l'obsession

Paris vs. NYC

S'mores Cupcakes

Maybe it was because it was the first day of summer and s'mores are the unofficial summer treat but the cupcake stars aligned and I got an idea. Yesterday, I saw this post by Jordan for S'mores kits. After saving that idea away, I wanted a s'more. Right then, in the 96 degree middle of the day with no campfire around and in the middle of downtown Salisbury. Not really an option. Then I saw that Martha's Cookie of the Day was S'mores Cookies. Okay idea Martha, but a s'more cookie wasn't enough. I needed a s'more cupcake. I actually went to bed and layed awake thinking of different combinations to make the perfect s'mores cupcake.

Here's what I came up with:

Cupcake:

The cupcake would be chocolate, nothing else was never an option. I used Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe because it's the best chocolate cupcake. To make it a true s'mores cupcake, I added graham cracker crumbs on top of the cupcake batter once I put them in the cupcake tins. Bake 20 minutes and you get a perfect graham cracker chocolate cupcake.

Chocolate Topping:

I melted a Hershey's Bar and put a huge spoonful on top of each cupcake. I could have used fancier chocolate but I wanted the authentic s'more taste.

Marshmallow Frosting:

I totally made this up.

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow cream

3 cups powdered sugar (give or take)

It was really all over the place but that I blame my kitchen being 90 degrees. Tastes just like a melted marshmallow though!

Add some more graham cracker crumbs....

Right after these photos were taken I grabbed up a cupcake and quickly moved to the sink since it was melting everywhere and proceeded to eat a cupcake in 3 bites. I tasted just like a s'more and it wasn't until the last bite I noticed how good the chocolate cake was with the rest of the s'more taste. Messy, yes. But isn't that the way s'mores are supposed to be?

Lilly's 1st Birthday

These were for a co-worker's little girl Lilly's 1st birthday. Lilly was having a garden party. Very sophisticated for a one year old! But when you are named Lilly you need to have a garden party! The cupcakes were mostly lemon cake with vanilla buttercream. I did make some vanilla cupcakes too for the little kids. I'd almost forgotten about how great this buttercream recipe is.

Bake Lust: Mother's Day

How perfectly adorable are these? I'm really in a cupcake making mood after seeing this site. Maybe this weekend...?

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream

As you will soon see, these cupcakes had a Valentine's theme. Too bad they are just now getting proper blog recognition! Anyhow, for my first carrot cake attempt I really liked this recipe. And the dulce de leche buttercream...amazing.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart via Joy the Baker

Makes about 28 cupcakes (a lot!)

• 4 cups peeled and finely grated carrots
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use (or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
• 1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together carrots, eggs, sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla seeds, and coconut, pineapple and nuts if desired. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Stir flour mixture into carrot mixture until well combined.
2. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until testers inserted into centers come out clean, 23 to 28 minutes. Let cool in tins on wire racks, 10 minutes. Turn out cupcakes onto wire racks, and let cool completely. Unfrosted cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen for up to 2 months in airtight containers.
3. Frost cupcakes with dulce de leche or cream cheese frosting.

Dulce de Leche Buttercream

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup prepared dulce de leche

Cream together softened butter and powdered sugar on low using an electric mixer. Add cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth and no lumps appear. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the prepared dulce de leche and beat to incorporate. Frost cooled cupcakes using a knife or a pastry bag and tip.

baking vs. dating? and the perfect chocolate cupcake

Making cakes from scratch seems like a daunting task for many, even me at times.  Over the past few years I've tested out a lot of recipes that claimed to be "the one" and usually I feel like they are a waste of time and disappointing.  Writing this I am starting to see the similarities of baking and dating...

That would have the makings for the best blog ever.

But back to the cake, I'm lucky because I do have in my possession the best chocolate cake recipe.  It is the perfect in every way.  I use it for every occasion where chocolate cake is necessary.  

Lately, every cake I've made has been a white or yellow cake usually by request of whoever I'm making it for.  Today seemed like a good day for chocolate cake but I wasn't really wanting a cake to sit around so I decided to use the perfect chocolate cake recipe to become the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe.  

Beatty's Chocolate "Cup"cakes

~from The Barefoot Contessa at Home

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins with foil wrappers.  

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.  In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry.  With the mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  

Divide the batter into the cupcake pans (1 standard ice cream scoop per cup is the right amount).  Bake in the middle of the oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting.   

And the frosting...

6 oz.  good semisweet chocolate

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 egg yolk, room temperature

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Place the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In a bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes.  Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioner's sugar, then beat medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water.  On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended.  Don't whip!  Spread immediately on the cooled cake. 

So much for waking up early to go to Pilates this morning,  I ate a cupcake as soon as I got home!  So if anyone loves chocolate (and doesn't count calories) please come get a cupcake.

Now for future reference, does anyone have the perfect white or yellow cake recipe???

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

Another Paula Deen recipe...I was in Target and saw a "Chocolate Celebration" special edition of her magazine and had to buy it because of this recipe.

I took them to work the next day and everyone loved me.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix

For Filling:
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1/4 cup sour cream

Prepare cake mix following cupcake directions. Let cupcakes cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, cream, confectioner's sugar, milk, and sour cream. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

To fill the cupcakes you can do it several ways:
1. The recipe suggested using a squeeze bottle that has a long narrow tip (you can find these at Michael's, etc.).
2. I used a mechanical pastry bag (looks like a cookie press) that I got for Christmas from Williams-Sonoma. It has a special tip just for filling cupcakes.
3. It can probably be done with a regular pastry bag and large tip.

After filling the cupcakes spread chocolate ganache evenly over each cupcake.

Chocolate Ganache

6 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups confectioner's sugar

In medium bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 2 minutes total). Gradually whisk in confectioner's sugar until smooth. Let mixture cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency (about 30 minutes).

*Instead of spreading the ganache on, I just dipped the cupcakes into in it, swirled until it was covered. It looked more like a Boston cream pie this way and it's a lot easier. This ganache is good. Someone at work said it tasted like the chocolate frosting from Krispy Kreme. I'll have to use it with other things from now on.

I like to play with my food.

These were made by Owen's sister Karina for Amy and Owen's rehearsal dinner. I had to share because they were so cute. The bride and bridesmaids were made out of fondant and there was a cupcake underneath the skirts. We spent way too much time playing around with them...

Meyer Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Meyer Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes
Makes 2 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
5 large eggs, separated
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup plus scant 1/3 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Meyer Lemon Curd
Vanilla Bean Buttercream
Sanding sugar
24 raspberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla; beat to combine. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift together both flours, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture; mix until well combined. Add sour cream; mix until well combined.
4. In a clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into batter.

5. Fill each muffin cup half full with batter. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cupcakes cool completely.

6. Using an apple corer, make a hole in the top of each cupcake, taking care not to push the corer through the bottom; remove cake from hole. Fill a squirt bottle with lemon curd and squeeze curd into holes.

7. Fit a pastry bag with a 3/8-inch plain round tip and fill with buttercream. Pipe buttercream in a circular motion on top of each cupcake; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Pipe a dollop of buttercream in the center of each cupcake and top with a raspberry.

Meyer Lemon Curd

1 cup sugar
Zest of 3 lemons
3 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
1 cup Meyer lemon juice
5 ounces unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Directions
1. Prepare and ice-water bath. Set a medium bowl in ice-water bath and set aside.
2. Place sugar and lemon zest in a mortar and grind with a pestle to combine and release the oils.

Transfer sugar mixture to a medium heatproof bowl along with eggs and egg yolks; whisk to combine. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved. Add lemon juice and continue whisking until mixture is thick and reaches 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add butter and whisk until well combined.
3. Strain lemon mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over prepared bowl. Cover lemon curd with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly onto surface.
4. Transfer to refrigerator until completely chilled.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Directions
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
2. Add vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Slowly add milk and continue beating on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes.

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This recipe is from the Vanilla Bakery in California. I thought that the Meyer Lemons might be hard to find and I'd have to substitute them with regular lemons but I found them at Harris Teeter. They are a hybrid between tangerines and lemons, so they are a lot sweeter. This is my first time making a curd, which sounded a little intimidating but was pretty simple. There was a lot left over so I need to figure out some more uses for it. It tastes a lot like lemon meringue pie filling if you've never had it before. Also, using real vanilla bean makes a huge difference. It's rather pricey but it gave the cupcakes and icing so much more flavor. I was very impressed with these cupcakes.

Mascarpone Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

I discovered these cupcakes last summer while watching Everyday Italian. I never got around to making them again to share on here so now that it is officially springtime it was perfect timing for strawberry cupcakes.

Even though my kitchen table was still covered with 150 or so wedding cake cookies I made enough room to bake them Easter morning for lunch at my grandmothers. As it turns out my grandmother made a strawberry shortcake and there was also a strawberry truffle, so everyone got their share of strawberry desserts today. Since the glaze is really runny I waited til right before to ice them. I'm sure this could be fixed by adding more sugar or less strawberries. My cousins, Jessica, Hunter, and Madison, were great help at icing them(it must be the baking genes).

But to the recipe- it's really simple. The only complicated part is actually finding Mascarpone cheese. It's similar to cream cheese though, so I've used cream cheese before too and they turned out just as good. The cupcake is really fluffy and light. Then the strawberry glaze just turns it into springtime in cupcake form. It just may be my favorite cupcake.

Mascarpone Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened

2 egg whites

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 box white cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill the muffin cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.
Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.

Ina's Coconut Cupcakes

I've seen the episode of Barefoot Contessa several times where Ina makes these cupcakes. Before I saw the episodes I never liked coconut. Just seeing these cupcakes converted me. I was hoping they would live up to all of their hype and finally had the chance to make them for my friend's birthday. I was elated when Amy said she loved coconut in everything. Sadly her birthday celebration plans fell through so I was left with 24 coconut cupcakes to myself. Which was peachy because they are delicious!

The cake batter was very simple to make. Something about the first few ingredients (perhaps the 5 eggs) makes it look slightly curdled but I read in her cookbook not to be alarmed. The recipe made exactly 24 cupcakes and I believe would make 2 round cake layers as well if you wanted to make it into a cocount layer cake.

I've made a lot of cream cheese frosting and this recipe was one of my favorites. The almond extract really finishes it off nicely. It is a lot of butter but I never really worry about calories when I bake anyhow. There was a good amount of frosting left over but not enough I think to half the recipe.

So with all my leftover cupcakes, I had lunch with my grandparents who loved them. I still have some which I think I'll take to school and leave in the teachers lounge tomorrow.

The Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Cupcakes
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

For the frosting:
1 pound cream cheese at room temperature
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut. Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.