Thanksgiving Cupcake Pops

Just a quick brag here.  I made these cute little pops for a friend for Thanksgiving.  I used a Spice Cake and cream cheese frosting.  Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the flavor of the cake (I prefer the chocolate ones I made quite awhile ago) but they still came out cute.

Cupcake pops are, of course, from Bakerella. If you haven't seen her site, go NOW!

Red Velvet Cake

I made this cake for my dearest husband's birthday in early December.  Red velvet is his absolute favorite cake and although it's not MY favorite, I'm encouraging it.  You see, my poor, misguided, palate-less husband used to prefer boxed chocolate cake with no frosting over all other cakes.  I know, I know.  It's embarrassing.  Thankfully he has come to his senses and has embraced "real" cake.  I don't know if it's my superior baking skills or...  Let's not kid ourselves, there is no or.  ;)

This cake is moist, great flavor, perfect texture.  I used the Sprinkles cream cheese frosting again, which is my favorite.  

Enjoy!

Cake

2 3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon cake flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder (not dutch)

1 ounce red food color

1 1/2 teaspoons water

2 sticks butter, soft

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

Frosting

8 ounces cold cream cheese

1 stick butter, firm but not cold

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment.
• Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. 
• In small bowl whisk cocoa, red food color, and water to a smooth paste.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time.  Beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Add vanilla.  Once combined, add cocoa paste and mix until incorporated.
• Add flour mixture in thirds, alternating with buttermilk.  Do this by hand (rather than in the mixer) to avoid overworking.  Once all the ingredients are incorporated, beat another 10-12 strokes.
• Divide between cake pans and bake about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan about 10 minutes then remove to a rack, and cool completely. 

For frosting

• Combine butter, salt, and cream cheese in mixer and beat on medium speed 2-3 minutes.
• Add sugar until just incorporated.  Don't over mix.  It should be thick but not fluffy.
• Add vanilla. If necessary, add milk to thin.

Cake recipe found here, frosting from Sprinkles.

My first cake "job"

A friend of mine has twin boys that have some pretty serious allergies (one can't have egg whites the other gluten, among many other things).  She called me the night before their birthday party wondering if I could decorate a cake for them.  She said she always felt awful that she had to make a separate cake for them and that they couldn't eat the "pretty" cake she ordered for everyone else.  She said "Just once I want them to have the pretty cake!"  She wondered if she brought over a pre-baked diet-specific cake if I would decorate it for them.  How could I not? 

So, here is the result.  I used a basic white frosting and purchased pre-colored fondant for the circles and ropes.  The boys were so excited when they saw their cake!  They couldn't stay away and kept asking if they could have more.  Poor things, I'm sure it tasted awful, but they were happy with the decorating job!  

Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes

I can't believe how behind I am with my blogging!  I swear, I have been baking and (occasionally taking pictures!) but just haven't been able to find 10 seconds to get it written down.  I hope no one has forgotten about me.  :)

I made these cupcakes for a Halloween party (yes, it was that long ago!) but they're great for any fall baking event.  Not too gingery, great flavor, and perfect as mini bite-sized cupcakes.  When I make them I occasionally do a spider web design on the top using concentric circles and a toothpick to drag through them, but this time I decided to go plain.  

Enjoy!

Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 stick butter, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

1 stick butter

6 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 scant teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 teaspoons milk 

For cupcakes

• Preheat oven to 325.  Line muffin tins with liners or spray with Pam.
• Sift together flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
• Using paddle attachment beat melted butter, sugar, and pumpkin until smooth.  Mix in eggs.  On low speed add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
• Fill each liner about 1/2-3/4 full.  Bake about 25 minutes.  For mini cupcakes bake about 19 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes and then remove.

For frosting

• Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth.  Add sugar and beat about 1 minute on medium speed after incorporated.  If you want to do spider webs, reserve 1/4 cup of frosting.  Stir in cinnamon and add enough milk to make it pourable but still thick. 
• Frost cupcakes.  If doing a spider web, frost the white icing smooth.  Pipe 3-4 concentric circles of cinnamon icing on top.  Starting in center, drag a toothpick outwards through the circles in 5 places, equally spaced.

Recipe from Cupcakes!

Decorated Sugar Cookies

This week on my online mom's group was the Cookie challenge, which I hosted.  The group vote was for fall decorated cookies (the Peanut Butter Sandwiches came in second).  This is my recipe, which I've had for years and slowly tweaked.  It's perfect for cut outs.  It doesn't spread or fluff up too much and it's not particularly sweet, which is nice because the royal icing is.  

Enjoy!

Cookies

2 sticks butter

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon milk

2 1/2 cups flour

Pinch salt

Royal Icing

2 egg whites

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 juiced lemon

milk for thinning to flow consistency 

Cookies

• Preheat to 325
• Whisk flour and salt.  Set aside.
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla and milk.  Beat until combined.  Add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
• Roll out thick on powdered sugar covered surface.  Use cookie cutter.  Re-roll any scraps.
• Bake until edges are pale golden, about 10-12 minutes.  Cool.

Royal Icing

• Beat egg whites to stiff peaks.  Mix in sugar and lemon.  Beat 1 minute.
• Color (I use Wilton gel colors)
• Outline first, thin icing, then fill in using a toothpick to push into corners.  
• Let dry overnight before stacking.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I saw this recipe on Martha last week and just couldn't pass it up.  It's from 'Wichcraft (one of Tom Colicchio's restaurants) and they looked so tasty.  They were!  The oatmeal gives them a nice and different crunch.  And I loved the turbanado sugar.  

The recipe states it makes a dozen sandwiches but I got close to 30, and that's with half of them being thicker than called for.  The filling amount was perfect for all of those though.  When I make them again I'll roll thicker and cut the filling in half.  It's just not good for my rear to have that many cookies sitting around eying me up.

Enjoy!

Cookies

1/2 cup plus 4 tablespoons room temperature unsalted butter

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons AP flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar (I used light and threw in about a tablespoon of molasses)

1/2 cup peanut butter

Turbanado sugar for sprinkling 

Filling

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cookies

• Line baking sheets with parchment. Preheat to 350.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add oats and cook until toasted, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Cool.
• Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
• With paddle attachment, cream 1/2 cup butter and both sugars.  Add peanut butter and mix well.
• Add oat mixture and flour mixture.  Mix on low until combined.  Roll dough between two sheets of parchment about 1/4 inch thick (I did thicker and liked it better).  Refrigerate until chilled.
• Cut out using 2 inch round cookie cutter.  Sprinkle with turbanado.  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool on sheets.

Filling

• Mix all ingredients together with paddle attachment on medium until smooth.  Use a disposable pasty bag to cover half of cookies.  Top with other half.

I got the recipe from Martha.

Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes

First, I must apologize to my 3 faithful readers.  I have been gone too long.  I have been baking, but have managed to forget to take pictures of the final product.  I've also been working on a side project.  My friends on my on-line mom's group have helped me start up a cookie business of sorts.  So I've been busy making about 1,117 thousand cookies for trials and pictures.  Take a look!  Sugar on Top orders.  

Anyway, these cupcakes I made for my coffee meet-up, which is where most of my baked goods end up.  They get treats, I get free coffee.  Win-win.  They're a nice, moist cupcake with a cinnamon icing that has a nice kick to it.  And they go wonderfully with coffee!

I halved this recipe and got 9 perfect cupcakes out.  I accidently kept the icing recipe full scale, but it's a good thing because I used it all on those 9.  If I had made the full cupcake recipe I would have had some pretty skimpily frosted cakes!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Cupcakes

 1 1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

3/4 cup hot brewed coffee

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Heavy 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Heavy 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

Heavy 1/4 cup oil

3/4 cup buttermilk

Heavy 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

• Preheat oven to 300.  Line cupcake pan.
• Put chocolate in hot coffee, stirring occasionally, until fully melted.
• In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In bowl of electric mixer beat the eggs until slightly thickened and a light color.
• Slowly add oil, buttermilk, and vanilla to eggs.  Then add melted chocolate mixture.
• Add the sugar mixture until well combined.
• Pour into liner about 3/4 of the way full and bake for about 35 minutes.

Cinnamon Buttercream Icing

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups powdered sugar

• Beat butter until light and fluffy.  
• Add vanilla.
• Slowly add sugar and cinnamon.  Beat on high for about 5 minutes.

This recipe was slightly adapted from Ice Cream Before Dinner