chocolate buttercream frosting

now I know I've said that magnolia's chocolate buttercream icing is my favorite... but I think I found a new "other" favorite. I googled "best chocolate buttercream frosting" & low & behold my friend's girlfriend's blog was the first search return. I love her blog, but somehow had missed this recipe earlier. so I decided to give it a try. and get this... one of the ingredients is ovaltine! as a kid, I was always intrigued by ovaltine because of ralphie in a christmas story.

it turned out lovely. very creamy; next time I will add a little less of the heavy cream mixture so that the icing holds a little better. but I loved the flavor. and I could definitely taste the ovaltine (which for me, is a good thing). the icing goes especially well with confetti cake!

the best chocolate buttercream frosting from joy the baker, adapted from delilah bakery

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup ovaltine

cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. butter mixture will be very thick. turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. as the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. beat until smooth. in a 2 cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and ovaltine. turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  you may not need the full amount of ovaltine and cream.

easter cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for easter. I know it's late, but I wanted to post the recipe, because I thought they were absolutely delicious. so if you're looking for a carrot cake recipe (without all the "stuff" in it), then you should definitely try this one.

Carrot Cake - Recipe courtesy Robert Clinton from Clifton, via food network

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 fresh whole eggs
• 2 cups pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups raw finely ground carrots
• 4 ounces finely chopped walnuts

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar
• 12 ounces room temperature cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces room temperature butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, vegetable oil, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well. Fold in carrots and chopped nuts until well blended. Distribute batter evenly into cupcake tins (mixture will be runny). Place in preheated oven and bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Let cool.

In a large mixer, place powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and butter. Beat at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Be sure to keep refrigerated. 

baked by melissa mini's

my friend kristin had been going on and on about baked by melissa in nyc, so we finally went last time I was in town. they sell mini cupcakes about the size of a quarter. and the place where they bake & sell them doesn't seem to be much larger; it's literally just a counter. but these mini cupcakes are the best mini cupcakes I've ever had in my life. the problem is, you aren't satisfied with just one or two... or three. but at a buck a piece, you'd better save your allowance if you want to feel full.

we tried the peanut butter & jelly, cookie dough, smores & tie-dye. they were all amazing. 

chocolate pink

I was in atlanta last weekend visiting my sweet sister. after hearing several recommendations for chocolate pink we figured we should check it out. it's a really cute cafe that serves all kinds of pastries & coffee. both of our cupcakes were absolutely delicious! you could definitely tell they were made with quality ingredients. kara got the coconut (coconut milk pound cake with coconut sour cream filling & white chocolate buttercream icing) & I tried the mochaccino (vanilla chiffon cake with coffee cream filling, topped with chocolate ganache & coffee buttercream). and not only were the cupcakes delicious, but the presentation was beautiful.                                      
                

                     

top-hat cupcakes

my sweet sister bought me a cupcake book for my birthday & I've been wanting to make these adorable top-hat cupcakes (they remind me of a chocolate-dipped cone from dairy queen). valentine's seemed like the perfect occasion. although the recipe is fairly involved, they weren't too difficult to make & tasted delicious.


notes on the cake: not my favorite recipe. not sweet enough (buttermilk has quite a tang to it), although it ended up working well-enough with this recipe, because the meringue was so sweet. next time I'll use my good ol' standby vanilla cake recipe.                                                    

top-hat cupcakes (from cupcakes, cupcakes & more cupcakes by lilach german)
makes 20-24 cupcakes (not 12 likes she says)
                                                                                                                                            
ingredients:
3 cups white flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room tempt.
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

meringue:
8 eggs whites
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter


garnish:
2 cups dark chocolate
3 tablespoons canola oil


preparation:
1. preheat oven to 325 F. insert liners into medium cupcake pans
2. prepare cupcakes: in bowl, sift flour, baking powder & salt
3. in a bowl, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar on medium speed until mixture is light & fluffy
4. reduce mixing speed to low, add eggs one at a time; mix well.
5. gradually add dry ingredients & buttermilk, mixing until blended into smooth batter. fill the cupcake liners two-thirds full.
6. bake for 20-25 mins, or until cupcakes are springy to the touch & a toothpick inserted in the cupcake's center comes out clean.
7. remove from oven & cool on wire rack for 10 mins.
8. prepare meringue: whisk egg whites, sugar & cream of tartar in bowl placed over a pot of hot water (double boiler), constantly mixing for about 5 minutes until texture is blended & mixture is hot to the touch (be sure not to cook the eggs).
9. transfer to bowl with electric mixer, beat on high until mixture has completely cooled & meringue is completely set.
10. transfer meringue to pastry bag with round tip, pipping from sides of cupcakes up towards centers in a snail shape. freeze for 30 mins.
11. prepare garnish: melt chocolate & oil in a bowl placed over a pot of hot water (double boiler) until texture is smooth. cool.
12. place cupcakes on screen over a pan, gently ladling chocolate above. chocolate will harden as it comes in contact with frozen meringue, which is why this step must be done fairly quickly & in a single step.

cupcake toppers

I made these cupcake toppers for my friend's wedding last month. I hate not knowing the flavors of things... I mean, why choose the vanilla when you can have the crème brulée?

{photo by katelyn vonfeldt}

happy fall, ya'll

I'm not big on pumpkin pie, but I love pumpkin-flavored baked goods. So when I saw this recipe, I couldn't resist. These were easy to make and went quickly at our work Thanksgiving potluck.

ps- canned pumpkin is on the aisle with the apple sauce & canned fruit, not with the yams & veggies.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple-Cream Cheese Frosting

From Smitten Kitchen, Adapted from David Leite
Yield: 17 to 18 cupcakes (don't even try to get 24 out of this like I did. trust me)

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for greasing pans

1 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

* (Instead of these 4 spices, I used 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (little less than 2 cans)

Frosting:

Two (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup (I think more like 1/2 cup of have been better... will do that next time).

Make the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° (175°C). Line a cupcake pan with 18 liners.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper into a medium bowl.
3. Add the eggs 1 at a time to the mixer, scraping down the sides after each addition. Alternate adding the flour and milk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat in the pumpkin until smooth. Scoop the batter among the cupcake liners — you’re looking to get them 3/4 full. Rap the filled pans once on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on racks completely.

Make the frosting:

In a stand mixer beat all the ingredients on medium until fluffy. To assemble the cake, frost the top of one cake, place the other cake on top. Frost the sides and top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes to set up frosting.