Saturday, August 29, 2009

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

These Red Velvet Cupcakes were wonderful! The recipe is from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, which I love! Definitely use the Cream Cheese Icing recipe with it. These cupcakes went so fast, I was unable to get a picture of them! So the photo above is from marthastewart.com.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self rising)
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon red gel-paste food color (The paste is much better than the liquid. I use the Wilton kind.)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa and salt. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whisk together sugar and oil until combined.

Add eggs, beating until each is incorporated. Mix in food color and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk, and whisking well after each. Stir together the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl (it will foam); add mixture to the batter, and mix on medium speed for 10 seconds.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature or frozen for up to 2 months, in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days in airtight containers. Bring to room temperature before serving. Makes 24 cupcakes.


Cream Cheese Frosting: Makes 4 cups.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Beat butter and cream cheese on medium until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce to low and add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, then vanilla. Mix until smooth. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low speed until smooth again.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Cookies and Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes



I really cannot rave enough about the book Martha Stewart's Cupcakes. There are many amazing recipes in it. This is the first one I have made, and I have a huge list of others I will try. I personally do not eat cheesecake, but these got rave reviews from the many people who I shared them with. I plan on making them again soon!

Here is the recipe, from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes:
42 Oreos (30 whole and 12 coarsely chopped) - I chopped about 20! :)
2 pounds of cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egges, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup of sour cream
1 pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line 30 standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt.
4. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
5. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Cool completely in tins. Refrigerate (in tins so they don't lose shape) for at least 4 hours, or up to overnight. Remove from tins just before serving.

Royal Icing Flowers



This is a great royal icing recipe for making decorations. You can store them for a very long time (a year) in a cool, dry place. I have mine in tupperware in a closet. I made a ton of poinsettias that I can keep until Christmas.

To make 3 cups:
4 cups of confectionary sugar
3 tablespoons of meringue powder
7 tablespoons of warm water
If it is too think, add a little bit of water. Keep it covered when not in use.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Wilton Cake Decorating Course 3, Class 2: Fondant Ribbon Cake

I really wanted to learn about fondant, so I skipped Wilton Course 2, which is mostly about making all different types of flowers out of frosting. In Course 3, I am learning about making several types of flowers out of fondant, as well as covering cakes and making other decorations. So far, I love it and I am having a great time! Here is my first fondant cake. I am giving it to my friend for her birthday tonight.