Boston Cream Pie cupcakes!

Please excuse my poor picture quality -- I don't know what happened. However, this delicious and cute cupcake begs to be made. It is a bit labor intensive with all of the steps of making the custard and chocolate sauce topping, but the cake is pure decadence. My husband requested these for his birthday cake, and I thought that I'd share my recipe.

Yields about 10 cupcakes

Ingredients for the cakes:
1 1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup salted butter (if using unsalted, simply add 1/2 tsp salt)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the custard:
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 2 cupcake pans.

Beat the cake ingredients together until well mixed, then pour into the cups to the halfway point. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are firm. Allow to cool.

For the cream filling, mix the sugar, cornstarch, milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, and ladle a bit of the mixture into the egg yolks, then add all to the saucepan slowly. Stir in the vanilla, and remove from heat. Allow to cool completely.

Assemble your cupcakes one of two ways: if you made shorter cupcakes, pile some glaze onto it, then stack on another small cupcake. If your cupcakes are tall, simply cut in half and spoon some glaze between the layers.

Now you're ready to glaze! Using the double broiler method, heat the chocolate until melted. Carefully remove from heat and add the sugar, then stir in the water slowly, until it reaches a thin consistency. While still slightly warm, pour the glaze over the cupcakes!

Serve with a good cup of coffee, tea, or milk, and plenty of napkins!

Wordless Wednesday: The End of the World?

So to celebrate the end of the world (har dee har) and my husband's birthday, we went to LA with a friend visting from Maryland on Saturday. We saw lots, and a good time was had by all! Ramen and cupcakes were consumed!

Lent Take-aways and Japan Sale Wrap-up!

As I stated in an earlier post, I kind of quit Lent a little early. Aigh! With a little over two weeks left! So bad! Ah well. It was my first time ever "giving up" something that wasn't a life choice (I was vegetarian for 5 years -- that didn't work out either).

What I learned:

1. When I'm not eating a lot of sugar, ie, such as in desserts and lots of baked goods, I have a lot more energy, and I don't experience the "sugar crash" so much. Eating snacks that had a very low glycemic index seemed to make for a much more even energy level.
2. I was much less likely to snack after dinner, as if I didn't get to have a cookie, I kind of didn't see the point. This was a good thing.
3. I am amazed by how inundated that we are with sweets in the US (and probably all over the world!). It seems like someone was always offering a "sweet treat" as part of a special, giveaway, blogs (what's up with that?), and as a promotion. This exercise made me so much more aware of how much we are taunted with "just a little treat." No wonder we have an obesity epidemic here!
4. OK, the bad. I was really moody throughout the process. I thought that I would have sweated the sugar jones out of my system within a week, turns out not. Given the above problem with the overwhelming amount of sweets that we see on a daily basis, I could never seem to get away from the lure of the desserts!
5. People need vices. Yes, you heard me. OK, I don't smoke, do drugs, eat artificial sweetner, drive a fast car, buy expensive clothes and makeup, and I don't consume a ton of alcohol. Ah-ha! So sweets were really my only vice, and honestly, I don't eat a ton of desserts, but it was one of my few indulgences. However, with desserts off the table, I noticed that my alcohol intake increased. I think that subconsciously, I figured that since I wasn't consuming a ton of sugar and carbs, I could up my alcohol. Weird, huh?

I think that this little experiment was pretty helpful, and it made me a lot more aware of the effect sugar has on my body. Although I'll reduce my dessert intake even further (and when I do, continue to lessen my intake of refined sugars -- I was already on that road, but I think that I am now even more conscious), but cutting it out is pretty unrealistic for me.

Japan Sale Wrap Up!

I didn't raise a ton of money, but every little bit helps! I managed to raise an additional $25 to donate to Japan! Thanks to everyone that purchased items from my store!

Giveaway!

I'm hosting a cool giveaway on my baking blog! Go over and see what it's all about! http://www.thebreadstop.com/

Giveaway!

So as many of you know, as well as baking, I make and sell jewelry! So I'm having a contest to get out of the winter blahs. How'd you like to win this cute ring??

To enter is simple: Simply comment on this post with your favorite recipe from my blog, or something that you would like to see me bake (or fail at baking!), and of course your name/internet handle.  I'll select the winner via random drawing, and I'll announce the winner on Friday, Jan. 14.

PB & J cupcakes

When I was little, my grandmother made this peanut butter snack cake that was bursting with peanut flavor had perfect texture and crumb. She'd bake it in an 8 X 8 dish, then cut it into squares and serve without frosting, sometimes as a casual dessert, or as an after-school snack. I've always loved peanut butter cakes, but I've never been able to duplicate the texture or flavor of that cake. These cupcakes are not an exact match, but they're pretty close. I've fancied them up a bit to include another childhood taste by adding homemade strawberry jam and a simple peanut butter buttercream frosting. I love putting fruit filling into cakes, and unfrosted, they look a bit like tarts, and reminded me of Alice in Wonderland, so I left a couple unfrosted just to mix it up. These cupcakes are delicious any way that you decide to dress them up. They take a bit of time to construct, but are easy enough for even a novice baker.  Recipe for the jam can be found on this blog.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat, but plain white would be fine)
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/4 cup milk (I used almond, but soy or regular would work as well)
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 very ripe banana
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

For the frosting:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
2 tbsp powdered sugar (or more to taste)

For the filling:
Strawberry jam, homemade or purchased

Yield 8 cupcakes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a muffin tin with 8 cupcake papers.

Cupcakes:
In a bowl, mash the banana until it is very mushy, then add the peanut butter, egg, milk, and brown sugar. Mix well.

Next, add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; this can yield tough cupcakes.

Once they are well mixed, use a spoon to ladle the mix into the cupcake papers, filling about 3/4.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool in the pan on a cooling rack.

Once the cupcakes are well cooled, using a paring knife, cut a cone out of the top of the cupcake, as shown in the photo.

Ladle the strawberry jam into the cupcake, then replace the top.

Frosting:

In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, butter, and milk until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar, until sweetened to taste.

Using a spoon or spatula, generously spread onto the cupcakes as desired.

Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes

Many of you that know me are aware of my fondness for cupcakes. I love their cuteness, their individuality, and their ability to turn into a piece of edible art. I've made many cupcakes in my life, and intend on making more. When my husband and I lived on the East Coast and went to New York often, we would always try cupcakes from one of the many bakeries that specialize in them. My favorite was the vanilla cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery in the West Village, which I've referred to a couple of times in my personal blog. Manhattan is pretty far away from me now, and I was exhilarated to find their recipe on Cupcakes Take the Cake the other day, so I decided to make them!  I made a few adjustments to the recipe, such as reducing it to 12 rather than 24 cupcakes, and make 1/4 of both frosting recipes. I wanted chocolate-frosted and vanilla-frosted cupcakes! I didn't change them much, just used buttermilk instead of regular milk, increased the vanilla, used margarine instead of butter in the cupcakes, and added a bit of espresso to the chocolate frosting to intensify the chocolate taste.

The recipes, as I made them.


Cupcakes:


3/4 cup SR flour

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons AP flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Line muffin tins with cupcake papers.


In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.


Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Vanilla frosting:


1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of a good spreading consistency. I added a drop of red food coloring to make them pink!

Chocolate frosting:


1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/4 cup chocolate
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon powdered espresso
1/2 teaspoon water

To melt the chocolate, place in a double boiler over simmering water on low heat for about 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally until completely smooth and no pieces of chocolate remain. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-15 minutes, or until lukewarm.


In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk carefully and beat until smooth. 


In a small bowl, dissolve the powdered espresso in the water, then mix into the chocolate. Add the chocolate mixture to the butter mixture and beat well, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 3 minutes. Gradually add the sugar and beat on low speed until creamy and of a desired consistency.

Magnolia Bakery

We made another trip to New York this weekend, and since I’m a cupcake monster, we tried another NY cupcake bakery, Magnolia Bakery! Famous for their numerous appearances on Sex and the City, this bakery usually has quite a line of eager customers for their incredible confections.

I, however, am pretty impatient, and was not at all prepared to wait in line for 45 minutes for a cupcake, but we happened in on a non-busy time on Sunday, where we got three varieties of cupcakes: white with vanilla buttercream, yellow with chocolate buttercream, and lemon with lemon buttercream. Magnolia has a neat little “serve yourself” system where they direct customers to the cupcakes placed in the front window with baker’s boxes, then to the counter to pay for the treats.

And let me say, believe the hype. We bit into these babies on the way home, and were overwhelmed with the perfection! Perfect, light texture to the cake, and wonderful, sweet buttercream icing with amazing flavor. By far, these were some of the best cupcakes that I’ve tasted, and so simple and pretty!

Note the customer easily grabbing the exact cupcake that she wants!

Two Little Red Hens Cupcakes!

Before my car accident, I had the pleasure of traveling to New York City this weekend to drink in some art, city life, great sushi, and cupcakes!!!!

Stephen and I hiked all the way up to the Upper East Side to Two Little Red Hens to sample their cupcakes. I had heard from some reliable sources that they were fabulous, and ya'll know how I feel about cupcakes.

At first, I was going to simply get a bunch of the mini cupcakes, but Stephen felt that the regular sizes were a better deal. We ordered white with vanilla buttercream frosting (my all-time favorite for cupcakes, it's classic), chocolate with chocolate buttercream, and a flavor called "Lemon Cloud," which is pictured above.

The verdict: Pure cupcake heaven. Dense, yet soft pillows of cake, and wonderful, creamy French buttercream. The flavors were so incredibly subtle and and delicious. And I really want one of those amazing lemon clouds again.

For your consideration...

As ya'll might have guessed, I really like to bake. However, I love to bake more than I'm able to eat, and it's really not good for me to have all these sweets.

So my question is this: What do you think about me opening another shop selling baked goods on Etsy? I'm thinking easily transportable items, such as cookies and sweets like buckeyes.

Perhaps it will be The Little Gnome Shop? I'll roll it around my head for a few more days, but please opinions?

Oscar Magic

One of my favorite events each year is to get some good snacks, some wine or other yummy beverage, and sit down to watch the Oscars. I love the anticipation, the vapid speeches, and, of course, the beautiful clothes.

One of these days I'll have a proper Oscar party, but I always seem to busy to plan it adequately. This year, I made some snacks, and sat down and watched the many black and red dresses saschay past, with the paparazzi clamoring and the stars doing their best to not look disinterested and annoyed.

Air-popped popcorn, roasted red pepper hummus and cucumber, and butter cupcakes with creamy chocolate frosting were my snacks for the evening. I took the rest of the cupcakes to work this morning (I really don't want to eat 36 cupcakes myself!), and will probably finish off the cucumber and hummus this week.

I was very pleased that the Coen brothers won so many awards, although I haven't seen anything nominated (the first time ever!). I'll try to catch Juno in the theater, and I can watch La Vie En Rose tonight on Netflix. I'll probably rent Atonement soon. Everything else....eh. I'm not one for violent movies, and most of the movies nominated this year were heavily war-focused, it seems.

So excited!

So the cupcake scarf from my shop was featured on one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes Take the Cake! This blog showcases bakeries, and features amazing photographs of scrumptious-looking cupcakes. These women certainly know their cupcakes, but it's a refreshingly non-technical blog. They are interested in the basics, cute factor and taste.



Check them out!!