You put the lime in the coconut
Wow does this sounds yummy. I am adding this recipe to try out one weekend so I had to share – enjoy!
Tropical Lime Cupcakes
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 teaspoons lime Jell-O (optional)
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lime zest
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or lime concentrate
Green and yellow food coloring (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Graham cracker crumbs, for garnish (optional)
Lime slice candy, for garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Insert liners into 2 cupcake pans.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time to creamed mixture, beating 1 minute after each addition.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and Jell-O, if desired.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Mix until completely integrated. Add the lime zest and lime juice. Mix the batter for 30 seconds. Add food coloring until desired color achieved.
Fill the cupcake liners three-quarters full. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only moist crumbs.
Cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack.
Cream Cheese Frosting
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
Slowly sift in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating. Mix until lumps are gone. Add vanilla and lemon extracts and mix until incorporated and frosting is a spreading consistency. Taste for sweetness, and add more sugar if desired.
Spread icing on cupcakes. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top, if desired. Top with a piece of lime slice, if desired.
Recipes adapted from “Crazy About Cupcakes” by Krystina Castella
Fly me to the moon
Sorry for the break, but I was all cake, cookies and cupcaked out. The last class I took was a disaster, but I am ready to get back on the cake-stand (or horse – get it?). My nephew is going to turn five this October and he has requested a rocketship theme cake. I can’t decide if to do cookie cutter shapes on top of a sheet cake or go outside my comfort zone with an actual 3-D cake. I am thinking I can make it with a cupcake pan. I will need to try it out first, but I think it would be fun to attempt this task at hand. Hopefully there will be pictures if I can pull it off, oh and deliver it 3.5 hours away to the location. Cross those fingers with me that this rocketship makes it off the ground.
we’re all a little nutella
Tonight is the final class for course one. I am coming with cake, frosting and drawings in tow. I think I am going to sign up for course two which is flower making just to get an edge on building. I will add that last night on top of making frosting and two six inch cakes, I also made a treat for my manager/co-workers. These are nutella cookie bars, found on a blog. I love nutella and could not resist the chance to bake with it. Please take notice that the container is almost empty at 2pm in the afternoon. I’d say they were a hit. I am include the recipe or blog site. Enjoy and I’ll update tomorrow with pictures of the final cake.
what you’ll need: 1/2 cup nutella, 3/4 cup chocolate chips, 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup butter (softened), 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. preheat oven to 350 degrees f. line an 8-inch square pan with wax paper long enough that it comes up across opposite sides.
2. melt the nutella and chocolate chips on a double boiler. then set aside to cool.
3. in a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
4. in another bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until creamy. slowly add in sugar until smooth. add eggs one at a time then add vanilla. gradually add dry ingredients until well incorporated.
5. take 2/3 of the dough and press thinly onto bottom of the pan. pour in the chocolate/nutella mixture on top and spread evenly. (be careful with your dough proportions. i ended up putting too much in the bottom and didn’t have enough to crumble on top. also, the dough is not very sweet, so the unsweetness is much more apparent when biting into an inch think layer at the bottom…)
6. crumble the rest of the dough and sprinkle on top of the chocolate. if the dough is a bit wet, add a little more flour to it.
7. bake for 20 minutes until golden brown on top. let cool for 10 minutes.
(makes 16 bars)
Posted on: http://myachybakeyheart.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/nutella-stache-anyone/
Blog features pictures and play by play. Brilliant!
Tiny wonders
What I learned in class last night: if your frosting gets too warm or isn’t stiff enough, your rose will wilt. I had a great time learning more about process and tips. I had a bunch of ideas, but stuck to my 3 color choices. Here are 4 of the best cupcakes from last night. Next week is the last class of course one. I’ll be back to a cake for my final.
Try, try again
So tonight is Sunday, which means prep night for class tomorrow. I usually make a cake or cupcakes plus frosting, all to be used in class (except for those that my husband sneaks from my bag for class). Tonight I decided to try a different recipe for the frosting because I was not a huge fan of the stuff from last week; another reason I gave away the cake to the neighbors. Tonight instead of adding the evil Crisco (only evil to me because anything made out of lard is gross and evil to me), I did one part evil and one part butter. I added the rest of the ingredients and *poof*, the magic that is buttercream (hence the name BUTTER cream, not Crisco-Cream) came to yummy life. I had to resist licking the bowl clean. Tomorrow is decorating day with my ten, count them, ten chocolate cupcakes (two were taster-cakes; recipe was the Martha Stewart one bowl chocolate cake). Hoping that I will get down how to make a rose rather quickly. Cross those pipping bags that my dream comes true. Pictures to come soon.
You don’t bring me flowers…
No real flowers were harmed for the making of my first cake (and these flowers are made of frosting). Overall, I am pretty happy with the way it came out, but I’ll let you be the judge. Sorry in advance for the fuzzy pictures, I had to use my camera phone to take pics last night. Let me know what you think. p.s. We made our neighbors happy and gave them the cake. I am already sick of frosting and cake.
Sweet dreams, butter bean.
This past weekend consisted of getting ready for tonight’s class. I baked two 6″ cakes and 12 cupcakes (due to extra cake mix). With everything set and ready to go for Monday morning, I called it a night. I should add that I have DVRed (or Tivo for the rest of the world) lots of Ace of Cakes and Cake Challenges to watch which I did right before bed. Little did I know, but it all creeped in my dreams. I dreamt of Duff, owner of Charmed City Bakery (from Ace of Cakes) who asked me to frost cakes for an upcoming project. The night before I was frosting as well. This class has officially taken over my brain. Tonight will be the test as I ice my first cake ever. Wish me luck.
I’m including the cake recipe. Turned out spongy but yummy. (ask my non-sweet eater husband who had 3) – Not sure where on the internet I found this, so credit is unknown.
White Almond Sour Cream Cake
1 White Cake Mix
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
3/4 Tsp Salt
1 1/3 Cups Water
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Tsp Almond Extract
1 Cup Sour Cream
4 Large Egg Whites
Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into greased and floured cake pans, filling each pan a little over half full.
Bake in preheated 325 degree oven until cake tests done. (approx 50-55 minutes).
Ready, Set, FROST
Welcome to the world of decorating all things yummy. I hope to share all my crafty cakes, cookies and cupcakes with the world, by starting here. So get ready sweet world, here I come (with frosting!)
