Red Velvet Cupcakes for Mother's Day

This Mother's Day I baked my mum's favourite Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting! Personally, I too like Red Velvet for its rich Red Colouring, mild chocolate flavour and not forgetting the sweet yet tangy Cream Cheese frosting. I have baked this couple of times and it never fails to produce the same remarkable result and applause from my family.

Just once, I used a recipe which called for vegetable oil instead of butter. Since the recipe was recommended by a professional chef, I thought of giving it a shot.... BIG MISTAKE!!! The strong smell of the oil refused to go even after baking! What a waste of ingredients!! All had to go into the trash and I had to start all over again from scatch, using butter this time. So to save the trouble, after endless research I have decided to stick to one recipe that has given me rave success at home.

 

Recipe:	Red Velvet Cupcakes
Courtesy:	www.joyofbaking.com/ &  http://pinchmysalt.com/
Yield:	20 to 24 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2	cups	sifted cake flour (measure after sifting)
1	teaspoon	baking powder
1	teaspoon	salt
2	tablespoons	unsweetened cocoa powder
2	oz.	red food colouring (two bottles) (If that scares you, add gradually,
		increasing quantity until you get the redness you desire)
1/2	cup	unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2	cups	sugar
2	large	eggs, at room temperature
1	teaspoon	vanilla extract
1	cup	buttermilk, at room temperature (alternatively you can make your
		own by  adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to
		1 cup (240ml) of milk)
1	teaspoon	white vinegar
1	teaspoon	baking soda
PREPERATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 20 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
3. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. In a cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food colouring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately  add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three   additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
5. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. Yes the mixture will fizz!! Quickly fold into the cake batter. (Because baking soda starts to react with the batter right away, try to get the cupcakes into the oven as quickly as possible.)
6. Working quickly, use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake cups with cake batter (they should be 2/3 – 3/4 full). Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cupcakes comes out clean. Check early and don’t over bake!
7. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from pan and allow to cool completely before frosting. Frost cupcakes with creamy classic Cream Cheese Frosting (refer to recipe below). I used a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

                       

Recipe:	Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield:	20 to 24 cupcakes
INGREDIENTS
8	oz.	(227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1/2	teaspoon	vanilla extract
1/2	cup	(60 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar
2/3	cup	(160ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35 - 40% butterfat)
PREPERATION
1. In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to pipe.
4. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Note: Notice the 2 different kinda swirls... Hahaa I kinda experimented. See the frosting on the front right, I started the frost from middle swirling outwards. The frosting at the back left, I started outwards to middle.. Pretty ain't they!!  :)

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

I wanted to try out something totally different these weekend... So my dearest other half gave me this awesome brow raising idea.. He said why not try something with Sweet Potato..  I personally love sweet potato and it kinda made me wonder how exotic it will taste in cupcakes... I read up a little and thought this recipe would be a Great start!!

________________________________________________________________________________ 

Recipe:	Sweet Potato Cupcakes
Courtesy:	www.bhg.com/recipes  &  www.myrecipes.com
Yield:	24 cupcakes
Ingredients
2	cups all-purpose flour
2	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon ground nutmeg
1	cup butter, softened
2	cups sugar
3	large eggs
3	medium red sweet potato
1/2	teaspoon vanilla extract
	Cream Cheese Frosting
1	cup coarsly chopped pecans

Preparation

1. Preheat oven at 400 Degrees F (204 Degrees C). Line 24 muffin cups

2. Pierce sweet potato with fork and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake until completely soft and juices begin to seep from the potato and caramelize, about an hour. Reduce oven to 350 Degrees F (170 Degrees C).

3. When cool enough to handle, slice the potatos in half lengthwise and use a fork to scrap the flesh from the skin into a bowl, discarding the skins. Mash potato with fork until smooth. Alternately you can boil the potatoes with their skins peeled.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk the sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; set aside

5. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 secs. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating at low speed after each addition until combined

6. Add sweet potatos and vanilla extract, beating until combined.

7. Add flour mixture. Beat until well incorporated. (Batter will be thick)

8. Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Bake about 30 to 40 mins or until stick inserted in centres come out clean.

9. Transfer the tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing the cupcakes

10. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting topped up with the chopped pecans

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I was elated when I tried the raw batter!! YuMMyyy!!! The earthly smell of the nutmeg with the taste of the cinnamon and the crunchy sweetness of the potato - it was indeed a very unique taste. With that same excitement, I wanted to try another variation of the Sweet Potato cupcake. So I altered the original recipe by adding a few tablespoons of freshly squeezed Orange Juice to the batter after dividing the batter. I frosted the second batch of cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting topped with Orange Zest. 

Feel free to comment, especially my dear friends who have tried my Sweet Potato Cupcake.

Earth Day Cupcakes!!!

My new baby arrived just a few days back and boy was I excited!!!!! I wasn't able to do any baking for awhile as my old oven's door had come ajar. As the screws were too rusty, we were unable to change just the door and thus went oven shopping at Courts 2 weeks back. I personally handpicked the new Made in France TECHNO, 7 multi-function oven.

With the same excitement, I started brainstorming on the cupcake to bake in my brand new oven!! Tht's when I recalled the date April 22nd - an annual date dedicated to increase the awareness and appreciation of Earth's natural environment globally. Wala! What would be a better theme then the colour Green to emphasise the efforts to Go Green. It wasn't exactly my inital idea. My idea was to incorporate the drawing of the 4 elements through my frostings on the cupcake. However, as the frosting became abit too runny , it didn't hold my design that well. I guess that is the reason why sme designs are better portrayed through fondant then frosting. Nevermind.... I will definitely execute my idea 1 day!!!! For now, presenting to you, my version of the Earth Day Cupcakes - Devil's Food Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting

Well I'm not very satisfied with the results. SO I definitely have to try this recipe again a other time... And Deepa.. Thanks for being my guinea pig sweetheart.. Hehee!!! Happy Earth Day!!

The most important things you need before you can bake...

Of course the baking equipments !! This Journal is dedicated solely to the baker's basic tools. It is based on my on line research. I hope it will serve as a basic guide for aspiring bakers like me.

Measuring Tools

• Measuring cups for dry and liquid ingredients
• Scales
• Set of measuring spoons
• Kitchen Timer

Mixing Tools

• Wooden spoons
• Flour sifter
• Whisks
• Set of different size mixing bowls (The best ones are stainless steel bowls as they tend to last longer and don't break as easily. Plastic bowls are not good for mixing because plastic is a porous material that can absorb butter or oils thus affecting or even ruin your baked goods)
• Rolling pin
• Rubber spatulas
• Pastry blender
• Pastry brushes
• Pastry boards

Decorative Tools

• Aluminium foil, parchment baking paper and plastic cling wrap
• Cake comb
• Cake turn able
• Decorating stencils
• Pastry bag and decorating tips
• Metal spatula

Others

• Oven mitts
• Wire racks
• Knives

Baking trays
Quality pans and baking dishes are necessary for creating perfect baked goods. The best cake pans are medium weight aluminium pans.

• A few essential baking pans are:
• 2 or 3 9-inch round cake trays
• Square baking trays
• 1 11-by-7-inch brownie tray
• 1 or 2 12 cup muffin trays
• At least 2 cookie sheets
• Set of different size loaf trays
• 9-inch, 10-inch and 11-inch spring form trays
• Set of different size Bundt cake trays
• Set of different size pie trays
• Tart trays
• Baking cups

Electric Equipment
As almost any baker will attest, having the right electric equipment can make or break a recipe. In fact, many modern recipes cal specifically for the use of certain electric kitchen tools.

• Stand mixer
• Food processor
• Electric hand-held mixer
• Electric blender
• Double boiler

Pantry Items
Your pantry is the place to store all your non-perishable food items. It should ideally be a cool, dark room or cupboard within easy reach of the kitchen. Here are some standard pantry items.

• Assortment of flour (self-rising, cake flour, bread flour, all purpose)
• Assortment of sugar (white, brown, icing)
• Salt, baking powder and baking soda
• Active dry yeast
• Solid vegetable shortening such as Crisco
• Vegetable oil
• Cooking spray
• Assortment of different flavourings and colourings (most importantly pure vanilla extract)
• Powdered milk and buttermilk

In the search of my inner peace…… Through Baking

Osho – Baking is a good meditation. Put your love into it, your whole awareness into it. Just don’t do it for the money – do it for love also.

For those who know my passion for baking would tell my favourites are cupcakes. I started baking not too long ago… Actually it’s a funny story. There was this Bakery app on Facebook whereby you set up your own Bakery, bake different sorts of cakes and cupcakes… As you earned more money you can upgrade your bakery accordingly… It was quite a relaxing and fun app. One day a friend of mine asked me “So when are you gonna bake us real cupcakes?” It was probably at that moment it hit me. I had been very fond of baking since a child, as I grew up watching my mum professionally whip the colourful batter for her Marble Cake. Actually at that age, I was more eager to lick up the yummy remains of the batter off the mixing bowl.

Then in Secondary school, I took up Food & Nutrition (or also known as Home Economics) as my 7^th subject. I recognised my flare and love for baking during my F&N lessons. One of my very first baking was an Orange cake for my mum’s birthday. It was during the times when Internet was a revolution and you tube was non-existent. Thus my other source of recipe.com was my periamma (Mum’s elder cousin sister). She provided me with a simple to bake recipe. It was an utter joy baking for the very 1^st time, especially without my mum having to hover around me. The annoying thing happened when my grandmother had to ask me “Lavanya how did the cake turnout?” with my mother right beside me! However….. The cake turned out fine. She said it was very new to her taste buds, especially since she always went for the conventional Chocolate cakes or Fruit cakes.

Then my 2^nd baking attempt was a Lime tart. Ok it was actually quite a disaster! Lol! Technically my methods were correct and the tart turned out as it should have been. It just became too limey. Well what do you expect?!! It was a lime tart!! You could probably eat just one. And that’s it, because the taste lingers on your tongue for a while. My mum improvised by eating it with blueberry jam (to neutralise the limy-ness). It was not too bad.

With the guidance of some you tube videos and allrecipes.com, I went on to my 3^rd baking attempt (my favourite of them all) - Oreo Cheesecake. Boy was I proud of myself! First attempt baking a cheesecake and it was a success!!! Oh just before you start wondering, all these attempts were not consecutive. They were months and years apart.  I baked the Oreo Cheesecake, which I personally think is the easiest to bake/make, a couple of times that year if I recall correctly. I even baked it for my friend’s birthday.

So where did the love for cupcake come from then? Well back to how I began this journal – that FB app. I was baking virtual cupcakes and since it had been ages I had touched the oven, I thought it was high time that I polish my rusty skills.

The following baking delights were made by me over the past few years.

The purpose of this journal is to find some peace though my passion. Over the years, due to bad decision – making and choices, I have lost opportunities, my self-confidence and thus suffering a deep void. I do hope to make things right and follow my heart.

Hahaa! What a good omen! Just as I finished typing this journal, my Principal asked us each to help ourselves to a piece of chocolate cake from the pantry. J “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” I do hope my universe conspires in helping me too..

In the hopes of becoming a passionate baker..