Pumpkin Chocolate Tiramisu - Happy Thanksgiving!

This three-layer tiramisu is a holiday variation of the traditional tiramisu, using pumpkin, chocolate and amaretto instead of espresso and rum. Based on a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe, the mascarpone layers are flavored with pumpkin puree, with the middle layer additionally flavored with melted chocolate. The ladyfingers are brushed/dipped with cocoa and amaretto. The top is dusted with cocoa and cinnamon, with chocolate decorations.

This recipe creates a very light and soft mascarpone layer. For a denser, thicker cake, use less whipping cream.

Pumpkin Chocolate Tiramisu
Serves 10-12

Ingredients

* 9 tablespoons amaretto
* 6 large egg yolks
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1/3 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 lbs mascarpone cheese (about 3 8-oz. tubs)
* 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 36-48 ladyfingers
* 1 to 1 1/2 cans pumpkin puree (15-22 oz.)
* 6 oz. semisweet chocolate
* 3 tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon for dusting
* 1 cup hot water
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon for dusting

Directions

1. Stir hot water, cocoa and 5 tablespoons amaretto in bowl until cocoa dissolves; set aside.
2. Beat egg yolks in a standing mixer (whisk attachment) until just combined. Add sugar and salt and beat at medium-high speed until pale yellow (1.5-2 minutes), scraping down the sides. Add remaining 4 tablespoons amaretto and beat until just combined (20-30 seconds). Add mascarpone and beat at medium speed until smooth (30-45 seconds). Transfer to a large bowl.
3. In the same mixer bowl, beat 3/4 cup heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into mascarpone mixture. Fold in pumpkin puree.
4. Combine chocolate and remaining 3/4 cup heavy cream, and microwave until chocolate is melted. Stir until smooth. Transfer 1/3 of the pumpkin mixture into a separate medium bowl, and fold in chocolate mixture.
5. Cover bottom of pan or baking dish with ladyfingers dipped in cocoa-amaretto mixture (dip each side very quickly). Top with pumpkin mixture. Add another layer of ladyfingers, and top with pumpkin-chocolate mixture. Add another layer of ladyfingers and finish with remaining pumpkin mixture. Combine 1 tablespoon cocoa with cinnamon and dust over top.

Unfortunately, the tiramisu did not survive heavy Thanksgiving road traffic and accidents. Fortunately, we made pumpkin cookies with brown butter icing as back-up!

UPDATE: I've been asked about my pumpkin cookie recipe, so here it is. I arrived at this recipe through experimentation after tweaking a couple other recipes. Hope it works well for you all!

Rolled Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
20-24 cookies

Ingredients

* 2 3/4 cup flour
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon cloves
* 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
* 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
* 2/3 cup canned pumpkin puree
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg

For the icing (makes 1 cup) - from Martha Stewart:

* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Beat together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and continue beating until incorporated.
2. Sift/whisk dry ingredients together in medium bowl. Then add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture in two to three portions, beating after each addition until just incorporated.
3. Fold in pumpkin puree. The cookie dough should still be thick.
4. Divide the dough into two portions, wrap in plastic wrap, and flatten into discs. Chill dough overnight or place in freezer for at least a couple hours.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
6. Remove chilled dough from fridge/freezer, roll out to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness, cut into desired shape with cookie cutter, and place on lined, non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookie will not brown much at all, but should spring back slightly when pressed with finger.
7. As the cookies are cooling, prepare the brown butter icing: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally until nut-brown in color (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, pour butter into bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind. Add sugar, vanilla and milk to brown butter, stirring until smooth.
8. After the cookies have cooled, dip and twist the surface into the icing. Allow the icing to set -- it won't quite harden, but it will develop a dry surface.

Tips for success:

• Work quickly, and keep the unused half of the cookie dough chilled while working with the first half. 
• When rolling out the dough, place the dough between two sheets of waxed paper dusted with flour. Sandwiching between wax sheets helps prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and otherwise making a mess. I would also suggest dusting the dough disc with flour. Also, consider taping the bottom sheet of wax paper to the table to avoid slipping and sliding. 
• Use non-stick foil (my recommendation) or parchment paper to line the baking sheet.
• Be liberal with the spices.
• Consider doubling the icing recipe to make the icing dipping process easier.
• The icing may separate -- stir to re-emulsify, and add a little extra milk if necessary to thin the consistency.

Spaghetti Cupcakes - Trick or Treat!

The idea for these spaghetti cupcakes comes from the book Hello, Cupcake!, and I was inspired after seeing my sister-in-law make them for April Fool's Day. Instead of using canned frosting, I decided to better complement the strawberry jam (the marinara sauce) with white chocolate flavoring.

This white cake is filled with strawberry meringue buttercream, and topped with a thin layer of white chocolate whipped ganache, and then covered with white chocolate buttercream noodles. White chocolate and butter both have a pale yellow color, so that no food coloring needs to be added to mimic cooked noodles.

A Ferrero Rocher hazelnut chocolate serves as the meatball, tossed in low sugar strawberry preserves (the low sugar variety has a more realistic red shade than regular preserves). Finally, grated white chocolate serves as the parmesan cheese. By the way, I love Ferrero Rocher chocolates. I'm going to have to try a cupcake version of them one day.

These "trick" cupcakes were complemented by my pumpkin cupcakes as the "treat." Happy Halloween everyone!

Coconut Cupcakes 2-Ways - Lemon & Curry Ganache

Last weekend, I made two coconut cupcakes. The first is a fluffy coconut cupcake (lightness achieved with whipped egg whites), with lemon curd filling, and topped with a coconut-lemon buttercream. This cake recipe was taken from a Cupcake Wars episode and easily makes my favorites-list. The curd and buttercream were light and creamy, and complementary in taste and texture.

The second cupcake had a similar cake recipe, minus the whipped egg whites, and plus ground coconut. This cake (on the left) was more golden and had more texture.

I filled it with a coconut buttercream, and topped with whipped curry ganache. Unfortunately I was a bit short on ganache, so I used a comb to create some texture and then "blinged-out" with decoration (pearlized dust and toasted coconut). The flavor combination is perhaps less conventional, but yummy and memorable.

I didn't used to be a coconut fan, but the more I explore pastries and baking, the more interesting I am finding the taste of coconut. While I don't really like the texture of coconut flakes in my desserts, I may be a convert with respect to flavor!

More Chocolate Cupcakes - Peanut Butter Banana & Hazelnut

Continuing from my last post, I tried two more chocolate cake recipes this week.

1. Chocolate Butter Cupcake (Rose Levy Beranbaum, Rose's Heavenly Cakes)
2. German Chocolate Cake (Rose Levy Beranbaum, Rose's Heavenly Cakes)

The verdict:

1. The Chocolate Butter Cupcake recipe was slightly less dense/dry than the prior All-American butter cake I made, and tasty in small portions. But, I think at this point, I am going to conclude that butter cakes are not ideal for cupcakes, which are ultimately a very thick slab of cake. I think butter cakes are much better for holding up layer cakes, and I will put this to the test at some point. One exception might be a red velvet variation with cream cheese frosting, which I tasted at a recent cocktail event. Perhaps the creamier/richer the frosting, the better the pairing, which would explain why the curry ganache cupcakes I made last week worked. Important to note: These red velvet cupcakes I tried were mini cupcakes; I am not sure I would have enjoyed that much fudginess/density at the full cupcake size. Ultimately, I will admit this could be a taste/texture preference of mine, and others might like butter cakes more.
   
2. The German Chocolate Cake is fantastic, and definitely can serve as an alternative to the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcake recipe. It is slightly less rich, but it has a good texture and distinctive chocolate taste which makes it yummy to eat on its own.

Chocolate Butter Cupcake: Hazelnut Ganache Cupcakes

I filled these chocolate butter cupcakes with hazelnut ganache, and topped with whipped cream with a hint of hazelnut. Finally, a piece of sugar cone, because who doesn't like ice cream cones?

German Chocolate Cake: Peanut Butter Caramelized-Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes were filled with a peanut butter cream cheese filling, covered with a peanut butter chocolate whipped ganache, and topped with caramelized bananas. I am not normally a peanut butter fan, but these cupcakes came out pretty delicious, creamy without being heavy, and with the right balance of flavors. I had never caramelized bananas before, and really had no plan for how to pipe the frosting but I pulled it together somehow.

Chocolate Cupcakes 4-Ways - Mint Chip, S'mores, Mocha Meringue, Curry Ganache

Last weekend, I decided to put four chocolate cupcake recipes to the test, in the hopes of finding an alternative to my fave Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes recipe (which uses bread flour instead of the more typical all-purpose flour or cake flour).

The four candidates:

1. Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes (Cupcake Wars, Dorothy Tong, 2010)
2. Chocolate Cupcake with Mint Chip Filling (Top Chef: Just Desserts, Danielle Keene, 2010)
3. Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake (Rose Levy Beranbaum, Cake Bible)
4. Domingo Cake (Rose Levy Beranbaum, Cake Bible)

The verdict:
I hadn't made a butter cake in so long, I forgot how different the texture and coloring is! Butter cakes have a softer and finer crumb, are lighter in color compared to oil cakes, and are denser than oil cakes. They also support a truer chocolate flavor, as opposed to the oftentimes more bitter and/or barely-chocolatey flavor of chocolate buttermilk or oil cakes.

1. The Cupcake Wars cupcake came out a little bitter and bland. It is not a keeper for me, but being less flavorful, it served as a good template for featuring toppings and other flavorings.
2. The Top Chef: Just Desserts cupcake was pretty good, and had a solid chocolate flavor due to a heavy dose of cocoa. I was surprised that the recipe did not use salt -- I think the addition of salt would add a little more depth to the flavor. With a bit of tweaking, this could be a good recipe to keep, but flavor- and texture-wise, it did not top my favorite Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes from Cooks Illustrated.
3. / 4. Rose's two chocolate butter cake recipes were melt-in-your-mouth delicious coming out of the oven. They tasted fudgy, and reminded me of a cross between flourless chocolate cakes and chocolate souffles, if that makes any sense. Delicious! When fresh, the All-American was more chocolatey and memorable than the Domingo. However, the day after, the All-American was a bit too dry and dense in texture for me (perhaps an execution error on my part). The Domingo (which uses sour cream) fared better and maintained a better chocolate flavor, even though a bit dense as well. Perhaps oil cakes are just a preferable texture for cupcakes. However, I can see how butter cupcakes would be much better for constructing layer cakes.

Next weekend, I think I will try the butter recipe again to see if I can achieve a better texture, perhaps using Rose's chocolate butter cupcake recipe which adds some baking soda. Inevitably, my oven from the 70s/80s will have temperature control issues, but I will keep a closer eye. I will also try Rose's German Chocolate Cake recipe (without the German filling/frosting), as that chocolate cake recipe is an oil recipe. So, in other words, my chocolate cake recipe experiment is to-be-continued.


I topped the All-American with mocha meringue frosting, which was tasty, but ended up being my least favorite combination.


I topped the Domingo with a curry chocolate ganache (rich, creamy, and with a pleasantly surprising spice kick) which went perfectly with the fudginess of the Domingo cake and created my favorite combination.

I converted the Cupcake Wars cupcakes into S'mores cupcakes (filled with ganache glaze and topped with a Graham cracker and toasted marshmallow meringue frosting).



Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes (Cupcake Wars, Dorothy Tong, 2010)
Makes 22 cupcakes

Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 3/4 cups sugar
* 3/4 cups high-fat 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, room temperature
* 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup freshly brewed strong, hot, coffee
* 1/2 cup hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Slowly stir in the coffee and water. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

For the Top Chef cupcakes, I filled and topped with chocolate mint chip mousse. My execution wasn't perfect, and my mousse was a bit too soft, but chilling the cupcake helped hold it all together.


Chocolate Cupcake with Mint Chip Filling (Top Chef: Just Desserts, Danielle Keene, 2010)
Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcake:

* 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
* 2 1/8 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cup cocoa
* 1/2 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup oil
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 3/4 cup & 2 tablespoons coffee, cold
* 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mousse:

* 6 oz bittersweet chocolate
* 3 yolks
* 1/4 cup & 2 tbsp. water
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup crème fraiche
* 1/4 tsp mint oil
* 1/2 cup flaked chocolate

Directions

Chocolate Cupcake: Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda into mixing bowl. Combine egg, oil, buttermilk, coffee and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, whisk on medium, scrape down sides and whisk 1 minute more. Scoop into cupcake tin filled w/ liners. Bake at 350 degrees until done, 20-25 minutes.

Mousse: Melt chocolate, whisk yolks to thick ribbon in mixer. Heat sugar and water to boiling. On low speed, slowly pour hot sugar mixture into yolks. Whip until cooled and thick. In a separate bowl whip heavy cream, crème fraiche, and mint oil to soft peaks. Fold chocolate into yolks, fold in whipped cream in 3 additions. Fold in flaked chocolate. Chill.

Core chocolate cupcakes and fill with mousse. Top with more mousse (or whipped cream or toasted meringue) and sprinkle on chocolate curls.

Malted Chocolate Cupcakes - Baked Sundaes!

These malted chocolate cupcakes are topped with fresh whipped cream, sprinkles and a Maraschino cherry.

I also filled the cakes with a "Whoppers" buttercream (using ground Whoppers choclate malted milk balls) to add to the malt flavor (which unfortunately was largely masked in the cake itself). The buttercream filling adds a needed sweetness and moisture so that the cupcake doesn't end up tasting like a black forest cherry cake. Which, would be interesting to try . . . hmmmmm . . .

Oreo Cupcakes - Cookies & Cream

I had been planning this cupcake for a while, thinking about what ways I could make an Oreo cupcake that was something more than just a cake base and buttercream frosting on top. I'm pretty satisfied with the result here, although I think there are many more interesting variations to try. Coincidentally, my sister-in-law baked a version of an Oreo cupcake on the same exact night with a whole Oreo cookie at the bottom, which I definitely want to try next time! I was afraid a whole cookie at the base would burn or disappear somehow, but I hear it stays crunchy and is quite delicious.

Here, I have a chocolate cake with a fudge cookie bar in the middle. The fudge cookie bar is a baked Oreo cookie bar with ganache poured on top. Because the cookie is made from ground Oreos, it is crumbly rather than "crunchy", but I will continue to experiment with that. The ganache adds a smooth creamy moist filling.

For the frosting, I made an Oreo "mousse." I did in fact try a mousse base, but the egg yolks made the frosting too yellow. Then I tried the same mousse with egg whites instead of egg yolks, but that doesn't hold up. Then I tried a meringue buttercream base without the butter, but the texture and taste just weren't quite right. Finally, I ended up with a whipped cream stabilized with some gelatin, with ground Oreos folded in, and I think I achieved the light fluffy consistency I was looking for. The cookie on top is a Nabisco chocolate wafer, like the type I used in my Icebox Cake. I would not recommend grinding up this wafer for the frosting. The wafer has ground coconut in it, which results in an odd crunch/chew that does not blend well with whipped cream.

Banana Cake - A Classic

This is an oldie but goodie that my mom likes to say gets better each time I make it (thanks mom!). This banana cake (not "bread", says Anne Takemoto, the brilliant baker behind this recipe), is moist but with a great crispy edge. In my opinion, the secret ingredient is the crushed pineapple.

I hesitate a bit to share this recipe, since in my mind it will forever belong to dear Anne, our resident fellow from college. However, I often get requests, and those of us who lived in Okada probably reminisce about the warm-fuzzy-cozy dorm meetings that residents would show up to if for no other reason than to eat this cake at the end. This is edible love, and I hope I have Anne's blessing to spread the love!

Banana Cake (oven 325 - 350 degrees)

Mix dry ingredients together:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt

Mix wet ingredients together:
1½ cups oil (a little less works too)
1½ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups chopped bananas (about 4 very ripe bananas)
1 8oz. can of crushed pineapple, with juice

Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring gently.
Add 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Pour into greased Bundt pan (I strongly suggest using non-stick spray with flour).

Bake for 60-70 minutes or until done. Don't try to underbake to ensure moistness. If the cake is underbaked, it will likely tear when removing from the Bundt pan. Plus, you will want that surface to be crispy!


I have tried to make this in a cupcake version with a honey cinnamon frosting, which is also delicious. However, the cupcake form loses the crispy edge (even without frosting), which is such a great part of this cake.

Chocolate Krispie Treats

These were inspired by Eric Wolitzky's "Peanut Butter Krispy Bars", the winning dessert on Season 1, Episode 3 of Top Chef: Just Desserts. (You won't be surprised to hear that I love that show—Season 2 premiered tonight!) His recipe was posted with ingredients measured in grams, which is inconvenient if you lack a kitchen scale. I also prefer a higher (rice cereal:chocolate topping) ratio. Once I convert the recipe to more accessible measurements and make some tweaks, I will update this post with a suggested recipe.

There are two versions here:
(1) Regular rice krispie bar covered with a chocolate-hazelnut layer and then topped with a chocolate-peanut butter layer
(2) Cocoa krispie bar covered with the same chocolate-hazelnut layer and then topped with a white chocolate ganache layer

I discovered during this experiment that cocoa krispies weigh more per unit volume than regular rice krispies, so I ended up with about a 3:2 output for these two flavors!

These krispies are decorated with chocolate discs (dark chocolate base with white chocolate or peanut-butter-white chocolate design—not quite "faux bois" but something like that). If I had more time, I think I would have done a full reversal for the cocoa krispie bar (i.e. white chocolate base with hazelnut-chocolate design).

Milo | Turns 2!

Happy birthday Milo! Milo celebrated his second birthday (and his teenage years) with another granola cake this year. It is incredible how much he has grown, how quickly (yet sometimes slowly) the year passed by, and how few posts I made in the meantime (hopefully I can fix that in the upcoming year).

The puppy's cuteness is unwavering though. Here are a few photos!

"I spy a cake."



"Is it for me?"



"Are you sure?"



"I'll just give it a little taste test."



"Maybe a big lick."



"Okay, get thee in my mouth!"



"All mine, all mine!"

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes - Summer is Here!

My brother and his wife's garden overfloweth with fresh fruit, so we took a load of lemons off their hands. Most of them went toward fresh lemonade (with many packets of Truvia and Splenda), but of course a few had to be saved for cupcakes.

These lemon cupcakes are topped with fresh strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream to welcome summer! Last year, summer decided to not show up in San Diego, so I am celebrating the warm sunny days we are finally getting this year. The cupcakes are made especially lemony with the addition of limoncello and lemon oil. The straws are made with rolled fondant painted with gold dusting powder.

Note to self: Do not cover overnight or the straws will wilt . . .

Apricot-Chocolate Cupcakes

These apricot-dark chocolate pound cake cupcakes were inspired by a cakelove recipe, and I was happy to finally put almond extract to good use. The almond flavor in the cake is a nice complement to the bittersweet chocolate, and these were delicious straight out of the oven with the chocolate bits still melted, and the dried apricot bits still soft and moist.

Unfortunately upon cooling, I found that the dried apricot bits became harder than they were to start out with. I might have to try pre-soaking them next time!

Admittedly, I am not a big fan of pound cake texture as it is denser, and with my unreliable oven from the 80s, my pound cakes are prone to ending up a bit dry and overbaked. But, I have found that pound cakes seem to get the most enthusiastic feedback from the office, so I'll keep working on them!

Mexican Brownie Cupcakes - Happy Cinco de Mayo

I discovered spicy Mayan hot chocolate at Coupa Cafe in Palo Alto and have loved that spiced up chocolate flavor ever since. When we moved to San Diego, we found out that Chuao Chocolatier, which supplies their chocolate bonbons and hot chocolates to Coupa Cafe, is based here! I was over the moon—an endless supply of spicy chocolate (and other favorites like Firecracker and Panko). Of course, it's a pricey supply, so for Cinco de Mayo, I decided to make Mexican brownies from scratch.

I am sure there are a variety of spices that can be added, but here's a simple way to get the job done:

Take your standard chocolate brownie recipe (a box mix works too) and add about 3/4 tsp. of ground chipotle chili pepper and 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon. I baked these as mini cupcakes, which requires about 18-20 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees, and topped with cinnamon buttercream. Avoid overbaking, since that seems to bake off the spice flavors.

Milo | Curious (Suspicious) Puppy

When Milo wakes up in the morning, the first thing he needs to do is go outside for a little walk. After waiting for me to put on my contacts, he jumps off my bed and scurries along behind me. When I get downstairs though, he always stops at the top of the stairs and tilts his head at me. Why? Because sometimes I go to my work laptop and check email first. Milo doesn't like that. Here's what he's thinking:

Me: "Come Milo!"
Milo: *stares* *blinks* *tilts head* "I don't believe you. Are you really taking me out or what?"
Me: "Milo, come!"
Milo: *snort* "You tricked me into jumping off the warm cozy bed!"
Me: "Milo, we're going outside!"
Milo: *tilts head other way* "Prove it."
Me: *puts on shoes*
Milo: "Not good enough."
Me: *jingles keys*
Milo: "You really mean it! I'm coming I'm coming!" *bouncing down stairs*

He also stops at the top of the stairs when we call him during the day too, as if to ponder whether there is anything in it for him if he came all the way down the stairs. Sometimes he will plop down too.


He also likes to do a plop down when we're bustling in the kitchen or otherwise ignoring him and he's waiting for a little attention.

Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes - A Late-Night Snack

I was hungry one night. So I said to my assistant: "Why don't we bake something? Will you help me?" What a dear husband I have.

For the mint chocolate lovers out there like me:

This is a chocolate cupcake with peppermint ganache filling. I used the Cooks Illustrated recipe for Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling that I previously blogged about, but added peppermint extract to the ganache. The frosting is a peppermint buttercream (add peppermint extract to any basic buttercream recipe). I then topped off the cupcakes with dark chocolate mint leaves, which were made by brushing tempered chocolate on the back of mint leaves, and then peeling off the leaves once the chocolate has set.

I've made these cupcakes a few times before, but I think the use of Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes this time around was a vast improvement over the one-bowl chocolate cupcakes that Martha Stewart's book suggests. However, ultimately, the mint leaves are what make these cupcakes so special.

Pig-Pickin' Cupcakes - And a Baby Shower

Pig-Pickin' Cake (also sometimes called Pig-Lickin' Cake or Mandarin Orange Cake) is apparently a tradition at a southern barbecue. It is usually served as a layered cake, but this is my vision of it as a cupcake.

The cake portion is essentially a variation on my orange cupcakes, using pureed mandarin oranges instead of orange juice concentrate. I filled these cupcakes with pineapple pudding (crushed pineapples and vanilla pudding), which is what is usually used as the layered frosting. Then I topped the cupcakes off with whipped frosting (a cross between fresh whipped cream and meringue frosting that holds its shape a little better than whipped cream—I had to make sure these would survive a 2-hour drive). Finally, to class these up a bit for a baby shower, I decorated with gum paste flowers, which were brushed with yellow pearlescent powder and accented with pearlized sprinkles. So fun to make!

You can find a recipe for Pig-Pickin' Cake with a simple search online, but here is what I did for the cupcakes:

Cake

* 1 (18 ounce) box yellow cake mix
* 1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges in juice
* 4 eggs
* 2/3 - 3/4 cup vegetable oil (I prefer to use less)
* 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Filling

* 1 (6 ounce) can crushed pineapple (some recipes call for the larger can, but the smaller portion works better as a cupcake filling)
* 1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping (thawed)
* 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding

Frosting

* 3 large egg whites
* 3/4 cup sugar
* Pinch of salt
* 1/3 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans (this recipe should make 24 cupcakes). In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, mandarin oranges (with juice), eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Beat until mandarin oranges break up. Pour into cupcake liners (about 2/3 full) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Note: Do not overfill the liners, as this batter will spill over the edges rather than form a tall mound. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, turn out of pans and finish cooling on wire racks.

In a mixing bowl, combine whipped topping, pineapple (with juice), and vanilla pudding mix. Carve out the center of the cooled cupcakes and fill with the pineapple pudding.

Frosting: In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine the 3 large egg whites, 3/4 cup sugar, pinch of salt and 1/3 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until glossy, stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about 3 minutes; reduce speed to low, add 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and beat just until combined. Use immediately.

Simple, and yummy. Enjoy!

I also made baby block cakes for the baby shower. These were brown sugar pound cake with brown sugar cream cheese frosting. It was a learning experience in working with fondant and trying to have a steady hand while piping royal icing. Let's just say, we are giving ourselves an A for effort, and a below average grade for execution =)

Champagne Cupcakes - Happy Valentine's Day

Okay, I admit that there now appears to be a trend in my most recent postings . . .

But I had to try making these cupcakes after seeing a version of them on Cupcake Wars. The cake here is a variation on a standard white cake recipe with about 3/4 cup of Chandon Extra Dry Riche sparkling wine added. I think the sweeter the champagne (or sparkling wine), the better this cupcake is, although dessert wines would probably be overdoing it. When looking up other bakers' attempts at champagne cupcakes, there were many suggestions for adding strawberries or using strawberry flavored wines. However, I can tell you that a simple, standard champagne works perfectly well, and I was thrilled with how light and subtly sweet this cupcake was.

To get some berry flavors in there, I topped the cupcake with Chambord buttercream. For those of you who are new to Chambord, I discovered this raspberry liqueur in a magazine ad—the kind that has the "open here and smell" panel that usually accompanies perfume ads. Since then, I have been obsessed with this liqueur's delicious scent! Chambord alone doesn't add sufficient coloring (unless you're going to use the entire bottle . . .), so I added a dab of pink food coloring. Then I topped with some sanding sugar and white pearls. Sparkly, sprinkled pink cupcakes aren't normally my style, but hey, it's Valentine's Day.

Mojito Cupcakes - Happy Hour!

Mint, lime, sugar, why not? When I think of mojitos, I think of one of my favorite restaurants, La Bodeguita del Medio, which serves up delicious Cuban fare (and mojitos of course) on California Avenue in Palo Alto. I think I will have to try a strawberry or raspberry variation of this cupcake sometime.

The cake is a pound cake flavored with lime, oven-dried mint, cloves, and a bit of limoncello and dark rum. This is probably the most alcohol I have purchased in a long time, all just for the use of a couple tablespoons. We will take any cocktail suggestions to help use up the rest of the supply! The addition of the alcohol actually results in a rather odd-smelling batter, but once the alcohol is baked away, you're left with a very refreshing and nuanced citrus pound cake. I frosted these cupcakes with a rum Italian meringue buttercream, and topped with turbinado sugar and fresh mint leaves.

I went a bit light on the mint and rum, but I figured it might not be appropriate to induce the office to imbibe too early on a Thursday morning =)

Cosmo Cookie Bars - A Cocktail w/o the Alcohol

These "cosmo" cookie bars have a cranberry-orange filling, and a crust flavored with lime zest. If you like the fresh tanginess of a traditional lemon bar, you'll probably like this spin on the bar. Fun colors too!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes - Happy Holidays!

My brother has an incredible camera lens . . .

I brought these mini cupcakes to family gatherings over the holidays. These chocolate cupcakes are filled with salted caramel, sprinkled with some coarse sea salt, piped with dark chocolate frosting, and additionally topped with a little more sea salt garnish.




Have chocolate and sea salt always been paired together, or is that a recent fad? In any case, I love how the combo tastes and sounds so gourmet.