Cupcake Project

Dinner Roll Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:56:00 +0000

This dinner roll recipe was chewy and light on the inside with a crusty exterior. Yogurt gives this dinner roll recipe a bit of a tang and honey provides it with a subtle sweetness. To make the dinner roll recipe more cupcake fan friendly, I baked the rolls in cupcake tins. The rolls came out looking just like little bread cupcakes!

For kicks, you could "frost" them with some butter and jam!

The Dinner Roll Recipe

I got the dinner roll recipe from my Taste & Create partner this month, Robin at Hippo Flambe (is that not the coolest name for a blog?). Robin originally got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Baking Bites. I've reprinted the recipe here with my notes and the change to make them as cupcake rolls.

Makes about 12 cupcake-sized rolls

1 1/2 - 2 C whole wheat pastry flour (I know it's uncool to say it, but I'm not a fan of whole wheat flour. I used entirely all-purpose flour for the rolls.)
2 - 2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 T active dry yeast
3 T honey
1 C tepid water (105° - 115° F)
1 C yogurt (Robin used Greek style yogurt, as did I.)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 t salt

If using both whole wheat and all-purpose flour, mix the two flours together in a bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1/2 cup flour (or flour mix), yeast, honey and tepid water.
Stir well and let stand for 10 minutes, until bubbles form.
With flat beater blade or a wooden spoon, stir in yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and 2 more cups of flour (or flour mix).
Gradually mix in remaining flour until you have a soft dough that pulls from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto a floured counter and knead by hand or use the dough hook attachment on an electric mixer. This should take about 5 minutes.
Cover the bowl with a lid or a towel and let rise until the dough doubles in size, approximately 1 hour.
Spray cupcake tins with non-stick baking spray or coat with melted butter.
Break off pieces of dough and roll into balls that fill each cupcake slot. The balls should almost fill each depression. Both Hippo Flambe and Baking Bites go into detail about how to make sure that each roll is exactly the same size. I don't really care about homemade things all being the same size. I like that people can choose whether they want a bigger one or a smaller one.
Cover with a clean, damp dish towel and let rise for 25 minutes. After rising, mine looked like the photo above.
Bake at 375 F for about 20 minutes, until rolls are a deep golden brown on the top.
Break one open and dig in!

Why Does Cantaloupe Taste Like Corn?

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +0000

"Thanks for the corn muffins!"
"These are awesome corn muffins!"

I'd be flattered if these were comments made after I served people corn muffins. In this case, I served cantaloupe cupcakes containing zero corn. I would be offended, only I had to agree that they tasted just like corn muffins! (My other recent cupcake, which also tasted like a corn muffin, at least contained corn meal.)

I happen to have two friends who are allergic to corn. This cupcake would be perfect for them or anyone else reading this who likes the taste of corn but suffers from corn allergies.

I can't begin to tell you why cantaloupe tastes like corn. Maybe it's the gritty texture and the mild sweetness? If you've got an idea, please let me know in the comments.

Cantaloupe Cupcake Recipe (AKA Fake Corn Muffins)

Makes about 13 cupcakes

2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 C unsalted butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs
2/3 C sour cream or Greek yogurt
2/3 C cantaloupe soup (see my post on cantaloupe soup) or pureed cantaloupe with 1/2 t ground ginger and 1 t lemon juice

Whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl for 1 minute, until light and fluffy.
Beat eggs and sour cream into the butter/sugar mixture until blended.
Alternately fold in flour mixture and 2/3 cup cantaloupe soup in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out of cupcake clean.

The Frosting

Everyone's favorite part of these cupcakes was the lemon ginger whipped cream that I frosted them with. I used the cream whipper to make the whipped cream, but you could also make it with a regular mixer.

1 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t lemon extract

Whip heavy whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
Mix in everything else.

For extra fun, I topped some of the cupcakes with ginger-flavored pearl sugar. Flavored pearl sugars are a great alternative to sprinkles. Sadly, these gems are hard to come by. I found them at a local store that no longer sells them. The only place I've been able to find them online is a French site (it looks like they do ship to the US, but it's pretty pricey - lucky European readers).

How to Transport Cupcakes with Whipped Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I love frosting cupcakes with simple whipped cream frostings. When I need to transport the cupcakes in the summer heat, I always worry about the whipped cream becoming a big, melty mess.

What's a cupcake baker to do?

One option is to make the whipped cream frosting on site, which is messy - and who wants to shlep ingredients along to the party?

A better option is to use a cream whipper.

A cream whipper is an aluminum canister with a nitrous oxide charger that makes whipped cream on the fly. With a cream whipper, you can keep your cupcakes at room temperature and only worry about keeping the cream whipper cold (easily achieved in a small cooler). It's basically like making your own fresh Reddi-Whip.

The only downside of the cream whipper is that you can't put anything in it that isn't liquid or easily dissolved in liquid - so whipped cream with pieces of fruit, zest, or chunks of anything is out.

I was lucky enough to receive a free Liss Dessert Chef Cream Whipper to try out. But, they really aren't as expensive to buy as you might think. Liss is offering an awesome deal just for Cupcake Project readers. You can get one directly from them for $35.95.

Once I figured out how to use the cream whipper (the instructions were quite confusing), I really loved the product.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Lis Dessert Chef Cream Whipper

1. Begin by putting in your ingredients. A basic whipped cream frosting contains 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Add to that whatever flavors you like. For example, I made a lemon ginger whipped cream by adding 1/2 t lemon extract and 1/2 t ground ginger to the cream and sugar.

2. Put the rubber ring seals on top of the canister.
3. Screw on the top.

4. The charger (the thing that looks like a little bullet) comes in a separate box. Place a charger in the charger holder and screw it on to the lid. It may make a hissing sound. Do not fear. Note that you can only use a charger one time.

6. You are now ready to shake.

7. Shake the whole thing four or five times. It doesn't have to be miles away from your body like in the photo - I was just being dramatic about it.

8. Remove the charger holder. Replace the charger with the black nubby circle. Screw one of the two tips included with the cream whipper onto the the lid.

9. Frost away. I haven't yet mastered the art of pretty piping with the cream whipper, but it sure is fun!! You can even let your guests do their own frosting. Kids will LOVE it!

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Lemon and Ginger

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Why did gazpacho (which in my opinion is simply salsa disguised as a soup) become *the* chilled soup? The other day while attending the Saucy Soiree (an event by the St. Louis food magazine that Jonathan freelances for), I made a new friend - chilled cantaloupe soup. The chilled cantaloupe soup was prepared by Highway 61 Roadhouse & Kitchen. It was sweet enough to be served as dessert, especially since it was topped with pieces of praline. However, it would also work as a great appetizer. I decided I'd have to try to make this refreshing summer treat myself.

After browsing an array of cantaloupe soup recipes, I came accross one that stood out on Organic Valley's website - cantaloupe soup with lemon and ginger. The ginger added a little kick to the soup and the lemon made it extra fresh and summery.

Here is the recipe, with some slight modifications:

Serves 8

2 T butter
2 T honey
1 T finely grated fresh ginger root
1 heaping T finely grated lemon peel
6-7 C coarsely chopped, fully ripe cantaloupe (For me, this was one medium-sized cantaloupe. You might want to buy two just to be safe.)
1 1/2-2 C milk (I used 2%)
8 sprigs fresh mint (I used basil instead since we had some fresh in our garden)

Place butter, honey, ginger root and lemon peel in a small bowl.
Microwave until butter is fully melted, about 45 seconds.
Stir to blend mixture.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape mixture into a food processor or blender.
Add melon chunks and puree until as smooth as possible.
Stir in milk.
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill thoroughly (4 or more hours).
Garnish each serving with a mint or basil sprig. (Serving in a hollowed out cantaloupe is a nice effect, but obviously optional.)
Don't eat it all because you can use some to make cantaloupe cupcakes - recipe coming soon!

4th of July Cupcakes with Built-In Ice Cream Cones

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:34:00 +0000

4th of July cupcakes need red, white, and blue. But, 4th of July cupcakes (at least in St. Louis) are typically served on a HOT day and will need to compete with anything cold. So this year, my 4th of July cupcakes have a built in ice cream cone with bright red strawberry sorbet! The white comes from the frosting (I could have made the cake white, but went for yellow - close enough) and the blue comes from the sprinkles (I could have also used blueberries if I had some on hand).

These 4th of July cupcakes are designed to get you thinking rather than to provide you with any specific recipe. The key is the mini waffle cone deeply planted into the cupcake (do this right before serving to keep the cone from getting soggy), but what you use for the cake, frosting, and ice cream flavor is up to you!

Here are some other 4th of July ideas, using the mini cone, to get you thinking:

Blueberry cupcakes, vanilla buttercream frosting, and cherry ice cream.
Raspberry cupcakes, blueberry frosting, and vanilla ice cream.
Lemon cupcakes, blackberry frosting (blackberries look blue), and coconut sorbet.

Feel free to share your original ideas in the comments!

Yellow Cake Recipe

For the curious, I'm including the yellow cake recipe that I used. I got the recipe from my Twitter friend Cakes4RockStarz. Despite the thousands of cupcakes I have made, I very rarely make a plain yellow cake and wanted to find a really good recipe. Several Twitter friends helped out by offering their favorites. I have not had a chance to try them all yet, but this one was light, moist, and flavorful. I won't go so far as to say it's the perfect yellow cake - it was missing something, though it's hard to put my very picky finger on what. So, I'm still on the hunt.

Makes 16 cupcakes

1/2 C butter
1 C sugar
4 egg yolks
3 t vanilla bean paste (you could also use vanilla extract or the seeds from 1/2 of a vanilla bean)
2 C flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C water
1 T apple cider vinegar

Cream butter and sugar.
Mix in egg yolks and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, mix water and apple cider vinegar.
Mix in dry and wet ingredients alternatively to the butter/sugar mixture, ending with the dry.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched.

Root Beer Whipped Cream Frosting

I wasn't in the mood for a plain vanilla frosting. This recipe makes a root beer whipped cream frosting, but you can replace the root beer extract with any flavor you prefer.

1 C heavy whipping cream
1/3 C sugar
1/2 t root beer extract

Whip the whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
Mix in sugar and extract.

Other 4th of July Cupcake Ideas

Check out my other 4th of July cupcake ideas.

Strawberry Sorbet That You Can't Screw Up

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:27:00 +0000

Strawberry sorbet is a cool, tangy splash that refreshes and energizes you as it hits your palate. Strawberry sorbet is not quite a miracle drug, but strawberry sorbet is miraculously easy to make and (especially when served in a homemade petite waffle cone) it is sure to brighten your world.

Strawberry Sorbet Recipe

I got the strawberry sorbet recipe by modifying a plum sorbet recipe from Garret at Simply Recipes. There are tons of appetizing sorbet recipes at Simply Recipes that are worth checking out. Aside from the switch to strawberries, I also changed the recipe to be only two steps - you can't screw it up!

Made about 1/2 quart of sorbet.

2 1/2 C of strawberries (If at all possible, I highly recommend getting your strawberries at a farmers' market . The tiny ones that you find at farmers' markets tend to be packed with much more flavor than the huge perfect looking ones that you find at most US grocery stores. I recommend buying lots of strawberries while they are in season and freezing them; frozen strawberries work just as well as fresh ones for this recipe. Don't worry about being exact with your measurement. I just put the strawberries into a measuring cup. I pressed down a little bit, but didn't pack them.)
1/4 C + 2 T of sugar
1 t lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 T Grand Marnier, optional (This keeps the sorbet from getting too icy.)

Throw all of the ingredients in a blender and liquefy them.
Put the mixture in your ice cream maker and follow the instructions of your model.

BTW - I used the sorbet cones in 4th of July cupcakes!

Waffle Cone Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:30:00 +0000

I've been wanting to try out a waffle cone recipe for quite a while. The only problem was that I couldn't make a waffle cone recipe without a waffle cone maker. Lucky for me - Chef's Choice sent me a Petite Cone Express waffle cone maker to try out!

Rather than making one big cone, it makes three little ones. You know that I like things mini, so this waffle cone maker was perfect for me!

The waffle cone recipe that comes with the maker tells you to use the Chef's Choice waffle cone mix, but since I am a from-scratch kinda gal, I decided to go a different route.

I used a waffle cone recipe by Gale Gand that I found on the Food Network. In the comments on that recipe, some readers complained that the dough was too cookie-like. But, if you think about it, a good waffle cone is essentially a crisp sugar cookie. I found that Gale's recipe was ideal for making fresh, crunchy, sweet waffle cones. The recipe contains cinnamon and nutmeg, which gives the cones a slightly different flavor than the ones you get in your local ice cream shop. I liked the spices, but if you don't, you can always leave them out.

I've reprinted the waffle cone recipe below, along with step-by-step instructions for making the cones in the Chef's Choice PetiteCone Express (obviously, the recipe would work in any waffle cone maker). I didn't count how many waffle cones it made, but you can look at the pictures at the top and bottom of this post to get an idea. It made a lot!

1 C heavy cream
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 T cornstarch

In a bowl with a whisk, whip the cream with the vanilla until mousse-like (it won't form peaks).

Sift the remaining ingredients together and stir them into the cream to make a batter.

Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

Heat up the waffle cone iron. I used heat setting 2.5.

You'll know that it is ready to go because the light turns green.

Grease the top and bottom of the waffle iron. I used a non-stick spray.

Put a dollop of batter onto each of the three waffle molds. The waffle maker comes with a spoon to scoop the batter with so you know exactly how much batter to use. If you use too much, the three waffles will stick together. If you use too little, the waffles will be hard to roll. Tip: The first time that you do it, I would highly recommend doing only one at a time. That way, you can make sure that you've got the technique down without wasting any batter.

Close the lid.

The light will turn red. When it turns green again, it's time to roll your waffle.

The waffle maker comes with a cone shaped mold to roll the waffle around. Here are a couple of rolling tips:

Work fast. The waffles harden super quickly.
Protect your hands. The waffle will be really hot and you could burn yourself. You might want to use a towel or wear gloves to help you roll.
As soon as the cone begins to overlap itself, press down firmly as you continue to roll to make it stick closed. It also helps to hold the waffle in the position shown in step four for a few seconds.
Use your fingers to pinch together the hole at the bottom of the cone.
If you are making three waffles at once, take them off the iron one at a time. Don't take a waffle off of the iron until you are ready to mold it, otherwise the third waffle will be too hard to shape by the time you get to it.

Store the cooled waffle cones in a Ziploc bag until you are ready to fill them with ice cream or whatever else your mind dreams up. Mine are going in 4th of July cupcakes.

Winners!!

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:24:00 +0000

The soon to be proud owner of three bars of Amano chocolate is:

Cupcake Activist!

The person who will soon make some kids very happy with Crazy for Cupcakes by Action Toys is:

Revolvingaura!

Congrats to you both!!

[Details on these products and the original contest rules.]

Polenta Cupcakes Morphed Into Corn Muffins - A Story with a Moral

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:21:00 +0000

Polenta cupcakes seemed like a good idea. My Taste & Create partner this month, My Kitchen Treasures, had a recipe for a date, ricotta, and polenta cake that sounded like it would be a winner in cupcake form. I decided that I would give it a try using mangoes instead of dates.

First, I made some polenta.

And there - right there in the very first step - is where I went wrong.

You see, when the recipe called for polenta, it was referring to uncooked polenta (essentially corn meal), not the cooked, fluffy stuff that I posted about last week - oops!

Fact: Almost all cupcake recipes take about 20 minutes to bake.
Fact: My polenta cupcakes were still raw on the inside at 45 minutes in the oven. Cooked polenta = too much moisture.

But Then, The Miracle Happened

After one hour in the oven, I had basically given up on my poor polenta cupcakes and was about to throw them all in the trash when Jonathan tried one and noted that it tasted like a corn muffin. I had a bite and had to agree. They were sweeter than a typical corn muffin and moist rather than crumbly, but if I thought of them as corn muffins, not cupcakes, they were rather tasty. Rather than trashing them or frosting them, I left them naked, called them corn muffins, and served them with the main course to our dinner guests.

The Verdict: Our guests loved them! They even went back for seconds.

When I told our friends the story and asked whether the recipe was good enough to post on the blog, they said, "Definitely."

The Moral of the Story

Don't give up just because something doesn't go the way you had planned; you might just discover something new and exciting!

The "Corn Muffin" Recipe

As I said above, this recipe is a modification of the date, ricotta, and polenta cake from My Kitchen Treasures. I encourage you to check out the recipe in its original form and give that a try as well.

Makes about 15 muffins

For The Muffins

2 C flour
1 t baking powder
2/3 C cooked polenta
1 C sugar
1 1/4 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C butter, room temperature
3/4 C water
1 C finely chopped mango

For The Filling

1 C ricotta cheese
1 t vanilla extract
2 T powdered sugar

Combine flour, baking powder, polenta, sugar, cheese, butter and the water in large bowl, and beat on low speed with a electric mixer until combined.
Fold in mango.
Fill cupcake liners half full with batter.
In a small bowl, mix all filling ingredients.
Spread a thin layer of filling over each filled muffin.
Top off each muffin with remaining batter until they are all 3/4 full.
Bake at 375 F for about one hour.

About the Plates

The plates you see in these photos were a gift from Marx Foods. They are disposable palm leaf plates.

According to the info on Marx's website:

These environmentally friendly small hexagonal palm plates are made from a natural, renewable, and biodegradable raw material. Naturally discarded sheaths of the leaves of the Adaka palm tree, which in the course of its biological life cycle, dry, fall and regenerate, are collected. No trees are cut down. The palm sheaths are then cleaned in fresh spring water and molded into bowls.
Palm leaf plates are leak proof and able to withstand hot and cold temperatures without getting soggy or flimsy. They are smaller than our full sized Hexagonal Palm Leaf Plates and thus perfect for salads and side dishes.

Even though these are disposable plates, each durable piece is unique with an attractive wood pattern finish that fits into both rustic and elegant events.

I was very impressed with the quality of the plates. They were super thick! Also, aside from the fact that they are environmentally friendly, they are gorgeous - perhaps even too gorgeous to throw out. The good news is that we didn't have to throw them out!

Even though the palm plates were billed as disposable, there is no reason that you have to trash them after one use. We used them for the muffins and for some greasy pizza and we were still able to rinse them off, let them dry, and use them again. I think we should be able to get many more uses out of them before having to pitch them. We did, however, give up one of our plates because a friend wanted to feed it to her compost worms and see how they liked it. I haven't heard the report on how that went yet.

The plates are available for sale on the Marx Foods website.

How to Cook Polenta

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:17:00 +0000

How to Cook Polenta

To find out how to cook polenta, I headed to Eating Out Loud. I needed to find out how to cook polenta because my next cupcake has polenta as an ingredient.

Since I was making polenta anyway, we decided to have it for dinner. Polenta is a cheap and easy way to have a dinner that looks incredibly gourmet. For the best effect, be sure to call your polenta dinner "polenta with ragout and pan seared beef" rather than "cornmeal with tomato sauce and hamburger meat."

Polenta Recipe

Cooking polenta is really easy, and the best part (depending on how you look at it) is that you can cook polenta instead of taking a trip to the gym. It involves stirring a very heavy cornmeal mush for about thirty minutes - an incredible arm workout!

First, you'll need to buy some uncooked polenta. Polenta is essentially cornmeal, and any old cornmeal would work just fine. However, according to a helpful discussion thread on Chowhound, polenta has more of a standardized grain size. I purchased my uncooked polenta from the bulk bin at Whole Foods. Bob's Red Mill also sells it.

Below you'll find the polenta cooking technique as found on Eating Out Loud, along with my notes.

6 C water
1 t salt
2 C uncooked polenta (any cornmeal will work)
3 T unsalted butter

Heat water with salt over high heat and bring to a boil.
Stir in polenta and reduce to a simmer. It’s important at this point to keep the mixture moving using a strong wooden spoon.
Stir for about 30 minutes — the mixture will thicken immediately, but the consistency and thickness will continue to develop during the 30 minutes. It’s important to keep stirring, don’t give up. (I wanted to give up. I wanted so much to give up. I ended up having my husband help out. He's made polenta before and never stirred for thirty minutes. He didn't see the point until it was all done and the consistency was perfect! If you prefer more of a soft polenta, then I give you the OK to quit.)
After 30 minutes, stir in butter until blended.
Pour the polenta into a greased baking dish and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. The polenta will become firm and can be sliced at this point.
The polenta can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

Coming Up Next

Coming up next, I've got a post about polenta cupcakes that somehow morphed into awesome moist corn muffins.

Toys for Your Kids and Toys for Your Taste Buds - A Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:07:00 +0000

Our definition of toy changes as we grow. My favorite toy when I was a kid was my stuffed animal whom I creatively named "Teddy" (as it turns out, he was a monkey, not a bear). Today, my favorite toy is my Kitchen-Aid mixer (no, I'm not giving one of those away).

Toys for Your Kids

Many months ago, I was contacted by Action Toys about reviewing their new cupcake toy, Crazy for Cupcakes. Since my baby is still in the womb (his favorite toy is the umbilical cord), I thought that I would recruit some product tester kids. Sadly, the coordination effort on that task ended up being far more work than I anticipated. So instead, I'm offering the toy to you for your kid to try.

This photo supplied by Action Toys. All other photos in this post are by J. Pollack Photography.

Each "cupcake" in this toy contains four parts - a cup, cake, frosting, and a topper. Your child can mix and match to create his/her own cupcake masterpieces. Some of the parts are also scented. I tried really hard to smell them through the plastic, but the smell does not come through. If you win, you'll have to let me know what you think.

Toys for Your Taste Buds

You will most likely not want to share with your child the second toy I'm giving away .

Sure, your kids like chocolate. I, for one, have plans to raise a chocolate snob who will prefer single-origin bean-to-bar chocolate over the cheap stuff. But if you have to share with your children, try to keep your little ones from eating a whole bar in a single sitting - you're going to want this chocolate to last.

Amano, one of my favorite chocolate companies (see the interview with owner Art Pollard on my now defunct blog, Food Interviews), has recently come out with three new chocolate bars. I had the luxury of trying free samples of all of them and wanted to pass on that joy to one of my readers.

Two of the three new bars are Amano's first milk chocolate bars. I've grown to prefer dark chocolate and the milk chocolate seemed too sweet to me. I certainly wouldn't turn them down, though! They were really good for milk chocolate. I liked the Ocumare a bit better than the Jembrana - it had more complex flavors. If you love milk chocolate, though, you may love them both.

The Montanya bar. Ah, the Montanya bar. Wait - don't stop my day dreaming. This bar was heavenly. It was so full of smoky, spicy bursts of flavor that after I ate a small square, I didn't want to eat anything else for an hour so that the last little bit of flavor could linger in my mouth. To say I loved this bar would be an understatement. If you don't win it, you should buy it!

How Do I Win?

Entering to win toys for your kids or toys for your taste buds is easy:

Leave a comment on this post by midnight PST on Tuesday, June 23. In the comment, include:

Which prize you would like - either Crazy for Cupcakes (you'll get Batch 1 and Batch 2) or Amano Chocolate (you'll get one of each of the three bars shown above). You can only pick one prize.
Your email address so that I can contact you if you win.

If you would like to to enter to win both prizes or enter twice for a prize you really want:

Tweet about this contest with a link to this post.
Leave a second comment on this post. In the comment, include:

Your Twitter ID
What prize you're entering for with your tweet

Good luck!!

Baby Food Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Baby food cupcakes had some people grossed out, but I'm not sure why. Baby food cupcakes are just cupcakes made with baby food (which is simply mashed up fruits and/or vegetables). I'm sure I'll be making a bunch of these once our baby arrives. However, the baby food cupcakes in this post were not made by me.

For our baby shower, our friends asked that anyone who was up for the challenge make and bring baby food cupcakes. It was a fun change to eat some cupcakes that I didn't make. I don't have all of the recipes, but maybe some of the cupcake bakers will post the recipes in the comments. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until I start making and using baby food to see some recipes posted on this blog (I'm due in August and I hear that babies don't eat food at birth, so it will be a while).

Here are the baby food cupcakes*:

Carrot cupcakes with custard and cream cheese frosting

Baby sized banana and strawberry cupcakes

Banana, peach, raspberry cupcakes

Carrot, applesauce, and apricot cupcakes with whipped cream frosting

*J. Pollack Photography (the dad-to-be) was not working the event with his professional gear. He wants it pointed out that these photos were taken on our little point and shoot.

Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup Prize Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I just want to begin by again thanking everyone for participating in the 2009 Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup - our 35 bakers, 650 voters, and 8 prize donors! We are so excited with all of the participation!

If you won a prize, please email stef at cupcakeproject dot com with your mailing address and phone number within the next week.

Without further ado, I present to you the winners:

Reader's Choice Award

This prize goes to the cupcake that received the most reader votes. It was a close competition, but the winner was Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cupcakes from Little Big Cakes.

People had some great things to say about these cupcakes; here are some highlights:

I really like carrot cake and this one looks perfect!
After a lot of scrolling and wiping the drool from my mouth, I was finally able to narrow it down to this one and the Vegan Piña Colada Ice Cream Cupcakes from Cookies and Candids. There were a lot that I loved that were yummy looking as desserts. But part of the appeal of cupcakes, for me anyway, is the instant satisfaction. No cutting, no dishes, no utensils, just peel and eat. The carrot cake seems like it would have a lot of flavor yet is still simple to eat.
Carrot cake with pecan ice cream sounds awesome! Simple, but great.
Are you kidding? Do you really have to ask? Just bite into a cake from Little Big Cakes! I can just look at the picture & smell it... makes my mouth water.
Great flavor combo and the picture was really appealing.
It's simple, and classic, but with a twist. I love that it's not over thought, and the finished product still looks clean and delicious!
It is the one I would most like to make, some others were so beyond my cooking abilities.
I love carrot cake and this cupcake has all the best elements of carrot cake in a neat little cupcake!
Because the cake may be 'little' but the taste is 'big'! Mmm scrumdiddlyumptious!
I loved how neat and perfect looking it looks (like a fancy Reese's) - plus Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese icing is one of my favorites.
Can't go past carrot cake!! I am sitting here eating my low fat yogurt but dreaming it tastes like carrot cake ice cream cupcakes!!!
It's a simple, traditional flavor. And not too flashy or over the top. Less is more! I would love to buy dozens of these!!!

Prize: 12 pack of gourmet cupcake wrappers from Bella Cupcake Couture.

Editor's Choice - Cupcake Project

This prize was up to me and it was incredibly hard to choose. How do you pick between 35 cupcakes that all sound amazing? In the end, I chose Fragola Tiramisu olio d'oliva Gelato Tortatina (Strawberry Tiramisu Olive Oil Gelato Cupcake) from Little Ivy Cakes. I almost didn't pick it because it was so complicated that it barely resembled a cupcake. However, with so many different components (almost all homemade) that I would love to taste independently or combined and the sheer amount of effort and creativity that went into these beauties, my choice became clear. I imagined how wide my eyes would get if I were ever served a cupcake of this magnitude and culinary depth. I would feel so special to have the opportunity to try it.

Prize: Cupcake tote bag from Avocado Creations.

Editor's Choice - Scoopalicious

This prize was chosen by Bethany and Tina of Scoopalicious. They selected Chocolate Raspberry Baby Cupcakes from Inspired Creations. To find out why, you'll have to head over to their blog!

Prize: 12 pack of gourmet cupcake wrappers from Bella Cupcake Couture.

Entry Prizes

All of the remaining prizes were chosen using a random number generator (Random.org). We tried whenever possible to give out one of the top three choices selected by the participants. However, in the cases where those prizes were already assigned, participants were given whatever prizes remained. Several lucky participants were randomly selected more than once (you'll see who you are)!

Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Cupcakes from Yumsilicious Bakes
Prize: Bag of cacao nibs from Patric Chocolate.

Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream Cupcakes from Cupcake Muffin
Prize: Prize pack from Just Jenn Designs and pack of eight cupcake birthday cards by Bethany of Scoopalicious.

Lovelight Lemon Raspberry Sorbet Cupcakes from Sweet & Saucy
Prize: 4x5 illustration from Cakespy and cupcake pendant from Krissi's Mixed Media Arts.

Frozen Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes from Krista Joy
Prize: 12 pack of gourmet cupcake wrappers from Bella Cupcake Couture.

Choconaners from Cherryspoon
Prize: Bag of cacao nibs from Patric Chocolate.

Rocky Roca Ice Cream Cupcakes from Sweet & Saucy
Prize: Bread mix from JB Dough.

Fragola Tiramisu olio d'oliva Gelato Tortatina (Strawberry Tiramisu Olive Oil Gelato Cupcake) from Little Ivy Cakes
Prize: Bread mix from JB Dough.

Couch Peanut Cupcakes from Res-o-puh-leese
Prize: Bread mix from JB Dough.

Voter's Prize

This winner was randomly selected from those of you who voted in the roundup. The winner was Tiffany Kanis.

Prize: Pack of eight cupcake birthday cards by Bethany of Scoopalicious.

Congrats to all the winners! Keep on bakin'!

Black Forest Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Black forest cupcakes are just like black forest cake, but in cupcake form. For the uninitiated, black forest cake is chocolate cake soaked in cherry liqueur, with a cherry filling, a whipped cream topping, and cherries and chocolate on top.

According to What's Cooking America, black forest cake was named in the late 16th century after the Black Forest Region in Germany (Der Schwarzwald in German) located in the state of Baden-Württemberg. In German, black forest cake is called Schwarzwälderkirschtorte.

These black forest cupcakes were light, fluffy, and incredibly moist. Because of the cherry filling and liqueur, they were almost too moist to eat without a fork. This didn't seem to bother anyone!

Black Forest Cake Recipe

I got the recipe for the cake portion of the black forest cupcakes from AllRecipes. The cake itself is simply a chocolate cake. All of the cherry flavor comes from soaking the cake in liqueur and the cherry filling. This happens to be a delicious chocolate cake recipe, but feel free to use your favorite chocolate cake recipe instead. The recipe is reprinted below with my notes and cupcake adaptation.

Makes around 16 cupcakes

1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t coffee extract (This is optional. I just threw it in to add a little depth of flavor. Coffee extract is a handy thing to have around. You can buy it on Amazon.)
1 1/2 C buttermilk

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and extracts.
Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 F for twenty minutes or until cupcakes bounce back when touched.

Cherry Filling Recipe and How to Fill The Cupcake

Many black forest cake recipes call for using a store-bought cherry pie filling. If you can get your hands on some fresh cherries, there is no excuse to not make the filling yourself. Making your own filling is easy. It's just three ingredients. The recipe below makes more filling that you will need. You can reduce the recipe or use the leftovers to top ice cream or to mix in with yogurt.

1 lb cherries, washed, pitted, and destemmed
1/4 C water
3/4 C sugar

Throw all the ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and let mixture simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically.
Remove from heat and let cool.

To fill the cupcakes, use a paring knife to cut a hole out of the top of each cupcake and place two cherries and a few teaspoons of the juice into each hole. Then, replace the tops.

Soaking the Cupcakes

Your cupcake will be pretty moist after filling it with the cherries and juice. However, for even more oomph, you can pour some liqueur (maraschino liqueur or Kirschwasser) over the cupcakes. Poke some holes in the cupcake to help it go down if you need to, but the cupcakes are airy enough that you probably won't have to.

Whipped Cream Recipe

The frosting on black forest cupcakes is not very sweet. It's basically a simple whipped cream with a touch of flavor.

2 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 t vanilla extract
3 T maraschino liqueur or Kirschwasser

Whip the whipping cream until it looks like whipped cream.
Mix in the vanilla extract and liqueur.

The Cherry on Top

I highly recommend topping these black forest cupcakes with homemade maraschino cherries! I also used chocolate sprinkles, but you could use chocolate shavings.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to my twitter pal garrick_s for giving me the idea to make black forest cupcakes.

Homemade Maraschino Cherries - Don't Put Any Old Cherry On Top

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:32:00 +0000

"Would you like a homemade maraschino cherry?" asked the top-tier bartender at our local St. Louis restaurant, Monarch. My eyes lit up. Much like homemade grenadine, I had never considered the possibility of a homemade maraschino cherry. Bartender Ted Kilgore explained that homemade maraschino cherries are made with maraschino liqueur. After trying one, I knew they would one day be making an appearance in my kitchen.

Maraschino cherries are the iconic topping for cupcakes - a maraschino cherry even tops the Cupcake Project logo. Yet, I have never topped a cupcake with a cherry. Why not? I've always found maraschino cherries served in cherry Cokes, specialty cocktails, and yes, sitting on cupcakes to be pretty, but gross:

They taste like cherry medicine - the flavor reminds me of the cherry Sucrets that I had as a kid to soothe my sore throat.
A look at the ingredient list shows that most brands are simply cherries with high fructose corn syrup and red food coloring. EW!

Homemade maraschino cherries are super easy to make (once you get past pitting all the cherries). Compared to store-bought maraschino cherries, these are less red, more mushy, and much more boozy. They might not be for the kids, but adults will love them!

Homemade Maraschino Cherry Recipe

I found the recipe for homemade maraschino cherries on Serious Eats, which was adapted from a recipe found in Imbibe Magazine. I am reprinting it below, with my notes.

1 pound sweet cherries, pitted (If you want to be really technical about it, it would be good if you could use Marasca cherries. Since most of us don't have access to them, any cherry will do - the redder the better. If you don't own a cherry pitter, you will definitely want to invest in one.)
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C water
2 t lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 t vanilla extract
1 C of maraschino liquor (I used Luxardo brand. On Serious Eats, they just used a regular brandy and were not as happy with the results. eGullet has an interesting discussion thread on types of cherry liqueur that is worth a read.)

Wash and pit the cherries.
In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except the cherries and liqueur and bring to a rolling boil.
When the liquid begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium.
Add the cherries and simmer for 5–7 minutes.
Remove from heat, add the liqueur, and let cool.
Transfer the cherries and liquid into clean jars and refrigerate, uncovered, until cherries are cool to touch.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

The Cherry Stem

I can't write a post about maraschino cherries without thinking about my ex-boyfriend. He may have been the only person I know who ordered cherry coke on a regular basis. Not only that, but he was one of those people who possessed the unique skill of being able to tie the cherry stem into several knots using his tongue. I have absolutely no clue how that can be done. It was pretty much like magic to me. Some say that that skill makes one better in bed, but that is not a subject for this post.

Ice Cream

For those who came here looking for the results of the ice cream cupcake roundup, I will be posting the winners on Friday. Stay tuned!

Time to Vote for Your Favorite Ice Cream Cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:00:00 +0000

If this post doesn't make you crave an ice cream cupcake, I don't know what will. Bethany, Tina, and I are so excited about all the amazing entries we've received for this year's ice cream cupcake roundup! Remember that each person who entered is eligible to win a prize, and you get to vote for a winner!

In case you need an incentive to vote - Each person who votes will be entered into a raffle to win an 8-pack of homemade cupcake birthday cards directly from Bethany of Scoopalicious!

So...

Pick a time this week when you have a few minutes - this is going to take a while.
Read through the summary of each cupcake below.
Visit the blogs of the ones you like (I expect that will be all of them).
Somehow, pick your favorite cupcake (I have no idea how you will be able to choose).
Fill out the form at the very bottom of this post to vote.

VOTING CLOSES SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 11:59 PM PACIFIC TIME
ONLY ONE VOTE PER PERSON
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK

Thanks again to all of our fabulous prize sponsors: Bella Cupcake Couture, Just Jenn Designs, Avocado Creations, JB Dough, Patric Chocolate, Buzz Buzz Bee's, Cakespy, and Krissi's Mixed Media Arts. The prize details can be found along with the contest details.

The Entries!!

Monkey Butt Cupcake from Nonesuch
Cupcake: Banana cupcake made healthier using wheat flour, egg substitute, and Splenda
Ice Cream: Chocolate
Frosting: Peanut butter
Topping: Toffee bits

The Perfect Summer Cupcake from A Scone's Throw
Cupcake: Strawberry
Ice Cream: Homemade strawberry and basil ice creams swirled together
Frosting: White balsamic buttercream
Topping: Fresh strawberry

Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cupcakes from Little Big Cakes
Cupcake: Carrot cake
Ice Cream: Pecan
Frosting: Cream cheese

Frozen Raspberry Truffle Cupcakes from Krista Joy
Cupcake: Chocolate fudge
Ice Cream: Vanilla and chocolate ice cream swirled together, with mixed in chopped chocolate and homemade raspberry truffles
Frosting: Chocolate cream cheese
Topping: Fresh raspberry

Magic Ice Cream Cupcakes from Couldn't be Parve
Cupcake: Graham cracker
Ice Cream: Magic bar (Magic bars are also know as six layer bars. They are gooey bars with various kinds of chips, nuts and coconut, topped with sweetened condensed milk.)

Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream Cupcakes from Cupcake Muffin
Cupcake: Angel food
Ice Cream: Homemade strawberry balsamic

Chocolate Raspberry Baby Cupcakes from Inspired Creations
Cupcake: Dark chocolate
Ice Cream: White chocolate raspberry swirl or black raspberry chip
Frosting: Dark chocolate ganache
Topping: Fresh raspberry

Cup O' Tea Vegan/Wheat-Free Ice Cream Cupcakes by Tara Tabassi
(Note: Tara does not have a blog, so the link goes to a page we created for her with her description and recipe.)
Cupcake: Earl grey topped with white chocolate
Ice Cream: Homemade fresh coconut, lemon-rind, and blueberry
Frosting: Lavender buttercream
Topping: Homemade crystallized lavender blossom

Vegan Piña Colada Ice Cream Cupcakes from Cookies and Candids
Cupcake: Pineapple upside down
Ice Cream: Toasted coconut
Topping: Rum caramel sauce, pineapple slice, and a cherry

Black Magick Cupcake from Cirque du Vie
Cupcake: Brownie topped with raspberry jam
Ice Cream: Vanilla ice cream topped with crushed Oreos, Magic Brownie ice cream, and chocolate ice cream
Topping: Brownie, whipped cream, and fresh raspberries

Wet Dog Cupcakes with Pineapple Sherbet from Iron Stef
Cupcake: Tres leches
Ice Cream: Pineapple sherbet
Topping: Dulce de leche

Hot Fudge Cake from Is This Thing On
Cupcake: Double chocolate
Ice Cream: Vanilla
Topping: Chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and sprinkles

Chipster Topped Brownie Ice Cream Cupcake from Spork or Foon?
Cupcake: Chipster topped brownie (basically a brownie with a cookie on top)
Ice Cream: Vanilla frozen yogurt
Topping: Sprinkles

Cake Batter Ice Cream Cupcakes from Tickled Pink Cupcakery
Cupcake: Vanilla cake
Ice Cream: Vanilla ice cream with cake mix-ins
Topping: Sprinkles

Couch Peanut Cupcakes from Res-o-puh-leese
Cupcake: Peanut butter in a crushed Oreo cookie crust
Ice Cream: Vanilla rolled in Oreos
Frosting: Peanut butter
Topping: Reese's pieces

Dairy Free Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla Cupcakes from Beantown Baker
(Note: Beantown Baker also made a version of these cupcakes with dairy as a variation.)
Cupcake: Vegan chocolate
Ice Cream: Toffuti vanilla with a frozen strawberry inside
Frosting: Strawberry cream cheese

Hot Cocoa Ice Cream Cupcakes by Rachel Schill
(Note: Rachel does not have a blog, so the link goes to the page we created for her with her description and recipe.)
Cupcake: Chocolate
Ice Cream: Homemade chocolate
Frosting: Marshmallow buttercream
Topping: Chocolate shavings

Coconut Margarita Cupcakes from Beantown Baker
(Note: Beantown Baker also made a version of these cupcakes with raspberry ice cream as a variation.)
Cupcake: Coconut and lime
Ice Cream: Margarita sorbet
Frosting: Coconut cream cheese

Fragola Tiramisu olio d'oliva Gelato Tortatina (Strawberry Tiramisu Olive Oil Gelato Cupcake) from Little Ivy Cakes
Cupcake: Brown sugar cupcake soaked in Grand Marnier topped with orange-honey mascarpone and fresh summer strawberries splashed with Grand Marnier
Ice Cream: Homemade olive oil gelato
Frosting: Strawberry vanilla bean whipped cream
Topping: Shaved chocolate, orange, and a strawberry

Mexican Chocolate Cupcake with Fried Ice Cream from Yummy, Yummy, in My Tummy
Cupcake: Mexican chocolate
Ice Cream: Fried ice cream (honey cinnamon flavored ice cream with cinnamon sugar toasted pieces and a honey caramel ribbon)
Frosting: Whipped cream
Topping: Cinnamon sugar triangles

Lovelight Lemon Raspberry Sorbet Cupcakes from Sweet & Saucy
Cupcake: Lemon raspberry
Ice Cream: Häagen-Dazs lemon sorbet
Topping: Fresh raspberry

Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream Cupcakes from Nina's Cupcakes
Cupcake: Peppermint
Ice Cream: EXTREME! Moose Tracks
Frosting: Espresso whipped cream

Candy Bar Ice Cream Cupcakes from Mostly Martha
Cupcake: Brownie toffee
Ice Cream: Homemade sweet milk ice cream
Topping: Snickers bar and caramel drizzle

Fried Ice Cream Cupcakes from Simple Food
Cupcake: Brown sugar with cornflake topping
Ice Cream: Caramel swirl
Frosting: Cinnamon whipped cream
Topping: Cinnamon tortilla crisps

Dippy Doo Dots Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes from I Heart Cuppycakes
Cupcake: Chocolate baked in ice cream cones
Ice Cream: Banana split Dippin' Dots
Frosting: Vanilla buttercream

Choconaners from Cherryspoon
Cupcake: Banana topped with semisweet chocolate
Ice Cream: Friendly's fudge swirl
Topping: Banana slice decorated with chocolate

Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream Cupcakes from Yumsilicious Bakes
Cupcake: Chocolate
Ice Cream: Baskin Robbins' gold medal ribbon
Frosting: Chocolate caramel ganache
Topping: Dulce de leche caramel topping

Cherry with a Twist from Lost Star of David
Cupcake: Rich chocolate with gelatin
Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia
Topping: Chocolate ganache and cherry sauce

Coconut Cream Identity Crisis from Crumbles
Cupcake: Coconut topped with crumbled graham crackers
Ice Cream: Homemade coconut ice cream
Frosting: Whipped cream

Butter Rum Cakes with Ginger and Hibiscus from My Own Sweet Thyme
Cupcake: Ginger rum
Ice Cream: Coconut rum gelato
Topping: Butter rum sauce, dried sweetened hibiscus flowers, and candied ginger

Strawberry Short Cupcakes by Morgan Cadle
(Note: Morgan does not have a blog. This entry is not linked because we have no further information on this cupcake.)
Cupcake: Strawberry
Ice Cream: Vanilla
Frosting: Strawberries and cream
Topping: Flower made out of chocolate chips for the center and fresh cut strawberries for the petals

Chocolate Lover's Dream by Morgan Cadle
(Note: Morgan does not have a blog. This entry is not linked because we have no further information on this cupcake.)
Cupcake: Chocolate
Ice Cream: Vanilla
Frosting: Chocolate
Topping: Mini-chocolate chips

Memorial Day BBQ Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes by Ann Carroll
(Note: Ann does not have a blog, so the link goes to the page we created for her with her description and recipe.)
Cupcake: Vanilla regular-sized and chocolate minis, plus hidden M&Ms at the bottom of the cone.
Ice Cream: N/A (There is no ice cream in these. They are simply made to look like they have ice cream.)
Frosting: Half were done with vanilla and half were done with chocolate
Topping: Sprinkles

Rocky Roca Ice Cream Cupcakes from Sweet & Saucy
Cupcake: Chocolate
Ice Cream: Tillamook rocky road
Frosting: Chocolate ganache
Topping: Almond roca (a chocolate and almond covered buttercrunch confection)

Peanut Butter Ice Cream and Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Cupcakes from Wemsical Cupcakes
Cupcake: Chocolate chip cookie pie crust with chocolate fudge cupcake
Ice Cream: Peanut butter ice cream
Topping: Chocolate ganache and a chocolate chip cookie

As if these weren't enough... One of our awesome prize sponsors who is ineligible for a prize decided to make an ice cream cupcake just for fun! While you can't vote for it, you should check it out anyway!

Root Beer Float Cupcakes by JustJENN Rants & Raves
Cupcake: Root beer bunt
Ice Cream: Root beer sherbet
Frosting: Whipped cream
Topping: Sprinkles and a straw

Time to Vote:

Strawberry Banana Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:00:00 +0000

These strawberry banana cupcakes came to life for two reasons:

1. Strawberry banana is my favorite yogurt flavor and I wanted a cupcake that went with Greek yogurt frosting.

2. The farmers' market was flooded with amazing looking fresh strawberries!

The strawberry banana cupcakes were my kind of cupcake - moist, dense, and not overly sweet. My only disappointment with them was that they tasted too much like banana cake. While you could taste the strawberry, the flavor wasn't as prominent as I would have liked. Next time, I might cut the banana in half and add even more berries.

Strawberry Banana Cupcake Recipe

This recipe is an adaptation of my grandma's easy banana cupcakes.

Makes 18

1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C Greek yogurt (you could also use sour cream)
1 t baking soda
2 C all-purpose flour
1 t vanilla
1 C mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
1 C macerated strawberries

Cream butter and sugar.
Mix in eggs, yogurt, flour, baking soda, and vanilla.
Stir in bananas and strawberries until combined.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.

The Frosting

I topped the cupcakes with Greek yogurt frosting.

The Cupcake Liners

When I first began cupcake blogging, I used only plain white cupcake liners, but I quickly developed a sizable liner collection. I get super excited whenever I see a style I haven't seen before. My friend Christina bought me the liners shown above as a surprise gift. Despite my lot of liners, I had never seen this pattern! They are so cute and appropriately came in strawberry and banana colors! Thanks, Christina! Sorry you didn't get to eat any of the cupcakes baked in them. Luckily, I have some liners left, so you can try one next time.

Greek Yogurt Frosting - A Healthy Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Greek yogurt frosting might be just the thing to top your light, summery cupcakes. Because Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, it doesn't drip off the side of the cupcake (much) as long as you don't leave the frosting in the sun.

Greek yogurt frosting has a yogurt tang, but like many of the flavors at the FroYo (frozen yogurt) places popping up all over the country, the tang plus a little bit of sweetness works like a charm.

Greek yogurt frosting is obviously healthier than buttercream or cream cheese frostings and although I wouldn't use it on every cupcake, it could be a nice option if you are trying to get into that summer bikini and are able to convince yourself that a healthier frosting negates the cupcake's calories.

Two Important Credits

I got the Greek Yogurt that I used in my frosting compliments of Stonyfield Farms. I actually buy the majority of my yogurt from Stonyfield (when I'm not making my own), but I'd never tried the Greek Yogurt. When Stonyfield asked about sending me some coupons for some free yogurt, I was all over it! Aside from working perfectly for frosting, the yogurt was great for eating all on its own with some fresh fruit and a little sugar. Thanks, Stonyfield!
I got the recipe for the Greek Yogurt frosting from Peter at Souvlaki for the Soul. Peter used his frosting to top some banana muffins - mine topped strawberry banana cupcakes.

Greek Yogurt Frosting Recipe

Here is the recipe for the Greek yogurt frosting from Souvlaki for the Soul, reprinted with my notes.

1 C Greek yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farms)
A good splash of vanilla extract (I used 1 t)
1/2 C powered sugar, sifted

Whisk all ingredients until they become a bit thick.
Place in the fridge to thicken even more (at least 30 minutes).
Spread on cupcakes.

Honey Baked Ham Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:32:00 +0000

As far as I know, this is the first honey baked ham cupcake ever made. It may also be the last honey baked ham cupcake ever made, but I sure hope not.

What makes this a honey baked ham cupcake is not that I used honey baked ham (I actually used Black Forest ham), it's that I baked a honey cake inside a piece of ham. With so many cupcakes out there now featuring bacon (see my beer cupcakes with bacon cheddar frosting, the French Toast bacon cupcake I saw this morning on The Busty Baker, and Cakespy's ode to bacon cupcakes as evidence), I figured, "Why not salute a different part of the pig?"!

My idea of baking something in ham was not original. I got the idea for the crispy ham shells from my Taste & Create partner this month, Min at The Bad Girl's Kitchen. Min made baked eggs and mushrooms in ham crisps - an idea that I'm sure many of you are more likely to reproduce than my honey baked ham cupcakes. When I saw the ham crisps that looked exactly like cupcake liners, I just about squealed with joy! It was just too perfect!

Min got the idea from Gourmet Magazine. It looks like a fantastic brunch item, and you should all go and check out the recipe.

Reactions to the Honey Baked Ham Cupcakes

What surprised people the most about the honey baked ham cupcakes was that the ham flavor was not strong - some even said they couldn't taste it. The ham merely acts as an edible, environmentally friendly (depending on where your ham comes from) cupcake liner. If anything, it adds a salty flavor to each bite, which gives that nice sweet and salty effect.

People liked the combination of flavors,l although they thought that the cinnamon flavor in the cinnamon cream cheese frosting that I chose might have been a bit too overpowering. If I made honey baked ham cupcakes again, I might try using a brown sugar penuche frosting.

The cupcakes were a bit of a challenge for the teeth. You had to primally tear through both the ham and pineapple in order to get the nirvana bite with pineapple, frosting, ham, and cake bits.

The Honey Baked Ham Cupcake Recipe

I got the recipe for the honey cake that I used in the honey baked ham cupcakes by modifying a honey cake recipe that I found on Smitten Kitchen. Deb of Smitten Kitchen got the recipe from the book A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman. I'm sure Marcy would never have envisioned her holiday honey cake being bastardized into these ham-cradled treats, but once you create something, it's out there for people to do with as they please.

Makes 17-20 cupcakes (If you aren't baking in ham, this recipe would produce fewer cupcakes.)

1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground allspice
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C honey
3/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 C pineapple juice
1/2 C whiskey
17-20 thinly sliced pieces of ham (I used Black Forest ham, which has those nice looking black edges.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
Add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, juice, and whiskey. If you use the same measuring cup and you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out of the cup.
Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.
Place one slice of ham in each well of the cupcake tin. Try to make sure that the part on the bottom and sides of the pan has no holes in it. I found that most of the slices of ham I bought had holes, so I just ensured that the holes were positioned toward the top of the cupcake tin.
Spoon batter into the ham, as shown in the photo above.
Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you put this recipe into a normal cupcake liner sans ham, it will bake in about 20 minutes.

A Few Pictures of The Honey Baked Ham Cupcakes Just Out of the Oven

I loved how nicely the ham crisped up. I wasn't sure how well it would support the cake, but it worked splendidly.

Each cupcake had its own personality:

The Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I topped the honey baked ham cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting. I've made this frosting recipe many times. It's a keeper!

The Topper

Of course, I topped my honey baked ham cupcakes with candied pineapple. Rather than just sitting on top of the cupcake, the flavor from the candied pineapple seeped into the whole cupcake and pulled it all together!

Did Somebody Say Ice Cream?

Just a quick reminder that you have until the end of the month to enter the ice cream cupcake roundup. Check out the post for a list of all the great prizes!

Candied Pineapple Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Candied pineapple, according to a quick informal poll of my friends, is typically thought of as dried pineapple that has been sugared. My recipe was about as dry as a St. Louis summer (for those not from St. Louis, picture rainforest-like humidity). What makes my candied pineapple different from non-candied pineapple is that the juice is extra sweet and the outside of the pineapple has an irresistible glossy shine.

Aside from topping a cupcake, candied pineapple could be:

eaten all on its on,
used in or on top of a meat dish,
mixed into a fruit salad, or
thrown on the grill (although I haven't tried it).

Candied Pineapple Recipe

To make candied pineapple, I followed the same technique outlined in a post by The Repressed Pastry Chef on candied orange slices. I am reprinting that technique, modified for pineapple.

1.5 C water
1/2 C sugar
12 pineapple rings (I used the kind from the can, but fresh pineapple would also work.)

In a large, heavy pot, bring water and sugar to a boil.
Add pineapple rings.
Let the mixture boil for about 5-10 minutes. Be sure that all of the pineapple rings are under water.
Reduce the heat to medium and let it continue cooking for about 30 minutes. The liquid will thicken and become a syrup.
Remove from heat but let the pineapple remain in the pot as they cool for about 10 minutes.
Remove to a sheet of parchment paper to cool completely.
The syrup remaining in the pan can be saved and used in other dishes.

Candied Pineapple vs. Pineapple Candy

If you are looking for pineapple candy rather than candied pineapple, check out my yummy pineapple candy. While the cupcake that the candy was on was a bit of a fail, I loved that pineapple candy.

Maple Cinnamon Peach Ice Cream Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:08:00 +0000

There is a lot going on with these cupcakes, so let's start with a description. These are maple cinnamon cupcakes with baked peaches. The cupcakes were then cut in half to create a cupcake sandwich with homemade maple ice cream in the middle. The top half was frosted with peach whipped cream and then sprinkled with maple sugar.

Every messy forkful of this cupcake was so mmm mmm good that it had me questioning whether it was my drool I saw on the plate or whether it was some melty ice cream. These cupcakes were stellar, and if I could enter my own Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup, they would surely be my entry!

What Did My Friends Think?

I served these cupcakes to a bunch of friends and here were some of the comments:

"These are my favorite cupcakes yet! My second favorite were the plum cupcakes."
"These are the best maple flavored anything I have ever had!" This, of course, prompted the question as to what her favorite was before this. The answer: "McGriddles at McDonalds." All I can say is at least I wasn't beaten out by Mickey D's - I would not have been happy.
"Love the maple flavor in the ice cream. It goes really well with the dense cupcake."

Maple Cinnamon Peach Cupcake Recipe

The maple cinnamon peach cupcake recipe is a Cupcake Project original. It's yummy even without the ice cream, as shown above.

Makes about 16 cupcakes

2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
3/4 C butter, room temperature
1 1/3 C maple sugar
2 eggs
2/3 C whole milk
3 T maple syrup (the real stuff)
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t maple extract
15 oz peaches, chopped finely

With a fork, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a bowl.
Beat butter and maple sugar in a large bowl for 1 minute until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, milk, maple syrup, and extracts until blended.
Mix in flour mixture.
Fold in peaches.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 F for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean.

Cupcake Assembly

To assemble your ice cream cupcakes:

Cut the cooled cupcake in half. (You can probably cut the cupcake in a straighter line than I. I tended to go kinda crooked.)
Frost the top half with peach whipped cream. (I found it easier to frost after cutting, rather than trying to cut the frosted cupcake.)
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
When you are ready to serve, stick a small scoop of maple ice cream between the two halves of the cupcake and sprinkle some maple sugar all over!

Reminders

You have until the end of May to create your own ice cream cupcake and enter the Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup.

You also have until the end of May to vote for my black bottom cupcakes with goat cheese in the Ile de France recipe contest - while this task doesn't help you in anyway, I would be most grateful! Thanks!

Maple Sugar - Sinzibukwud

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Maple sugar can be used to replace cane sugar in baking by using 2/3 cup maple sugar in place of every cup of cane sugar. The smell of maple sugar is irresistible - it smells just like maple syrup. However, despite its strong smell, don't expect the maple sugar to make your baked goods overly maple flavored. You'll still need to add some maple syrup or maple extract to your recipe if you want it to have a strong maple flavor.

The maple sugar shown above was sent to me by Coombs Family Farms. I met them at the Fancy Food Show. They were as sweet as could be and very keen on me trying to bake with their maple sugar. They didn't have to twist my arm too hard!

Places to Use Maple Sugar

Here are some places that I use maple sugar:

Use it instead of cane sugar in a cupcake recipe - I used it in my maple peach cupcakes.
Sprinkle some on top of frosting instead of sprinkles for a little color and slight maple taste.
Use it instead of cane sugar in pancake, waffle, or French toast recipes.
Mix it with plain or vanilla yogurt to give it a nice maple sweetness.

Do you have other ideas? How have you used it?

Fun Fact About Maple Sugar

Native Americans called maple sugar "sinzibukwud," which means "sweet buds." I encourage you to call it that when you use it at home. It is quite fun to say!

Where to Buy Maple Sugar

If you can't find maple sugar near you, you can buy the Coombs Family Farms maple sugar online. On a somewhat related note, Coombs Family Farms also sells maple candies. If you have never had maple candy before, it is definitely worth trying. I've never had the Coombs Family Farms maple candy before (perhaps they'd like to send me some?), but I am a huge maple candy fan. I like it so much that we actually gave it away as favors for our wedding.

Photo from my wedding by Alisha Clark

A Maple Tale

Maybe it's because I've got a baby on the way, but my favorite part of the Coombs Family Farms website is an old legend entitled "How Mother Nature Fooled the Bears". It's just the kind of story that I envision that I will enjoy reading to my son. Some say that I should be reading to him in the womb, so perhaps I should stop writing and go read my unborn child a story.

Whipped Cream Frosting with Peaches

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Mon, 11 May 2009 13:40:00 +0000

Whipped cream frosting is so fresh and light. Using whipped cream frosting (and I don't mean Cool Whip) can be a great alternative to buttercream or cream cheese frostings.

Some of my favorite whipped cream frostings feature fruit (see my strawberry whipped cream frosting and my mango whipped cream frosting). For my maple ice cream cupcakes, I opted for a peach whipped cream frosting. Peaches 'n cream are a tried and true combination and maple and peach are a dynamic duo.

Peach Whipped Cream Frosting Recipe

1 C heavy whipping cream
1/3 C sugar
2/3 C finely pureed peaches, fresh or canned (If you plan to pipe the frosting, be sure to puree finely, otherwise they will get stuck in your piping tip - no fun! I used a food processor.)

Beat whipping cream on medium speed for about five minutes, until soft peaks form.
Mix in sugar.
Fold in peaches to the whipped cream.
Be sure to keep refrigerated.

Maple Ice Cream Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:29:00 +0000

This maple ice cream recipe might be just the thing to top some Mother's Day brunch waffles. Why just have maple syrup when you can have maple ice cream?!

But, of course, my maple ice cream didn't top waffles - it went in an ice cream cupcake.

Maple happens to be one of my favorite flavors - it's right up there with honey. I must admit that I have even been known to put maple syrup on pasta. It's really good on just about anything. The same applies to the maple ice cream. It could enhance just about any meal. Picture pork chops with maple ice cream on top. Yum! OK - maybe it's just me.

Maple Ice Cream Recipe

I found the recipe for maple ice cream on Serious Eats. I am reprinting it below with my notes. The recipe requires an ice cream maker. I have a really cheap model that I borrowed and never returned from Groom 2.0 (it's similar to this ice cream maker). It works quite well.

Makes about 1 quart

3/4 C pure grade A maple syrup (Do not use the fake stuff!)
1 C whole milk
2 C heavy cream
pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
3/4 t maple extract (I just used 1/2 t because that seemed mapley enough.)

In a medium saucepan over moderately high heat, boil the maple syrup until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes.
Lower the heat and stir in the milk, cream, and salt.
Cook until just under a boil (you will see bubbles along the edges of the pot and steam rising from the surface).
Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks until lightened.
Slowly add a few tablespoons (no more than 1/4 cup total) of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly.
Add the yolks back to the rest of the milk, whisking constantly.
Cook the mixture over medium-low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (if you run your finger across the spoon in a line it shouldn't drip; a candy thermometer will register 170°F). Be careful to not let it boil. (For me, this took just a couple of minutes.)
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.
Add the maple extract. (At this point, you have maple custard. You may be tempted to eat it all before turning it into ice cream. I wouldn't blame you. It is crazy tasty!)
Chill until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Reminders

You have until the end of May to enter the Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup. You don't have to make your own from-scratch ice cream - but it's fun to do!
You also have until the end of May to vote for my black bottom cupcakes with goat cheese in the Ile de France recipe contest - while this task doesn't help you in anyway, I would be most grateful! Thanks!

Black Bottom Cupcakes With Goat Cheese

noreply@blogger.com (Stef) — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:00:00 +0000

Black bottom cupcakes are typically made with cream cheese. However, for a Cupcake Project twist, I made my black bottom cupcakes with goat cheese. I wondered if goat cheese would work well on black bottom cupcakes. Would they be too sour? Would the consistency be right?

The goat cheese worked better than I ever could have dreamed. The consistency and sweetness were perfect and the cupcakes had a slight tang that had me wanting more and more. As for the chocolate cupcake part of the recipe, it's light and fluffy and not overly sweet. This isn't a rich dessert, but it would be a perfect breakfast cupcake - perhaps for a Mother's Day brunch!

The recipe is simple (you don't even need to make frosting) and it is one that I would definitely make again and again (if I weren't always trying new cupcakes).

If these black bottom cupcakes sound good to you, please vote for them in the Ile de France recipe contest. Pretty please with some goat cheese on top? ;) It just takes two seconds - you go to the link and then click five stars (or whatever number of stars you want to give).

Black Bottom Cupcake Recipe

This recipe makes about 18 cupcakes.

For cake:

2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 C butter, room temperature
1 1/3 C sugar
2 eggs
2/3 C plain yogurt
1 t vanilla extract
1/3 C milk
5 oz baking chocolate, melted

For goat cheese topping:

8 oz goat cheese (I used Ile de France goat cheese, but any non-flavored goat cheese would work)
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium-sized bowl.
Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, yogurt, vanilla, and milk until blended.
Alternately fold in flour mixture and melted chocolate, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the goat cheese topping.
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the topping onto the center of each cupcake.
Bake at 350 F for thirty minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.