vanilla and coconut mini cupcakes!

As a baker I take as a personal challenge (and offense) when someone doesn’t like a certain dessert, cupcake or anything that is sweet (especially when chocolate is involved). But I have realized, with a lot of patience and tolerance (not and easy thing) that not everyone likes sweets as much as I do.

As an only girl in my family I use my two brothers as guinea pigs (we have a love/hate relationship about this), and I take personally when they dislike something and make my personal challenge and mission to bake something they will absolutely love.

vanila cupcake with a white chocolate and coconut ganache filling. Toping with vanilla buttercream with a small hint of coconut and coconut shavings for garnish.

We can all thank this cupcakes to my brother (who is not a fan of chocolate).

I decided to make a vanilla cupcake!…with a little hint of coconut!

I took the recipe from my baking addiction, but changed it a little bit (cut everything in half) and added a ganache for flavor purposes!

Yields (35 – 40) mini cupcakes 

For the cupcake you will need:

remember, always measure your ingredients first. It’ll make your life EASIER!

1 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch (recipe called for cake flour and i didn’t have any in hand so i followed the tip from joy the baker on how to make some)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
2 egg whites at room temperature
57 grams of butter (1/2 stick)
3/4  cup sugar
seeds scrapped from a vanilla bean
2 tsp vanilla extract

** I didn’t have any vanilla bean so i added an extra tsp of vanilla extract!

Instructions 

1. Preheat your oven at 356 Fº (180 Cº) and have your molds and cupcake liners ready
2. In a large bowl sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together your egg whites and milk.
4. In your stand mixer soft your butter and add sugar until nice and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and 1/3 of flour mixture. Continue to mix while adding half of the milk/eggwhite mixture.
5. After the batter is well incorporated add the rest of the dry and liquid ingredients and continue mixing for about 3 minutes or properly incorporated.
6. Fill your liners (don’t over fill, this batter will rise. Fill your liners halfway)
7. Bake for 8 – 9 min

Filling

You will need:

40 grams of white chocolate
1/4 cups of heavy cream
few drops of coconut essence

Instructions: 

1. Heat the heavy cream until simmering 
2. Pour cream over white chocolate and mix until smooth
3. Add essence, mix and let it cool in the refrigerator.

Icing

You will need:

170 gr butter (1.5 sticks)
2 tsp CLEAR vanilla extract
340 gr (12 oz) confectioners sugar
3 tsp heavy cream
few drops of coconut essence (optional)
coconut shavings for decoration.

Instructions 

1. In your stand mixer softened your butter until light and fluffy.
2. Incorporate little by little your confectioners sugar (until is all in)
3. Add your vanilla extract and your heavy cream
4. Add 2 – 3 drops of coconut essence (if desire)

Now assemble your cupcakes!!

When they are cold and ready pour the ganache and then topped them with this buttercream (it is to die for, nice and fluffy and heavenly! everything Buttercream should be!!)

now…just ENJOY!

vanilla cupcake filled with white chocolate and coconut ganache, topped with vanilla coconut buttercream

Ferrero Rocher inspired mini cupcakes

I have to be honest with you, I’ve been wanting to make a ferrero rocher cupcake for a long time now (it is my favorite chocolate, as it should be for everyone! it is just perfect!) but this week i just couldn’t get it out of my  mind.

How to make a perfect hazelnut chocolate cupcake that is creamy and crispy and delicous?! well…here is my take on it!

soft chocolate cake with nutella ganache filling and fluffy hazelnut icing with a ferrero rocher on top!

They were a pleasure to bake and decorate!

I took different ingredients from different blog sites to make this.
First things first the cupcake. It was everything you can hope of a cupcake, it was rich chocolate flavor it is soft and moist and definitely on top of my favorite chocolate batters now. I found this recipe on sally’s baking addiction. I made a small (very small  adjustment and it worked perfectly!)

What you need is:

remember to measure your ingredients before you start mixing, this will make your life easier. TRUST ME!

• 1/2 cup of water (original recipe call for 1 cup of water, this is what i changed)
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
• 1 1/3 of all purpose flour (sifted)
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cups (56 gr) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Instructions (yields 48 mini cupcakes)

1. Preheat oven at 375 Fº (190 Cº) and get your cupcake mold ready
2. Pour your milk and water in a saucepan and heated (hight heat) when it reaches boiling point pour the unsweetened cocoa powder and stir until smooth. Set aside and cool.
   

   water, milk and cocoa mixture (YUM!)

3. In a medium size bowl whisk together your: flour, baking powder and salt.
4. In a large bowl using a mixer cream your butter until it is fluffy and smooth. Add sugar until it is well incorporated.
5. Add eggs (one by one) to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until well incorporated at medium speed. Remember to scrape down the bowl. Add vanilla extract.
6. Add the flour mixture slowly until it is incorporated.
7. Add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.
8. Fill your cupcake liners 1/2 the way and bake for about 8 – 9 min.

Filling.

for the filling I used a nutella ganache (yup, heavenly nutella)

You will need:

1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup of nutella
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. In a pot heat your heavy cream until it is simmering
2. In a small bowl place your nutella and pour over the hot heavy cream. Stir until smooth
3. Add the salt to the nutella – cream mixture. Stir. Let it cool in the fridge.
4. While on the fridge stir every other 10 min until you get the consistency you desire.

For the icing, i got the recipe from my baking addiction:
** I made a few adjustments to the recipe.

You will need:

• 2 sticks (226 gr) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1/3 cups (40 gr roughly) of nutella ( I added 1/4 cup of nutella after tasting the finished product- so i advice you to tasted and adjust as necessary)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 cups confectioners sugar (sifted)
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons of heavy cream

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl with a mixer cream butter until fluffy.
2. Incorporate confectioners sugar. Mix until nice, soft and fluffy.
3. Add nutella and mix until everything is well incorporated. Scrape the bowl when needed.
4. Add salt and vanilla
5. Add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time. Add until you get the desired consistency. (mine was about 4 tablespoons)
6. refrigerate.

Now you just need to assemble your cupcakes.

Instructions:

1. Take one of your decorating tips and make a small hole in your cupcake 
2. Pour nutella ganache in the cupcake until it is filled.
3. Swirl icing (used a tip 2D from wilton decorating kit)
4. Decorate with pieces of ferrero rocher. (cut your ferrero rocher chocolate in half and then again)
5. ENJOY!!!!

The cake, the filling and the icing complement each other making this one of my favorite cupcakes so far. ENJOY! They are indeed a little (worth it ) sin!

red velvet with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

This cake is just PERFECT! i mean it the texture and the perfect hint of chocolate in it. The whole deal with the frosting and a touch of cinnamon just makes it divine! TRY IT

This fashionable beautiful and of course delicious red velvet is a MUST

I have to admit I met red velvet just recently (i can say with a lot of shame it was during my 25th bday) and I regret every moment we spend apart! I should’ve made this recipe a long time ago, should’ve tried it before. Oh well, guess waiting pays of because I got a perfect cake on my first try (yei!!) we all know, at least all of us unexperienced bakers that is not an easy thing to do.

I came across this delicious and promising cupcake recipe and I have to admit I stumble upon it by accident but got caught in it. I found it in JOY the baker’s blog   and am happy i did.

There is nothing you need to change from this recipe! just follow it and it will bring absolute bliss to your life!

Yields 50 mini cupcakes

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2  Tablespoons red food coloring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 F (180C).

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Turn mixer to high and add  the egg.  Scrape down the bowl and beat until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste.  Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until completely combined.  You may need to stop the mixer to scrape the bottom of the bowl, making sure that all the batter gets color.

Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk.  Add half of the flour and salt and mix until combined.  Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour.  Beat on high until smooth.

Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar.  Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.

Spoon batter into a paper lined cupcake baking pan and bake at 350 F (180 C)  for 8 – 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center cupcake comes out clean.

Let rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then place them of a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting (yields enough i promise, if you don’t eat it before hand!! – not an easy task!)

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, cold
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Beat the powdered sugar, cinnamon, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.  Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed.

Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium to medium-high until incorporated.

Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until the frosting becomes light and fluffy.

now…FROST your cupcakes and ENJOY!

perfect combination of fluffly cupcake with the BEST frosting ever!

chocolate mocha mini cupcake & espresso frosting

This cake is fluffy and soft! The icing makes it all come together with the perfect hints of coffee that complement very good the chocolate in the bread!

 

For the coffee and chocolate lovers

I love to cook and for anyone and everyone that knows me, that is NO secret. I am in a constant look for ways to make recipes exciting, different and of course DELICIOUS!  I have to admit to you…and well to everyone i am no expert! I am just a girl with a very tasty hobby (ask my friends they LOVE it) 

For this past month i made it my mission, no joke i mean it, to find exciting and delicious easy to bake cupcakes from different fellow bloggers. I’ve encounter the most amazing blog called Brown Eyed Baker  let me tell you she is awesome, and so i took into the challenge to try her recipe. (i promise i’ll get better in documenting my cooking but for now i only have finish product pics) 

I follow her recipe to the very last detailed (and of course i read every comment on the recipe) 

Got to main things to still work on: get better espresso powder!! it is important! and being careful with oven time! This cake needs to be treated with care! is delicious so TRY  IT! but it is very soft and airy so the time in the oven it is VERY important. 

my first badge came out extremely soft although delicious is not the consistency you look for in the perfect cupcake! in the second badge i added 4 – 5 min in the oven and it was PERFECT! i mean PERFECT! still soft and airy but heavenly! 

TRY IT! it is a good delicious recipe for coffee lovers! 

i did a mini cupcake version – yields 50 mini cupcakes 

Here is what you need: 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Baking Time: 17-20 minutes

1-1/3 all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa poder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup whole milk
½ cup strong brewed coffee
1½ teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature

***as a tip, i consulted with one of my friends (she is a CHEF) about the soft of the cake and she advice to replace brown sugar for granulated sugar as well (haven tried it, i’ll post a review on that note as soon as i do!) 

1. Mix the espresso powder into the brewed coffee until dissolved; set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard-size muffin tin with paper liners.

3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4. Beat the butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a measuring cup, combine the milk, brewed coffee mixture and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture, alternating with the coffee mixture, ending with the flour mixture.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the liners. Baking for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting cupcakes.

For the frosting…

Makes enough for 50 mini cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2½ cups powdered sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons espresso powder 

1. Mix the espresso powder into the vanilla until dissolved; set aside.

2. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a little at a time, waiting until it is mostly incorporated before adding more. Once all of the powdered sugar has been added, scrape the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium-high and whip until fluffy, about a minute or two. Add the espresso and vanilla mixture and continue to mix at medium-high until it is completely incorporated, scraping the sides as necessary.

TRY THIS! they are AMAZING!