Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit

Cupcake Bakeshop has moved!

2006-08-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

Comments have been turned off here (at least I think they have) and all new posts & comments will be made on http://cupcakeblog.com. Please update your bookmarks and links!

It was high time I made the move. I am excited about categories and other forthcoming enhancements that will make finding what you need fast and easy. All posts and comments can be found at http://cupcakeblog.com.

Look out for a new recipe later today at http://cupcakeblog.com!

Thanks!
Cheryl

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Chestnut-Fromage Blanc Frosting and Madeira Wine Glaze

2006-07-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

This post and site have moved.

I apologize for the lapse in posting, but I just returned home from a trip to Portugal. More specifically, I was on the island of Madeira, the island where my mother grew up. It was a fantastic trip and my mother's cousins where generous and gracious hosts.

I knew I would make a cupcake to commemorate the trip and I knew it would involve Madeira wine. I decided to pair the wine with chocolate for sure. I was keeping a lookout for one other local ingredient to use in the recipe and a trip to the Curral das Freiras, or Corral of the Nuns, provided me with some chestnut puree. Chestnuts are abundant in this area and a visit sure shows that. There were all things chestnut for sale there - syrup, cake, soup, you name it.

I had one more decision to make when devising this recipe and that was which cheese I would pair with the puree to make a frosting. I was leaning towards something tangy to balance out the earthiness of the chestnuts. I chose a fromage blanc from Cowgirl Creamery. It is indeed tangy with a texture similar to fresh ricotta. I think it's choice is a matter of taste - I will admit it pairs somewhat strangely with chocolate - but I want to give it more time to sit and for flavors to meld. I will report back on whether ricotta, which is much sweeter, might be a better choice.

Update: Well, all in all, the cupcakes tasted very good, but ultimately I found the tang of the cheese a bit overpowering for the chestnut. I would try this again with ricotta or some other milder, sweeter cheese. I also updated the assembly instructions with some lessons learned.

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cacao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Madeira Wine Glaze

1-1/2 cups sweet Madeira wine
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon chopped orange peel

1. Add Madeira and sugar to a medium sized saucepan. Over medium-high heat, stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Boil until liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
3. Let cool for a minute then stir in orange peel. Set aside to cool completely.

removing peel

chopped peel

Chestnut-Fromage Blanc Frosting

1-1/2 cups (11 ounces) fromage blanc
1/2 cup (5 ounces) chestnut puree
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1. Beat cheese briefly, scrape bowl.
2. Add the chestnut puree and sifted powdered sugar. Beat until combined.

Note: I purchased the chestnut puree in Portugal. It's a simple mixture of chestnuts and sugar. I have seen similar products in Italian grocery stores. Otherwise, roast some chestnuts and puree with raw cane sugar in a food processor until creamy.

Assemble
1. Drizzle glaze over the top of the cupcake to moisten and flavor the cake.
2. Scoop frosting onto cupcakes using a small ice cream scooper.
3. Starting from the top of the mound of frosting, smooth down to the edge of the paper with a small pallet knife.
4. Smooth off the top of the point of frosting, providing a flat top for decoration.
5. Drizzle with glaze and top with silver dragees, candied orange rind or some other decoration. [Note] Drizzle glaze before serving as it does become absorbed in the frosting over time, else omit the second application of glaze.

Note: Silver dragees, or bolas prateadas in Portuguese, are seen on many Madeiran desserts. I brought some back with me for a final "topping off" of my homage to the trip.

scooped frosting

spreading frosting

smoothed frosting

drizzling glaze

Thai Tea Cupcakes

2006-06-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

I really, really want a solid Thai Tea cupcake recipe. I have been playing around with just about every product I could get my hands on and trying a variety of recipes and approaches. Getting the Thai tea flavor in the baked good was just not working. While the cake tasted fine... in most cases ended up tasting like corn and not Thai tea.

I finally decided to skip the flavor in the cake and focus it in the filling and frosting. I also used yet another new product and this one is my favorite so far. I made Thai Ice Tea per the directions and the result is most definitely whatever I am being served in San Francisco Thai restaurants... the Thai Tea flavor I am accustomed to and love.

These cupcakes tasted luscious - no funky after tastes, no cloying sweetness. The cake is the not-too-sweet balance to the creamy sweetness of the filling and frosting. We tried these soon after assembly and they just sort of burst into a creamy mass. I think with some time in the refrigerator the flavors will deepen, the filling will become one with the cake, and the experience should be equally as good, perhaps a little better, and definitely a bit neater.

I don't know if this is the end of my search, but I am definitely pleased with what transpired today.

Cupcakes
15 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 large egg whites

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
4. Measure out vanilla and milk together.
5. Add about a third of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
6. Add about one half the milk mixture and beat until combined.
7. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Transfer to a bowl. Clean mixer bowl well and dry thoroughly.
8. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form.
9. Mix in about a half cup of egg whites in to the batter, then fold the batter into the egg whites, gently until all egg whites streaks are gone.
10. Scoop into cupcake papers about two thirds full.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

mise en place

batter

Thai Tea Creamy Filling

3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup Thai Tea syrup
4 large egg yolks

1. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, flour, and salt together and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, bring milk and Thai Tea syrup to simmer over medium-low heat.
4. Pour about a half cup of the milk over the dry mixture and mix to combine.
5. Transfer back into the pan and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. About 5 minutes.
6. Slowly add a small amount of the hot mixture to the eggs and mix to combine. Transfer back into the pan and continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
7. Transfer to a bowl, let cool for 10 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cool.

Note: You will have extra filling. I decided against splitting the recipe in half as it uses the 4 egg yolks for the 4 whites in the cake recipe. If you don't want extra, try cutting the recipe in half.

thai tea syrup

Thai Tea Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 8-ounce package Phili cream cheese
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Thai Tea syrup
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add half of the sugar and 1/4 cup of Thai tea syrup. Beat until combined.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like. Add more syrup to get to the flavor you want. I added 2 more tablespoons.

the cone

thai tea cream filling

replaced top

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of cream filling.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Frost then sprinkle with crushed Thai tea leaves.

Ube Cupcakes with Bubble Buttercream

2006-06-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is definitely an experimental recipe... one that ended up tasting great, but, trust me, looked a bit funky.

I got introduced to Ube in the form of ice cream from Mitchell's Ice Cream here in San Francisco. I was ready to finally try an Ube cupcake recipe, so I went to Pacific Super, an awesome Asian grocery on Alemany Street not too far from where I live, and bought nearly everything Ube.

I reconstituted Ube powder per the instructions on the packet, but didn't like the taste very much at all. I boiled and mashed some fresh purple yams and they tasted much better. It was an easy decision to skip the powdered and go with the fresh.

One thing I didn't do, that I noticed the few recipes on the net did, is add food coloring. After my red velvet experience, I have been anti-food-coloring-in-batter. In this case, I think I would have been better off to relax my newfound prejudice...

The yams were a deep purple blue, which was great, but when mixed with the yellow egg yolks and other ingredients, the batter ended up a ghastly green. Maybe a little red food coloring would have balanced it out. On the other hand, I can say that the ghastly green is natural! Maybe a half cup of smashed beets might do the trick, if anyone cares to experiment even further.

One definite keeper for me is the topping of peanuts crushed with a good amount of salt. This is something I stole from a caterer friend. The salty-sweet taste is very satisfying.

Ube Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3-4 small to medium purple yams (ube)
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil, grapeseed or vegetable
1/2 cup macapuno, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk milk

1. Peel and slice the yams into inch thick slices. Transfer into a medium pan, rinse, then cover with cool water. Bring to boil and simmer until tender. Mash with a fork
2. Crack eggs into a large bowl. Beat with a whisk until yellows and whites are combined.
3. Gradually add sugar and whisk until combined.
4. Add oil and whisk until combined. Add chopped macapuno and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
5. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
6. Add about a third of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix to combine.
7. Add about one half of the buttermilk and mix to combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and buttermilk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to two-thirds full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes. Note that these cupcakes will don't shrink. Two-thirds full will result in domed cupcakes.)
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

cooked ube

ube cupcake batter

baked ube cupcake

Bubble Buttercream

3 cups water
1/4 cup tapioca balls
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
5-6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Boil the water in a medium saucepan (I used the water from the yams).
2. Add the balls to the boiling water and boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Turn off heat and let the balls steep in the water for another 30 minutes.
4. Transfer balls to a sieve and rinse with cool water to remove starch. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cold water until ready to use.
5. Beat butter in an electric mixer until soft.
6. Add 3 cups of the sifted sugar and beat until combined.
7. Drain tapioca balls and measure out 1/2 cup. Fold into the frosting.
8. Add remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, stirring until combined.

Note: This frosting was very soft and almost looked a little curdled. It definitely has a not so pretty texture, but it tasted fine. The tapioca balls are a novelty and perhaps not necessary. There is the added interest of the chewy texture, but I am not sure it’s worth the sacrifice in the visual appeal. If you are looking for something picture perfect, definitely skip this recipe. It needs work.

tapioca balls

Assemble
1. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
2. Crush about a 1/3 cup of unsalted peanuts with about a teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle over cupcakes.

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcake

2006-05-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I must admit... I almost felt like I was cheating with this recipe. I used my current favorite chocolate recipe and added a few teaspoons of ground up spices - that was it!

But while the approach was straight forward, the result was great. The spices shown through the flavor of the chocolate just enough to add complexity and interest to the experience. The moist chocolatey goodness of the cake can live on its own, but ultimately, the frosting is what makes it a cupcake and the simple chai spice buttercream was a great addition. Not too overwhelming, but enhancing the flavor all the more. (I added a bit extra minced fresh ginger which was a nice touch.)

Just goes to show you... with a great base recipe and a rummage through the spice rack or pantry, anyone can come up with an interesting and tasty concoction. Days later, my husband is still talking about them and they seemed to be a hit at the art opening I made them for.

Chai Spice Mix

2 teaspoons fennel, whole
2 teaspoons cloves, whole
1 tablespoon cardamom, ground
2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
2 teaspoons ginger, ground

1. With a small food processor, grind up the whole fennel and cloves.
2. Transfer to a small bowl and add remaining spices. Mix to combine.

chai spice mix

Chocolate Chai Spice Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cacao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons chai spice mix
pinch of salt

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. Add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, chai spice mix, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

cooling cupcake

Chai Spice Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons chai spice mix
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, spice mix, and ginger. Beat until combined.
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: Everyone's personal preferences differ. With frosting, the flavor is up to you. If you are unsure of how much of a chai flavor you want, start light on the spices and add a teaspoon at a time until you get to a flavor you like. Same goes for the sugar. It's a matter of taste and what consistency you want to work with. Experiment until you get at what works for you.

Assemble
1. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

assembled cupcakes

Pistachio Cupcakes with Rose Petal Buttercream

2006-05-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

I made an impromptu decision on a Thursday afternoon to make cupcakes for a party on Friday afternoon. I knew I wanted to make pistachio cupcakes, my homage to Indian sweets. I didn't have a lot of time or options, so I ran out at lunch to the Ferry Building, conveniently located across the street from work. I managed to find some pistachio cream (at $19.99 for 8 ounces! Ouch!) at the Village Market and rose petal jelly and small, edible rose buds at Boulettes Larder.

I decided on a chiffon style cake this time around. I want to make an important point outright. This is a far trickier method than the creaming method that I use for most of the recipes in the blog. Many things can always go wrong in baking; this is even truer with this style of cake. It shouldn't stop you from trying, but if there is one thing I learned from the professionals that I took classes with, the key is being able to work with whatever the outcome is.

In this case, I made quite a bit of batter. As such, my oven was packed with cupcakes and they were baking unevenly. Did I risk opening the oven to shift them around? Opening an oven too early in the process can cause a draft and result in fallen cupcakes. Or did I leave them be and deal with some cupcakes being over done? In the end, I waited until about halfway through the baking time, then opened the oven and shifted the cupcakes around. In the end, I would say about 8 of the 36 cupcakes fell. I used the good ones for the party and covered the others with a bit of frosting and saved them for the family.

The pistachio cake was an experiment. I was happy with the outcome. Despite the baking issues I had, the cake was tasty, and in my opinion very pistachio-y. It was light and airy, just like chiffon should be. I went light on the frosting so it wouldn't overpower the cake. I didn't get much of a rose flavor from the jelly, but the color was nice and I could definitely smell roses (most likely from the buds). If I had planned ahead, I would have order some rose water or syrup to help liven the frosting some.

Pistachio Cupcakes
36 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2-3/4 cups cake flour
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup grape seed oil (or vegetable oil)
8 egg yolks (approximately 6 ounces)
1/2 cup water
4 ounces pistachio cream (approximately 1/3 cup)
10 egg whites (approximately 10 ounces)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

1. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. In a medium bowl, combine oil, egg yolks, water, and pistachio cream. Stir to combine.
3. On a low setting, start to beat the dry mixture and slowly add the wet. Increase the mixer speed to high and beat until pistachio cream is incorporated.
4. Transfer mixture to another bowl. Wash and dry mixer bowl.
5. Whip egg whites with whip attachment on medium-high speed until foamy. With the mixer on medium speed, add cream of tarter and slowly add sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.
6. Scoop a cupful of the stiff egg whites into the batter and stir to combine. This should lighten up the batter.
7. Transfer the egg whites to the batter and gently fold until there are no more streaks of egg white.
8. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tip: Cake flour is a must for chiffon. All-purpose won't give you the same delicate texture.

pistachio cream

Rose Petal Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup rose petal jelly

1. Beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. Add 3-4 cups of sifted powdered sugar and jelly, beat until combined.
3. Add more powdered sugar as needed to get to whatever consistency/sweetness you wish to acheive.

rose petal jelly

Assemble
1. Frost cooled cupcakes lightly with buttercream.
2. For pistachio garnish, grind up pistachios in a small food processor. take up some of the ground nuts into your hand and press the edges of the frosted cupcake into the mixture.
3. Otherwise top with edible rose bud or edible rose petal.

Vietnamese Coffee Cupcakes

2006-05-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about making a Vietnamese coffee cupcake for a while - really since way back, when I worked on the Thai iced tea cupcake.

When it comes to coffee flavored cakes, what one typically finds are mocha type concoctions (coffee and chocolate) or tiramisu type desserts (sponge or lady fingers doused in coffee). I haven't found many examples of coffee-flavored cake batter outside of these two options. In lieu of an existing recipe, my approach would be simple - substitute strong brewed coffee for the liquid in a basic cake batter.

And that got me wondering... what cake batter? If you've ever taken any baking classes or read any professional baking books, you know that there are basic methods of preparing cakes including the sponge method, creaming method, two-stage method and a bunch of others. My favorite method is the creaming method which is used for many American-style baked goods. You cream the butter and sugar, add eggs, then alternate dry and wet ingredients. The result is a heavy mixture and relatively dense cake. The two stage method involves separating the eggs, following the same basic steps as with the creaming (with the exception that only egg yolks are added), then whipping egg whites to soft peaks and folding in to the batter. The result is something somewhat lighter. The classic sponge method requires heating and mixing the eggs and sugar over a water bath until it is light and fluffy. Then folding in dry ingredients and sometimes melted butter. Which of these (or any of the other) methods will translate to the dense, rich, moist, coffee flavored cake base I was looking for? I decided that the basic creaming method would result in a batter that had the bones to support the rich coffee flavor.

The resulting cake was great - great texture and moistness, but even better, a super intense, coffee flavor - exactly what I was looking for. I made a sweetened condensed milk pudding to fill the cupcakes and decided to top them with lightly sweetened whipped cream. I haven't tasted the end product (just all the components), so I will need to report on that tomorrow.

VN Coffee Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup strong brewed Vietnamese coffee
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon coffee grounds

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out coffee and milk together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the coffee/milk mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and coffee and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Fold in the teaspoon of coffee grounds.
10. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes. Note that these cupcakes will shrink slightly when they cool).
11. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip: Be careful when adding the coffee/milk mixture to the batter. If you add it too quickly the mixture will look curdled. Add small amounts and beat well to incorporate.

cupcake ready for baking

baked cupcake

Sweetened Condensed Milk Pudding

2 teaspoons gelatin
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1. Sprinkle the gelatin over a 1/4 cup of water and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. In a small pan over medium heat, heat the sweetened condensed milk until warm.
3. Add the gelatin and stir over heat until the gelatin melts.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl set over a pan of ice water. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens. It will get very thick and might clump if you stop stirring.

stirring over ice bath

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Whisk cream on high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Add sugar (more or less depending on your taste) and whip until thick.

cupcakes ready for filling

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of sweetened condensed milk pudding.
3. Replace top.
4. Top with swirls or dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
5. Dust with finely ground coffee.

assembly

Making Vietnamese Coffee

Vietnamese coffee is made with special grounds that contain coffee and chicory and using a special filter. It is brewed resting on a glass filled with an inch or so of sweetened condensed milk. The result is strong, rich, creamy, and sweet. I prefer mine iced. The melting ice lightens up the drink a bit.

get your filter ready

add grounds

replace filter

screw on tight for strong coffee

fill with water and wait!

Banana Cupcakes, a Few Ways

2006-04-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

I had request for cupcakes this weekend. They had to be good for breakfast (muffins) and have banana in them. I didn't want to make a muffin, so I stuck with a cupcake recipe and planned to go light on the frosting. I made two attempts (two full attempts, but a total of three different recipes) and I am not 100% happy with any of them. I will print the best of the recipe bases, but the base recipe needs work. The cupcakes tasted yummy, but the texture was too dense, hence why it needs work.

The combination most appropriate for breakfast is the pecan-cinnamon. The yummiest (in my book anyway) was the macadamia-white chocolate. I didn't like the pistachio so much. I don't blame it on the pistachio, but on the recipe...

Mise En Place for Fillings
I made a few flavor combinations - toasted pecan and cinnamon, macadamia nut and white chocolate, and pistachio and cardamom.

1/3 cup pecans, toasted 5 minutes at 350 degrees, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/4 cup white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup pistachios, shelled & chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom

1. Prepare all the fillings and set aside.

Banana Cupcakes
makes 22-24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
2. With a blender or food processor, blend banana and buttermilk until the banana is broken up.
3. In another bowl, combine banana/buttermilk, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
4. Fold dry mixture into the wet mixture.
5. Divide batter into three bowls. In one bowl, fold in toasted pecans and cinnamon. In the second bowl, fold in macadamia nuts and white chocolate. In the third bowl, fold in pistachios and cardamom.
6. Scoop out into cupcake papers.
7. Bake at 350 degree oven for ~20-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (start checking after 20 minutes).

baked cupcakes

Thick Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces or 3/4 package of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. Bring butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add half of the sugar. Beat until combined.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like. For this recipe, I was going for a very thick frosting.

scooping frosting

Assembly
1. Scoop a bit of frosting on to each cooled cupcake.
2. Smooth frosting into a thin layer.
3. Top with caramelized banana disks, white chocolate dipped macadamia nuts, whatever you please...

I don't have many pictures as I had a guest over while I was baking. My guest was a fellow baking enthusiast who I met through the blog. She is a caterer and cooking instructor in the bay area. She is mid-remodel and wanted to see what I had done. She brought delicious Vietnamese sandwiches. It was great to share tips. I am going to try some out in the weeks to come.

Carrot Orange Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Orange Peel Nest

2006-04-16T15:55:00.000-07:00

I normally don't feel very inspired to make themed cupcakes for holidays. I consider it dangerous territory into which I don't dare tread. I never say never, though, that's for sure. And this past week I was indeed inspired by the colorful caramel robin's eggs that were for sale at Peet's Coffee. The vibrant blue of the egg was screaming for something orange...

These cupcakes ended up quite delicious - very moist cake with a touch of spice, creamy frosting, and candied orange peel that provides a nice burst of orange flavor and a chewy, crunchy texture. The egg is yummy on it's own.

Cupcakes
makes 30 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup pecans
2-3 medium oranges
1 pound carrots
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of allspice
pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the oven, let them cool, then chop coarsely.
3. Peel oranges and puree in a blender or food processor. Measure out 1/2 cup of the liquidy pulp.
4. Peel, rinse, then grate carrots coarsely.
5. In a large bowl, combine orange pulp, carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and vegetable oil.
6. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
7. Fold flour mixture into the carrot mixture.
8. Fold in pecans.
9. Scoop out into cupcake papers.
10. Bake at 350 degree oven for ~20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting with a Hint of Orange

16 ounces or 2 packages of Philly cream cheese
3/4 stick butter
5-7 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add half of the sugar and the orange juice. Beat until combined.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Candied Orange Peel Nests

Why reinvent the wheel? Nic over at the Baking Sheet has already gone and posted a recipe for candied orange peel. I researched a handful of methods and I liked the sound of this one over the others.

I cut the recipe in half. The only other change I made was to cut peel of the orange with a vegetable peeler then cut it into strips before soaking over night. Other then that change, I basically followed the recipe in her post.

cutting the orange peel

orange peel strips

candied orange peel

Assembly
1. Pipe some frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
2. Top off each frosted cupcake with some candied orange strips and a caramel egg.

caramel eggs

Samoas® Cupcake

2006-03-31T21:19:00.000-08:00

This here is the original recipe referred to in the Chronicle article. The only difference being that the caramel filling was not published for a number of reasons, one to keep the length of the recipe down and two because they tested just as well without the caramel center. I will add that making the caramel can be dangerous! So, if you do it, please make it in a deep pot.

Lastly, I had no clue just how many calories were in one of these! I should have known what with all the butter, coconut, and cream... but seriously... I am glad I ate just a half of one. They are super rich and mini size might be more appropriate (now that's a thought).

It was fantastic to be mentioned alongside actual businesses. The folks working hard to supply us with made-to-order cupcakes! I am totally adding their links to the right sidebar this weekend.

Brown Sugar Butter Cupcakes

12 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds after each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Toasted Coconut Topping

2 eggs
10 ounces evaporated milk
1-1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 cups shredded, sweet coconut

1. Spread the coconut onto a sheet pan. Toast in a 350 degree oven, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes.
2. Crack the eggs into a small saucepan and beat lightly to break up.
3. Add milk, sugar, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly, and golden, about 15 minutes.
4. Press mixture through a metal sieve and into a bowl to remove any lumps.
5. Add 2 cups of the coconut, reserving the remainder for assembly, stir to combine.
6. Let the mixture cool.

toasted coconut

Caramel

1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter

1. Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
3. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
4. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
5. Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn't burn.
6. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
7. *** This is the dangerous part *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan, and be careful. The mixture will bubble up significantly.
8. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter and stir until combined.
9. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Note: You will have leftover caramel, it stores well refrigerated in an airtight container for about a month.

the cone!

Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate like Valrhona 61% cocao
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Let cool to room temperature.

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of caramel.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Smooth on a light coating of chocolate ganache.
5. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to harden the ganache.
6. With your hands, press out a disk of the coconut topping and place on top of the cupcake. Press to shape the mixture into a dome.
7. Press in some more plain toasted coconut on top of that.
8. Drizzle the top with lines of ganache. Note that you may have to warm the ganache over a water bath to get it to drizzling consistency.

the ganache layer

smoothing on the ganache

drizzling on the ganache

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes Filled with Chocolate-Mint Ganache with Topped with Mint Buttercream

2006-03-26T18:39:00.000-08:00

Chocolate and mint are a great combination, especially when you use fresh mint. I used chopped mint leaves steeped in cream to make the ganache filling. It is addictive on its own and I love the grassy taste of fresh mint.

The cupcakes are a slight variation on the recipe I have been using lately. The texture is a little less brownie like, but dense, moist, and not-to-sweet chocolatey, just like I like.

I opted for peppermint extract for the frosting. I was doubtful of the outcome, but went easy on the extract and was very happy with the results. I am allowing myself only a half of one of these which I will eat later, so I will have to update the post with the "tasting notes" of the end result.

Update: I ate my half a cupcake...
I have tasted a number of cupcakes in the past year and am a little jaded, you could say. But the combination of the cake and frosting in this recipe is amazing. I could have had a whole one. I will be honest, you can skip the filling and keep it simple, the cake and frosting alone make one hell of a tasty cupcake.

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs
1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt

1. chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.
2. add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.
3. remove from heat and stir in sugar. let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
4. beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
5. add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
7. scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

cupcakes cooling

Chocolate-Mint Ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature

1. chop chocolate and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. heat cream and 1/4 cup mint until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream through strainer, over the chocolate.
3. let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. add butter and the remaining teaspoon of chopped mint and stir until combined.
5. let cool then transfer to the refrigerator to thicken, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

filling pastry bag

frosting cupcakes

Mint Buttercream Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon all natural peppermint extract
1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.
2. add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.
3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: I tried to keep the mint flavor subtle and not too overpowering. I recommend starting on the light side with 1/8 teaspoon or less and tasting to get the flavor you want.

Assemble
1. stuff the cupcakes with ganache using the cone method (cut out a cone shape from the top, cut off the pointy cone part, stuff the whole with filling, then put the top back on)
2. frost them.
3. top with something green (if you want), like a mint leaf, green candy, or whatever you fancy.

Papaya-Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

2006-03-25T17:12:00.000-08:00

I made these cupcakes for a dinner party I will be going to tonight. I wanted to make something to compliment the Asian-inspired menu. It was also a good time to try out some vintage molds I bought at a flea market last weekend. I figured something dense and moist, like this recipe, would be easiest to unmold.

The texture of this cupcake is interesting, not quite a cupcake or a muffin... almost like a fruit cake, but nicer. The cake is moist, chunky, and fruity. After having tasted it, I felt that vanilla pastry cream would have been a nice compliment. Unfortunately, with limited time to shop for more eggs, I stuck with the plan of ginger-lime cream cheese frosting. The end product is still delicious and I will happy to bring them to the party.

On a side note, yesterday was the official one year anniversary of the blog. This will be the 30th cupcake recipe that I have posted and to celebrate, oh how exciting, I will be posting the 31st tomorrow. And lastly, for those of you in the bay area, I am told there may be an article about cupcakes in this Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle, in the food & wine section. Check it out if you get a chance.

Papaya-Coconut Cupcakes
12 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 ounces papaya, chopped
1/2 cup coconut, sweetened

1. mix flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium sized bowl
2. in a separate small bowl, beat eggs to break up
3. add oil and coconut milk to the eggs and mix to combine
4. add eggs/oil/coconut milk mixture to the dry ingredients, mix to combine
5. add vanilla, papaya, and coconut to the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine
6. scoop into cupcake papers with an ice cream scooper
7. bake at 350 degree oven 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

cooling cupcakes

Ginger-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces or 1 package of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon lime juice

1. bring the butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
3. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
4. add the sugar and beat until combined
5. add gingers and lime juice, beat until combined
NOTE: If you are not sure how much ginger taste you might like, start by adding half the amount and taste/adjust until you get the ginger flavor you like.
6. you can add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

empty molds

Assemble
1. frost cooled cupcakes.
2. top with lime zest.

Basil Cream and Mint Cream Filled Cupcakes with Raspberry Mousse Frosting

2006-03-18T16:42:00.000-08:00

I have been very tempted to try a basil flavored cupcake. I made basil simple syrup a couple of weekends ago and picked up a selection of fruits to taste it with. My favorite match was most definitely basil and raspberry.

I finally got around to the cupcakes this weekend. I made a basic vanilla cupcakes, light and fresh raspberry mousse frosting, basil cream, and mint cream. I decided it would be easy enough to prepare fillings with basil and mint then see what combination I preferred.

The cupcakes turned out great, really fruity and fresh. I suggest serving them with some extra fruit... I wanted a raspberry with every bite. As it turns out, I prefer the mint. The taste was still herby like the basil, but not as distinct or distracting. It's not that I didn't like the basil. I did. I just feel like I would need to do something more, like find a third flavor to balance the two.

On a final note, I am looking forward to making a basil martini tonight with the left over syrup and some high quality vodka. Should be tasty...

Vanilla Cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
12 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).
10. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

baked cupcakes

Basil or Mint Cream

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
5 ounces basil or mint
1 cup heavy cream

1. Bring sugar and water to a boil, stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Chop basil or mint and add to the mixture.
3. Boil for 3 minutes.
4. Cool to room temperature.
5. Beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form add the five to six tablespoons of syrup to taste and beat until combined.

fresh basil

Raspberry Mousse Frosting

2 cups fresh raspberries, rinsed
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar

1. Combine raspberries and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
2. Stir mixture until it is basically a liquid.
3. Stir in gelatin, continue to cook until dissolved.
4. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium sized bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
5. Beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Add the three tablespoons of sugar and beat until combined.
6. Mix about a third of the whipped cream into raspberry mixture until well combined.
7. Fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble
1. Using a small knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon of basil or mint cream.
3. Replace the top of the cone.
4. Pipe on the raspberry mousse and decorate with fresh herb and/or raspberries.

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache

2006-02-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

I warn you, do not eat these cupcakes without a tall glass of milk nearby. They are crazy rich.

I made these peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes for my aunt. She is going to a ladies-only sleepover party down in Cupertino. While I have not been to one these parties, the way my aunt describes the backyard with the lit up plant life, the fire pit, and the red wine-induced revelry through the wee hours... I knew that whatever she brought had to be rich and completely decadent.

I also had to use the same chocolate recipe, this time without cherries, because I am just loving it. It is officially my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe - at least for now.

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

5.4 ounces dark chocolate or 3/4 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
22 tablespoons butter
1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
4-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath.
2. Add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
6. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

chopping chocolate

Peanut Butter Filling

4 ounces or 1/2 package of Philly cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

1. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until combined.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Add the milk and beat until combined.

Note: This makes a pretty stiff mixture, like the center of a peanut butter cup. If you want something pipe-able, you could add more milk. I wanted to retain the strong peanut butter flavor, so I kept the milk to a minimum.

Update: I think that the filling was too thick. As I was eating a cupcake (I managed to resist them until late last night) the peanut butter filling fell out onto the plate. It wasn't too terribly hard to stick back on the cupcake, but if I were to do these again, I would add more milk to the filling.

peanut butter filling

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add butter and vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixture and let cool for 10 minutes.
6. Sift powdered sugar into the mixture and beat until combined.
7. Continue to beat with an electric mixer until lighter in color and creamy.

mid-assembly

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of peanut butter filling.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with ganache.
5. Decorate as you wish. I topped the cupcakes with fondant and peanut butter flowers.

Fondant and Peanut Butter Flowers

There are very few things I use in my recipes that are pre-prepared. There is often an abundance of chemicals, copious quantities of solid vegetable shortening, and lots of other things in these time-saving products that I would rather not consume. I make one exception, however, and that is for fondant.

Fondant in my opinion is gross. The smell of it alone turns me off. This is one of the main reasons I don't do cakes and why I especially don't do wedding cakes, as it is very difficult to get the look of a wedding cake without making extensive use of fondant. (You could use robes of white chocolate, but all my attempts at that tricky task have failed... ) So, the rare times I actually use fondant, it is only for small decorative additions. I must admit, sometimes small decorative additions are *nice*.

I purchase some pre-made white fondant at Sugar N' Spice in Daly City ages ago. Lucky for me, it will last in it's plastic container for a year. Yes, you should be suspicious of anything with that kind of shelf life. I grabbed a handful out of the container, shaped it into a disk and got to rolling.

Cornstarch is a must for rolling out fondant. Powdered sugar doesn't cut it, it will still stick.

I like simple shapes. I got these cutters in Japantown a long while back.

The fondant is soft compared to gumpaste. So, you should be careful when cutting the shapes. Its best if you can bring the piece out with the cutter then let it drop out onto your hand. Avoid touching the top of it until the pieces have dried some.

I topped each cupcake with a dried fondant shape. I rolled a little peanut butter filling into a ball to top each shape. The result, a cute flower, that you should recommed your guests promptly remove and set aside before eating the cupcake ;)

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Fennel Meringue Frosting

2006-02-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

I wasn't planning on baking this weekend. I was planning on "taking the weekend off". But all it took was my friend asking, "What about cupcakes for Sunday night?", and I was all over it. Any excuse to bake, I guess.

I was pressed for time, so I went with the cherry chocolate cupcakes again. Mostly because they were so good, my cousin hadn't tried them yet, and I had all the ingredients. I did change the frosting from fennel cream cheese to fennel meringue because I was itching to use the blow torch.

The cherry chocolate cupcake is, I am convinced, a great recipe and a crowd pleaser. The meringue frosting is a bit tricky, and I need to work on the recipe some, but I am providing it here for the adventurous.

Fennel Meringue Frosting

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 egg whites

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of sugar and the water in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
2. Crush the fennel seeds slightly with a mortar and pestle.
3. Add the crushed seeds to the sugar and let boil over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is somewhat syrupy. See step 6 for what to consider when cooking the sugar syrup.
4. Whisk the egg whites and 1 cup of sugar over a water bath in the standing mixer bowl until it reaches a temperature of 110 degrees fahrenheit. This only takes only a couple of minutes.
5. Transfer to standing mixer and whisk using whisk attachment at high speed until soft peaks form.
6. Drizzle fennel syrup into the mixer. This part can be tricky. For one, you don't want the syrup too watery or it can deflate the meringue. But if the syrup is cooked too much it could harden. Aim for a soft ball stage. If you see the meringue start to deflate put less of the syrup in and all of the fennel seeds.

Note: Once again, I had a lot of frosting left over. So, I spread it out on a silpat covered baking sheet, threw it in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, turned off the oven and left it there while we ate dinner. The result was like a big fennel, meringue cookie that was crispy, chewy, and tasty.

Assembly
1. Pipe meringue frosting onto cupcakes using a large star tip.
2. Using a blow torch, brown the meringue.

Coconut Rice Pudding Stuffed Cupcakes with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting & Fruit

2006-02-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's been downright balmy in San Francisco this week, sunny and in the seventies. It got me thinking about beaches, coconuts, papayas, and other things tropical. I had been planning on making Vietnamese coffee cupcakes and stumbled upon a recipe for baked coconut rice pudding. I settled quickly on using the rice pudding as a stuffing for a cupcake and went from there.

The end result was quite delicious. I found though that the cupcakes tasty significantly better the second day after all the flavors had time to meld together. The rice pudding is fantastic on its own and the recipe provides for plenty of left overs. In fact each individual component - the pudding, the simple cake, the frosting, the fruit - is great. And even if one thing didn't quite come out, you'd still have a tasty treat on your hands.

Cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped lime zest

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and lime juice/zest together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/lime juice mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip: It is important that the butter is at room temperature and beat well. Otherwise you might get butter chunks which sort of melt into little pools and make the cupcakes come out funny-looking. Not a huge deal, but I thought I'd mention it.

lime zest

Vietnamese Baked Coconut Rice Pudding

1/2 cup rice, short grain
2-1/2 cups coconut milk
1-1/3 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, cut into chunks
1 cup loosely packed sweetened, flaked coconut - toasted

1. Toast coconut if you haven't already. Spread on a cookie sheet and place in 350 degree oven for a five or so minutes shaking occasionally until golden brown.
2. Mix the rice with the coconut milk, the milk and the sugar.
3. Grease an oven proof dish. Transfer mixture into the dish, top with chunks of butter, and place in the oven. Be careful, as this is a liquidy mixture and tends to spill.
4. After 30 minutes stir in the coconut and return to the oven.
5. Cook for another 1-1/2 hours, or until almost all the milk is absorbed and a golden skin has formed on top of the pudding.
6. Remove and let cool.

toasted coconut

Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours.
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add half of the sugar and the ginger. Beat until combined.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Tip: For this recipe, where fresh fruit is set on top of the cupcake, it is best to use a cup or so more sugar to get a stiffer consistency. I didn't do that and the fruit slid off somewhat in transit.

fruit garnish

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the base of the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of rice pudding.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with the frosting.
5. Arrange slices of thinly sliced tropical fruit, like papaya, mango, and banana.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting

2006-01-29T11:58:00.000-08:00

I am finding that the recipe development process starts with some ingredient or combination of ingredients entering my subconscious and sitting with me for some time. Eventually the full recipe will evolve after batting around ideas that may or may not translate into something tasty.

I had cherries and chocolate on the brain for a couple of weeks now. At some point fennel entered the picture, but I don't recall when or why. I work across the street from the San Francisco Ferry Building which is fantastic place for seeking gastronomic inspiration. I purchased some dried, unsulphered, unsweetened cherries from Capay Organic, everything else I had in stock. I got ever so slightly experimental by soaking half the cherries in brandy overnight and left the other half alone.

I took this recipe recently posted on Flickr by MarionQuaggatuggu. I divided the batter in half and folded in drained and chopped brandy-soaked cherries for an adult version and folded in chopped plain cherries and Valrhona chunks for a kid-friendly version. The result was more than I could hope for - rich, moist, dense, but flakey cake with a deep chocolate flavor and the occasional texture variation and kick from the brandy-soaked cherries. I preferred the brandy version personally.

For the fennel cream cheese frosting, I decided to make a syrup to add to my standard cream cheese frosting recipe. I used just a couple tablespoons of sugar and water with a teaspoon of fennel that I crushed slightly with a mortar and pestle. I boiled the mixture down until it was very syrupy and added the whole thing to the frosting. The syrup was delicious and the frosting was fantastic. I loved the overall flavor combination of the cake and frosting and consider this a keeper.

Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes
14 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup flour
3.6 ounces dark chocolate, 1/2 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
15 tablespoons butter
4 eggs
3 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dried cherries

1. Chop cherries and transfer to a small bowl. Cover in brandy and set aside to plump overnight.
2. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath
3. add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes
4. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes
5. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
6. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended
7. Fold in cherries drained of the brandy
8. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

baked cupcake

Fennel Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. Heat sugar and water in a small pan under medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved
3. Crush fennel seeds slightly with a mortar and pestle or with the back of a heavy pan on a cutting board
4. Add seeds to the sugar and let boil over medium-low heat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is syrupy. Set aside to cool.
5. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
6. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
7. Add half of the sugar and the fennel syrup. Beat until combined
8. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

Note: I had a lot of frosting left over. Recommended uses include serving alongside sliced fruit (I had it with papaya and banana) or french toast. It can also be frozen for future use (use within a month or so). I store it in a freezer bag and when ready, transfer the bag to the refrigerator to thaw.

fennel seeds, cherries, & chocolate

Assemble
1. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting.
2. Decorate as you wish. I topped the cupcakes with a pastillage star.

I got this basic pastillage recipe from the internet. I was looking for something that didn't have any special ingredients like gumtex or glucose. I wasn't up for a ride to the cake supply store. I found this pastillage difficult to work with. I couldn't get it very thin (I think partly because it was slightly sticky) and a lot of my shapes cracked when I went to remove them. The recipe makes plenty though, so I had enough shapes that worked out alright and still have two balls left over.

Pastillage

1 package gelatin
2 ounces cold water
1 pound powdered sugar
2 ounces cornstarch
0.02 ounce cream of tarter
gel food coloring

1. Stir gelatin into the water. Let stand 5 minutes, then heat until the gelatin is dissolved.
2. Sift together the sugar, starch, and cream of tartar.
3. Place the gelatin and the water mixture in a bowl. Add part of the sugar mixture and stir with a spoon until it is absorbed. Add food coloring and continue stirring.
4. Add remaining sugar in stages, stirring to combine.
5. Hand knead mixture to a smooth, pliable paste. This stage takes a while, can be messy (I kept it in a large bowl), and may require some splashes of cool water to bring the mixture together. Add water slowly or the result may be too sticky. If that happens, add a bit more powdered sugar.
6. Divide paste into three balls. Wrap two of them very well with plastic wrap. Pastillage must be kept covered as it dries quickly.
7. Roll out one ball at a time, using cornstarch to prevent sticking. Cut out shapes with cookies cutters or whatever you have. Dried them on parchment. Delicate designs will likely crack when you go to remove them from the parchment. The simpler, the better.

Cupcake Questions

2006-01-29T11:56:00.000-08:00

Here are my answers to some frequently asked cupcake questions. Feel free to post general questions/comments that don't pertain to a particular recipe and I will answer them as soon as I can! More answers coming soon...

Products & Tools

Q. Where can I find those neat baking cups you use?

A. I have purchased them from here, where they are inexpensive, but the shipping is high. I also found this site that has them, they refer to them as 'Nut & Party' cups.

I should mention, if a little late, that the first time I saw these types of cups was at Chubby Hubby, where he used them as containers for little banana cakes. I can't locate the post, though :(

Q. Where do you get your food coloring? Can I use regular, grocery store food coloring if I can't find the gel food coloring?

A. The gel food coloring is thicker and more potent, so you need less to get the same effect as with the more liquidy stuff you find in the grocery store. This is mostly important with frostings as the liquid food coloring can mess with the consistency especially if you are trying to get a very vibrant color. Gel is better for this purpose.

When adding food coloring to batter, it's less of an issue. However, if you are adding a lot of coloring, adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe. For example, if you add a tablespoon of liquid food coloring to a red velvet recipe, cut back on a tablespoon of the buttermilk.

I get my gel food coloring at a local cake supply store, Sugar N Spice. I use Americolor brand and there are plenty of online shops that sell it. Here is just one, Kerekes.

Q. How do you get those cool swirls on your cupcakes? My tips seem too small which ones are you using?

A. Using a big, plain or star tip is key to getting a nice looking swirl. I use Kaiser brand tips as they are readily available at a local grocery store, Andronico's. I have also found some online stores that sell Kaiser tips, but the selection seems limited. Here is a starter set that includes a filling tip, which is something I need...

Cupcake Sizes

Q. Can I make these regular cupcakes mini sized or the mini cupcakes regular sized?

A. Almost all the recipes I have will work in either size. The important thing to note is the baking time. On average, mini cupcakes take 12-15 minutes to bake and regular cupcakes take 22-25 minutes to bake.

Q. How long to jumbo cupcakes take to bake? Where can I get jumbo cupcake papers?

A. I normally don't bake 'jumbo' cupcakes. I am a firm believer that cupcakes should look cute and they are cuter the smaller they are.

Technique

Q. Do cupcakes need to be refrigerated? Can they be frozen? How are they best stored?

A. I find that room temperature; air-tight storage retains the most flavor, texture, and moisture. However there are some frostings and fillings that I believe should be refrigerated if cupcakes are stored for more than a few hours - mostly for safety reasons. So, if you are storing cupcakes overnight and they are frosted with cream cheese or filled with whipped cream, then store them in tupperware, in a cake box wrapped in plastic wrap, or in a cupcake container wrapped in plastic wrap.

I have frozen unfrosted cupcakes before when I simply had too much to do too close to an event and needed to get the cupcakes baked off the weekend before. I have had success with cakes, but ultimately I believe that freezing detracts from the texture and flavor of the cupcake. So, I try to not do it. If you must, double wrap unfrosted cupcakes and place in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze but for not more than a week. To defrost, place the wrapped cupcakes and let defrost wrapped for 6-8 hours, and then unwrap.

Ingredients

Q. How much does a stick of butter weigh?

A. 110 grams give or take a few. Here is a good resource for weights of a cup of various ingredients.

Disclaimer: I am not a professional baker or pastry chef. I have, however, been baking fairly consistently since I was 13. I have taken a week long pastry class at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (which was awesome, by the way) and some consumer classes at the California Culinary Academy. I went to school for chemical engineering, but am now a software quality engineer. The schooling influences my approach to baking (methodical) and the software experience helped with adding a third column to the blogger template (why no three-column templates, blogger?). The whole digital food photography thing is a new world for me and I am enjoying the challenge immensely.

To sum it up - I speak from experience only. I try not to answer questions that I don't have answers for, but will do some googling and forward references to folks if I haven't figured out the problem in the past.

Lemon, Lime & Grapefruit Curd Filled Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2006-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but I ate lots of chocolate over the holidays. I felt like a break and decided to make a trio of citrus curds to stuff into some basic vanilla cupcakes. I topped them with a simple cream cheese frosting and a little zest for decoration. Simple, fresh, and delicious.

I used some existing recipes this time around... Magnolia's Traditional Vanilla Birthday Cake recipe (adjusted to use all-purpose flour only) and Martha Stewart's lemon curd recipe. I have used both of these, on numerous occasions, with great results. I have reprinted them as I have altered them slightly and I provide some tips along the way.

Cupcakes from The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full (depending on whether you want flat or domed cupcakes).
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Tip: It is important that the butter is at room temperature and beat well. Otherwise you might get butter chunks which sort of melt into little pools and make the cupcakes come out funny-looking. Not a huge deal, but I thought I'd mention it.

cupcakes ready for baking

Citrus Curd from MarthaStewart.com

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed citrus juice, strained
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
7 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and citrus juice in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in butter, piece by piece. Cover with plastic wrap, and cool in the refrigerator.
3. Whip together cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
4. Fold cream into the chilled curd.

Tip: The above recipe makes enough curd for over a teaspoon of filling for 24 cupcakes. I made 6 egg yolks worth so that I could get three batches for the three flavors. I ended up with extra, but those who wandered into the kitchen didn't mind having something to dip the cupcake guts into.

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
4. Add half of the sugar and the vanilla. Beat until combined
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

cupcakes ready for filling

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of curd.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with frosting.
5. Decorate as you wish. I topped the cupcakes with zest.

Coffee Buttercream Filled Almond Cupcake with Valrhona Ganache

2006-01-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

I saw an opera cake recipe on the epicurious homepage a couple of weeks ago that inspired the latest cupcake recipe. I took the recipe from the site and made some changes. Overall the cupcake was fine, due to two of the three components being extremely tasty. I was not happy with the almond cupcake recipe though, which I found to be too eggy tasting. I recommend substituting the almond-based recipe with just about any recipe that goes well with coffee and chocolate that you like.

I was visiting my parents in the east coast for the holidays. It's always tricky working in an unfamiliar kitchen, but they have a great setup so it all went well. Taking pictures proved difficult though as it was an overcast, rainy and dreary day - perfect for cupcake baking but not for available light photography.

Cupcakes
12 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1. Beat 2 eggs for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add almond meal and flour. Sift in powdered sugar and flour.
3. Beat until combined.
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites with the whisk attachment until foamy.
5. Add cream of tarter and salt and whisk until soft peaks form.
6. Gradually add sugar and whisk on high until stiff peaks form.
7. Stir in one third of the egg whites into the batter mixture.
8. Fold the batter mixture gently into the egg whites. Then fold in butter.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half full (we don't want the cupcakes to come out over the top as we want to pour ganache into them).
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

ready for baking

Coffee Buttercream from Epicurious

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (available at whole foods)
1/4 cup plus one tablespoon water
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and softened

1. Stir together espresso powder and 1 tablespoon water until powder is dissolved.
2. Bring sugar and remaining 1/4 cup water to a boil in a very small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
3. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup registers 238°F on thermometer (soft-ball stage)
4. While syrup boils, beat yolks in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed 1 minute.
5. Add hot syrup to yolks in a slow stream (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl), beating, then add coffee mixture and beat until completely cool, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Beat in butter, 1 piece at a time, and beat until thickened and smooth.

coffee buttercream

Valrhona Ganache

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 3.5 ounce packages of 71% cacao valrhona chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Melt the chocolate and half the butter over a double boiler.
2. Remove from heat and stir in remaining butter and vanilla.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Watch it though, as the ganache will start to thicken and you want to pour it before that point.

Assemble
1. Fill cooled cupcakes with coffee buttercream.
2. Pour ganache over the cupcake to the top of the paper. If you are using regular cupcake papers, put the cupcakes back in their pans before pouring in the ganache.
3. Decorate as you wish. I had planned to top the cupcakes with a marizpan star (rolled out marzipan cut with star shaped cutter) dusted with silver dust. But I left those things behind in San Francisco.

Eggnog Cupcake with Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

2005-12-11T18:51:00.000-08:00

Being someone who grew up in the northeast, but who is now living in California, it's hard for me to feel very festive about Christmas without the snow and proximity to family. I usually ignore the existence of the holiday then panic for my lack of presents when I arrive at Logan airport. So, here I am trying to force the festivities upon myself with an eggnog based recipe!

To be honest, I had my doubts about this recipe. I wasn't sure how eggnog would translate and I understand that eggnog isn't for everyone. But all in all, the cupcakes were good. They were definitely eggnogy, mostly due to the eggnog pastry cream, and pretty tasty. I like the frosting quite a bit, very buttery and not too sweet. So, if you are into eggnog, they should be worth a try. Warning: The frosting recipe makes just enough to lightly cover the cupcakes, which is what I wanted. So, if you want a lot double up on the recipe.

Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup eggnog
1/4 cup bourbon/dark rum (all of one or a mix)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon each baking powder and soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in eggs until blended.
3. Mix together eggnog, bourbon, and vanilla.
4. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
5. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients into egg mixture mixing until combined.
6. Scoop into lined cupcake tins and bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.

Eggnog Pastry Cream

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup eggnog
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon dark rum
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Place flour in a heavy sauce pan, gradually whisk in eggnog until blended and smooth.
2. Add egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until just combined after each addition.
3. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, removing from the heat occasionally to avoid lumps, until thickened. If necessary strain through a metal sieve to remove lumps.
4. Remove from heat, stir in butter, rum and vanilla.
5. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap, chill.

Bourbon Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 tablespoons butter
pinch salt
2 tablespoons bourbon
1-1/2 packages phili cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup butter, room temp
4 cups confectioner's sugar

1. Heat brown sugar, cream, butter, salt over medium high heat whisking until sugar is dissolved. Cook for another minute.
2. Pour in bourbon and stir to combine. Take off heat and let cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until soft.
4. Add the confectioner's sugar and beat to combine.
5. Add three tablespoons of the bourbon caramel (you might have some left over) and beat to combine.

Assemble
1. Fill cooled cupcakes with pastry cream.
2. Top with frosting.
3. Decorate as you wish or drizzle some leftover bourbon caramel sauce.

scooping out holes for the filling

filling holes with pastry cream

prepping the pastry bag

piping the frosting

smoothing out the frosting

Persimmon Pavlova Cupcake

2005-12-04T12:42:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about making a pavlova inspired cupcake. Mostly because I love pavlova, its one of my most favorite non-chocolate desserts, but also because this cupcake is a composite of 5 recipes and I love the challenge of combining flavors and textures to get something cohesive yet multi-dimensional.

I am very pleased with the result. I used a classic vanilla cake as the base, layered on some vanilla pastry cream with chunks of persimmon, topped with a meringue disk dipped in whipped cream, and finished with a persimmon chip. I'd say its a study more of texture than flavor - crumbliness of the vanilla cake, creaminess of the pastry cream, chewyness of the meringue disk and persimmon chip, and coolness of the whipped cream came to together nicely. Flavor was vanilla-sweetness with a subtle persimmon thing going on, not too sweet, nice afternoon treat.

Meringue Disks

1/2 cups egg whites at room temperature (from about 4 eggs)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare sheet pan by cutting a sheet of parchment to fit, then tracing a circle the size of the top of your cupcake paper, and then flipping the paper.
3. In the bowl of a standing mixer, add egg whites, salt, and cream of tarter. Whip with the whip attachment until foamy, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla and whip on medium-high until stiff and glossy, about 10 minutes.
5. Transfer into a pastry big fitted with a large, plain tip. You may have to add it in two stages.
6. Pipe rounds using the pencil marks as a guide.
7. Put the sheet pans in the oven and then immediately adjust the oven to 250 degrees.
8. Bake until surface starts to crack and has slight color, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Allow the meringue to cool undisturbed for about a half an hour.

meringue disks

Persimmon Chips

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 persimmons
a lemon

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. Heat sugar and water in a pan over medium-high heat, stir until the sugar dissolved. Lower heat and let syrup continue to simmer.
3. Using a mandolin or sharp nice, make thin slices of persimmon. Toss the slices in a little lemon juice.
4. Add the slices into the syrup and let them cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a sheet pan covered in parchment paper or a silpat.
6. Place sheet pans in the oven and let the slices bake for 2 hours.
7. Flip the slices and let them bake for another 30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool.

persimmon chips

Persimmon Pastry Cream

2 cups Whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
2 persimmons

1. Heat milk, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the vanilla, and salt in a pan over medium until it reaches a simmer,
2. Whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a medium sized bowl until combined.
3. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
4. Add remaining milk mixture slowly while whisking.
5. Transfer back into the pan and heat over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until it thickens. It will thicken all of a sudden, give it a good whisk then take it off the heat.
6. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer, add the butter, and with a paddle attachment beat on medium speed for 5 minutes.
7. Transfer to a bowl, cover will plastic wrap touching the cream, and refrigerate until cool, hour or so. This can be made a day in advance.
8. Peel, core, and chop persimmons to small chunks. Fold into cooled pastry cream.

Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Cream butter in an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute.
2. While beating, drizzle in sugar.
3. Continue to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Add one egg at a time, beating well after each, about 20 seconds.
5. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. Combine milk and vanilla.
7. Add flour mixture and milk mixture to the electric mixer, alternating and starting and ending with flour, beat well after each addition.
8. Scoop into lined cupcake tins, only half full to leave room for the pastry cream.
9. Bake until golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about ~22 minutes.
10. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.

Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon sugar

1. Whip cream in the bowl of an electric mixer with the whip attachment at medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
2. Add sugar.
3. Whip on high speed until firm peaks form. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.

persimmon pastry cream layer

Assemble
1. Fill cupcakes with pastry cream.
2. Dip meringue disks into the whipped cream, then flip and place on top of cupcakes.
3. Finish with a persimmon chip.

Browse Cupcakes

2005-12-03T10:44:00.000-08:00

Cupcakes with Chocolate

Cupcakes without Chocolate

Experimental Cupcakes

The Thai Ice Tea Cupcake Experiment #0002
The Horchata Cupcake Experiment #0001
The Thai Ice Tea Cupcake Experiment #0001

Ginger-Cream Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

2005-10-31T08:51:00.000-08:00

I haven't really made pumpkin cupcakes before, but I have tasted a number of pumpkin muffins and have never really been very happy with them. I decided to use a Martha Stewart recipe as a base - I am rarely disappointed with the recipes on her site - and I wasn't this time. The cupcakes themselves were surprisingly tasty, moist, and pumpkin-y. I topped half of them with ginger-cream for more of a breakfast treat and filled the other half with ginger-cream and topped them with chocolate ganache frosting.

Cupcakes from Marthastewart.com
30 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2 cups flour, all-purpose
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
15 ounces pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin purée.
4. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool.

cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg

Ginger Whipped Cream
this whipped cream is stabilized with gelatin which is optional

2 tablespoons cold water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 cups chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup flavored simple syrup

1. First make the simple syrup. Heat 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and a 2" chunk of ginger that has been peeled and julienned until boiling and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and strain before using. (I rolled the strained out pieces of ginger in sugar and let them dry overnight. I dipped them in orange-tinted white chocolate and used them as a garnish.)
2. In a small metal bowl, soak plain gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes.
3. Place the bowl over a small pot of simmering water and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream until soft and billowy.
5. Slowly drizzle in the simple syrup and vanilla, continuing to whip as you do.
6. Add the gelatin all at once and continue whipping until soft peaks form.
7. Finish beating with whisk to adjust consistency.

whisking dry ingredients

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1-1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add butter to the chocolate (make sure its soft and at room temp) and stir until combined.
5. Whisk together sugar, salt, milk, and vanilla in another bowl until combined.
6. Pour the sugar mixture onto the chocolate mixture, then stir until combined and smooth.
7. Let sit at room temperature until thickened.
8. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Assemble
1. Using a melon baller, scoop out a semi-circle of cupcake and set aside.
2. Pipe or scoop ginger cream into the cavity.
3. Cut the excess cake off the scooped out bit and cover the cream-filled hole with it.
4. Frost the cupcake.
5. Top with the white chocolate dipped candied ginger or whatever else you have on hand.

Chocolate Tarragon Cupcakes with Tarragon Cream Cheese Frosting

2005-10-23T14:48:00.000-07:00

Tarragon tastes sort of like anise and pairs well with chocolate. I was eager to try the two together in a cupcake. I decided to use a basic chocolate cupcake base (I used the Magnolia devil's food recipe because I wanted to try it) and added fresh tarragon to that. I guessed at a tablespoon of the chopped herb, but the taste was very subtle. Hence I decided to get tarragon in the frosting as well. All-in-all, I still couldn't taste enough of the tarragon for my liking. I would have topped each with a fresh tarragon leaf if I had any handy.

A side note: The frosting calls for a tarragon infused simple syrup; this is the first time I have made some. I must say that it is extremely tasty and I could see it being a great addition to herbal ice teas, vodka based drinks, and homemade ice cream... same as the lavender simple syrup. Yum.

Lastly, the devil's food recipe was fine, but a little drier than I expected. Baking is temperamental though, so it might work out better for others (or next time, in my case).

Cupcakes adapted from Magnolia's devil's food recipe
48 mini-cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated and at room temp
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

1. sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl, set aside
2. in a separate small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, about 2 minutes
3. in the bowl of the electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes
4. add egg yolks, beating until well combined
5. add the melted chocolate, mix until combined
6. add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the milk and vanilla, beating after each addition until smooth
7. in another bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form
8. fold the egg whites into the batter gently, fold in the fresh tarragon
9. pipe into lined mini-cupcake tins with a pastry bag
10. bake at 350 degree oven (325 convection) for ~12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

filling mini cupcake tins

Tarragon-Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2-3 bunches of tarragon
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1. heat sugar and water over medium-high heat, stirring until dissolved
2. add tarragon bunches, stir in and let boil until syrupy, about 3 minutes
3. set aside and let cool, then strain out tarragon
4. bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
5. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
6. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
7. add half of the sugar and beat until combined
8. drizzle in tarragon simple syrup at low speed
9. gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

fresh tarragon

Assembly

1. pipe a dollop of frosting on to each of the cooled cupcakes
2. [optional] top with a fresh tarragon leaf

German Chocolate Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Glaze

2005-10-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

I make my husband German Chocolate Cake every year for his birthday. It was his favorite growing up and his grandmother still bakes him a German Chocolate Cake whenever we go to visit. This year I made a cupcake version.

Researching for the recipe, I looked closely at the Better Homes & Garden version and the Magnolia version. The ingredients were almost identical and the proportions very similar (the BH&G recipe had slightly more chocolate and slightly less butter). The main difference between the recipes, however, was the number of steps involved. The BH&G recipe had 5 simple steps. The Magnolia recipe had 10 relatively simple steps, but it also had the unfortunate requirement of my having to wash out my one Kitchen Aid bowl in between two steps. I fully intended to do both versions, half recipes of each, and do a side by side comparison of the two. I wanted to know if twice the number of steps made a difference. I am sad to say that I didn't manage this side-by-side comparison, we got home much too late from birthday present shopping. For the sake of time, I ended up whipping out the BH&G version and added milk chocolate glaze.

The result: The cupcakes were disappointing looking; they shrunk up, pulled away from the papers, and had an insipid, grey color. The texture was fine - I expected them to be too dense, but they were fluffy. The flavor? Boring, but salvaged by the milk chocolate glaze and coconut-pecan topping. Next year I am definitely trying the Magnolia version...

Cupcakes
(from Better Homes & Garden's New Cook Book, Meredith edition, 1989)
makes 24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

4 ounces German Sweet Chocolate (Baker's brand, available at most grocery stores)
1/3 cup water
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs

in a small saucepan, melt chocolate and water over low heat. remove from heat and let cool.
add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of the electric mixer, stir to combine
add chocolate mixture, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla to the bowl, mix on low to combine, then beat on high speed for 2 minutes
add eggs, beat on high speed for 2 more minutes
scoop into cupcake tins, bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes

Milk Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

place chocolate in a bowl
heat cream in a saucepan until bubbles form around the edge
pour hot cream over chocolate and stir until smooth
add vanilla and stir until combined
refrigerate to cool

Coconut-Pecan Topping

1 egg
1 5 ounce can of evaporated milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1-1/3 cups shredded, sweet coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans

crack the egg into a small saucepan and beat lightly to break up
add milk, sugar, and butter. cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until thick, bubbly, and golden, about 15 minutes
remove from heat, add coconut and pecans, stir to combine
refrigerate to cool

Assembly

drizzle a teaspoon of glaze on each cooled cupcake
top with a teaspoon of coconut-pecan topping

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

2005-10-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

I compared about 8 existing recipes for red velvet cake and found the following:

some are vanilla cakes with red food coloring and most are chocolate with red food coloring
all of the chocolate red velvet recipes use cocoa as opposed to melted chocolate and most have very little cocoa in them (probably to maintain the red coloring)
most use cake flour
some use oil and some butter
all use buttermilk, vinegar and red food coloring
as far as chemical leaveners go, some use baking powder (acidic and akaline components), most baking soda (alkaline), and two use both (more on chemical leaveners below)
all have the usual suspects in similar quantities: sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla

For my first attempt I decided to go with

cake flour for delicate crumb
cocoa for a chocolaty taste
butter for better flavor
a base batch, divided into three to test variation in chemical leaveners (resulting recipe is for what I deemed the best option)

I made a 1-1/2 batch so I would yield 36 cupcakes as opposed to the usual 24.

The result... well, the cupcakes tasted fine, had a nice texture, but were rather plain (were it not for the frosting). The cocoa taste was not discernable and I recommend increasing the quantity in the recipe. If I were to test the recipe again, I would increase the cocoa by 50% and 100% and check the results. I doubt I will test it again, however, as the novelty of red batter isn't interesting enough to distract me from other recipes I want to try.

Cupcakes
makes 36 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3-3/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cups cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder or 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
3/8 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
3 teaspoons vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 ounce red food coloring paste
2-1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups butter
3 eggs

preheat oven to 350°F
sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder (or cream of tarter), and salt into medium bowl
whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and food coloring in small bowl to blend
beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well fluffy, 3 minutes
add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition, about 30 seconds
beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions
scoop into cupcake tins
bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes
cool in pans 10 minutes
cool completely on racks

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined
add vanillas and beat until combined
add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

Pastillage Shapes

1 packages gelatin
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
~5 cups powdered sugar

prepare a clean work surface by spraying with water and then covering in a bit of powdered sugar
in a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over the water and let sit for 3 minutes
add corn syrup and stir to combine, heat over medium heat stirring constantly until gelatin is dissolved, about 12 minutes
add 3 cups of the powdered sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer
at lowest setting, drizzle in all of the heated mixture
increase speed of mixer to combine
start to add more powdered sugar until the mixture gets stiff
you will need to transfer to the prepared work surface to finish needing by hand, you may also choose to need in powdered food coloring
add sugar or water as needed to get a smooth consistency, its like needing pasta dough - you want a similar consistency
once it is nice and smooth, divide it up for as much as you need and wrap the remainder in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container for up to 12 months
scrape down work surface for rolling, dust surface and rolling pin with corn starch, roll out pastillage as thin as you can get it
cut out shapes with whatever small cutters you have
set aside on parchment to dry

This will make a lot of pastillage, I used 1/4 of it to make more than enough shapes for 36 cupcakes. Given it lasts so long, doesn't hurt to have extra. A note on coloring, needing in powdered food coloring gives a nice matt look or you can paint it on for some variation in color.

Assembly

pipe a swirl of cream cheese frosting on each cooled cupcake
top with a pastillage shape

Chemical Leaveners and Anthocyanins
Occasionally the chemical engineer in me rears its nerdy head, like it did this weekend. I got to thinking about the baking soda versus powder versus both and was led down a trail past anthocyanins and essentially to the question of how does pH effect the end product.

Chemical leaveners when used correctly react with other compounds to release carbon dioxide gas which will cause the cake to rise. They are often "double acting" - would say so on the packaging - meaning they react when added to the batter and release some gas bubbles, then there is a second reaction later on which cause the release gas bubbles to expand.

* Baking soda is alkaline and requires acidic compounds to react with it. These can be yogurt or sour milk.
* Baking powder contains baking soda and acidic salt crystals. It basically contains what it needs to cause the chemical reaction and produce carbon dioxide.

In the case of this recipe, there is buttermilk and vinegar (both acidic) which will react the baking soda. Baking powder should not be necessary - in theory. There are also theories that the acidic compounds react with cocoa (or the anthocyanins in cocoa) to turn the batter reddish-brown, but I read here that it is a scientific myth.

I looked into anthocyanins and indeed they do need an acidic environment to be red, but I was tending to agree with the first article that there aren't enough of them in the chocolate for it to really matter. I looked into it some. This article says that quantities are "high" in green tea and chocolate, which this article confirms, but it also adds that processing causes the anthocyanins to convert to quinones which then further react and result in brown-colored compounds. So, I suspected that any change in pH wouldn't really make a difference in color, plus I was planning on adding food coloring.

So, I started with a base batter with just baking soda and then divided it into three and added baking powder to one and cream of tarter to the other (note: cream of tarter (acid) + baking soda can be used a substitute for baking powder).

baking soda only

baking soda and cream of tarter

baking soda and baking powder

The baking soda-only batch definitely looked the worst, but there wasn't a noticeable taste or color difference amongst the three. The other two versions were pretty darn close, hence why I suggested baking powder or cream of tarter. In theory, you could use baking powder only, but I didn't test that option.

[Cup]Cake Break: Birthday Cake with Champagne and Fall Fruits

2005-09-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

I took a break from cupcakes with this special cake that is marking both a happy and sad occasion...

After four and half years working with the same group of people, I am moving on. Well in actuality many of us have moved on already - voluntary and not. So, much of my sadness is for something that was lost months ago. Regardless, I will miss my coworkers that have become like daytime brothers and sisters.

The occasion of my send-off party also happens to coincide with the time of year when we would celebrate the birthdays of three coworkers. For the past two years I have been baking cakes for this occasion - three very different cakes - one for each of them. I would spend all week baking the three different cake recipes, whipping up three different frostings, preparing a variety of fillings and decorations. Laborious by some standards, but mostly fun for me. Ok, I will be honest; normally by the end of it I am thinking "Why in the hell do I do this to myself!"

I am sort of off the hook this year. There is only one birthday boy left to celebrate and only one cake to make.

About the cake... I felt that grapefruit as a main ingredient might be a risk, that people might simply not like it. Overall, though, the cake was well received and people seemed to enjoy the grapefruit and orange center. The cake was moist, the tartness of the grapefruit balanced very well with the frosting and other sweet components of the cake, all in all the result was quite delicious. Oh, and if you like champagne, you will want to eat the custard with a spoon!

Champagne Filling
1 cup dry champagne or other sparkling wine
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
6 tablespoons chilled whipping cream

1. in large metal bowl, whisk the champagne, sugar, cornstarch, yolks and corn syrup to blend
2. set bowl over a bain marie
3. whisk constantly until mixture has tripled in volume and candy thermometer registers 160°F., about 15 minutes
4. transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer, beat until completely cool, about 5 minutes
5. in a clean bowl, beat cream to soft peaks
6. fold cream into cooled custard
7. cover and store in fridge until ready to use (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

Fall Fruit Filling
1 grapefruit
1 navel orange
1 blood orange

1. using a zester, remove zest from navel orange and set aside (the zest will be candied for decoration)
2. cut the fruits in half crosswise
3. working over a strainer fitted over a bowl and using a small pairing knife, cut out the segments being sure to leave behind the membrane
4. cover and store in fridge until ready to use (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

Candied Citrus Peel

1 orange
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup sugar for dusting

1. with a zester, make strips of oranges zest (if you haven't already done this)
2. in a small pan, dissolve the 1/2 cup of sugar in the water over low heat
3. add the orange zest and simmer for 15 minutes, then cool
4. place the 1/4 cup sugar on a small plate
5. remove each strand of zest, use your thumb and first finger to remove excess sugar
6. layer on parchment paper and wrap in plastic, store in fridge until ready to use (can be prepared 1 day ahead)

Vanilla Birthday Cake
2 8" cakes / 350 degree oven
2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. butter the inside of the cake pans then line with a circle of parchment or foil, butter that
2. spoon a bit of flour in the pan and shake to coat the inside, tap out excess
3. cream butter in an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute
4. while beating, drizzle in sugar
5. continue to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes
6. add one egg at a time, beating well after each, about 20 seconds
7. in a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt
8. combine milk and vanilla
9. add flour mixture and milk mixture to the electric mixer, alternating and starting and ending with flour, beat well after each addition
10. pour batter into pans about 3/4 full
11. bake until golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about ~20 minutes

Grapefruit Cheese Frosting

2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1 stick butter
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest, chopped
1/2 teaspoon grapefruit juice

1. bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
3. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
4. add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined
5. add grapefruit juice and zest and beat until combined
6. if you want, add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

Assembly
With a wet filling like the ones in this recipe, I like to create a berm of frosting around the edge of each layer to hold the filling in while I am decorating. For that, you fill a pastry bag with a large, plain tip and pipe a simple berm around the edge. I wish I had pictures to show you! I did a simple two layer cake (I like to do 6 layer cakes, but they are a major pain and it was a weeknight). After making the berm, I added a layer of custard and a layer of fruit. Frosted the whole thing with grapefruit cream cheese frosting and voilà!

I totally planned on getting pictures of the cake decorating process, I swear! But somehow, I left my only CF card in my laptop at work. Duh. So, no pictures and the end product pictures were done at work and not as good as I had hoped!

Melt in Your Mouth Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Cream

2005-09-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

I am bringing these simple and sinful cupcakes to a birthday party. They took no time at all and I barely made a mess - there are just a handful of dishes left for the dish fairy to do. I whipped these together with ingredients I had on hand as it was a last minute decision.

In fact, the birthday party we are going to is for a guy we met because of cupcakes. I have been into cupcakes for some time (I registered cupcakebakery.com ages ago even though it basically does nothing but sit there) and stumbled upon a local SF artist whose paintings have a lot of cupcakes in them (in addition to some bizarre things which I like). I purchased a painting from her and attended some of her art shows and eventually my husband and I became friends with her and her now-husband... See? cupcakes really do bring people together.

Cupcakes
The recipe for the "melt in your mouth" chocolate cupcakes came from a fellow (and very accomplished) food blogger over at chocolate & zucchini. I threw together whatever chocolate I had which turned out to be about 2 ounces of Valrhona bittersweet, 2 ounces of Scharffen Berger bittersweet, 2 ounces of Scharffen Berger milk chocolate, and 1 ounce of Scharffen Berger unsweetened. I made this cake once before (with all Valrhona) and both times the outcome was absolutely fantastic - the perfect chocolate experience... super moist, chocolately, rich, not too sweet, and with a nice crust on top.

Whipped Cream
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

1. whip cream on high with the whip attachment until soft peaks, about 5 minutes (I think)
2. add sugar (to taste, I like it a little on the sweet side)
3. continue to whip until stiff peaks form, try not to over beat

Assembly
1. pipe a dollop of cream on each cooled cupcake
2. top with maraschino cherries that have been rinsed with cool water and dried with paper towels

Ricotta Raspberry Almond Cupcakes with Citrus Meringue Frosting

2005-09-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

I made these ricotta raspberry almond cupcakes for "ladies night". My aunt was having a bunch of overnight guests and I wanted to make an adult-tasting dessert that matched the Italianesque meal of roasted chicken. I also wanted the cupcakes to be fun, as I knew we wouldn't be digging into them until after many martinis.

The cupcakes were what I hoped. Moist, sweet, and subtle almond flavor, balanced with the tartness of the raspberry. The ricotta gave it moistness and heartiness that I liked. The addition of the burnt butter almonds lended a crunchy texture, but I would say that they are definitely optional. The meringue frosting had a touch of citrus and was fairly sweet. At the end of it, many of us ended up with sticky pink frosting clinging to our faces.

Cupcakes
~18 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

7 ounces almond paste (not marzipan)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 stick butter, unsalted/room temp
4 eggs, large/room temp
2/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup raspberries

1. beat almond paste at low speed to loosen up, about 30 seconds
2. gradually add sugar while beating at low speed
3. continue to beat at low speed for 1 minute or so
4. add the ricotta and beat to combine
5. while beating at low speed, add a tablespoon of butter at a time, waiting for the butter to incorporate until adding the next pat
6. stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, beat at medium for about 2 minutes until fluffy
7. crack eggs into a bowl and break up with a fork
8. at low speed gradually add eggs about a tablespoon at a time, waiting for the eggs to incorporate until adding the next bit
9. beat again at medium speed for about 2 minutes
10. measure out flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl and whisk to combine
11. with a rubber spatula, fold flour mixture into the cake batter until combined
12. fold in raspberries
13. scoop batter into cupcake liners, fill about 1/2 inch from the top (3/4 full)
14. bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean

[optional] Burnt Butter Almonds

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup almond slices

1. toast almond slices on a cookie sheet in a 350 degrees oven for about 10 minutes or until brown, stir almonds around occasionally, remove from oven and let cool
2. add butter to a skillet over medium heat
3. melt butter, let foam subside
4. add brown sugar and stir to combine
5. let mixture cook for about 3-5 minutes, it should be thick and sticky looking
6. add toasted almond slices and stir to coat

Citrus Meringue Frosting

1 cup egg whites (from approximately 7-8 eggs)
2 cups sugar
3 drops orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest, finely chopped

1. combine egg whites and sugar into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer and set over a bain marie (water bath)
2. whisk by hand for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved or preferably until the mixture reaches 110 degrees fahrenheit
3. transfer bowl to electric mixer, beat on medium speed for 10 minutes
4. add orange juice, zest, and a drop of red gel food coloring
5. beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 to 5 minutes more

Assembly
1. spoon some almonds onto each cooled cupcake
2. dollop a heaping tablespoon of meringue on top of that
3. using your finger pull the meringue down to cover the top of the cupcake, the frosting is very sticky and you want it to basically attach itself to the cupcake liner
4. using your finger poke the top of frosting to make a nice shape and some interesting peaks
5. using a blow torch, brown the meringue.

If I was feeling especially ambitious, which I wasn't because I was out all day and got home kind of late, I would have made homemade almond paste and homemade ricotta cheese. I would expect that substituting homemade ingredients would provide a more delicate outcome.

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

2005-09-03T08:48:00.000-07:00

This post and site have moved.

I had a friend ask me to make cupcakes in an ice cream cone about three years ago. I resisted for some reason, but stumbled across organic ice cream cones and sprinkles at Whole Foods and thought, why not.

Being my first time and all, I was expecting to learn some lessons. I imagined balancing the cones would be an issue, but in fact that wasn't a problem at all. I was also concerned with the wet batter breaking through the cone. That did happen a little, but not too much. What I should have been careful of, however, was overflow.

I had significant overflow on all but three of the cones. I was able to scrape the cake off, but it did leave a smudge mark. My recommendation is to leave a good half inch (if not three-quarters of an inch) between the batter and the top of the cone.

Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcake ice cream cones / 350 degree oven

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

1. measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl
2. mix on low speed just until incorporated
3. beat on high speed for 2 minutes
4. add eggs, beat on high speed again for 2 minutes
5. transfer batter into a container with a pour spout (like a pyrex measuring cup)
6. pour batter into ice cream cones, leave a good half inch between the batter and the top of the cone
7. bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean

Vanilla and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks butter
7 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)

1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl
2. add 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla, beat until combined
3. add more powdered sugar until you get to the consistency you want (not too stiff so that its hard to pipe)
4. take out half of the buttercream and reserve, this is your vanilla
5. add the cocoa powder to the remaining half and beat to combine, you might need to add a little milk if its too stiff, this is your chocolate buttercream

Assembly
1. pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes with a large star tip
2. top with sprinkles

Sorry I didn't get more pictures of the process, but I was in a bit of a rush to get these done to take to a friend. Next time...

Churros and Chocolate Cupcake

2005-08-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Summer in San Francisco means bringing hot chocolate, puffy coats, and knitting to watch my cousin's evening soccer game at Golden Gate Park. My friend made some fantastic hot chocolate to which she added a touch of cinnamon. I had brought leftover, unfrosted lychee-coconut cupcakes for dipping, which were great, but I wished we had some churros to dip instead. From that came this week's ambitious cupcake.

Ambitious it was and most everything was great, but my frosting experiment didn't quite pan out. The flavor combination worked for me. The cinnamon cupcake was subtle, tender, and not too sweet. The chocolate filling provided a nice shot of deep chocolate flavor that again wasn't too sweet. These would dip nicely in hot chocolate, for sure.

I was experimenting with a new kind of frosting which didn't work out at all (so I will not even post the recipe, yikes). I think a simple chocolate ganache would work out just fine. The tiny churros were fun to make and tied in the inspiration of the cupcake.

Chocolate Filling

3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. in a saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil (around the edges of the pan)
2. place chopped chocolate in a stainless or glass bowl
3. pour heated cream over the chocolate and let sit for 30 or so seconds
4. stir, starting in the center, until the combined
5. add vanilla and stir until smooth
6. let sit at room temperature for one hour or refrigerate for a half of an hour, stirring occasionally, the ganache will get pretty firm

Cupcakes
24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon ground extra fancy Vietnamese cinnamon
pinch salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. cream butter in an electric mixer until smooth, about 1 minute
2. while beating, drizzle in sugar
3. continue to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes
4. add one egg at a time, beating well after each, about 20 seconds
5. in a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt
6. combine milk and vanilla
7. add flour mixture and milk mixture to the electric mixer, alternating and starting and ending with flour, beat well after each addition
8. scoop into lined cupcake tins with an ice cream scooper (about 3/4 full)
9. measure out about a teaspoon of the firm ganache and form it into a ball with your fingers (this is a messy step)
10. poke the ganache ball into the center of the cupcake, repeat for all cupcakes
11. bake for ~20 minutes or until golden

chocolate center pre-baking

chocolate center post-baking

Tiny Churros adapted from this recipe
requires pastry bag with small star tip

2/3 cup water
2-2/3 ounces butter
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground extra fancy Vietnamese cinnamon
vegetable oil, for frying

1. heat 1 inch oil in a wide, deep pan to 360 degrees F
2. in a medium saucepan, heat water, butter and salt to rolling boil
3. stir in flour, stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute
4. remove from heat
5. in a small bowl, beat eggs until smooth and then add to saucepan while stirring the hot mixture
6. transfer dough into a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip
7. pipe tiny churros directly into the hot oil, squeeze the bag allowing the mixture to come through, then chop it off with a butter knife when its about an inch long.
8. fry until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side
9. transfer to paper towels to drain
10. mix sugar and cinnamon then dump onto the churros

tiny churros

Assembly

1. frost cooled cupcakes with a chocolate frosting of your choice
2. top with a tiny churro or two

Peanut Butter-Banana Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel Glaze and a Caramelized Banana Disk

2005-08-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

I actually forgot an ingredient in the cupcake recipe (!), the baking soda... Regardless, the result was a rich, cocoa flavored cupcake with subtle banana and peanut butter flavors and a very fine texture. The baking soda would have altered the texture and most likely would have given it more crumb. I think I would have preferred it that way, but my husband insists they were great and kept eating the unfrosted ones before I could get the frosting done. (There was a couple of botched caramel frosting experiments, hence why the cupcakes didn't get frosted until the next day.)

I am not 100% sold on the cupcake recipe, but I like the flavor combination and want to work on something similar, but perhaps with a fudgey texture. The other components, however, worked out fine.

Peanut Butter Filling
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 egg

1. mix brown sugar, peanut butter, and egg in a small bowl and set aside

Cupcakes
24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven
11 tablespoons unsalted butter
9 ounces best-quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 ounces best-quality bitter-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1-1/3 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
[1/4 teaspoon baking soda]
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 medium banana)

1. melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate over a bain marie
2. whisk together eggs and sugar
3. add flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, mix to combine
4. add melted chocolate/butter mixture, mix to combine
5. stir in mashed banana
6. fill cupcake tins about 1/3 full, drop a teaspoon of peanut butter mixture into each tin, top off with cupcake batter to about 2/3's full
7. bake for ~20 minutes or until a crust forms on the cupcakes

chopping chocolate

peanut butter filling

Caramel Glaze
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons half and half
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter
2. add milk and brown sugar, stir to combine
3. boil vigorously for 1 minute
4. remove from heat and beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar
5. cool slightly then and beat in the vanilla and remaining powdered sugar, add more half in half if necessary
6. quickly spoon over cupcakes before glaze sets

drizzling glaze

Caramelized Banana Disks
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium ripe banana, sliced into disks

1. melt butter in a skillet over medium heat
2. carefully add banana disks and let caramelize slowly until brown and crispy (but not burnt)
3. flip with two forks, continue cooking the other side
4. top glazed cupcakes with the banana disks

caramelizing banana disks

finished product

Printable, PDF-version of the recipe.

Recipe: Lychee-Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Cream Cheese Frosting, Candied Ginger Sprinkles, and Sugar Decorations

2005-08-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

The lychee and coconut flavors in these cupcakes are subtle, but decidedly tropical. The cake texture is crumbly and moist. The chopped lychee and coconut provide interesting texture variation. The unfrosted cupcakes are delicious and not too sweet, perfectly yummy on their own.

The frosting was fantastic as expected, when is cream cheese frosting not? I added about a tablespoon of fresh ginger which provided some texture, but added more and more ginger powder until I was happy with the bite. I can't say exactly how much I added, but its best to just add to taste. The burnt caramel sugar decorations added a nice crunch and another layer of flavor.

Overall, these cupcakes tasted pretty special... very multi-dimensional and flavorful. The recipe should be a good starting point for any combination of tropical flavors.

Cupcakes
24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup oil
25 grams coconut cream powder (1/2 pack) dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
8 ounces canned lychee fruit, drained and chopped
1 cup fresh coconut, grated (see note below on dealing with the fresh coconut)

1. mix flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium sized bowl
2. in a separate small bowl, beat eggs to break up
3. add oil to the eggs and mix to combine
4. add eggs/oil to the dry ingredients, mix to combine
5. add vanilla, lychee, and coconut to the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine
6. scoop into lined cupcake tins with an ice cream scooper
7. bake at 350 degree oven (325 convection) for ~20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

Ginger-Cream Cheese Frosting

12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground ginger (the spice)

1. bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. sift powdered sugar into a bowl or onto parchment
3. beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy
4. add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined
5. add gingers and beat until combined
NOTE: If you are not sure how much ginger taste you might like, start by adding half the amount and taste/adjust until you get the ginger flavor you like.
6. add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like

[optional] Sugar Decorations

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon glucose

1. put everything in a small saucepan over medium-high heat
2. stir until sugar dissolves
3. let boil until it reaches 320 degrees F, use a candy thermometer
4. brush down the sides with water as it boils (to prevent crystallization), don't stir
5. prepare a small bowl of cold water to dip pan in once temperature is reached
6. transfer pan into bowl and quickly drizzle sugar syrup over a silicon mat or mold

Assembly

1. chop some candied ginger to sprinkle on the cupcakes
2. scoop a dollop of frosting on to each of the cooled cupcakes
3. sprinkle candied ginger on top
4. place sugar decoration on top of that

[note] Ah, The Coconut

There was to be only one option, fresh coconut. Fresh is always superior to dried, no? First I took an ice chipper and a hammer and poked a couple of holes into the coconut.

fig. 1 poking holes

I set the coconut over a plastic container to drain.

fig. 2 draining

Then I took the coconut, wrapped it in a towel, grabbed a hammer, and relocated to the front stoop. There I preceded to bang on the coconut until the darn thing gave. That took some brute force. It had been a while since I cracked a mature coconut and it proved to be mildly frustrating.

fig. 3 cracked

The cracked coconut and I returned to the kitchen where the flesh was separated from the shell with a butter knife. The brown skin was peeled off the flesh with a vegetable peeler. The flesh was rinsed in cold water and 4 ounces was weighed into a tared bowl.

I opted for using a food processor to grate the coconut flesh. Given the amount of time I had already invested in the coconut, hand grating with a box grater seemed extravagant. I grated in small batches in the hopes of getting at uniformity. It worked out fine. I am not sure just how much better the fresh coconut is compared to bagged, as I didn't try the second option. I can only hope it was worth the effort.

Printable, PDF-version of the recipe.

Recipe: Mini Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Chili Chocolate Ganache Frosting

2005-07-31T17:42:00.000-07:00

I made these chili chocolate cupcakes (amongst many other things) for the art show/benefit on Saturday. I expected the chili taste to be a bit more noticable in both the cake and frosting, people only noticed it if I told them in advance, but the little buggers were rich and chocolately regardless. I need to work on the cupcake recipe some. I want a richer cake (going to drop the flour content and up the egg) and definitely more spice (maybe more cayenne...) Also going to try to spice up the frosting next time. I wanted to top them with a red hot, but a last minute run over to the nearby grocery store, pharmacy, and liquor store proved fruitless.

Cupcakes
makes 78 mini cupcakes / 350 degree oven

4 ounces unsweetend chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup rich cocoa powder
1-1/4 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flower
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. boil water in a kettle then measure out 1-1/4 cup
2. combine chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium sized bowl, add boiling water, whisk until smooth, set aside
3. sift flours, baking soda, chili powder, cayenne, and salt onto parchment or into a bowl, set aside
4. in a standing mixer, beat butter until creamy, scrape down the bowl
5. add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scrape down the bowl
6. at medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beat well between each
7. add sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined, scrape down the bowl
8. add about a third of the flour mixture, beat briefly until combined
9. add about half of the chocolate mixture, beat briefly until combined
10. repeat, adding flour, chocolate, then flour, do not overbeat
11. transfer batter into large pastry bag with a plain tip, pipe into mini-cupcake pans with mini-cupcake liners, about 3/4 full
12. bake at 350 degree oven (325 convection) for ~10 minutes or unti cake tester comes out clean

NOTE: Making this many mini cupcakes at once requires a number of pans and a good sized (36") oven. Next time I try the recipe, I will make regular sized cupcakes, but I am guessing I'd get somewhere around 24... easy to bake off in a normal sized oven.

Chili Chocolate Ganache Frosting

1-1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. heat cream and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and cream bubbles around saucepan edge
2. place peppers and chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl, pour heated cream and butter over the chocolate
3. let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds then start whisking it until smooth
4. set aside mixture and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon, it should reach piping consistency within an hour or two

Assembly
1. transfer ganache into a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip
2. pipe a dollop of ganache on each of the mini cupcakes
3. (optional) top with a red hot (if you can find them)

cooling cupcakes

being served

Printable, PDF-version of the recipe.

Cupcake catering for benefit art show

2005-07-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

I am baking mini cupcakes (and doing some savory appetizers) for a benefit art show at my ex-bosses studio this weekend.

I am going to make chili-chocolate cupcakes with flamed colored marshmallow frosting. Hopefully they come out the way I imagine them in my head. We shall see...

I wish I could do more sweet things for the party, but the savory bits are going to be a challenge and I don't want to over extend myself. I will be searching the many awesome food blogs out there for some appetizer ideas. Only problem is that there is no refrigeration or a way to heat things. So far I am planning on caprese on a toothpick (tomato, mozzarella, basil, olive oil) and fresh fig & goat cheese wrapped with prosciutto on a toothpick. Not sure what else. Any ideas?

The other cool thing is that I have a piece in the show and my husband is performing. Should be a good time.

Recipe: Carrot Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Carrot Sprinkles

2005-07-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

I love ginger-carrot cupcakes and made some changes to the recipe since I last made them. I added the candied ginger for the first time, doubled the ginger, and doubled the cinnamon. I wanted something with a bit more bite. I am pleased with the way they came out. I can really taste the ginger compared to the last version, but its not over powering or anything. I am interested to see what tasters have to say.

Cupcakes
makes 30 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 cup pecans
1 pound carrots
3 large eggs
1/2 cup 1% fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup candied ginger (purchased at Trader Joe's)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. toast pecans in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes
2. remove from the oven, let them cool, then chop coursely
3. peel, rinse, then grate carrots coursely
4. in a large bowl, combine carrots, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, vegetable oil,
fresh ginger, and candied ginger
5. in another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon
6. fold flour mixture into the carrot mixture
7. fold in pecans
8. scoop out into cupcake pans
9. bake at 350 degree oven for ~20 minutes or unti cake tester comes out clean
10. cool in pan for 15 minutes, cool on wire rack completely

Candied Carrot Sprinkles

2 peeled carrots
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

1. using a zester, create carrot strips
2. in a small saucepan, combine sugar and water and bring to a boil
(brush down the sides of the saucepan with cold water)
3. add carrot curls, reduce the heat, cook curls for about 10 minutes.
4. take off the heat and let sit for about 5 minutes
5. remove carrot in clumps onto a wire grate
6. let clumps cool
7. chop and break up carrot into sprinkles

Assembly
1. transfer a tablespoon of cream cheese frosting onto each cooled cupcake (I use the cream cheese frosting recipe from the Buttercup Bakeshop book)
2. smooth out with a small pallet knife
3. top off each frosted cupcake with some candied carrot sprinkles

Recipe: Lavender Cream Filled Cupcake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

2005-07-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

I forget what got me thinking of lavender, but regardless I really liked the way these cupcakes turned out. They are perfect for any summertime party, like a wedding shower. I served these at a dinner party along side a serving of strawberries and blueberries that I macerated with a touch of apricot brandy and some chopped, fresh spearmint leaves and topped of with a dollop of the lavender cream.

The Result
The Good: Yum. Perfect moist little cakes, creamy frosting with a hint of tartness, and a subtle lavender flavor.

The Bad: Nothing. I loved the way everything came out.

1/2 Recipe of Cupcakes
makes 12 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1/2 stick butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. drizzle the sugar in with the butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
3. sift flour, baking powder, and salt together
4. measure out milk and vanilla
5. add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter/sugar in 3 parts alternating between flour and milk and beating well after each addition
6. set aside incorporated mixture
7. in a clean mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
8. fold egg whites into cake batter until incorporated
9. scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans
10. bake in the 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

mise en place

Lavender Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lavender flowers

1. add sugar and water to a small saucepan set over medium high heat
2. heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon
3. stir in lavender and let the mixture sit over the heat, undisturbed for 3 minutes
4. remove from heat, strain into a small bowl, and set in a second bowl of ice to cool
5. meanwhile add heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the whip attachment until soft peaks form
6. once the sugar mixture is relatively cool to the touch (it can be slightly warm) drizzle into the cream while beating on medium high
7. continue to beat on high until firm peaks form

1/2 Recipe of Citrus Cream cheese Frosting

1/2 stick butter
1 8oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon mixed citrus zest (from lemons, limes, oranges, whatever citrus you have)
1 teaspoon citrus juice (same as above)
2 cups confectioner's sugar
3-4 drops of purple food coloring

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. add cream cheese and beat until combined
3. sift confectioner's sugar
4. add about half of the confectioner's sugar and citrus juice and zest to the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat on high speed to combine
5. add remaining confectioner's sugar in stages until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved
6. add purple food coloring and mix until consistent color is achieved

Assembly
1. using a melon baller, scoop out a bit of the cooled cupcakes
2. using a small spoon, fill each cavity with lavender cream
3. trim off some of the meat of the scooped out cupcake and place back over the cavity
4. pipe cream cheese frosting over the top
5. sprinkle lightly with lavender leaves

filling the cupcakes

finished product

Printable, PDF-version of the recipe.

Recipe: Lime Custard Cupcake with Meringue Frosting

2005-07-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

Custards like this are normally baked off in ramekins in a water bath. In this case, they were baked in a cupcake pan with liners set in a jelly role pan which is then filled 1/2 way full with boiling water.

The Result
The Good: Tasty. Not too sweet by any stretch. Subtle lime flavor. Very moist.

The Bad: Too moist. I wanted a cakier and yolkier result. It was too egg-whitey... hopefully, with these made up adjectives, you know what I mean.

Cupcakes
makes nearly 24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

6 large eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
zest of 2 limes
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from approximately 3-4 limes)
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

It's best to prepare the ingredients in advance of starting the recipe. Separate the eggs, measure out the sugar and flour, zest then juice the limes, measure out the milk, and get the salt handy.

1. preheat oven to 350°, boil a kettle of water, and line the cupcake pans with liners.
2. in a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow
3. whisk in the flour
4. gradually whisk in the lemon juice
5. whisk in the milk and zest
7. with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form
8. add to lemon batter and gently whisk together
9. transfer into a container that is easy to pour from (i used a plastic pitcher)
10. pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pans, just about filling each cavity with batter
11. pour the boiling water into the jelly role pan, until just about half full
12. *carefully* place the pans into the oven

mise en place

whisking flour into egg/sugar mixture

pouring liquidy batter into cupcake pan

setting up hot water bath

Meringue Frosting

1 cup egg whites (from approximately 7-8 eggs)
2 cups sugar
3 drops lime juice

1. combine the ingredients into the mixing bowl of your stand mixer and set over a bain marie (water bath)
2. whisk by hand for a few minutes until the sugar is dissolved or preferably until the mixture reaches 110 degrees fahrenheit
3. beat on medium speed for 10 minutes
4. beat on high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 5 to 10 minutes more

Assembly
1. dollup a heaping tablespoon of meringue on top of a cooled cupcake
2. using your finger poke the frosting to make a nice shape and some interesting peaks
3. using a blow torch, brown the meringue.

fun with fire

NOTES: You need to move quickly with the frosting. Don't even start making it until the cupcakes are cool. If you must hold the frosting for any period of time, keep it going on slow speed in the mixer so it won't get stiff. This stuff is sticky... I got it pretty much all over me. When browning the meringue, move the flame quickly as the meringue can burn (even light on fire). I used paper liners as that's what I had, but I recommend the silver ones in this case.

Chockylit and the Chocky Factory

2005-07-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

The bathroom is nearly done and the kitchen is clean. So, as soon as the holiday is over and our out-of-town guests have returned to the other coast, baking will commence. We did happen to have a reservation for a tour of the chocolate factory; however, and here are some pictures that either I or my husband took there.

Here I am at the shop entrance

This is the sign near the cafe entrance. I really like their logo with the Ibex:

I got a few pictures of the equipment, but they also have them on their website.

The tour was interesting. We sat and listened to the guide discuss chocolate making from "bean to bar" and got to sample three types of chocolate and chocolate nibs. Tasting their dark chocolates is like tasting wine, lots of complexity and different flavors. Their milk chocolate is equally complex, but has the added benefit of being creamy. I love them all, but I especially love the way the milk chocolate melts between my fingers.

No baking until next month...

2005-06-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

I am remodeling the bathroom adjacent to the kitchen and everything is covered in a film of dust. No cupcakes coming out of there for a while. Hopefully I will be back in business mid-July.

About Cupcake Bakeshop

2005-06-14T21:42:00.000-07:00

Cheryl Porro – software quality engineer by day, baker for hire by night - stumbled upon the world of food blogs through a forwarded link, sent by a friend, admirer, and consumer of Cheryl's baking experiments. A few hours of surfing later, the rest was history…

Although a devoted baker since the age of 13, Cheryl simply wasn't ready to abandon the reliable world of software for the high-stakes game of owning a bakery. But the creativity, the exchange, and the inspiration she found among this community of food bloggers – this was just the outlet she needed! In short order, Cheryl signed up for her very own blog, and Cupcake Bakeshop was born that fateful day in March 2004.

Baking, namely cupcakes, has since taken residence in Cheryl's day-to-day life. Cupcake Bakeshop has evolved into a place to experiment, inspire, create, and share her work with others.

Cheryl continues to lead a double-life as an amateur baker and full-time professional software quality engineer, with a degree in chemical engineering. She has also become a dedicated food blogger and amateur food photographer (her main client being herself).

Cheryl lives in San Francisco with her musician husband and sensitive Boston terrier and can be found during her lunch breaks at the Ferry Building Marketplace coveting pricey ingredients.

To date, Cheryl's recipes have been published in the San Francisco Chronicle food section.

Recipe: The Thai Ice Tea Cupcake Experiment #0002

2005-06-11T10:01:00.000-07:00

I tried the fresh brewed option this past week. I didn't get the results I wanted (obvious Thai ice tea flavor), but the cupcakes were still really tasty. I had gotten some good suggestions for sweetened condensed milk frosting from my last experiment. I whipped something up and was happy with the results. I will use it for my Vietnamese Coffee Cupcake which I will work on next month.

The cake: Similar to the first test, the cake was tasty, but not very Thai ice tea flavored. One taster said it tasted like it had corn in it, which it didn't.

The frosting: I had some frozen Thai ice tea cream cheese frosting left over from the last test. Tasters really liked it, so I decided to do a layer of that topped with the sweetened condensed milk buttercream frosting. I really liked the way the two layers looked and I think the flavors worked well together.

Here is the recipe:

Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 stick plus 2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup home brewed Thai ice tea
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. drizzle the sugar mixture in with the butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
3. sift flour, baking powder, and salt together
4. mix the Thai ice tea and vanilla together
5. add the flour mixture and tea mixture to the butter/sugar in 3 parts alternating between flour and tea and beating well after each addition
7. set aside incorporated mixture
8. in a clean mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
9. fold egg whites into cake batter until incorporated
10. scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans
11. bake in the 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

Sweetened Condensed Milk Buttercream Frosting
makes a small batch to top frosted cupcakes with

1 stick butter
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. sift confectioner's sugar
3. add sweetened condensed milk and about a half of the sugar to the butter and beat until combined
4. add remaining confectioner's sugar in stages until desired consistency is achieved

Assembly
1. transfer a tablespoon of cream cheese frosting onto each cooled cupcake
2. smooth out with a small pallet knife
3. pipe a dollop of sweetened condensed milk buttercream on top of the cupcake

NOTE: I would be lost without this book, In The Sweet Kitchen: The Definitive Baker's Companion. Its thorough substitution chart is invaluable when swapping out ingredients.

Thai Ice Tea Update

2005-06-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

I had an email conversation with someone very knowledgeable about Thai products. We discussed the pluses and minuses of the various Thai Ice Tea options. Basically, home brewed will result in the most authentic flavor and if brewed correctly (which takes about 2+ hours) will be very strong. So, I am brewing my own right now and hope to make some cupcakes with it today. In addition, I plan on doing a buttercream with sweetened condensed milk for the frosting.

Recipe: Devil's Food Cupcake with Chocolate Buttercream

2005-06-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

I made these cupcakes for my friend's birthday. Very simple, classic recipe, but made with the best ingredients I could find. They were a hit at the party.

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake
makes 24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Measure out everything but the eggs directly into your mixer bowl.
2. Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
3. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
4. Add eggs, beat on high speed again for 2 minutes.

Measure out into cupcake pan lined with cupcake papers. A 2" ice cream scoop works great for this. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool slightly in the pan then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream
enough to lightly frost 24 cupcakes

1 stick butter
1/2 cup cocoa
4 cups confectioner's sugar
~1/4 cup milk

1. Beat butter on high for about 30 seconds until soft.
2. Add cocoa and 1 cup of sugar and beat until incorporated
3. Add half of the milk and the remainder of sugar and beat until incorporated.
4. Continue to add milk until you get to the consistency you want.

Assemble
There are many ways to go here, in this case, I simply piped the frosting onto the cupcakes with a large star tip.

Recipe: The Horchata Cupcake Experiment #0001

2005-05-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

I am on a drink-themed cupcake fit and this is the lastest experiment. This one came out pretty good, much better than the thai iced tea. In fact, there are many fans amongst my taste-testers at work. I am hearing things like, "the cake is perfect!" and "very horchatary".

Horchata

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups skinless almond slivers
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups water

1. wash and drain the rice
2. process rice in a food processer until fine and add to a bowl
3. add almonds and cinnamon to the rice
4. add 3 1/2 cups water and let sit overnight, covered
5. blend mixture using a blender (i had to do it in two batches)
6. add 2 1/2 cups of water and continue blending (again in two batches)
7. strain using a metal strainer
8. strain again using a double layer of cheesecloth

Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1 stick butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh horchata
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large egg whites

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. drizzle the sugar mixture in with the butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
3. sift flour, baking powder, and salt together
4. mix the horchata and vanilla together
5. add the flour mixture and horchata mixture to the butter/sugar in 3 parts alternating between flour and horchata and beating well after each addition
6. set aside incorporated mixture
7. in a clean mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
8. fold egg whites into cake batter until incorporated
9. scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans
10. bake in the 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

Frosting

2 sticks butter, soft
1/2 cup fresh horchata
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7-8 cups confectioner's sugar

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. sift confectioner's sugar
3. add horchata, vanilla, and 4 cups of confectioner's sugar to the sugar and beat until combined
4. add remainder sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency/sweetness is reached

Assembly

1. frost each cooled cupcake
2. sprinkle each with cinnamon

More pictures here.

Recipe: The Thai Ice Tea Cupcake Experiment #0001

2005-05-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

I am planning on developing two new-to-me cupcakes, Thai ice tea and horchata. With the Thai ice tea cupcake, I really want the flavor of the thai ice tea as well as sweetened condensed milk. I tried out a Thai ice tea cupcake recipe this past weekend.

The cake: The cake came out pretty good, it was tasty and had a nice crumb, but the Thai ice tea flavor was much too subtle. For the next experiment, I plan to brew tea instead of use instant thai ice tea, maybe that will get me the flavor I want. Otherwise, I am happy with the result.

The frosting: My plan was to take a seven minute frosting recipe and get some sweetened condensed milk in there some how. Two attempts, one involving heating the milk, the second involving adding it to a completed seven minute frosting, both failed... well, I ended up with a sweetened condensed milk foam. It could be nice in a different context, but was too sweet atop the cupcake. More work needed on the frosting for sure...

I planned to bring this experiment to the craftactory the next day, so I wanted to end up with something edible if not completely successful. So, I decided to make a cream cheese frosting with a hint of thai ice tea.

The result of the experiment became: Thai ice tea cupcake with Thai ice tea cream cheese frosting and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. The cream cheese overpowered any flavor of thai ice tea, but was yummy. The cupcakes were a hit at craft day, so that's good... Recipe #0001 follows.

Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes
350 degree oven

1 stick butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 packets instant thai ice tea
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. mix instant thai ice tea powder and sugar together
3. drizzle the sugar mixture in with the butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes
4. sift flour, baking powder, and salt together
5. mix the milk and vanilla together
6. add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter/sugar in 3 parts alternating between flour and

milk and beating well after each addition
7. set aside incorporated mixture
8. in a clean mixer bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
9. fold egg whites into cake batter until incorporated
10. scoop batter into the prepared cupcake pans
11. bake in the 350 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

Frosting

1 stick butter
2 8oz packages of cream cheese
1 packet instant thai ice tea
2 tablespoons hot water
4 cups confectioner's sugar

1. soften butter in the mixer on high speed
2. add cream cheese and beat until combined
3. sift confectioner's sugar
4. dissolve thai ice tea powder in 2 tablespoon of hot water
5. add about half of the confectioner's sugar and the thai ice tea to the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat on high speed to combine
6. add remaining confectioner's sugar in stages until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved

Assembly
1. transfer a tablespoon of frosting onto each cooled cupcake
2. smooth out with a small pallet knife
(optional) 3. drizzle sweetened condensed milk on top of each frosted cupcake

Note: I had a good amount of frosting left over (about 1/3 of the volume). I am usually ok with that, as I freeze the left overs and use them later on. Never hurts to have cream cheese frosting at the ready.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes

2005-04-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

My first try at these Thai-inspired cupcakes involved:

- taking a standard buttercream recipe and swapping the milk for fresh lime juice and adding some lime zest
- taking a standard vanilla cake recipe and removing the vanilla and swapping 1/4 cup of milk for 1/4 cup of lime juice and adding some zest

I then topped the frosted cupcakes with toasted, unsweetened coconut that I tossed in some granulated sugar.

All in all the cupcakes tasted pretty good, but I found them for one too sweet and secondly tasting mostly of lime and not so much of coconut. I plan to mess with the recipe some and see if I can't get at something a little less cloying. For one, I plan to substitute most of the milk with coconut milk and plan on getting some fresh coconut in there somewhere.

More pictures of the cupcakes are here.

Weekend is half over...

2005-04-02T16:42:00.000-08:00

...and not a cupcake in sight. I fully intended to work on a new recipe or two inspired by a recent trip to Thailand... Perhaps tomorrow, or more likely, next weekend.

Baking Fun: Hummingbird Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2005-03-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

I made these bad boys yet again. It's probably the 20th time. They are simply one of my favorite non-chocolate cupcakes. "Hummingbird cake", from what I understand, is a southern recipe. I have seen the recipe around. Martha Stewart had it in her magazine. I forget when... I got the recipe I use from the internet. I don't remember where from as I copied it down a long time ago.

Seeing as I can't find the recipe and all the others I have found have twice the oil, I will go ahead and reprint what I have.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1 8oz can crushed pineapple, with liquid
2 mashed bananas
1 cup coursely chopped pecans

1. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt with a whisk in a good sized bowl.
2. Beat eggs.
3. Add oil and vanilla to beaten eggs and mix until somewhat combined.
4. Add egg/oil/vanilla mixture to flour/sugar/baking soda/cinnamon/salt mixture.
5. Mix together pineapple, bananas, pecans until combined.
6. Add to the rest of ingredients and stir to combine.

Bake at 350 degrees for ~25 minutes until golden and a cake tester comes out clean. I top these off with the cream cheese frosting recipe from the Buttercup Bakeshop book.

finished product

dry, wet, and chunky

Recipe: Fudge Frosting

2005-03-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

As seen on Flickr, here is the recipe I have been working on for fudge frosting. My main issue is getting the right balance of chocolates to get at the flavor I am looking for. I like something on the sweet side, but not too sweet. Something that would appeal to kids and adults alike. To make it sweeter increase the semisweet by a couple of ounces and decrease the bittersweet or unsweetened. The bittersweet gives it a bite, the unsweetened a rich cocoa flavor, and the semisweet a sweetness... So, add and subtract based on what you are trying to get at flavorwise.

4 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
10 oz semisweet chocolate
2 sticks butter
5 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole milk

1. Melt chocolates and butter over double boiler.
2. Stir until smooth.
3. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Sift powdered sugar and salt into a bowl.
5. Combine milk and vanilla.
6. Add milk/vanilla mixture to sugar/salt mixture.
7. Whisk until incorporated.
8. Add melted chocolate/butter mixture to milk/vanilla/sugar/salt mixture.
9. Stir until smooth.

I usually chill it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so, whatever it takes to get it thick enough to frost. Frost the cupcakes once the frosting thick enough, but I find that the frosted cupcakes taste best hours later or the next day, after the frosting has had some time to 'set'.

Cupcakes!

2005-03-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

I have a love for cupcakes. It's undeniable. But I have been on a cupcake baking hiatus of sorts. It happens... I go through phases where I am either baking tons or not at all. I have been cooking a lot still - savory stuff - but I am feeling the urge to bake again. I attribute it to my discovery of the many other cupcake lovers out there. Its all so inspiring.

So, my plan for this weekend is Hummingbird Cupcakes, the perfect little bundles of sweetness to welcome spring.