1st Birthday Cakes

A very very special boy turned 1 last week and in celebration I made Magnolia's Vanilla-Vanilla cakes (recipe at the very bottom of the blog, my first post) and a fudgey chocolate cake ("recipe" below). I was a little tired while baking and somehow ended up with all self-rising flour instead of the 1/2 1/2 Magnolia calls for. I panicked while the cakes were in the oven, expecting them to explode in some way. But in the end they came out tasting as delish as they always do. I served them at the fancy party and got lots of compliments. So I guess you can use all SR flour in a pinch and be fine. Hmm...

For the chocolate I cheated. I bought a box of Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge cake mix. But I didn't really follow the directions (I'm not so good at doing what I'm told). I substituted buttermilk for the water, butter for the oil, and added a package of Devil's Food flavored instant pudding. I topped them with the Magnolia Vanilla Buttercream and red candy-melt stars (how-to a few posts down, with blue stars), and sprinkles of course!

The kids (big and small) went crazy for these Party Cakes. I was even told that "Saint Cupcakes has nothing on [me]!" from a family who had been raving about SC before mine were served (and I didn't even let on that I thought their cakes were bland and oily). Another smashing success, but I was just pleased that the boy liked them (see post below).

boy's first birthday & first cupcake

I scream! You scream! We all scream for cupcakes?

To disguise a cupcake as an ice cream cone is as easy as making a cupcake! Just whip up a batch (or 2) of your favorite flavor (I made Magnolia's vanilla-vanilla - recipe at the bottom of this page- and a mocha chocolate chip: devil's food mix with coffee instead of water, 1/2 bag of chocolate chips, a touch of cinnamon, and butter instead of oil). Fill your cake cones just as you would cupcake liners (1/2 - 3/4 full). Even if they overflow a bit, it just adds to the drippy ice cream look. Start testing after about 20 min. Mine seemed to take about 5 minutes longer than the recipe said it would. Oh, and I stood the cake cups up in cupcake tins and put those on top of cookie sheets so the bottoms wouldn't burn. I topped with Magnolia's vanilla buttercream and marachino cherries. It's a perfect summer treat. Yum!

Bye Bye Miss Jaime - We'll Miss You!!!

that is, indeed, a cupcake in jaime's hand - recipes & photos to follow shortly.

Pumpkin and Mexican Chocolate w/ Toasted Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

The Cakes:


2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 heaping tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 15-oz can pumpkin purée
3.1 oz. Mexican chocolate (4 “wedges”) shaved or grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

2. In a Kitchen Aid, mix together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add shaved Mexican chocolate. Add dry ingredients, and mix until smooth. Mix in pumpkin purée.

3. 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 completely.

4. Frost with cream cheese frosting (1 stick unsalted butter, 2 pkgs light cream cheese, confectioners sugar to your liking) with lots of toasted cinnamon* added (at least 1 tablespoon). I decorated these with chocolate covered sunflower seeds from Trader Joe’s. *Toast cinnamon by heating it in a frying pan on low heat until aromatic.

this recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe for pumpkin cupcakes - I added the Mexican chocolate, took away some sugar, changed the brown sugar from light to dark and used different spices. And the frosting is all me!

Oh! And one more thing, these sparkler "candles" are super super cool, however, you have to light both at once or one will be 1/2 way done by the time you get the second lit. I found mine at a local boutique, but you can also get them here. See them aflame (and the excitement it evokes) below!

Birthday Pink Cake

Pink Cake is a birthday tradition in our friend group - it's nearly mandatory that each person's birthday gets celebrated with a pink cake. For Kristine's 30th, I put the pink into little silver cups and added aqua stars for an extra special touch.

Using 1 box Duncan Hines Strawberry cake mix, follow recipe on back of box, but use butter instead of oil, and blush wine (or white) instead of 1/2 the water (2/3 c. wine, 2/3 c. water)

Top with cream cheese frosting (1 stick unsalted butter, 2 pkgs light cream cheese, confectioners sugar to the level of sweetness you like, but remember, the cake is quite sweet). Color with red food coloring to a shade of pink to your liking.

If you're feeling extra loving towards the recipient of the pink party cakes, go to Michael's, or your local bake shop, and purchase a bag of candy melts in the color of your choice. Purchase molds in the shape of your choice. Melt candy (which is just colored white chocolate) per directions and melt in molds. Very easy and super duper cute.

And remember, it isn't a birthday without pink cake!

Happy 30th Birthday Kristine!!!

photos and recipes of the birthday girl's cupcakes to be added shortly!

Grand Review

Well I'd heard a lot of superlatives thrown about in the descriptions of Grand Central's cupcakes so I finally dragged by lazy butt over there last night (to buy my mom a belated birthday cupcake) and ended up with the very last one. I've been on a quest for a good coconut cupcake so I was pleased to see this was the flavor of the month. Thanks to their crafty take-out method (not as cute as the boxes from Starbucks, but much more single-cake friendly) the cake made it home unharmed. After my mom made her wish and blew out the candle, we cut into the dense cake only to discover that it was much more macaroon than cupcake - which made me quite happy actually. If I'd purchased it as a macaroon I may have complained that it was too cakey, but because it was a cupcake I was delighted with its texture and flavor. I'm a bit of a macaroon snob, ever since I experienced the ultimate macaroon (at Red Fox Bakery in McMinneville, OR), but this cake was quite quite tasty. Not too sweet, and no fake coconut flavor. It was jussst right! The frosting was a little bland, just butter whipped cream. I could have gone for a light coconut buttercream. The heavy cream was a little much for me, but I ate it anyway and enjoyed every moment. So go get yourself a Grand Central coconut cupcake before they change their flavor (I hear a chocolatey one is next, yay!).

Yummy macaroon like center

nice use of a to-go cup, and Rusty considering the cupcake

Derby Cakes

Derby Cakes (inspired by delicious derby pie)
1 yellow cake mix (one without pudding added)
5 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 c. coconut
1/3 c. bourbon whiskey – Early Times is the official Kentucky Derby whiskey
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 1/3 c. chopped pecans
8-12 oz. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
(or butterscotch chips, or none at all)

Mix all above ingredients (except chips and nuts) in your Kitchen Aid, on high, for 5 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Place in lined cupcake tins. Bake at 350, start testing after 20 minutes.

Boozey Glaze

Approx. ¼ cup bourbon
Approx. 1 cup confectioners sugar

Mix bourbon and confectioners sugar until you have a fairly liquidy brown glaze. Spoon over cakes immediately after they are removed from the oven (while still hot in tins). Let sit for 10-20 minutes before transferring out of tins on to cooling rack. Let cool completely, until glaze has hardened into crust, before serving.

Easy Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cakes

1 box devil's food cake mix (I like Pillsbury)
follow directions, substituting butter for oil
& adding a tablesoon of Godiva liquor, a tsp of cinnamon
& 3/4 of a bag milk chocolate chips (I prefer Ghiradelli), making sure there are at least 24 left over for decorating.
Bake in lined cupcake tins according to directions on box.
Frost with 2 Gs frosting and top with a chocolate chip!

(they also look nice unadorned by chips)



for the foils, I used metal red from confectionary house
they just expanded their color collection and now have
tons and tons of bright festive foils (metalic and matte)

Carrot Cake Nests

For these Easter cakes I used the Tropical Carrot Cake recipe (down on this page a bit), which is an alteration of Magnolia Bakery's carrot cake recipe. For the frosting I made a batch of cream cheese frosting (2 pkgs lowfat cream cheese, 1 stick unsalted butter, confectioner sugar to taste) with a little vanilla and cinnamon added to it. I then toasted coconut in the toaster oven, dumped it in a bowl, and dipped the frosted cupcakes into the bowl of coconut. I topped them with blue peep chicks and blue candy eggs.

An Army of Peeps

Chocolate Zucchini Cakes
with 2 Gs Frosting

Make chocolate zucchini cake recipe (below) and let cool completely
Whip up a batch of 2 Gs Frosting (below)
Refrigerate frosting for at least an hour
Slather frosting on the cakes, using enough to hold up a peep!

Hoppy Easter!

Chocolate Zucchini Cakes

These cupcakes are delicious! What's better, picky teenagers will eat them without any suspicion that they contain something good for them. The addition of cinnamon, and the chocolate chips inside (which my husband refers to as "flavor bombs"), as well as the zucchini, of course, make these chocolatey cupcakes so much better than plain old chocolate (which isn't to say that plain old chocolate isn't delicious!).

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa (I use dark chocolate)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup sour cream
½ cup milk
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
3 eggs at room temp
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups grated (unpeeled) zucchini - I use the Cuisinart to quickly grate them

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the cocoa, baking powder & soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Alternately, stir the dry ingredients and the sour cream and milk into the sugar/butter mixture, reserving the last ½ cup of flour mixture.

Mix the grated zucchini and the chocolate chips with the reserved flour mixture, and toss to coat. Fold in the batter, and blend thoroughly. Pour into the lined cupcake tins and bake for about 20 minutes before you start testing them. Could take up to 35 minutes, but be careful not to burn bottoms (I put my cupcake tins on top of cookie sheets to prevent burning).

2 G's Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 pkg light cream cheese, room temp
6-8 ounces Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips, melted
1-2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp Godiva liquer
2 tbsp unsweetened, dark chocolate cocoa powder

Mix it all up in the Kitchen Aid, taste - add confectioner sugar, liquer, coco powder, melted chocolate, to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour before frosting.

One Week 'til Easter!

Easter Basket Cakes
(photo circa 1995)
At the time I made these cupcakes I was 18 years olds and stuck on a farm in southern New Jersey. I got the idea from either Better Homes & Gardens, or Ladies Home Journal, or some other awful mag I probably wouldn't have been reading were I not stuck in the middle of Nowhere's Ville. I've since made them for Easter many times, but can't seem to find any more current photos. I'm pretty sure I used a cake mix for the cakes, as it was the decorating I was most concerned with. I have a few ideas for cake flavor for this year, which I will post below. Next Sunday I'll let you know what I ended up with.

As for the decorating you need:

• Pretty Easter cupcake liners
• Coconut
• Green food coloring
• Eggs for the baskets (I like the Cadburry mini eggs because they are delicious and look like kind of real, you can use jelly beans, chocolate foil eggs, egg shaped gum, or even Peeps - the baskets don't have to only hold eggs ) you have many options here, it being Easter and all.
• String licorice, fuzzy pipe cleaners, or something crafty for the handles (I used these pretty wired flower bouquets that I found at a craft shop - something South Jersey isn't lacking in)

Directions:
Make cupcakes per recipe and let cool completely
Frost with favorite frosting
Mix coconut and green food coloring in bowl
Dip frosting cupcakes into bowl of coconut shreds
Put your basket fillings in the center
Poke a small hole in each side of cupcake and insert whatever you are using as a handle.
Display and prepare for "ooohs" and "aaawwws" from kids of all ages!
Possible recipes I will be choosing from (though there are so many options):
Tropical Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting (see March archives for recipe)
Creamy Coconut Cakes with Billowy White Frosting from "A Country Baking Treasure" by Lisa Yockelson, which is meant to be a layer cake, but anything can be turned into a cupcake! I'll post the recipe after I've tested it out and altered it in the ways that I do.
I think I will also make some chocolate zucchini cupcakes with chocolate buttercream frosting and bunny peeps popping out of the top! You can see for yourself next Sunday! yay!

Lemon Cakes with Honey Lemon Glaze

My lemon cake recipe (a favorite on the baby shower circuit)

• 1 1/2 c. Self Rising Flour
• 1 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 1/2 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp lemon extract

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray mini bundts with cooking spray
3. In a small bowl, combine flours and set aside.
4. In your Kitchen Aid (or large mixing bowl) on medium speed, cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts alternating with wine, juice and extract. Be careful not to overbeat.
5. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, though I start testing after 15 to avoid burning.

Honey Lemon Glaze

• 1/2 cup Buckwheat honey
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 2-4 tablespoons confectioner's sugar

Mix honey and lemon juice in small saucepan until runny. Whisk in confectioner's sugar. Remove from heat and let set up a little bit (just a few minutes). Pour over cakes either immediately before serving, or pour over cakes and immediately refrigerate. Yum!

tiny candy bees from Confectionery House

Baby B Shower Cakes

the baby shower theme was bees
the colors were red & aqua
the cakes were delish:
dark red velvet cakes
with aqua-colored cream cheese frosting
(I got the red foils & candy bees at Confectionery House)

Dark Red Velvet Cakes

2 c. sugar 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp 2 eggs
1/4 c. dark chocolate cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring, I use Wilton's gel Icing Coloring
2 1/4 c. all purpose cake flour

1 dash salt
1 c. buttermilk
1-2 Tbsp. Godiva Liqueur
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until well blended/creamed
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between
• Mix in the cocoa powder and red food coloring
• Add flour and salt alternately with buttermilk, in 3 segments
• Add chocolate liqueur
• In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture
• Pour batter into tins, liners, whatever you're baking in
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes, 25-30 for mini bundts, 30-35 for cake pans

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 pkgs light cream cheese (room temp)
• 2 pkgs Neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• confectioner sugar to taste (about 2 cups)
• a tiney tiny bit of turquoise gel "icing coloring" from Wilton

who ever gets the "baby" cake wins a prize!

Snifferific!

When I started this silly blog I thought it was just going to be a spot for my friends to easily access my recipes (and where I could show off my cupcakes photos). Now it seems I've delved into the cupcake obsession and can't find my way out! I couldn't resist posting about this website because it is oh so cute and clever, and because you can custom order a cupcake pendant with the colors AND SCENT of your choice. The creator of Pancake Meow is a genius, and currently my hero.

Saint Cupcake - A Completely Biased Review

Yesterday I ventured out to Saint Cupcake, Portland's first exclusive cupcake bakery (something Tones & Bepo should have done first!). Upon entering I was very very impressed, in fact, I was jealous. If I were to open a cupcake bakery it would have looked just like Saint Cupcake. Their color scheme (pink & brown), the polka dot molding, the frilly font and cute story of Saint Cupcake, and the aqua colored formica tables. Saint Cupcakes looks the part. They serve good coffee (stumptown) and very wisely offer bite-sized "dots" in addition to full sized cupcakes. Each day Saint Cupcakes offers up a different selection of flavors. I decided to try the three that sounded most interesting: Big Top (said to taste like a chocolate chip cookie & cupcake combined), Hot Fudge and Toasted Coconut Cream. I ate the Big Top first and was disappointed. The cake is just a simple vanilla cupcake, nowhere near as good as Magnolia's, with chocolate chips and a somewhat sour cream cheese frosting. Pretty, but not so tasty. Next I ate the Hot Fudge, which I was most excited about. I loved the frosting, it was perfectly hot fudge like - I have got to figure out how to make one of my own. But the cake was the same boring vanilla cake. I feel a cupcake called Hot Fudge should be all fudgey. It was pointed out to me that maybe it is supposed to be like a hot fudge Sunday, vanilla with hot fudge sauce, but if that is true the cake needs to taste more like vanilla ice cream and less like a boxed white cake. The last, and what had most potential, was the Toasted Coconut Cream cupcake. Great idea! As a matter of fact I'm going to start working up a recipe, because I love this idea. The cake is supposed to be vanilla toffee, but didn't taste any different than the boring vanilla of the others. The creamy frosting was good, but not coconuty enough, just sweet and creamy with some toasted coconut shreds on top. Overall I was very let down by Saint Cupcake. I was told by friends who'd visited before me that mine are better, but I thought they were just being good friends. Based on only the three flavors I tasted, I would have to agree that my cupcakes do indeed taste better. And I have no doubt that there are many, many, many cupcake bakers out there that are WAY better than me, I'm just having fun with baking. But it seems to me that an exclusively cupcake bakery should offer outstanding cupcakes. I should have been jealous of not just the look and feel of the place, but of their genius cupcakes as well. But I was underwhelmed and sad. Of course, that won't stop me from returning to Saint Cupcake and testing all of the flavors. Once I have done that I feel I can give a real review.

Still no camera cord

I am still unable to post any new photos but will have the issue resolved by the end of today. Until then, here is a photo of how you can make Silver Cupcakes colorful (these were for Easter 2004, more on Easter cupcakes to come!).

Oh! I'll be making my first trip to Saint Cupcake today - scientific research purposes of course - will report back and post photos by tomorrow. Promise!