Lemon Red Velvet Cupcakes - Red & Gold

It's homecoming weekend! For a reunion potluck with my syzsters, I made these red velvet cupcakes, filled with lemon curd and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting and a gumpaste yellow rose, as a nod to our sorority colors of red and gold.

I've actually never made red velvet cupcakes before, so I decided to try out two recipes, one from Cook's Illustrated (which I can almost always count on), and one from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (via Joy the Baker). Neither blew me away, as I thought both were slightly dry and not particularly flavorful on their own. Although both held up well and tasted great once assembled with the frosting and curd, I think a good cake should stand on its own.

 

Cook's Illustrated on left; Hummingbird Bakery on right 

Initially, out of the oven, I liked the Hummingbird recipe better, because it used more cocoa and food coloring, resulting in a deeper red color and a stronger chocolate flavor. But once the cupcakes were assembled and sat overnight, I thought the Cook's Illustrated recipe was more balanced. The Hummingbird recipe had a little too much cocoa, such that the cake tasted more like a chocolate cake (which, unless you are mixing in melted chocolate into the recipe, often has a slightly bitter aftertaste), and was overpowering the lemon and cream cheese flavors.

In the future, I hope to tinker with a oil-based recipe, rather than a butter-based one, as I generally prefer the texture and moistness of oil cakes (at least for cupcakes). Will update if I succeed there!

Cook's Illustrated Red Velvet Cake - from Holiday Baking 2010

Ingredients
Makes 20 cupcakes

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (regular, not Dutch-processed, for proper rise and color)
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. 
3. Whisk buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and eggs in large measuring cup. 
4. Mix cocoa with food coloring in small bowl until smooth paste forms. 
5. With stand mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. 
6. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. 
7. Add half of buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. 
8. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and finally remaining flour mixture. 
9. Scrape down bowl, add cocoa mixture and beat on medium speed until completely incorporated about 30 seconds. Using rubber spatula give batter final stir. (Note: make sure the red color is consistent throughout batter, especially at bottom of bowl.)
10. Scrape into lined cupcake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. 

adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook Red Velvet Cupcake - via Joy the Baker

Ingredients
Makes 20 cupcakes

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons red food coloring 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 ¼ cups flour 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. On medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
4. Turn the mixer to high and add the egg. Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.
5. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter and mix on medium speed until completely combined.
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth.
7. Again, reduce the mixer speed to low and add the salt, baking soda and vinegar. Turn to high and beat for another couple of minutes until completely combined and smooth.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the lemon cream cheese frosting, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, 12 oz. cream cheese, 1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract, and the juice from one lemon (to taste, about 2-3 tablespoons). Note: the acidity from the lemon juice may slightly break up the consistency of the frosting, so don't make this too far in advance.

For the lemon curd, combine 2 whole eggs, 8 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, and ⅔ cup lemon juice in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmer water. Cook and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, whisking until smooth. Strain the mixture through a sieve into a small bowl to remove lumps. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled and firm, at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days).

Chocolate Bourbon Tart

 Chocolate bourbon tart (with a slight emphasis on the bourbon . . . )

I love the crust on this. It has the crunchy yet crumbly texture and taste of a chocolate shortbread, which contrasts well with the rich bittersweet chocolate bourbon filling. It's like eating an adult fudgy brownie with a cookie crust.

This recipe is contributed by Michael Glissman to the Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2011 (which, by the way, has not let me down yet). I believe the original publication is from Italian Lunch in a Sonoma Vineyard with Jamey Whetstone and Michael Chiarello, and Food & Wine first published this in its monthly in October 2010.

Ingredients
Pastry

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

• 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup bourbon (if you're not a fan of the taste, dilute this a little)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 large eggs, room temperature

 Directions

1. In a small bowl, sift the flour with the cocoa powder and salt. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until it is well blended. Beat in the dry ingredients at low speed until just combined. Add the vanilla extract and beat just until a soft dough forms, about 5 seconds. Press the pastry into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. On a floured work surface, working quickly, roll out the pastry to an 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Gently press the pastry over the bottom and up the side of the pan. Trim off any excess pastry. Refrigerate the shell for about 20 minutes, until firm.
3. Line the pastry with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for about 30 minutes, until almost cooked. Remove the tart shell from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes, then gently remove the foil and weights. Return the shell to the oven and bake for about 12 minutes longer, until dry. Transfer to a wire rack and let the tart shell cool to room temperature. Just before filling, refrigerate the tart shell for a few minutes until slightly chilled.
4. Put the chocolate and salt in the bowl of the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. In a small saucepan, heat the bourbon with the sugar over moderate heat, stirring a few times, just until the sugar is dissolved; try not to let the bourbon boil. Pour the warm bourbon mixture over the chocolate. Add the pieces of butter and the eggs and beat at moderate speed until the mixture is creamy and shiny.
5. Set the tart shell on a large baking sheet and pour in the filling. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling has risen and the top is cracked in places. Transfer the tart to a rack and let it cool completely. Unmold the tart and refrigerate it overnight. Using a sharp knife, cut the tart into thin wedges and serve. 

Apricot Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

This is a great companion cookie for the Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Cookie, and uses a similar recipe, with dried apricots replacing the craisins, and semi-sweet chocolate (chips, and exterior dipping) replacing the white chocolate. The original recipe from Food & Wine uses much higher butter/sugar to flour/oatmeal ratio than the craisin recipe, which makes the cookie spread and get a bit thing. I've adapted it to be somewhat closer to the craisin recipe.

Adapted from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2011:

Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans
• 1 cup dried apricots, cut into ¼-inch dice
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
2. Bake the pecans until lightly toasted (about 8 minutes). Once cooled, chop coarsely.
3. Mix the oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
4. Using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until blended. Beat in the dry mixture until just incorporated. 
5. Fold in the dried apricots, toasted pecans and chocolate chips.
6. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto lined cookie sheets (parchment paper or nonstick foil), spaced at least 1-2 inches apart. Bake for about 16 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool and transfer to wire rack.
7. Drizzle with or dip in melted semi-sweet chocolate. 

These cookies will expand more than the craisins recipe.

Passion Fruit Cake - New Beginnings

Passion fruit is one of my favorite fruits, and has sentimental meaning to me as well. I made this passion fruit cake to commemorate the closing of one chapter of my life, and to toast new beginnings.

This cake has layers of ricotta pound cake brushed with a passion fruit simple syrup, and a whipped cream / passion fruit curd filling layered with fresh strawberries and kiwi.

I also made a cupcake version using the passion fruit curd as the filling, and the whipped cream / passion fruit curd mix as the topping. If you need to find passion fruit puree or concentrate, your local mercado should carry some.

 As for this following cupcake . . .

This cupcake isn't one of my creations—it's Kara's passion fruit cupcake—but it has special meaning for me. Nearly 4 years ago, a beautiful sparkling ring was given to me on this cupcake. It was a magical, memorable evening, and there have been many magical, memorable moments since.

My dear baking assistant and I now officially part ways after nearly 7 years together, but I have no doubt we'll be sharing laughter and memories in the future, over Milo, cupcakes, and life's many other bonbons.

We began and ended our relationship with a leap of faith, and a deep sense of trust. While I wouldn't wish the heartache we went through upon anyone, I do wish everyone could experience a friendship as meaningful as ours. Love you, always.

Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Cookies

Oftentimes, recipes on the back of boxes / packages can be rather mediocre, having been dumbed down to be accessible to the general public. This one, however, despite its simplicity, is a home run. It's quick and easy, and most people seem to love the taste, even if they are not particular fans of oatmeal cookies, craisins, or white chocolate.

Adapted from Ocean Spray® Craisins® package:

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup butter, softened
• ⅔ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. dried cranberries (i.e. Ocean Spray® Craisins®) - Note: I would use 1 to 1 ½ cups.
• ⅔ cup white chocolate chunks or chips - Note: I would use 1 to 1 ½ cups.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Using a mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. 
4. Drizzle with melted white chocolate for extra flair and flavor.

Most of the sweetness and flavor for this cookie comes from the dried cranberries and white chocolate, so be liberal with those ingredients. In addition, note that these cookies expand very little in the oven. I would flatten them slightly before baking. No need to worry about the cookies running into each other as they bake.

Dame Chocolat - Bittersweet Chocolate Mousse Cake

A birthday cake for my office neighbor!

This bittersweet chocolate mousse cake is another one from Extraordinary Desserts. According to  Extraordinary Desserts' website:

"This cake is the Grande Dame of chocolate tortes. Dark and intense chocolate mousse sits atop a light layer of flourless chocolate cake creating a richly irresistible chocolate experience."

I was fairly stressed about all the components to this cake and the execution of the assembly, but I'm happy that it all worked out in the end. Two chocolate genoise cake layers are soaked with a semi-sweet cocoa simple syrup, and topped with bittersweet chocolate-rum ganache and bittersweet chocolate mousse. The surface finish is a chocolate miroir (see description and recipe below), and I used fresh gladiolus flowers for decoration. This is a death-by-chocolate sort of cake (which fortunately was the birthday boy's wish) that is moist and decadent, and oddly both light and dense at the same time.

The cake layers are flourless, and bake like a giant souffle (including the tendency to collapse). After realizing that I was not going to perfect the souffle in my first couple attempts, I decided to just make two cakes instead of splitting one cake into two halves. Although the cake is flourless, it is actually an airy genoise that holds up well when brushed with a syrup.

The cake is baked in a pan with a removable bottom to allow for easier handling. After baking, the edges of the cake are trimmed to reduce the diameter. Each cake layer is brushed with the syrup, topped with the ganache, and then covered with mousse, which spills over into the outer rim between the trimmed cake and the cake pan. After the cake sets in the freezer, a ganache layer is spread on top, and then a chocolate miroir is poured on to create a glossy, smooth finish.

What is chocolate miroir you ask? I describe it as a chocolate ganache with gelatin added for shine and texture.

Dark Chocolate Miroir

Ingredients

• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons water
  
• 1 gelatin sheet (or about 1/3 packet gelatin powder)
• 1 tablespoon glucose or light corn syrup

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, cocoa powder and heavy cream with 2 tablespoons water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat.
2. While the sugar is cooking, place the gelatin in cool water to soften and bloom. Squeeze out or drain excess water. Add to hot sugar mixture along with the glucose (or light corn syrup) and mix well to combine.
3. Use immediately (pour over cake and spread evenly with a large offset spatula).

Dear readers: I no longer possess an SLR camera, so the photography work on this blog will suffer briefly while I use a camera phone and whatever other resources I have within reach during my random baking hours.

Sesame Caramel Rice Fritters & Tres Leches Cupcakes - Belated Cinco de Mayo

I didn't get a chance to make these for Cinco de Mayo like I had planned to, but I made them happen anyway over the past week.

Rice Fritters with Sesame Caramel
(see recipe from Food Network)

If you search for Cinco de Mayo desserts, churros, or variations of fried dough dipped in sugar, are likely to turn up. I thought these rice fritters would be slightly more interesting and challenging, so I decided to give them a try. Delicious, and well-worth the effort! But perhaps no healthier than churros (they are deep-fried afterall) . . .

 

Tres Leches Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche
(adapted from Saveur Magazine, see also theurbanbaker.com)

Ingredients
Makes 24 cupcakes

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 ½ tablespoons dark rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-oz. can evaported milk
• 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Heat ¾ cup of the heavy cream in a saucepan until it boils/simmers. Pour over white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let sit for a couple minutes before stirring with a spatula until the white chocolate is melted and smooth.
2. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
4. Beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Continue beating while adding the sugar.
5. Separately beat the egg yolks until fluffy. Using the paddle attachment, add the flour mixture and whole milk, alternating between the two and ending with the flour.
6. Add the rum and vanilla and beat briefly until smooth.
7. Folk in the egg whites.
8. Scoop batter into cupcake liners, and bake for 16-18 minutes until slightly golden. Be careful not to overbake. Since the cake will be soaked in tres leches, it will ultimately be "moist" in any event, but the cake texture is spongy and can get stiff.
9. After baking, let cool slightly (~30 minutes), and then poke holes in the top of the cupcakes with a knife, making sure to penetrate to the base.
10. Peel off the paper liners. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, and spoon the mixture over the warm cupcakes (3-5 tablespoons should do the trick, with the excess sitting in the cupcake pan to ensure that the bottom of the cupcakes are moistened). I wouldn't worry about oversoaking.
11. Cover the cupcakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well-chilled and the liquid is absorbed (at least 4 hours).
12. Spread/drizzle dulce de leche on top of the cupcakes, and top with whipped cream.
    

Home-made dulce de leche is quite easy. It is essentially caramelized condensed milk. Some recipes prepare it directly in the can by placing the can in a boiling pot of water. I decided to go with the oven method (see, e.g. David Lebovitz's recipe):

Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into a shallow pie pan or baking pan. Place that pan in a larger roasting dish / baking pan that has a lid. Fill the outer pan with water until near the top of the inner pan. Cover with lid and baking at 425° F for 75-90 minutes. Check occasionally in case you need to add more water. A darker crust/layer will form on the top of the condensed milk / dulce de leche. Whisk the dulce de leche until it is smooth (you may need to strain out pieces of crust). Voila!