even though I browned butter just right for these Brown Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Toffee Cookies and the Brown Butter Frosting. Just be careful that as soon as the butter starts to brown, you remove it from the heat. There should be no flakes of brown. This means it is starting to burn.

This post is linked up to some of the parties listed under my Show & Tell tab at the top of the page. Go check them out for more inspiration! And of course, check out all the links below for more chocolate cake recipes. Mine's number 35!