Monday, January 18, 2010
Disco Cupcakes
My costume for Mardi Gras is disco-themed. Cupcaketastic from Melbourne, Australia made this tower of cupcakes under a disco ball cake!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Recipe of the Week - Snowballs (coconut cupcakes)
Week 27
Lake Tahoe is preparing for a major winter storm that should arrive sometime tonight. In honor of the expected snowfall (10+ feet predicted by Thursday of next week), this week's recipe is for Snowballs...a.k.a coconut cupcakes.
This is Ina Garten's recipe (the Barefoot Contessa) and her cream cheese frosting recipe is very close to mine. If you prefer working with a mix, the Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcake Mix is available at specialty kitchen stores or can be ordered online.
Snowballs (Coconut Cupcakes)
3 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs - room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare cupcake pan with liners.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in half the coconut.
Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.
Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese - room temperature
3 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 pounds (6 cups) confectioners' sugar - sifted
Cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Sprinkle the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining coconut.
Lake Tahoe is preparing for a major winter storm that should arrive sometime tonight. In honor of the expected snowfall (10+ feet predicted by Thursday of next week), this week's recipe is for Snowballs...a.k.a coconut cupcakes.
This is Ina Garten's recipe (the Barefoot Contessa) and her cream cheese frosting recipe is very close to mine. If you prefer working with a mix, the Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcake Mix is available at specialty kitchen stores or can be ordered online.
Snowballs (Coconut Cupcakes)
3 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs - room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and prepare cupcake pan with liners.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in half the coconut.
Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.
Frosting
16 oz. cream cheese - room temperature
3 sticks unsalted butter - room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 pounds (6 cups) confectioners' sugar - sifted
Cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth. Sprinkle the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining coconut.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Sunflower Cupcakes
I was recently contacted about making sunflower cupcakes for an outdoor BBQ. I did some research and have begun to narrow down the design. Which of these would you choose?
oreo sunflowers with red M & M ladybugs
Friday, January 15, 2010
Cupcake Haiku
Haiku is a type of Japanese poetry that combines form, content, and language about nature, feelings or experiences. The most common form for Haiku is three short lines: the first line contains five syllables, the second line seven syllables, the third line has five syllables. Haiku doesn't rhyme and must paint a mental image in the reader's mind.
Biting into it
Moist cake and creamy frosting
Sprinkles on my tongue
If you have a cupcake haiku to share...please email
it to carpecupcakes@gmail.com
If you have a cupcake haiku to share...please email
it to carpecupcakes@gmail.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Mardi Gras Cupcakes
My flight is booked...my hotel is reserved...my taste buds are primed for some gumbo and boiled shrimp...just counting down the days til Fat Tuesday! I grew up in a small southern Mississippi town about an hour away from New Orleans so the city is very special to me. Last year's Mardi Gras was my first one since Hurricane Katrina and I think it was the best one so far. Can't wait for Mardi Gras 2010!
I have planned to visit several cupcake bakeries in New Orleans and there may be some surprises along the way. Stay tuned as the Mardi Gras season really gets started and Mardi Gras cupcakes begin to appear!
I have planned to visit several cupcake bakeries in New Orleans and there may be some surprises along the way. Stay tuned as the Mardi Gras season really gets started and Mardi Gras cupcakes begin to appear!
Mardi Gras cupcake decorations
and photo from Sugarcraft.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
January 13, 1969 - The Beatles Release "Yellow Submarine" Album
Have a cupcake to celebrate the release of The Beatles' album Yellow Submarine on January 13, 1969.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Puffed-Up Flower Cupcakes
This video shows how to make cupcake decorations that look like puffed-up flowers. Very easy to make! You need to make the petals at least 24 hours in advance so they will have time to dry.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Recipe of the Week - Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
Week 26
My visit to Mexico last weekend inspired the recipe for this week. I had the most amazing dessert and it wasn't even a cupcake! The dessert was a plate filled with Mexican wedding cookies and a cup of melted chocolate. On the side was a small bowl of whipped cream floating in rum....the combination of all these flavors was unbelievable.
If you are ever in Puerto Vallarta stop by Joe Jack's Fish Shack located at 212 Basilio Badillo and order this dessert. You will not be disappointed!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 standard cupcake pans with liners, or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, until blended.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, and gradually add to the sugar mixture, until the mixture begins to come together. Very slowly, add the boiling water, and blend until the mixture is smooth. Fill the liners 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
4 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate curls for garnishing cupcakes
In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir the sugar to aerate it. Add the butter, vanilla, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon milk, and beat on high speed until the frosting is spreading consistency. If the frosting is stiff, add a few more drops of milk, beating after each addition. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with chocolate curls.
My visit to Mexico last weekend inspired the recipe for this week. I had the most amazing dessert and it wasn't even a cupcake! The dessert was a plate filled with Mexican wedding cookies and a cup of melted chocolate. On the side was a small bowl of whipped cream floating in rum....the combination of all these flavors was unbelievable.
If you are ever in Puerto Vallarta stop by Joe Jack's Fish Shack located at 212 Basilio Badillo and order this dessert. You will not be disappointed!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup boiling water
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 standard cupcake pans with liners, or coat with non-stick cooking spray. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the sugar, eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, until blended.
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, and gradually add to the sugar mixture, until the mixture begins to come together. Very slowly, add the boiling water, and blend until the mixture is smooth. Fill the liners 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting
4 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons milk
Chocolate curls for garnishing cupcakes
In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir the sugar to aerate it. Add the butter, vanilla, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon milk, and beat on high speed until the frosting is spreading consistency. If the frosting is stiff, add a few more drops of milk, beating after each addition. Frost the cooled cupcakes and garnish with chocolate curls.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Carpe Cupcakes! meets the Julie/Julia Project
What does this post have to do with the cupcake universe? Not much about cupcakes specifically, but a whole lot about blogging.
I watched Julie & Julia last night and really liked the movie but was bothered at the end that no explanation was given for why Julia Child did not like Julie's blog. Carpe Cupcakes! recently received a very negative comment so I can relate to Julie's being crushed that her idol didn't like her blog. I believe in posting all comments - positive and negative - but it still stings when a reader expresses dislike for what you are doing. In the spirit of blogging, I decided to try and find out more about Julie Powell, Julia Child, and The Julie/Julia Project.
The Wikipedia definition of a personal blog is described as "an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual and is the most common type of blog. Personal bloggers take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art."
My career as an ER nurse was beginning its 30th year when I started Carpe Cupcakes! My goal was to add something to the growing community of those who are passionate about cupcakes. This blog chronicles my adventures with all things cupcake and my baking and decorating of cupcakes, which I do most often as a hobby and infrequently as a wedding cupcake business. Julie Powell started her blog project because she felt her life had become boring and she wanted something meaningful to do. Julia Child started cooking because she had moved to Paris with her husband and wanted something meaningful to do.
What is my point? Blogs are individual journals filled with personal opinions and comments and may or may not contain facts. You may or may not like what you read. When I finished watching Julie & Julia I felt Julia Child's negative response to Julie's blog was unfair. The movie portrayed Julie and her blog as a sweet attempt to cook through Julia Child's cookbook masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I spent this many hours reading Julie's blog and I now see Julia Child's point. Julie's blog is filled with language that many would find offensive and she did not exactly follow the recipes. Julie was probably not as respectful to the passion of learning French cooking as Julia would have wanted. But...it is Julie's blog and it is her conversation about how she chose to cook her way through the recipes in her idol's cookbook.
This blog is only six months old and I am still learning a lot about blogging...on the job training of sorts. It contains my opinions and observations and I do not expect everyone to agree with what I have to say...especially about cream cheese frosting. But I do thank all of you for joining me on this cupcake journey.
Bon Appetit!
I watched Julie & Julia last night and really liked the movie but was bothered at the end that no explanation was given for why Julia Child did not like Julie's blog. Carpe Cupcakes! recently received a very negative comment so I can relate to Julie's being crushed that her idol didn't like her blog. I believe in posting all comments - positive and negative - but it still stings when a reader expresses dislike for what you are doing. In the spirit of blogging, I decided to try and find out more about Julie Powell, Julia Child, and The Julie/Julia Project.
The Wikipedia definition of a personal blog is described as "an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual and is the most common type of blog. Personal bloggers take pride in their blog posts, even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art."
My career as an ER nurse was beginning its 30th year when I started Carpe Cupcakes! My goal was to add something to the growing community of those who are passionate about cupcakes. This blog chronicles my adventures with all things cupcake and my baking and decorating of cupcakes, which I do most often as a hobby and infrequently as a wedding cupcake business. Julie Powell started her blog project because she felt her life had become boring and she wanted something meaningful to do. Julia Child started cooking because she had moved to Paris with her husband and wanted something meaningful to do.
What is my point? Blogs are individual journals filled with personal opinions and comments and may or may not contain facts. You may or may not like what you read. When I finished watching Julie & Julia I felt Julia Child's negative response to Julie's blog was unfair. The movie portrayed Julie and her blog as a sweet attempt to cook through Julia Child's cookbook masterpiece Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I spent this many hours reading Julie's blog and I now see Julia Child's point. Julie's blog is filled with language that many would find offensive and she did not exactly follow the recipes. Julie was probably not as respectful to the passion of learning French cooking as Julia would have wanted. But...it is Julie's blog and it is her conversation about how she chose to cook her way through the recipes in her idol's cookbook.
This blog is only six months old and I am still learning a lot about blogging...on the job training of sorts. It contains my opinions and observations and I do not expect everyone to agree with what I have to say...especially about cream cheese frosting. But I do thank all of you for joining me on this cupcake journey.
Bon Appetit!
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