Muchas Leches Cupcakes

I'm sorry for the delay in posting up this recipe, but I've been busy with other things.   

This is what I'm currently baking in my oven.  He'll be perfectly baked and sprinkled with lots of love by the time February comes around.  :) 

I had complications during the first trimester so now that I'm further along and know for sure baby DLT is healthy, I wanted to share the happy news with all of you.  

So now its back to the REAL baking business (lol).  These cupcakes are kind of high maintenance and required particular ingredients I had never shopped for.  Luckily for me, the bf is a buyer for Whole Foods so he's able to tell me what they carry in their stores (yet another reason why I love him!  <3)  

I was originally going to make tres leches cupcakes but I stumbled upon this recipe on Annie's Eats.   I can always count on her to post up a yummy recipe so I knew this was a winner.  I must warn you however, that as the cupcakes bake, they do shrink a bit so I'll try baking them in a bigger muffin pan next time.  Enjoy!  

Muchas Leches Cupcakes 

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes:
2 cups (8 oz.) blanched almonds
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
7 large eggs, separated
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking powder

For the soaking liquid:
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. dulce de leche
¼ cup cream of coconut
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
¼ cup evaporated milk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the sugared almonds:
2 large egg whites
2 cups slivered almonds
½ cup sugar

For the frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
Splash of vanilla extract

Fresh berries, for garnish (optional)

  

Directions:
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.  Place the almonds in the bowl of a food processor with ¼ cup of sugar and the cinnamon.  Process until finely ground.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form.  Transfer the beaten egg whites to a different bowl and set aside.  Wipe out the mixer bowl.  In the now-empty mixer bowl, combine the egg yolks and the remaining ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Fold in the flour and the baking powder with a spatula.  Fold in the ground almond mixture.  Mix in a third of the beaten egg whites to lighten the batter.  Fold in the remainder of the egg whites until evenly incorporated and no streaks remain.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth with a spatula.  Bake approximately 13-15, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the soaking liquid, combine the whipping cream, dulce de leche, cream of coconut, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla in a bowl or liquid measuring cup.  Whisk together until smooth.

To make the sugared almonds, place the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl and whip on high speed until frothy.  Stir in the almonds and sugar until evenly incorporated.  Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.  Bake at 325˚ F until golden brown and crisp, approximately 20 minutes (let cool a minute or two before touching).  Allow to cool and then break apart into small chunks.

To make the frosting, place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Mix in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.  Blend in the vanilla.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with the whipping cream and top off with sugared almonds and berries (optional).

I'm Back

I'm finally back after a month long hiatus.  I have a few orders this weekend so I'll be posting up my recipe for Muchas Leches Cupcakes with Sugared Almonds soon.  The cupcakes are for my good friend, Raaachem, who recently kicked cancer's ass and for my daughter's bff's mom, Aura who celebrates her birthday this weekend.  Stay tuned! 

Neapolitan Cake for the BFF

I made a neapolitan cake for my bff's bday bbq this past Sunday.  It was a gorgeous day out in Tomales Bay and a perfect way to spend quality time with her, our friends, and her immediate family.  I was brainstorming what kind of cake I should make for her birthday and decided on a neapolitan cake.  I didn't realize what I had committed myself to when I started making three different kinds of cakes and two different frostings/fillings.  LOL.  It was well worth it tho.  The cake was a huge hit despite the melted frosting.  The cakes were moist and not too sweet.  Neither flavors overpowered the other and the fresh strawberry filling complimented the cakes perfectly.  Next time, I might just use a simple whipped cream frosting instead of the vanilla buttercream.  

Neapolitan Cake
adapted from Annies Eats and Baking Bites 

Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake:
 
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. dark cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
½ cup black coffee ( I made a quick trip to Starbucks and used their drip coffee of the day)
½ cup buttermilk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the white cake:

1 cup milk, room temperature
6 egg whites ( I used 12 tbsp of pure eggwhites in a carton)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (6 oz), softened ( I only used 4 oz)

For the strawberry cake:

1¼ cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1½ oz. strawberry gelatin
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 large eggs
½ cup milk
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup sweetened strawberry puree*

Strawberry Filling:

1½ cups fresh strawberries (8 oz.), rinsed, hulled and coarsely chopped*
4 large egg whites
1¼ cups sugar
3 sticks (1½ cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature

*To make the strawberry puree, process partially thawed frozen strawberries with a bit of sugar in a blender or food processor until smooth.  If using sweetened frozen strawberries, no additional sugar is necessary.

Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients:
20 tbsp. (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. heavy cream  

Directions:
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Add confectioners’ sugar and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds.  Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds.  Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds.  Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice. 

To make the chocolate cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour.  Line the bottom with a round of parchment.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, vegetable oil and egg.  Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, blend in half of the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.  Blend in the coffee, buttermilk and vanilla just until smooth.  Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Grease a 9 inch cake pan with vegetable shortening, line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper and flour the pan.
To make the white cake, combine milk, eggs whites and extracts in a small bowl with a fork. Set aside. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in an electric mixer and mix at slow speed with a paddle attachment. Add butter. Continue beating at slow speed until mixture looks like wet sand (If you’re doing this by hand, sift the dry ingredients together and rub in butter). Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining milk mixture and beat for an additional 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Do not overmix.

To make the strawberry cake, butter and flour the edges of a 9-inch round pan, shaking out the excess flour.  Line the bottom with a round of parchment.  In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside.  Combine the sugar, strawberry gelatin and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until incorporated.  Blend in the milk and vanilla extract.  Add in the remaining dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.  Blend in the strawberry puree.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  Run a knife around the edges, then turn the cake out onto the rack and let cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the strawberries in a food processor or blender.  Puree until completely smooth.  Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer** fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes.  (The bowl should be cool to the touch.)

Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated.  If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!)  Blend in the strawberry puree until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

To assemble the cake, torte each of the cake layers horizontally into two thin halves.  Place one of the chocolate layers on a cake board or cake platter.  Top with a very thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Place a layer of the strawberry cake on top.  Again, cover with a thin layer of vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Top with a layer of the white cake.  Cover with a thin layer of the vanilla buttercream or strawberry jam.  Repeat the process with the remaining layers of chocolate and strawberry cake.  (For a taller cake, you can use the remaining layer of white cake.  Otherwise, you can wrap tightly and save for later use or discard.)  Frost the top and sides of the cake with the vanilla buttercream.  Transfer remaining buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip for detailing as desired.

Candy Making

My bff recently blogged about a dark chocolate nutella twix bar recipe she came across recently.  I have yet to make it but I actually found this recipe that I'd like to share with you.  Its quite similar but instead of nutella, its a twix brownie bar! 

My cousin, Nicole posted this blog on her FB this morning, and as I was scrolling through the blogger's recipes, I found this Twix alternative.  Sometimes I just want to stay home on a busy work week like these and just bake, Bake, BAKE!  lol.  

This week has been absolutely insane at my work (I do research in liver transplant in SF) and I'm really looking forward to this weekend.  I'm doing a test batch of white cake with strawberries and whipped cream for an order that's coming up in a few weeks and I think I'll make this for the couple and their kids who are coming over on Sunday.  It's also not a bad gift idea for Father's Day.  Wrap it in a cute box with a ribbon and you have a wonderful homemade gift your father/man in your life will enjoy.  I hope you enjoy this recipe and please share your candy making experience with me and I promise I'll do the same.  Happy candy making!  

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces
14 oz bag of caramels
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
Box of your favorite brownie mix + ingredients to make (I used Ghiradellhi Ultimate Fudge--whatever brand you use, you want fudgy, not cakey brownies) 
Chocolate candy melts or almond bark

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar and butter. Process until it comes together to form a dough (you can also use your hands if you don't have a food processor).

Pat the dough in the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 25 minutes or so.

Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool for about 30 minutes and prepare your brownie batter according to instructions. Remove shortbread from refrigerator and spread brownie batter over it evenly. Bake until brownies are set, but still fudgy.

Place pan in the refrigerator to cool again. Once brownies are firm, place unwrapped caramels and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high, stirring every 15 seconds until completely melted and smooth. Pour melted caramel over brownies and spread evenly. Refrigerate again until firm.

Grab the ends of the foil and remove from pan. Peel the foil off the sides and bottom and place the brownies on a cutting board and cut into thin bars. Melt candy melts/almond bark according to package directions and dip bars, placing on a wax paper lined baking sheet until chocolate is fully set.
 

Macarons

I received a request on my FB page for macarons.  I've always wanted to make them but they seem to be a bit out of my league.  The order isn't until August, but I'm trying to get a head start.  Holly requested three flavors: hazelnut, vanilla, and strawberry.  I'm assuming she's going for a neopolitan theme?  Any bloggers out there have any recipes they would like to share?  

I got this link from my coworker yesterday:   http://www.syrupandtang.com/200712/la-macaronicite-3-the-more-reliable-macaron-recipe-and-a-few-tips/#ingred

Plenty of tips for macarons!  Looks like I'll be making some soon.  :)

Cake Decorating Classes

I recently took a 4 week cake decorating class with the bf's sissy at our local Michaels.  It was tons of fun and our instructor Gloria was awesome! She was very patient and allowed plenty of time for practice.  She taught us plenty of new techniques and I worked on perfecting my novice piping skills.  "Its all in the wrist!"

 At the end of the course, we learned how to make roses using buttercream.  Unfortunately, I made mine a bit too thin so my roses looked like they were wilting.  I tried decorating my homemade marble cake with as many techniques I learned throughout the course.  Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

 As you can see, there are stars, dots, a shell border, roses, petals, and writing.  My daughter, Kylie requested a smiley face on there.  She wanted it a bit bigger but there wasn't much room left.  :( These techniques are a bit harder than they look but I'm glad I know how to do them now and which tips do what.  I've been trying to figure that out since I got that 52 tip kit from our Kris Kringle last Christmas.  LOL. I won't be taking any orders soon, but maybe after I take my next class:  Gum Paste and Fondant!  I start today so I'll keep my blog updated with plenty of pics.  I can't wait.  ;)

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

An old friend of mine who I grew up with posted this on my facebook wall:  

 These are hot chocolate cupcakes!  Crazy, right?  Thanks so much Elisa for give me my new baking project.  Below is the link so you can make your own.  Looks like I've got a bunch of baking and fondant making to do this weekend.  :) 

http://diaryofaladybird.blogspot.com/2010/07/fondant-fun-hot-chocolate-cupcakes.html