Lemony Snack-it, A seriously fortunate event!

Previously mentioned, my husband received quite a few requests/recipe suggestions from his coworkers. One request that I'd gotten a few times was if I could make a diabetic-friendly cupcake. After all, individuals with diabetes love cupcakes, too...they normally just can't eat them.

Diabetes is a disease that is all too familiar in my family, as many of my great aunts & uncles have it. This past Thanksgiving I was asked to prepare a birthday cake for one of my uncles. It would be easy to just throw my usual birthday cake together, but my uncle has diabetes. I took it upon myself to see what I could put together for him that would be diabetes friendly. It's no fun to get a birthday cake that you can't eat. I came upon this recipe online and thought it looked delicious. The cake was super yum, so when a request for diabetic-friendly cupcakes came out, I flashed back to this cake. With a few minor tweaks, this turned out to be a big hit with diabetic & non-diabetic tasters. Fear not, even cupcakes with low sugar can be yummy!!

Lemon Velvet Cake
From Cooksrecipes.com

For the cake:
2 1/2 c cake flour
1 c SPLENDA Sugar Blend for Baking
2 1/2 tsp bakign powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 c milk
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp lemon zest

For the lemon filling:
2/3 c SPLENDA Sugar Blend for Baking
2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 c water
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 c fresh lemon juice

For the frosting:
1 1/4 c whipping cream
2 tbsp SPLENDA Sugar Blend for Baking
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp lemon extract

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prep your cupcake pans.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together your flour, SPLENDA, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter, until mixture is crumbly. If you don't have a pastry cutter, you can use a mixer at the lowest speed. Just be careful not to over mix...you just want crumbles.

Combine milk, eggs, lemon extract, and lemon zest in a medium sized bowl. Turn your mixer on, and add 1/3 of lemon mixture to your flour. Beat until smooth. Scrape down your bowl, then add another 1/3 of your lemon mixture to the mixer bowl. Beat for 30 seconds, then add the remaining lemon mixture to your mixer bowl.

Scoop batter into prepared cupcake pans and bake for 17 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Looks can be deceiving with this cupcake. When you take a peak into your oven, the cupcakes will look raw. They are a very pale color. Don't be fooled....check them. They are probably done, just pale. Remove them to a wire rack and cool in pan for about 10 min. Pop them out of pan, and cool completely.

While these cool, prepare your lemon filling.

Lightly whisk your egg yolks in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Prep your lemon zest, lemon juice,and butter, then set aside. Combine your SPLENDA, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, making sure to whisk constantly. When mixture begins to thicken up, add about 1/4 of it to your egg yolks, whisking like crazy to prevent your yolks from cooking. Once tempered, add yolk mixture to saucepan and whisk constantly. Bring to a boil, then allow to boil for 1 min, never ceasing to whisk. Remove from heat and stir in your zest, juice, and butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on surface of custard and set aside to cool. By placing the plastic on the surface of the custard, you will prevent a yucky film from developing on surface.

If your cupcakes are cool, grab your nifty cupcake corer. I got mine a couple of years ago from Sur La Table and it is WONDERFUL. It's a handy little tool that isn't too expensive, and it ensures you have plenty of filling in your cupcakes.

Core your cupcakes. When your custard has cooled, fill with desired amount of filling. It's delicious, so don't be skimpy! Once your cupcakes are filled, prep your frosting.

In a mixer bowl, using your whisk attachment, whip whipping cream until foamy. Slowly add SPLENDA, followed by zest and extract. Beat until medium peaks form. You don't want them too soft, or frosting will not be pipe-able, but you don't want them too stiff, either. A medium peak will do.

Pipe your cupcakes, then garnish with a lemon slice, if you'd like.

Enjoy!!

The Kaskake...

 An inticipated visit from one of our friends from Chicago was the inspiration behind what we have dubbed, "The Kaskake". Bacon, Beer... it had to be just right.  We wanted to pass along that this was a pleasant surprise for the taste buds.  I will passing along the recipe soon, Stay Tuned!

More Leche than you can shake a stick at...

Tres leches means '3 milks' in Spanish. The last time I really had a true tres leches cake was when I was in Mexico. My cousin's wife made it, and it was amazing. I remember coming back home and trying to replicate it - I was unsuccessful. Back then, the Internet wasn't a big thing, Google was unknown, and if you didn't have the recipe in an old cookbook, you didn't search much further. Lucky for us, the Internet is here and if we want a crazy, wacky, off-the-wall variety of cupcake, we can Google it. Heck, even my 9 yr old daughter knows what "Google it" means.

Anyways, this cupcake is, thus far, my favorite since having started my challenge. The texture is indescribable. It's moist, almost, wet, but in a GOOD way. Soaking the milks into the cake make it creamy and wonderful, unlike any other cupcake you will ever try. Then, the frosting takes it over the top. An oven-made dulce de leche turned into a frosting enhances the flavor and then when you thought it couldn't get any better, a kiss of cinnamon makes it epic. Yes...eeeeepic. When will I make these again? I'd love to make more today, but they are tiiiime consuming, and yield only 16-17 cupcakes. Was it worth it? Ooooh yeah!

Tres Leches Cupcakes
with Dulce de Leche frosting
cupcake adapted from Foodnetwork.com

For the cupcake:
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c buttermilk
1/2 c evaporated milk
1/2 c sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c coconut milk

For the frosting: 
1 14oz can condensed milk
2 egg yolks
3/4 c sugar
3 T cornstarch
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 c water
1 tsp vanilla
14 tbsp butter
4 1/2 c confectioners' sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and prep your cupcake tins with liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In your stand mixer bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Transfer them to another bowl, and set aside. Wash out your bowl, and swap your whisk attachment for a beater blade, then put butter and sugar into bowl. Beat at medium-high speed until light & fluffy, which is about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down your bowl, then add your egg yolks, one at a time, making sure that they are completely incorporated after each addition. Add vanilla, and mix to combine. Scrape down your bowl, again.
Slowly add 1/3 of your flour mixture, then follow that with 1/2 of your buttermilk. Do this again, ending with flour mixture. Give it one last stir with a spatula, making sure that all is well combined. Gently fold your egg whites into your batter, taking care not to deflate the whites. Scoop into your muffin pans. You'll want these about 3/4 full. They will not rise much, which is GOOD because we will be pouring milk over them soon, and if they were mounded, it would run off the sides.

Bake for about 17 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. They will look a little porous, but that is a good thing, I promise. Allow them to cool for 10 minutes while in the trays, then place them on wire rack to finish cooling.

While they cool, prep your milks. In a small bowl, combine your evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and coconut milk. Whisk together and set aside. Use a kabob skewer (if you have one) and start poking a bunch of holes in your cupcake. I wanted to make sure that plenty of the milk mixture got into the cupcake, so I used a straw to poke holes in the cupcakes...really...like this:

I suppose you could use a meat injector to inject the milk directly into the cupcake, but I don't have one so I went with a straw.

Now, the fun/scary part...adding the milks. You want these to be wet...like, REALLY wet. That is the point. This is a milky cake. You want to literally pool your milk on the cupcake. Don't freak out, it will soak in (see photos to left)
Looks like a lot of milk, huh? Yeah...use about 1/2 an ounce to 3/4 ounce...seriously. You will be thankful that you did. Once you have poked and pooled your cupcakes, place them in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hrs, but overnight is better.

Approx 1 minute has lapsed

Within minutes the milk has soaked into your cupcakes

Next day... (or 2 hrs later, for those who are impatient)...

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Pour your entire can of sweetened condensed milk into a small oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil. Place this dish into a larger dish, and fill with water, about 1/2 up the side of your small dish, to create a water bath. Bake this for 1-1 1/2 hrs, checking every 30 minutes. It is done when it is a pretty caramel color. 

While this is in the oven, you can go ahead and prep your other ingredients. Put 2 egg yolks in mixer and attach a whisk attachment. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan. 

When you pull your dulce de leche out of the oven, go ahead and add the water to your sugar mixture, and simmer over medium heat. Add desired amount of dulce into saucepan, I added about 3/4 c. Whisk entire time, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove this mixture from heat and turn your mixer onto high. Temper yolks by adding about a tablespoon of your hot dulce into the mixer, making sure to not turn the mixer down. Then, add the rest of your dulce to the yolks, followed by the vanilla. Whisk about 1 minute, then strain back into saucepan. Allow to cool. 

Once cool, return to mixer and begin mixing. Add your softened butter a few tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Lastly, add your powdered sugar, 1/2 a cup at a time. Add as much as you need, until you reach your desired consistency. I ended up using 4 1/2 c of powdered sugar. 

Allow frosting to sit for a minute, while you pull out your cupcakes. Frosting will be a bit on the thin side, but I found that 4 1/2 c of confectioners' sugar was the perfect amount to allow frosting to be piped.

Spread, or pipe frosting over cupcakes, then sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over top, if you'd like. 

Now, after ALL of this working, and waiting, ENJOY!! If you are like me, it will definitely have been worth the wait. 

Pineapple Express...

My husband has been bombarded with cupcake ideas for the past couple of weeks. One of the big requests has been for pineapple upside-down cupcakes. I am not a huge fan of having fruit baked into my cake. My mom used to make one of those mandarin orange cakes...you know - the kind where every bite has one of those little mandarin oranges in it...the one that doesn't taste all the way done because it's juicey with mandarin orange juice? Yeah...gross. I think it's the texture that bothers me. The area around the fruit is always a little off for my liking. Perhaps that is why I wasn't 100% on baking these little guys. I was concerned that the texture would be weird. That, and they're pineapple upside-down cupcakes! How am I going to serve these without people being covered with cupcake by the time they are done? Isn't the point of a cupcake the fact that you don't have to use a fork to eat it? Eat an run....eat and run. It should be about ease of consumption, right?

Well, turns out, if your cake is dense enough, it's not overly soppy around the fruit, AND you can eat it with your fingers. SCORE! This is one of my fave's thus far....as well as one of the fave's of my tasters.  I hope that all who attempt the recipe enjoy it as much as we did.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcake
Inspired by America's Test Kitchen - Family Baking Cookbook

For the batter: 
12 tbsp unsalted better, softened
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 lbs peeled & cored fresh pineapple - cut to your liking (I used 1 entire medium sized pineapple)
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg white, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c whole milk, room temperature

For the whipped topping:
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp confectioners' sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place 4 tbsp butter in butter warmer (or very small saucepan) and melt over low heat. Once melted, turn off heat, but leave on burner. Add brown sugar and stir until incorporated.
Do you have one of those little ice cream scoops - the kind that measure about 1 tbsp of batter? If so, that is perfect! Scoop about 1 tbsp of the brown sugar mixture in each of your ungreased muffin cups. Don't worry - the cupcake will pop out, even though the pan is ungreased. I promise.

Once you've filled your muffin tray, arrange your pineapples how you'd like. Press them down into the brown sugar mixture, and set your pan aside.

In a medium bowl combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. In your mixer bowl, cream granulated sugar and butter together until light & fluffy - about 4 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium and add your eggs and egg whites in, one at a time. Beat in vanilla.

Reduce your mixer speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Add half of the milk, then repeat process, ending with flour. Beat last portion of flour into mixture, but make sure you don't over beat. Just beat until incorporated.

Grab your trusty ice cream scoop and scoop the batter into your muffin cups. Your tins should be 3/4 full. Batter will be very thick, so take a spatula and smooth out the tops.

Bake cupcakes for 17 minutes, or until they bounce back when touched in the center. Let them cool in 10 minutes, no more, no less. Letting them sit in the pan for 10 minutes is just enough time that when you go to remove them from the pan they will come out easily. Once the 10 minutes have passed, put a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper on top of your cupcake pan, then flip it over. Let them chill there for a minute or two. The cupcakes will release on their own - LIKE MAGIC!!

While cupcakes cool on sheet, prep your whipped topping. Add your whipping cream and vanilla to mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip until stiff soft peaks begin to form. With mixer still going, slowly sprinkle confectioners' sugar into whipped mixture. Continue whipping until stiff peaks form, making sure not to over-whip.

Dollup your whipped cream onto cupcake, then top with a cherry. Ta-da! Delicious and beautiful!!

Coconuty goodness....

Throughout this cupcake adventure, I have been sharing cupcakes with friends, family, and coworkers. In going through potential cupcake ideas with a couple of coworkers, I mentioned that I needed to hurry up and do a coconut cupcake. She asked me why, and I said, "It's Easter time...that's when you have coconut cake." She seemed confused by this. I think she even asked me why. I didn't have an answer....I just knew that if I was going to do something that heavily relied on coconut flavor, I would need to do it soon. Well, today is Easter - which means this was the week that the coconut was going down.

This cupcake was inspired by the same cookbook that inspired the carrot cake cupcakes from last week. It was a gift from my uncle, who I can never thank enough for buying for me. The cookbook itself does not focus on any specific aspect of baking, it is merely a plethora of recipes that I will need to experience. The recipe I made this week was actually for a coconut cake, but since this is a CUPCAKE challenge, we had to make them little. 

Just a heads up - this recipe is probably the most challenging, thus far. It was kinda time consuming, and there were a few trial and error's that had to be experienced, before it was good enough. If you decide to try it, have fun. The outcome definitely makes up for the time it takes to bake them. Happy Easter!

Coconut Cupcakes

Inspired by Sono Baking Company cookbook

For the batter:

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs, separated & at room temperature

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c confectioners' sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 c coconut milk

2 tbsp cream of coconut (we will talk more about this in a few...)

1 teaspoon coconut extract

For Pastry cream

4 large egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c cornstarch

2 c milk

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 tbsp unsalted butter, cold

1 c shredded, sweetened coconut

For the coconut buttercream frosting:

2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
16 tbsp ulsalted butter, cut into chunks & softened
1/4 c cream of coconut
3 c confectioners' sugar
2 c sweetened shredded coconut (toasted, if you'd like)

Prep your oven by setting temperature to 350 degrees. Prep your muffin tins with your favorite Eastery cupcake liners, and set aside.

You will begin by making the cake. Combine the flour and baking powder in a small bowl, then set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the egg whites until they are frothy. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue to whisk, until stiff peaks form. Scrape the meringue into a clean bowl, then set that aside. 

Wash out your bowl and swap your whisk attachment for a paddle attachment. Cream your butter, confectioners sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy. This will be kinda thick, so scrape down your bowl after about a minute of mixing. Once your butter mixture is fluffy, add your egg yolks, one at a time, making sure they are well combined after each addition. Beat in your coconut milk, cream of coconut, and your coconut extract. 

So, have you asked yourself what cream of coconut is, yet? I didn't think much of it, until I failed to find it in any of the FIVE grocery stores I looked in. I Googled it and saw a few different brands, so didn't figure it would be tough to find. Well, I should have researched it a little bit more, to find that is is commonly use to make pina coladas. What does this mean to us? You should go to the liquor section of your grocery store, or better yet - go to a liquor store. After traveling to all those stores (not even remotely close to my home) on a whim I went to the liquor store 2 blocks away from my house & asked if they had cream of coconut. To my delight, and frustration, the sales clerk said "We sure do!" and he grabbed a can for me. Geez louise......Well, at least I found it.

Anyway, the can will most likely need to sit in a bowl of warm water to loosen up, so make sure you do that. The end result will be a liquid that resembles the consistency of sweetened condensed milk, just a bit more translucent.

After you have beat in your coconut milk, cream, and extract, start adding your dry ingredients to the wets. Once all of your flour is combined, remove it from your mixer. Ever so gently, scrape your meringue into your batter. Don't mix, don't stir, don't whisk -- FOLD. Be patient, this may take a while. The end batter is still very thick, but it will result in a wonderful cake.

Once the meringue is incorporated, grab your ice cream scoop and fill your cupcake liners 2/3 full. For the first time, I had to smooth out the tops of the cupcakes, to make sure that they baked even. You'll see what I mean when you see how thick the batter is. Just give it a quick swipe with a spatula and you'll be all set.
Bake these puppies for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool them for 10 in the pan, then remove them to the cooling racks.

While these cool, start your pastry cream. Whisk the egg yolks, 1/4 c of sugar, cornstarch, and 1/2 a cup of milk. Set aside. In a medium saucepan combine the rest of the sugar and milk, and the salt. Bring to a simmer, making sure you whisk constantly. Once it's warm to the touch, temper your egg yolk mixture by slowly pouring a small amount in, while whisking QUICKLY. (Key word is quickly. You don't want to scramble your egg yolks) Once you've done this, pour in the remaining warm milk mixture and whisk thoroughly. Using a mesh strainer, strain your custard mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Whatever you do, do NOT stop whisking, or you will be sorry. Once your mixture begins to boil around the edges, watch the center. The first signs of a bubble popping up in the middle, start counting your alligators. (One alligator, two alligator, three, alligators, etc) Count 10 seconds (or 10 alligators) then remove from heat.

Transfer the cream to your stand mixer, and using the paddle attachment, mix at medium speed for 2-3 minutes, in order to slightly cool your mixture. Beat in vanilla extract. With mixture still running, cut your butter in, a little at a time, until it is completely incorporated. Add your coconut and continue to mix. Transfer the pastry cream mixture to a separate bowl then press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto cream, to avoid a crust from forming on top. Chill for 1-2 hours.

For the buttercream, combine cream, extracts, and salt in a small bowl. In your mixer bowl, beat butter and cream of coconut at medium-high speed, until smooth. Reduce your mixer speed, then slowly add your confectioners' sugar. Beat until smooth, approx 4 or 5 minutes. Add your cream mixture, and increase your mixer speed to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, which for me was about 7 minutes.

After pastry cream has chilled, remove from refrigerator, and give it a few stirs. Since this recipe was originally for a cake, I had to get the pastry cream inside the cupcake. Two years ago I got a cupcake corer from Sur La Table and I had never used it. What better time than now? All you have to do is push it into the cupcake, then give it a twist. Like magic, a little plug of cupcake pops out. Needless to say, I ate most of these cupcake plugs (hee hee) Fill a pastry bag with your cream, and squirt into the cupcake, until it begins to overflow. Do this for all of the cakes, then pipe your frosting over the hole. Garnish your cupcake with coconut, toasted or not toasted. I opted to toast, to add a darker, nuttier flavor - and a splash of color to contrast the white. To toast, dump coconut onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake at 350, stirring often. It took me about 10 minutes to get my coconut well toasted.

Sprinkle over top of cupcake, then enjoy!! 

Eh... What's up Doc?...

So, a couple of weeks ago I had some extra cream cheese frosting left over from some cupcakes I made for someone, and I hated to let it go to waste. I racked my brain for a couple of seconds, trying to come up with a potential idea for usage of the frosting. Luckily, I was planning on making some carrot baby food in a few days, so I had carrots. Carrots + cream cheese frosting = CARROT CAKE CUPCAKES! I threw them together literally 2 hrs before I left for work, and handed a few out. After the reactions I received, I realized that I needed to make them again, and post them on the blog. So.....here you go!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Inspired by The Sono Baking Company Cookbook

For the cupcakes:
2 1/2 c cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
16 oz peeled & shredded carrots (use your Microplane to ensure they are nice & fine)
2/3 c sour cream
2 c granulated sugar
1 c vegetable oil
4 large eggs

For the cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese frosting, room temperature
1/2 c unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of kosher salt
4 c confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Zest of one orange (or if you're like me, use 2-3 Cuties because those are more commonly found in the house)
2 tsp grated ginger

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees and prep your muffin trays. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, combine your carrots, sour cream, sugar, oil, and eggs. Whisk to incorporate, then add your dry ingredients. FOLD do NOT whisk them in. You want to ensure that the batter stays as airy as possible. Continue to fold until dry's are incorporated completely.

Grab your trusty ice cream scoop and fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full. These really won't puff up much, so, 3/4 full is safe. Place them in the oven and bake for 20-24 minutes, making sure you rotate the pan about 1/2 way through the baking process.

Place pan on cooling rack, and let them cool for about 10 minutes, then take them out and cool completely. (Seriously...if you try to put cream cheese frosting on a warm cupcake you are only asking for a slimy mess!)

While your cupcakes cool, prep your frosting. Put your butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in the bowl of your mixer. Slowly add your confectioners sugar, about 1/2 a cup at a time, to avoid a snowstorm from happening in your kitchen. Once the sugar is mixed in well, add your zest. I suggest that if you do not own a Microplane, GET ONE. My husband  bought one for me at Sur La Table and the first time I used it, it was like MAGIC! Truuuuust me. You need one.

Anyway, beat in zest and ginger, then pipe onto your cupcakes. If you want to get fancy, garnish your cupcakes with a little carrot peel. As you can see from my picture, I didn't get fancy with these. Don't worry, though -- the flavor and texture of this cupcake is fancy enough!
Have fun, and enjoy!