cake cake cake

April 10, 2017

Tres Leches Cake: Take Two.

Baking has always been a mostly solitary activity for me. Usually I’m content with this; I’m a very introverted person at heart, after all. I just love being in that therapeutic zone in my own mind when I’m working on a baking project. {But I also have a tendency to be in my own head a bit too much. Oops.}

So I think it goes without saying that it’s not often that I take the opportunity to bake with other people. But every now and again, someone asks to bake with me; in part as a friend date, but also as a baking lesson for them. Making this tres leches cake turned out to be the perfect friend date/baking lesson with one of my newer [but really great!] friends, Helen.

We spent a Saturday morning a while back back dressed up like 1950s housewives, petting her cute little dog, Harry, and making delicious cake. Just ’cause we can. The cake was a very late birthday present for one of our other good friends, Jimmy. You see, tres leches cake is Jimmy’s favorite cake of all time, and I actually made him a tres leches cake using a different recipe a while back. While that recipe certainly wasn’t bad by any means, I had been itching to try a new recipe this time around. I found that I actually prefer this recipe over the old one; this cake was nothing short of amazing.

trust the process collage — {From top to bottom: 1. whipped egg whites; 2. Helen uses the whisk attachment on the mixer; 3. A shot of my half sleeve as I’m using the mixer; 4. Lightly sweetened homemade whipped cream is the best!}

{Side Note: Unfortunately, I didn’t receive my 64 gig SD card for my digital SLR camera in time for this project, so I wasn’t able to take fancy pictures. So you’ll have to deal with semi-crappy phone photos of this cake for now.}

{From top to bottom, left to right: 1) Helen brought her doggie, Harry over to visit for our baking shenanigans; 2) I like to draw my “menu” on the chalkboard in my kitchen; 3) Helen snapped a photo of me pouring the three milks over the cake; and 4) We enable bad doggie behavior by letting Harry sniff some of the cake; don’t worry, I got him some pig ears to make up for the teasing!}

If you’re not familiar with tres leches cake, you are missing out. But don’t worry: I’m here to fill you in on tres leches cake and its awesomeness. Tres leches translates to “three milks” in Spanish. The cake itself is actually a sponge cake, so it soaks up the three milks; the end result is a deliciously moist, rich cake. In this case, the three milks used are evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream. We also added some pure vanilla extract and bourbon to the milks for good measure. Then you just make a simple homemade whipped cream topping, and serve it with maraschino cherries after it’s had time to chill in the fridge for a while.

{Our Sunday “Tres Leches Cake and Macaron” party was a smashing success!}

{Jimmy and Helen dig in to their cake slices!}

The recipe itself comes off as slightly intimidating [e.g. separating eggs, whipping egg whites, etc.], but it’s truly not that complicated. It’s mostly a matter of reading the recipe multiple times prior to making it, and ensuring that you understand all the directions. If you’ve got a free Saturday afternoon and you’re looking for a special cake to make for someone, then I’d highly recommend making a tres leches cake. It’s a rare treat for me to have such a cake, but they’re totally worth it. Enjoy. {PS: It also helps when you have great friends to make and share the cake with, plus a cute doggie to “supervise” the process!}

{I enjoy the last few bites of my cake.}

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Tres Leches Cake.

Yield: One 13×9″ pan; about 12 slices.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
– 1½ cups all-purpose flour
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– ½ teaspoon salt
– 6 large eggs, separated
– ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
– 1½ cups granulated sugar
– ⅓ cup cold water
– 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
– 1 teaspoon pure almond extract

For the Milks:
– 1 cup heavy cream
– 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
– 1 small can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
– 1 tablespoon rum or brandy {Optional; I used some bourbon because I was out of rum.}
– 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Whipped Frosting:
– 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
– ½ cup powdered sugar
– 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract {I used vanilla bean paste here.}
– Sprinkles and maraschino cherries for garnish

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper and/or grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment [or an electric hand mixer in a large bowl], whip together the egg whites, along with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

4. In the rinsed bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar until thick and pale. Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract and water, until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

5. Fold in the egg whites, a one third at a time, making sure to not over mix.

6. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan, but on a cooling rack.
7. Whisk together the tres leches ingredients, in a medium bowl. Using a wooden skewer or toothpick, poke holes all throughout the cooled cake. This will allow for the milk mixture to seep in. Pour the milk, evenly, over the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for about 3 hours, or overnight. {I let mine chill overnight, and it is definitely worth the wait!}

8. Make the whipped cream topping by beating the heavy whipping cream along with the sugar and vanilla extract, until soft peaks form. Spread the whipped cream over the chilled cake.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.
9. Just before ready to serve, decorate with sprinkles and maraschino cherries! Enjoy chilled!

+ Recipe via The Candid Appetite [Originally found on Joy the Baker’s blog, but I think the recipe is by TCA].

{I had a slice for my post-lunch snack the following day. It was delicious.}

January 26, 2016

Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze.

As a presumed side effect of all my baking shenanigans over the years, I have come to learn [and accidentally memorize – my memory is weird; I swear I don’t keep creepy files on anyone!] my coworkers’ and friends’ food preferences. Apparently some people don’t like citrus, or at least not in their baked goods. What? Who ARE you people? I really try to be nonjudgmental, as everyone’s tastes are different. I’m also a huge fan of citrus: orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime… I love them all. So, so good. In my cooking, in my baking, in my smoothies, and just in general. Maybe I’m biased. But I just don’t get it. What is not to love about lemon, or any other citrus fruit for that matter?

lemonloaf_cover — {No, the cake doesn’t have Rogue’s Voodoo Doughnut Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale in it. Although that does put some fun ideas into my head… I just like using the empty bottle as decoration; it’s such a fun color of bubblegum pink!}

All that to say, if you don’t like citrus – particularly lemon – then you should probably run away from this blog post right now (I’m still trying so hard to not judge, but it’s just one of my weaknesses in this case). Because I’ve already professed my undying love for lemons and citrus fruits – and now I’m about to delve even deeper.

This lemon cake was absolute perfection. I mean it. It’s perfectly moist, tart, and bursting with lemon flavor. It’s apparently a Starbucks copy cat, but I can’t say that I consume Starbucks’ baked goods very often – so I can’t vouch for that comparison. The cake is sweet enough, but not cloyingly sweet. The glaze locks in the moisture and adds the best lemon zing possible. Actually, I took this particular loaf cake to my day job, and I only ended up eating one small slice since I gave the rest away. I’m still kicking myself for that because I really wish I had the opportunity to eat more. Oh well. I guess that’s an excuse for me to make another loaf, huh? 😉

PS: If you don’t like citrus – can you please enlighten me as to why you don’t like the flavor? Despite the fact that this post is riddled with sarcasm, I actually don’t mean to sound snobby when I ask that question. As someone who practically loves every flavor known to (wo)man, I just don’t understand why people don’t like citrus. Seriously. Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂 And I’d also argue that even if you think you don’t like citrus in your baked goods, you should still give this loaf a chance. You might find that you’re pleasantly surprised by it.

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Lemon Loaf Cake with Lemon Glaze.
Yield: One 9×5″ loaf.

Ingredients:

For the loaf cake:
– 3 large eggs
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt (I used full-fat sour cream, but apparently light is okay.)
– 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
– 2 TBSP. lemon zest
– 1 to 2 TBSP. lemon extract, to taste (Yes, tablespoons; do not use lemon oil or lemon juice in place here; pure lemon extract is necessary.)
– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 2 tsp. baking powder
– 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste

For the lemon glaze:
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– 3 TBSP. fresh lemon juice, or as necessary for consistency

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×5″ loaf pan with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper (or grease/flour the pan); set aside.
2. To make the lemon loaf: add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream to a large bowl and whisk well until smooth and combined.
3. Drizzle the oil into the first mixture, and whisk to combine.
4. Add the lemon zest and lemon extract and whisk to combine. {Note: You can add a bit less lemon zest/extract than what is called for if you find that it’s too strong. Remember to not substitute lemon oil or lemon juice in the loaf itself. Oil can alter the flavor, as it’s much more potent. Lemon juice has too much acidity and can alter the final results of the cake, so be sure to use pure lemon extract and fresh lemon zest for this!}
5. Next, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir until just combined. Be careful to not over-mix. The batter will be slightly lumpy, but that’s okay; don’t attempt to stir them to make the batter smooth. Pour the batter into your prepared and smooth the top lightly with a spatula if necessary.
6. Bake the loaf cake for about 50-52 minutes, or until the top is domed, set, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. {Note: If you find that the top is getting too browned, simply place a sheet of foil over the pan so it can continue baking through.}
7. Allow the cake to cool in the loaf pan on top of a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack to cool completely.
8. To make the lemon glaze: add the powdered sugar to a small bowl, and slowly add in the lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and combined. Feel free to experiment with the sugar to juice ratios for your desired consistency and flavor. I added more lemon zest to the glaze for aesthetics and an extra burst of flavor. Evenly drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf, then slice and serve. Loaf cake should keep well for several days in an airtight container. Enjoy!

+ Recipe via Averie Cooks.

January 6, 2016

The Best Chocolate Cupcakes [With Cocoa Buttercream].

I have made quite a few chocolate cupcakes in my baking days, but I think this recipe takes the cake {pun totally intended}. While I’ve never really met a chocolate cake that I totally hated, there are, of course, several requirements for my ideal chocolate cake. Those requirements are as follows:

It has to be moist. Dry cake is just…Ugh. No one has time for that.
It must have a sinfully rich chocolate flavor. I don’t want a mere hint of chocolate; I want to be hit IN THE FACE with the chocolatey goodness.
It should have a nice balance of being light ‘n fluffy but also a tiny bit dense.
It should almost always be topped with some kind of chocolate frosting [I’ll accept vanilla bean frosting, though].

cupcakestopviewchoc — {Obligatory aerial view!}

Yup. Just like the ultimate vanilla cupcakes recipe from The Cupcake Project, this recipe was also tirelessly tested by tons of bakers all over the Interwebs. Obviously, I had to test out the recipe myself, and of course I was pleased with the end results. I can’t even recall for whom I made these cupcakes, but I’m pretty sure I ate at least two or three in one sitting regardless. I’d say that this is definitely my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe at this point in my baking life. The cupcakes hold up really well, and they’re super rich, moist, and perfectly chocolatey. No doubt, they satisfy my crazy chocolate cravings. If you’re craving some chocolate cupcakes, you should definitely make these. I’m salivating just thinking about them right now…. I guess that means I need to make them again soon. 😉

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The Best Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream Frosting.

Yield: Sixteen (16) regular-sized cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
– 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 2 ounces of your favorite chocolate [I like semi-sweet Ghirardelli for this, but you can use whatever as long as it’s pure chocolate and doesn’t contain any add-ins.]
– 2 large eggs, at room temperature
– 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
– 1/2 cup + 1 TBSP. (4 1/2 fluid ounces) vegetable or canola oil, measured in a liquid measuring cup
– 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1/2 tsp. baking soda
– 1/2 cup cocoa powder [I prefer dutch-processed for this, but regular unsweetened cocoa powder will work as well.]
– 1 tsp. espresso powder [This is optional, but I prefer to add it for more caffeine and a deeper chocolate flavor!]
– 1/2 cup room temperature water, measured in a liquid measuring cup

Instructions:
For the cupcakes:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line two muffin tins with sixteen liners; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix butter and sugar until completely combined; it will look like wet sand.
3. Melt the chocolate in the microwave according to instructions, or over a double boiler. Allow the chocolate to cool to touch. Once cooled, add it to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix until it’s just combined.
4. Add in the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, and mix until just combined.
5. Next, add in the oil, vanilla, and sour cream. Mix until just combined.
6. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, sift together the dry ingredients [flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and espresso powder]. Use a whisk to ensure that the dry ingredients are all well-incorporated after sifting.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, mixing until just combined after each addition.
8. Add in the water, and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to ensure that everything is properly incorporated.
9. Fill prepared cupcake liners about 2/3rds of the way full, and bake for about 18 minutes. Check for doneness at the 18 minute mark; a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake should come out clean (or with a few moist crumbs is also fine). If not done, bake for another minute or two until done.
10. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack, then frost as desired once they’re completely cooled.

*For the frosting: I used The Cupcake Project’s Vanilla Frosting Recipe. I simply doubled the recipe, and added probably about 1/3 cup of cocoa powder, plus some heavy cream to make it extra creamy. Feel free to play around with any frosting recipe that you like!

+ Chocolate cupcake recipe via The Cupcake Project.

cupcakesammich — {A cupcake sammich! Yaaaassss.}

October 18, 2015

Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake.

Chocolate Irish whiskey cake. Oh yes. This cake combines two of my favorite things: chocolate and booze. Okay, I’m actually not that into the booze. I mean, I enjoy a nice adult beverage (or three) on occasion. But there’s just something about baking with booze. Booze-infused baked goods are just extra special because the alcohol adds an extra layer of richness and deepness to desserts. Trust me when I say this; you’re not gonna get drunk off this cake. Sorry to [maybe?] disappoint? 😉

I made this cake for a work potluck awhile back. We had a “Taste of IT” day – in which my team of IT people brought in desserts from different countries. Immediately I knew I had to represent Ireland [my heritage is mostly Scot-Irish], but then it was a matter of trying to think of what to make. I briefly contemplated Irish scones, but obviously this chocolate cake won out. I’m a huge scone fan, but I mean… let’s be honest. Scones or boozy chocolate cake? Boozy. Chocolate. Cake. Enough said.

This cake is chocolatey and the Jameson and coffee make it extra rich. I topped it with homemade whipped cream, and then sprinkled it with some cocoa powder, and that was a most wise decision. Perhaps the best part about this cake is that it’s not overly sweet. I think that most European desserts tend to have less sugar than American desserts – which is probably for the best. Regardless, this was a fun cake to make, and I prefer to eat it cold. I made the cake with Kerrygold Irish butter, but you can use regular, unsalted butter if you like. The thing about European butter is that it has a much higher fat content, making it much more rich and tasty than your typical butter in the American grocery stores. That being said, if you can find Kerrygold, use it. It’s pretty awesome butter, if I do say so myself.

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Chocolate Irish Whiskey Cake.
Yield: One 8×8″ (or 9×9″) round cake.

Ingredients:
– 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
– 6 TBSP. Kerrygold unsalted, at room temperature
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder [I used regular because it’s all I had on hand. This is okay, but Dutch-processed will make the cake more rich and dark.]
– 1 tsp. baking powder
– 1/2 tsp. baking soda
– 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
– 3 large eggs
– 1/4 cup fresh brewed espresso or strong coffee
– 1/4 cup Irish whiskey, such as Jameson
– Optional: Powdered sugar, for dusting
– Optional: Homemade whipped cream, for topping
– Optional: Extra cocoa powder, for dusting

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F, and ensure that the oven rack is in the middle. Grease an 8 or 9-inch baking pan with butter or spray, and coat the pan with flour. Be sure to remove any excess flour.
2. Place the chopped chocolate into the bowl of a double boiler, and allow it to melt over fairly low heat. Once melted, remove from the heat to cool.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until it becomes pale yellow, thick, and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. This will take about four minutes.
4. While the butter and sugar are mixing, sift the dry ingredients [flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt] into a medium bowl.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, until they are well incorporated. Slowly add the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
6. While the mixer is still at a lower speed, carefully add the dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Next, add the espresso/coffee and the whiskey.
7. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and scrape down the entire outside and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula. Ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 45 minutes (I think my oven only took about 35-40 minutes, but baking times may vary).
9. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool for 5 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely before ready to serve.
10. To serve: Dust the top with powdered sugar, or top with homemade whipped cream and cocoa powder. Enjoy!

+ Recipe from Kerrygold USA.

September 29, 2015

Tres Leches Cake.

Tres leches cake. I had no idea what it was for the longest time. Up until one day about a year ago, I asked my first internship friend, Jimmy, what he’d like for me to bake for him if he ever visited me in St. Louis. [I never did bake for him back when we lived in Philly in 2011 for three months because I was [more of] a punk back then.]

When I asked him what baked good he’d like, without missing a beat, Jimmy said that he wanted me to make him a “tres leches cake.” I thought to myself, “What in the heck is tres leches cake?” I looked it up, and the first recipe I came across was from none other than the infamous Pioneer Woman.

So what is tres leches cake, you ask? Good question. Tres leches cake is a spongelike cake that is popular in central and southern America. Tres leches means “three milks” in Spanish. So it’s basically a sponge cake with three milks soaked in it. The three milks in this case are heavy cream, sweetened, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. It’s much like a Jell-O poke cake in that you poke holes in the cooled cake, and allow it to soak up all the three milks. Then, you top it with homemade whipped cream, plus maraschino cherries for good measure. {Maraschino cherries are a total “guilty pleasure” of mine, btw.} The result is a super sweet, super rich and moist cake with a tasty topping.

Finally, several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to make this tasty cake for Jimmy and his lady friend when they came to visit me in the Lou. They’re pretty big foodies, so I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about the cake. But the good news is that they ended up loving it, and I did too! It’s a really rich cake, so you’ll only want to eat it in small pieces. It pairs really well with black coffee to cut some of the sweetness. [Yes, I did eat a slice for breakfast. No regrets.] It’s a fun and unique cake, and I’m glad to have it under my baking belt of accomplishments now. Thanks, Jimmy! Internship buddies from four years ago are good for somethin’. 😉

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Tres Leches Cake.

Yield: One 9×13″ pan, which is about twelve servings.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
– 1 cup all-purpose flour
– 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
– 1/4 tsp. salt
– 5 large eggs
– 1 cup granulated sugar, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
– 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1/3 cup milk [I used 2%, but whole milk would be fine too.]
– 1 can evaporated milk
– 1 can sweetened, condensed milk
– 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

For the frosting:
– 1 pint heavy whipping cream
– 3 TBSP. granulated sugar
– 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– Maraschino cherries, for topping [optional, except not really!]

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13″ pan liberally with cooking spray until it’s coated. Set aside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, baking powder, and salt. Separate the egg yolks from the whites.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of sugar on high speed, until the yolks are pale yellow. Stir in the 2% (or whole) milk and vanilla extract.
4. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the flour mixture, and stir gently until just combined.
5. Clean out your mixer bowl, and beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With the mixer on, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and beat until the egg whites have reached stiff peaks, but aren’t dry.
6. Very gently, fold the the egg white mixture into the rest of the batter, until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and spread with a spatula to ensure an even surface.
7. Bake the cake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean [it took my oven just over 30 minutes for it to bake]. It will be golden brown on the outside. Turn the cake out onto a platter, and allow to cool.
8. In the meantime, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a small pitcher. Once the cake has cooled, pierce the surface with a fork several times. Slowly drizzle all but about one cup of the milk mixture, being sure to get as much around the edges of the cake as you possibly can.
9. Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for about thirty minutes.
10. For the frosting, whip one pint of heavy cream with three tablespoons of sugar and vanilla extract [if you want some extra flavor] until it’s thick and spreadable.
11. Spread the frosting over the surface of the cake using a spatula. Decorate the cake with maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve. Store in the refrigerator for several days when not serving. Enjoy!

+ Recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

topviewithcoffee — {This cake pairs well with jadeite plates and black coffee.}

September 21, 2015

Small-Batch Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes.

It’s September, and I’m on the pumpkin train. Truth be told, I have been on the pumpkin train since about August. I’m one of those people who wishes fall would hurry up and get here. Yeah, I even wish away summer at times. I get why some of you summer lovers probably hate people like me, but that’s okay. Fall is the best season, and pumpkin is so delicious in every form. These cupcakes are no exception to that pumpkin rule.

This recipe is one of those small-batch baking recipes, of which I am a huge fan. The recipe claims to make four cupcakes, but I got five. I’m okay with that. The pumpkin flavor shines through superbly in these; often, I find that some pumpkin baked goods are not pumpkin-y enough. But these were really, really good. I took one bite of my “cupcake sandwich” [the only way to eat cupcakes, obvz], and I was immediately impressed. Me being immediately impressed with baked goods does not happen often, as my roommate can attest. The texture of the cake is perfect, super pumpkin-y, and the chai spices shine through beautifully.

The chai buttercream is also really tasty. I love chai flavors, and they pair so well with pumpkin! I gave one of these cupcakes to a friend, and he exclaimed, “Wow, these taste like they were made by a professional, like at a professional bakery!” I just looked at him nonchalantly, and said, “I am a professional.” 😉

Yes, they’re that good. And the small quantity means you can make them for yourself. Or you could be nice and share them with your friends and/or significant other. Just make ’em if you’re on the pumpkin train, because they’re delicious. Thanks to Christina from Dessert for Two for her awesome recipes. I always know that her recipes will turn out fantastic; this woman is legit. And I’m also really excited to be meeting her in about a month!

PS: I also think these would make great muffins. Then you have an excuse for eating them for breakfast (sans frosting)… Or just eat cupcakes for breakfast, buttercream and all. I’m not telling anyone. 😀

cupcakesammich1 — {Cupcake sandwiches are the best kinds of sandwiches.}

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Small-Batch Pumpkin Chai Cupcakes.
Yield: According to the recipe, it makes four cupcakes. I got five, which was fine by me! 😉

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
– 7 TBSP. all-purpose flour
– ½ tsp. baking powder
– ⅛ tsp. baking soda
– ¼ tsp. salt
– ½ tsp. cinnamon
– ¼ tsp. ground ginger
– ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg [I used ground.]
– 1 large egg
– ½ cup pumpkin puree [NOT pumpkin pie mix. Plain pumpkin puree.]
– ¼ cup brown sugar
– 3 TBSP. granulated sugar
– 3 TBSP. vegetable oil

For the chai buttercream:
– 1⅓ cups powdered sugar
– 4 TBSP. softened, unsalted butter
– 1 chai tea bag + 2 TBSP. boiling water [Or 2 tsp. chai concentrate syrup.]

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line a muffin tin with four (or five) cupcake liners. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sugar, and vegetable oil. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until combined, being careful to not overmix.
4. Divide the batter between the cupcake liners, and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. {Note: Mine only needed to bake for about 25 minutes.} Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. While the cupcakes are cooling, pour the boiling water over the chai tea bag and let it steep for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until it’s light and fluffy, or for about 3-4 minutes. Add the (cooled) steeped tea (or chai concentrate syrup), and mix well. Frost the cupcakes when they are cool, and serve. Enjoy!

+ Recipe via Dessert for Two.

July 10, 2015

Rainbow Cupcakes.

This is not the post for you if you hate and/or are weirded out by artificial coloring and/or sprinkles.

This is most definitely the post for you if you: a) love colorful things, and b) you aren’t afraid of ingesting the occasional fake food coloring/chemicals/whatever evil stuff they’re warning us about now.*

*[Obviously, moderation is key. You won’t see me gulping down buckets of food coloring… That’s just nasty. *Cleveland voice* But I don’t think that some artificial colors in my system on occasion is gonna hurt my body any more than life already does. It’ll be aight. Also, #YOLO.]

That’s right. Today I’m talking about rainbow cupcakes! Just look at how pretty they are!

I made these beauties for Pride week in St. Louis. It just so happened that Pride weekend occurred right after the Supreme Court ruling for same-sex marriage was passed. That was a cause for celebration in my book, and no celebration is complete without some kind of sweets. I might be biased, but I think that these rainbow cupcakes were perfect for the celebration.

We’ve got a long way to go in regard to civil issues in this country. I don’t want to get into my personal beliefs too much on here, and I’m not here to shove my “agenda” (for the record, the only “agenda” I have is to bake a lot of tasty sweets and try to be a happy, decent human being!) down anyone’s throat. But the Supreme Court ruling was a big step toward improvement and more open-mindedness and understanding. And I’m thrilled that we’re starting to make some more progress as humans. I hope that we can continue to move forward to work on the myriad of issues involving equality (with sexual orientation, race, gender, etc.). In the meantime, I’ll continue with my attempt to make the world a better place with pretty, homemade baked goods.

For these rainbow cupcakes, I decided to try a new-to-me recipe for vanilla cupcakes. The recipe comes from another fellow STL redhead, Stef. She’s tirelessly tested the “ultimate vanilla cupcake” recipe along with many other bakers. After reading about all of their cupcake testing, I was confident that these cupcakes would turn out great as far as the taste and texture were concerned. Turns out that my confidence was justified, because these cupcakes ended up being 100% amazing!

rainbowinside — {Gorgeous cupcake interior!}

The cupcakes hold up well; the cake is sturdy, but still soft and moist. The vanilla flavor is perfect. I don’t know if my taste buds are just whack, but I swear that I can taste the egg in some vanilla cake recipes [which is a huge turn-off to me]. These aren’t like that at all; they just taste like pure, unadulterated vanilla cake.

To give them that gorgeous, tie-dye/rainbow effect, I got my ideas from this post on Dessert Now, Dinner Later’s blog. Then I topped them with a simple vanilla buttercream, and obviously I had to add lots of rainbow sprinkles, plus some hearts. Yay for pretty rainbow cupcakes, marriage equality, and making progress on some of our issues.

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Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes.
Yield: About sixteen cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, and seeds scraped out
– 1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising [I used this cake flour substitute from Joy the Baker.]
– 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
– 1/2 tsp. baking soda
– 1/2 tsp. salt
– 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
– 2 large eggs, at room temperature
– 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
– 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
– 1 TBSP. pure (not imitation) vanilla extract
– 2/3 cup whole milk [I used 2%.]
– High-quality gel food coloring [I used the Spectrum brand, but the Americolor brand is great too. Wilton is also fine. I wouldn’t use liquid food coloring for this project.], in red, orange (or make your own orange, which is what I did), yellow, green, blue, and purple.

For the frosting: (Note: You may double this recipe, depending on how piled-high you like your frosting.)
– 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar [Add more until it reaches your preferred consistency.]
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
– 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste [Add more to taste.]
– 1 TBSP. milk

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with sixteen liners and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and seeds from the vanilla bean. Using the back of a spoon, apply pressure to break up any clumps of seeds to infuse the vanilla flavor into the sugar. Set aside.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the vanilla bean sugar and mix until combined.
4. Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed for three minutes. You’ll end up with a fine, crumb-like texture.
5. In a small, separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
6. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and beat on medium speed until they’re just combined.
7. Slowly add the milk, and mix on low speed. Mix until just combined. The batter will be very liquid-y; this is okay.
8. To create the rainbow effect, evenly divide the batter into six small bowls. Add the desired amount of food coloring to each bowl and gently mix to get your six colors. Be careful to not overdo it with the food coloring; too much and it can make the final product taste bitter.
9. Carefully spoon each color in layers into the cupcake liners, filling until they’re about halfway full. [Alternatively, you can put each batter color into a small Ziplock bag, snip the corner of the bags, and pipe the colors in… That will make the layers more even, but I was too lazy to do that.]
10. Bake the cupcakes for 14 minutes, then test to see if they’re done. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean. The cupcakes won’t be super dark (although they won’t brown much anyway with the colors). Bake a bit longer for a minute to two minute increments until they’re done. Cool on a wire cooling rack.
11. To make the frosting: beat the butter for a few minutes until it’s light and fluffy. Carefully add the powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste (or extract), and beat until light and fluffy. Add milk to thin out the frosting to the desired consistency. Pipe or spread the frosting on the cupcakes as desired, and top with lots of colorful sprinkles! Enjoy.

Recipe Sources:
– Vanilla cupcake recipe from The Cupcake Project.
– Vanilla bean buttercream frosting recipe from The Cupcake Project.
– Rainbow cupcake tutorial from Dessert Now, Dinner Later.

June 7, 2015

Vanilla Funfetti Cupcakes.

Funfetti is just one of those things that everybody likes. It’s just fun, you know? {I’m punny today. Haha.} When it comes to baking, I often like to poll people on their favorite baked goods. When I ask people what their favorite cake is, most people always respond “funfetti.” I began to wonder why, as it’s just vanilla cake loaded with sprinkles. However, I think I get what all the fuss is about now. It really does look cool. And it’s fun (sorry) to eat. One of my friends said that it’s “the most moist cake of all,” but I’m not sure that’s a scientifically sound explanation. 😉

These funfetti cupcakes in particular are from a recipe for just plain old vanilla cupcakes. I decided to add sprinkles to them because I had made them for the cupcake decorating class that I taught several weeks back. I thought that the students would enjoy the pretty colors in the cakes. Anyway, these cupcakes turned out pretty great, in my humble opinion. 🙂 The cake is so vanilla-y and just rich enough. The frosting is your standard buttercream frosting. And of course, adding the sprinkles to the batter gives the cupcakes a fantastic burst of color.

These cupcakes would be super fun to make for a birthday party. Or just make them because sprinkles are awesome.

PS: I’m in Germany at the moment, and I’m having a blast. That’s why posts are a bit sporadic right now; I didn’t have time to schedule as many posts ahead of time as I would have liked. Whoops. Oh well. More updates to come soon! <3

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Funfetti Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream.
Yield: 12-14 regular sized cupcakes.

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
– 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1/4 tsp. baking soda
– 1 tsp. baking powder
– 3/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature
– 3 large egg whites
– 3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup sour cream
– 1/2 cup milk
– 1/2 cup of multicolored sprinkles [Jimmies work best for this.]

For the frosting:

– 1 cup [two sticks] unsalted butter

– 4 cups powdered sugar

– 2-3 TBSP. milk or cream

– 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, and set aside.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients [flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder] in a large mixing bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer).
3. Add the butter, egg whites, vanilla, sour cream, and milk, and mix on medium speed until smooth. Be careful to not over mix. Fold in sprinkles until evenly incorporated in the batter.
4. Fill the prepared liners a bit more than halfway, and bake cupcakes for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs). Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
5. For the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until it’s lighter in color and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, and beat until combined. Add the vanilla extract, and one or two tablespoons of the milk. Continue beating until light and fluffy; adding more milk as needed. Frost the cooled cupcakes as desired!

– Cupcake recipe from Life, Love, and Sugar.
– Buttercream recipe barely adapted, also from Life, Love, and Sugar.

May 22, 2015

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream Frosting.

This past Saturday, I taught a cupcake decorating class as a networking event for my day job. [Yikes!]

Basically, I just taught people how to make buttercream and frost their cupcakes using decorative pastry tips and bags. Except, as my luck would have it, I had a hard time getting the buttercream to proper piping consistency. Then I had an extra double batch of buttercream when I got home… So what was I going to do with it? Make more cupcakes and frost them. Duh. And wouldn’t you know it: The consistency of my frosting at home was much better than the frosting in the class. Whoops. Sometimes, I’m just garbage at doing things in front of other people.

Since I have never officially taught a group of people anything, it was definitely a learning experience. I’ve been stepping out of my comfort zone a LOT lately, and although it’s been interesting [and kinda uncomfortable], it’s a great way to help myself grow as a person. Even if I don’t get something exactly right the first time I demonstrate in front of others, to me that should just serve as a reminder that I’m always constantly learning. And that’s okay. It’s easy to get embarrassed and start doubting myself and thinking of myself as a “fraud” – not a “legit baker.” But it’s important to remember that the fact that I occasionally make mistakes with baking does not invalidate my experiences. I am a baker. Why? Because I bake. It’s that simple. The same goes for you: do you write? Then you’re a writer. Do you run? Then you are a runner. Do you bake? Then YAY! We’re both bakers and we should be friends! 🙂 {See what I mean, though? We get too caught up in “what it means” to “be something,” instead of just focusing on doing what we love and not thinking about labels or comparing ourselves to others.}

Okay, life lesson aside… Let’s talk about these cupcakes. This chocolate cake is actually a vegan recipe. It contains neither eggs nor dairy. It’s just a good chocolate cake recipe, to be honest. I have made cupcakes using this recipe several times, and for vegans or non-vegans, it’s just good. As for the frosting, well, it’s definitely not vegan since it contains butter. But I love chocolate frostings more than regular buttercreams, so I decided to add cocoa powder to the buttercream I had leftover from the class. The result is rich, fragrant chocolate cupcakes [due to the almond and vanilla extracts in the cake] with a light, fluffy cocoa buttercream! So, if you’re in need of some chocolate cake, but not feelin’ the usual vanilla buttercream, make these! They’re gooood cupcakes. And they’re great for fulfilling a fierce chocolate craving. 😉

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Cocoa Buttercream Frosting.
Yield: Twelve regular-sized cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
– 1 cup non-dairy milk [I used unsweetened almond milk]
– 1 cup granulated sugar
– 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil [I just used canola oil]
– 1 TBSP. apple cider vinegar
– 1 TBSP. pure vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract [Optional, but awesome!]
– 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
– 1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
– 1 tsp. baking soda
– 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, to taste

For the cocoa buttercream frosting:
– 1 cup unsalted butter, softened- 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
– 1 tsp. milk, or more, depending on consistency
– 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– 2 TBSP. cocoa powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners, and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with an electric hand mixer), beat together the following ingredients: non-dairy milk, oil, sugar, apple cider vinegar, and the extracts. At medium speed, beat the ingredients together for a minute or two.
3. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt). Mix everything well, until all the dry clumps are gone.
4. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 2/3rds full. Bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs, is fine too). I think I baked mine for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
5. For the frosting, beat butter on medium-high speed for about 3-5 minutes, or until it’s light and fluffy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add the vanilla extract and milk. Continue to beat and add more milk, if necessary, until the frosting is light and fluffy. Pipe or spread frosting on cooled cupcakes. Enjoy!

– Cupcake recipe from Oh She Glows.

– Frosting recipe barely adapted from Food.com.

May 9, 2015

{Vegan} Vanilla Cupcakes.

I feel the need to preface this blog post with a statement: I’m pretty much all for the real butter, y’all. *Paula Deen voice.*

Rarely will I buy shortening, and I’m not a fan of most vegan “butter.” Real butter is where it’s at.

That being said, I do like to experiment with recipes from time to time. I’ve been messing with a few different vegan cupcake recipes every now and then. While I have found one delicious chocolate one, I hadn’t yet settled on a vegan vanilla cake recipe.

So, while I’ll always be partial to real butter… I gotta say that, for being vegan, these cupcakes are pretty good. I *think* I’m finally starting to get used to vegan “buttercream.” But I’m always going to want real butter over vegan butter. That being said, if you’re a vegan, or you know some vegans, then try out these cupcakes. They’re definitely good, especially for experimenting. They are especially tasty when you just want some plain vanilla dessert. I think that vanilla is actually pretty underrated. Sometimes I just crave vanilla, despite the fact that I’m a chocoholic. Enjoy!

cupcakeandplant — {Just a cupcake and its succulent plant buddy.}

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Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes with Vegan Vanilla “Buttercream” Frosting.

Yield: About 10-12 regular sized cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
– 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
– ½ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar
– 1 tsp. baking soda
– ½ tsp. salt
– ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
– ⅓ cup canola oil
– 2 TBSP. apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
– 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
– 1/2 cup (1 stick) vegan butter [such as Earth Balance “vegan buttery sticks”], softened
– 2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
– 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
– Splash non-dairy milk [I used almond milk]

Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin with 12 paper liners, and set aside.
2. In a big bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. In another smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients together.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix, or your cupcakes will fall flat, and nobody wants that!
4. Evenly divide batter among the liners, and bake 18-20 minutes until the tops are slightly golden. Set cupcake pan on a wire cooling rack, and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Once they’re somewhat cooled, remove the cupcakes from the pan, and allow to cool completely on the rack.
5. To make the frosting, beat the vegan butter in the bowl of a stand mixer until it’s light and fluffy, for about 3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, and slowly beat it in with the vegan butter. Add the vanilla extract, and continue to beat until it’s light and fluffy. Add almond milk as needed until you reach the desired consistency. Pipe or spread the frosting on completely cooled cupcakes, then top with sprinkles!

– Vanilla cupcake recipe from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken.
– Vegan frosting recipe from Minimalist Baker.