Sprinkles Strawberry Cupcakes

Somehow I stumbled on this recipe. I don't remember how or why, but boy am I glad I did. If you haven't heard of Sprinkles Cupcakes before, you need to click on that link. They look so classy and divine, nothing like the ones I whipped up. 

But they were Tasty, with a capital T. 

Chocolate Cake with Orange Buttercream

For three days all I did was think about cake. And buttercream. Oh, and chocolate ganache. All because of that cookbook of mine. The one that inspired (read: forced) me to make that banana layer cake. 

This one was a little more complicated though. I had never made chocolate ganache, and the word 'ganache' just made me nervous. Me, a ganache maker? Really?

And then there was the orange curd for the french buttercream. Buttercream with uncooked egg whites and all. So I really had to think about this one.

I stuck with the ganache and kept the orange curd, but switched the egg whites to non-egg buttercream. The rumor is that buttercream made with whipped egg whites and butter won't do well in 100 degree weather. I felt justified, since this cake was going to a backyard BBQ on a hot Saturday afternoon. 

I baked the devil's food cake layers on Thursday, prepared the orange curd for the frosting and filled the cake with chocolate orange ganache on Friday, and finally whipped up the buttercream on Saturday. 

Devil's Food Cake (original recipe here)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup water

3/4 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two (I used three) 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. (You can line bottoms with parchment paper and grease again. I didn't and it turned out just fine.)

2. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk wet ingredients together and pour into dry ingredients. Stir just to blend. Divide batter between prepared pans. (About 3 cups each if using two pans, 2 cups each if three pans.)

3. Bake until tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes for two pans, 20 minutes for three pans. If cakes form domes, place a kitchen towel atop hot cakes and press gently with your palm to level. Cool completely in pans on cooling racks.

Chocolate Orange Ganache (original recipe here)

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped (do not exceed 61% cocoa)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp freshly grated orange zest

1 Tbsp orange-flavored liquor OR 1 Tbsp fresh orange juice plus 1/4 tsp orange extract

1. Place chocolate, butter, zest and liquor in a lbowl. Set a side.

2. In a small sauce pan, bring cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Chill ganache until just cool, for about 40 minutes.

3. Beat ganache with electric mixer just until light and fluffy before using. (Do not overbeat or it will become grainy)

Orange Curd

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

In a small heavy saucepan whisk together yolks, sugar, orange juice, butter and salt. Cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until it just reaches boiling point 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let boil! Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and whisk in lemon juice. Cool curd, its surface covered with wax paper or plastic wrap, at least for 4 hours and up to 2 days

Buttercream

1 cup shortening

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

6 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp salt

6 fl oz heavy cream (that's 12 tablespoons, or 3/4 cup)

2 Tbsp freshly grated orange zest

Prepared orange curd

1. Cream shortening and butter until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until well blended.

2. Add salt and cream, blend on low speed until moistened. Then beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy, again for about 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Add orange curd and zest and beat until well incorporated.

NOTE: If you frost the cake as I did you'll only need half of the buttercream. I just split the buttercream recipe in half and added only half of the orange cream. Or you could just make two cakes. Cake for everyone!

Assembly

Place one cake layer on plate, top with ganache. Follow with another layer and top again with ganache. Place third layer on top and frost top and sides with thin layer of buttercream (crumb coating). Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then frost with buttercream and smooth surface. Chill again. Pipe decorative borders with leftover frosting. Chill cake for at least 6 hours, then let cake stand in cool room temperature 2 to 4 hours before serving.

Verdict:

The cake was good, maybe a little dry since it was two days old. I will use the recipe again though.

The ganache was a bit dark for me and ended up being quite hard in the cake. Next time I'll make a milk chocolate ganache with orange and add a bit more cream. But if you're a dark chocolate lover, go for it! And it was so easy to make. 

The frosting was smooth and creamy, and I'm planning to use it as my basic buttercream from now on. I love the curd and am interested in trying to mix it with just whipped cream to fill a cake with.

I got to serve this fancy cake of mine from styrofoam plates. Awesome! 

p.s. Here's a link to a site that lists substitutes for alcohol in cooking and baking. It'll sure come handy in my kitchen! 

Alcohol Substitution Chart

Rolled Sugar Cookies and Icing

I have completely lost it now.

A lot of you know I love baking, but I do have other things in my life that should get done.

Such as laundry, dishes, cleaning, cooking, feeding, diapering, bathing, grooming the dog, walking the dog, showering the dog slobber off of me after walking the dog, etc.

Instead of doing all that, I decided to use my 'spare' time on this.

Hours later my hand, and my brain (why, I do not know) were exhausted and I thought to myself: They better taste good.

Oh, they did.

Here are the recipes.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp imitation butter
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

• 1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, vanilla and lemon. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• 3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Recipe modified from:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Sugar Cookie Icing

Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
• assorted food coloring

Directions

• 1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and lemon extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
• 2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Frost away!
• 
  

Note: You may need to tweak the amount of corn syrup and milk, depending how thick or thin you want the icing. 

Recipe modified from:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sugar-Cookie-Icing/Detail.aspx

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and exercise all that butter off of my buttocks.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

These lemon cream cupcakes have restored my faith in cupcakes! I've always been a muffin girl, but these babies sure made my day.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice or extract (more if you'd like)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sour cream

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add lemon peel, lemon extract and vanilla; mix well.

2. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick).

3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Leave some in the bowl to enjoy unbaked! Yum!

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• approx. 3 to 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, depending how sweet you want it.
• Lemon juice
• Lemon zest

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the lemon juice and zest (amounts depend on how much flavor you want. I used about 3 tsp of juice and the zest of one lemon), then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Then just frost away!