Light and Moist Vanilla Cupcakes

Light and Moist Vanilla Cupcakes


Cream Cheese icing tops these cupcakes
There are so many delicious cupcake recipes available so it is hard try them all. I found a great recipe that made a delicious light and fluffy cupcake. The recipe from Natasha's Kitchen was easy to follow and quick to put together.

I used baking cups I bought at Ikea, however, they are shorter than the usual cupcake cups so please take this into consideration if you plan to purchase them too. Their good point is that they bake the cupcakes nicely and are easy to clean up for reuse.

Silicone baking cups from Ikea

Recipe (makes about 8 - 12 cupcakes depending on size)

135 grams flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (room temperature)
120 grams sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
60 grams vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter milk

1. In a bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients.
2. In another bowl, mix the eggs and sugar with a hand mixer until yellow and fluffy. Add in the other wet ingredients and dry ingredients alternatively and continue mixing.
3. Pour into the baking cups and bake about 15 - 20 minutes (depending on size).
4. Cool before icing.

Cream Cheese Icing
250 grams powdered sugar
50 grams room temperature butter
125 grams cream cheese (room temperature)

1. In a bowl, mix the butter and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer. When well mixed add the cream cheese and continue to mix. Add food coloring as you like.
2. You can put the icing into a pastry bag to pipe on the cupcakes.


Read more »
Kathy
0 Comments
Creamy Chocolate Tart

Creamy Chocolate Tart


 
Top the tart with your favorite nuts
I really like this recipe since the  tart has a deep chocolate flavor and a creamy texture. I've topped it with walnuts but pecans would match very well also.
I usually make chocolate recipes in the winter when the weather is cold since chocolate is much easier to handle in cooler temperatures. I provide a recipe for a crust below, however, if you need to save time you can buy a frozen pie crust. I am not promising that taste will be the same though ;)

The recipe below fits a 18 cm pie tart.

Pie Dough
175 grams flour
90 grams cold butter
25 grams almond flour
70 grams powdered sugar
pinch of salt
35 grams egg
1. Sift the flour, powdered sugar, almond powder and salt together in a bowl.
2. Cut the butter into small cubes and mix into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter. (You can also use a food processor for making the pie crust). Lastly, mix in the egg.
3. Lightly knead together on a flat board to blend all the ingredients well. Flatten into a large circle and cover in plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before using. This dough becomes soft quickly so you should work with it quickly.
4. Roll out the dough on a flat board to and fit over the tart ring. Cut off the excess dough with a knife. Neatly fit the dough inside of the ring. Cover with baking paper and fill with baking beans.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes then remove the beans and baking paper and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Cover the dough with baking paper and baking beans
before baking
Chocolate Filling
200 grams fresh cream
225 grams dark chocolate
30 grams brown sugar
3 eggs (room temperature)
3 tablespoons flour (sifted)
1. In a bowl, put the chocolate over a pot of simmering hot water and melt. Remove from the heat when melted.
2. Put the cream into a saucepan and heat until lightly boiling.
3. Add the cream in portions to the melted chocolate and mix together with a small whisk. Stir gently so the chocolate does not separate.
4. Next add the eggs in portions to the chocolate and mix together using the whisk. Lastly, add the sifted flour in portions.
5. Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie crust and top with nuts. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven & cool before serving.


I used a rectangle tart pan for this one
Nice design
Read more »
Kathy
0 Comments
Gateau Basque

Gateau Basque

Ready for Dessert?
This cake combines a nice buttery cake on the outside filled with custard cream and dark sweet cherries on the inside.

This is a nice cake to have for dessert during the cold winter months. Pair it with a hot cup of coffee and you will feel warm and cosy.

Preparation time is about 45 minutes and baking is another 30 minutes.


Recipe


Cake
100 grams butter (room temperature)
80 grams sugar
65 grams eggs
135 grams flour
20 grams almond flour (powder)
2 grams baking powder
pinch of salt

1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In another bowl, mix the butter with whisk until soft then add the sugar in portions. Lastly, add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Cover and set to the side.

Custard
130 grams milk
1 egg yolk
25 grams sugar
15 grams flour
10 grams butter
5 grams Kirsch liquor
100 grams dark sweet cherries

1. In a bowl mix together the egg yolk, sugar and flour with a whisk.
2. In a saucepan heat the milk until just boiled. Add the milk to the egg mixture & mix then add back to the saucepan and heat on medium and stir with a whisk until the mixtures thickens like pudding. .
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and mix well. Lastly, add the Kirsch liquor and mix. Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let cool.

Putting Everything Together:

1. I used a  15 cm (round) x 5 cm (tall) baking ring. Put the ring on top of a sheet of baking paper then put on top of a baking pan.
2. Smooth about 3/4 of the cake ingredients on the bottom of the ring and up the sides of the ring (fill to about 80%  full). You will fill the inside of the cake dough with the custard and cherries so leave space for this.
3. Place the cherries on top of the cake dough along the bottom and then cover with the custard. Use a small spoon to evenly smooth the custard.
4. Use the remaining cake dough to cover the top of the custard so that the inside ingredients are sealed in. Then brush the top with egg wash and use a small knife to draw a design on top.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool before removing from the ring.

Draw a nice design on top before baking

Cherries are on the bottom then topped with the custard cream
The cake surrounds the filling on all sides

Read more »
Kathy
0 Comments
Tigre

Tigre


Ready for Dessert?


I haven't seen this recipe in the U.S. or in Japan, but everyone is missing out on a fantastic dessert.

I first learned this at  Le Cordon Bleu and pull it out whenever I need a quick dessert to take to friends.

This recipes makes small mini cakes which can be cut and shared. Total prep time is about one hour - don't be put off on this since they are well worth it.


Ingredients

Egg whites 140 grams (about 3.5 eggs)
Sugar 80 grams
Flour 35 grams
Almond flour 165 grams
Butter 150 grams
Chocolate wafer cookies chopped

1. Lightly butter & flour each of the small pans. Recipe makes about 10.

2. Put the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and melt until it becomes bubbly then frothy. Heat only until the butter is lightly browned - do not burn. Remove from the pan and cool.

3. In a bowl put the egg whites and start to whip with a mixer. Add  the sugar in portions and mix until stiff.

4. Sift the almond powder and flour together. Add this mixture to the egg whites and mix using a spatula.

5. Strain the butter to remove the grit at the bottom and gradually add to the flour mixture. Mix thoroughly before adding more butter.

6. Use a pastry bag (quick solution is plastic baggie) and neatly fill the tins to about 95% full.

7. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 - 20 minutes.
Chocolate Filling

Dark chocolate 120 grams
Corn syrup 15 grams
Fresh cream 100 grams

1. Chop the chocolate to small pieces.

2. Heat the corn syrup & fresh cream in a sauce pan until just boiling. Pour a little into the chocolate and mix using a small whisk. As chocolate melts, continue to add more hot cream. If the chocolate has not all melted, put over hot water to melt the rest.

3. Cool until it starts to become thick.

4. Put in a pastry bag with a nozzle and nicely fill in the top of each cake.
Read more »
Kathy
2 Comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)