Gonna Go Walk the Dogs

Ain't Got the Summertime Blues!

This year has been a very cool summer in southern California- finally, this week it has warmed up a bit! Just in time for watermelon...in all combinations! I made some sorbet a few weeks ago that was out of this world. I thought, why not introduce it to a crisp clean vanilla cuppie -- wow! sweet music is right!
You must try this!!

Watermelon Sorbet Cupcake with White Chocolate Buttercream and Coco Nib Seeds

 

Make your Sorbet:

 

5 # seedless watermelon, ¼ raw sugar, zest from 1 lime, ½ cup agave and a pinch of salt.

Puree the watermelon to make 4 cups watermelon puree.

In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup watermelon puree, the sugar and lime peel to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves; season with the salt. Pour in the remaining 3 cups watermelon puree, then whisk in the agave syrup until incorporated. Pour the watermelon mixture into a 9-inch metal cake pan and freeze until firm, about 4 hours or overnight.

Let the frozen watermelon soften at room temperature for 5 minutes. Break up the frozen puree into 2-inch pieces. Transfer the pieces to a food processor in batches and pulse until smooth. Add ½ cup diced watermelon. Stir in and refreeze to enjoy. Let stand for 5 minutes before scooping.

 

Combine your cake ingredients:

 

1/2 cup margarine

Replacer for 2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup cocoa nibs, tossed with flour and coated

 

Mix together and add 1 cup of melted sorbet. Stir in nibs. You may also add red food coloring her if you desire.

 

Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

 

Combine the following for the buttercream:

 

½ cup margarine

¼ cup shortening

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup melted white chocolate

2 tbsp soy creamer

1 tsp vanilla

Green food coloring

 

Ice the cool cuppies.

 

Decorate as you wish- I used sanding sugar and crushed up watermelon rock candy.

24 cupcakes

Enjoy and have a great rest of your summer!

 

 

 

 

Make Mine a Double!

Summer time and lemons make me so happy! I love the sweet and tart combination, and the more the better!

Our neighbors have a huge Meyer Lemon tree, and they love to share. Good for us! I made a sweet lemon poppyseed cake and injected it with Lemincello, then glazed it with more lemon. What a killer cuppie. You have to try it. Here it is, Double Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes...

 

Double Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 ½ cups raw sugar
  3 teaspoons baking powder
   ½ teaspoon salt
  Egg Replacer for  4 eggs
   ½ cup vegetable margarine

   ½ cup soy milk
  1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tbsp poppy seeds

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients well and fill cupcake liners ¾ full or pour into a greased and floured pan of  your choice. Bake 20 minutes and allow to cool. Using a 6 ml syringe, inject 1/2 ml lemon liqueor into each cupcake or into several spots inside the cake.

Make a glaze - combine powdered sugar, 1-2 cups with juice from two lemons and drizzle over cake. Garnish with a little zest.

Makes 12-15 cuppies or 3 small cakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 4th, a Birthday and a Mango Cupcake

Mango Cinnamon and Caramelized Lychee

So July 4th is Bogart's birthday and this year he turned four. We always have a picnic celebration on holidays during the summer and that is always an excellent excuse to have cupcakes!

Well, I made a doggie cupcake but I also made a human one. I purchased quite a few mangos the past few weeks, so a mango cupcake it was! And lychees are in season, so I collabrated and made a sweet caramel rosewater lychee topping.

Enjoy.

 

1 stick Earth Balance

1 cup agave
Egg Replacer for 1 egg

1 cup soy milk
1 1/3 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
2 mango, peeled and chopped, and pureed

Preheat the over to 350 degrees. Beat margarine and then add the agave and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Add the egg replacer and beat for 45 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Combine flour, salt, and baking powder and sift together. Add some of the flour mixture, then some of the milk, alternating between dry-wet-dry and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined.
Fold the mango into the batter. Scoop into liners ¾ full.
Bake 15-18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

 

Lychee Caramel:

Peel and remove the seed from 8 lychee fruit.

Combine with ½ cup agave and 4 tablespoons rosewater. Place over low flame, stirring until thickened and caramelized.

Spoon on top of cuppies.

Makes 12.

 

 

 

Go Elegant...and Fun!

So, I am still posting cupcake recipes from the past couple of months....one day I had a real yin for peaches- the kind that are large, rosy and when you bite into them the juice gets all over your hands, face, clothes...you know, that type of juicy flavorful sweet goodness.

Well, I found some peaches, but unfortunately they weren't exactly as I expected- after all, it is a little early for peaches.

I decided to make a dessert that was over the top yet celebrated the peach...everyone knows you make creme brulee with eggs- except for us vegans.

I happen to make a pretty darm good creme brulee too, but I wanted cake. So, I made a peach creme brule cupcake.

Sweet vanilla custard baked inside a rich vanilla cake and ozzing with ripe peaches. Yep- that one. And torched to create that brulee carmelized sugar. Oh yeah.

You just have to try this for your next dinner party.

 

 

Peach Kreme Brulee Cupcake

 

Peach Kreme Brulee Cupcakes

 

Custard:

½ package silken tofu

¾ cp soy creamer

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp vanilla

4 tbsp agave syrup

1 ½  tbsp tapioca starch

Pinch of salt

 

Blend all ingredients together in food processor.

 

Cake:

½ cup vegetable shortening

1½ cup sugar

2 cup soy yogurt

1½ tbsp vanilla 

2 ¾ cup cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 peach, peeled and diced

 

Blend cake ingredients.

Pour batter into lined muffin tins a little more than quarter way. Cut in the custard with the diced peaches and then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Sprinkle with some raw sugar and torch until caramelized.

Serve with Almond Kreme to the side.

12 +

Hearts For Haiti....Oh My, I am Late

Where does the time go?

Two Saturdays ago I planned a bake sale with some friends on the boardwalk here- we had a ton of fun and sold over 100 cupcakes! Orginially we planned to bake minis, standards and muffins but time got away and the minis won out- our proceeds went to Doctors without Borders to aid Haiti. 

We baked a yummy banana cupcake with a spicy rum ripple inside and frosted them with a Blue Curacao buttercream then decked each one with a mini white chocolate trifle and cherry.

They were a hit!  We are looking forward to doing another!

 

Hearts For Haiti ~Haitian Sunrise Cupcakes

Hearts For Haiti ~Haitian Sunrise Cupcakes

  

All Puckered Up!

Orders were in for a birthday party-- lemon chiffon cupcakes with a sweet tart filling. I added the lemon mousse for the top and then mini sprinkles.

Big Hit.

Here is the recipe:

1 cup margarine, softened

Pucker Up Lemon Cupcakes

2 cups sugar

Replacer for 3 eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 cup lemon juice 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups Tofutti sour cream

 

Cream the margarine and sugar- add replacer. Combine dry ingredients and add a little at a time to the margarine mix, alternating with the juice and peel. Add the vanilla and Tofutti in at the end and spoon batter into lined muffin tins- bake at 350 degrees and then cool.

Lemon Curd:

3 tbsp agar agar

2 cup lemon juice

1 cup agave

In a saucepace bring the juice to a boil with the agave- add the agar and stir until dissolved.

Cool and spoon into the cuppies.

For the mousse, double the curd recipe and add two cups non dairy creamer or nut kreme to the curd.

Top the cuppies and add sprinkles.

24.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No I have NOT Fallen off the Face of the Earth!

Sometimes life happens, and we all get busy, right! Though I have not posted here I have been busy making cupcakes I assure you!

Let's get to business. A few years ago Tom and I went to Maui on vacation - there we tried many new things and one of these was coconut candy. I love coconut but I wanted to mix up up a bit. I came up with a super yummy horchata coconut cupppie.

You just have to try it. Here is the recipe:

 Coconut Infused Horchata Cupcake with Tangelo Fig Compote

Horchata:    

 

1 cup long grain white rice
2 cups almond slivers

1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups water

 

Wash and drain the rice and process rice in a food processor until fine --add almonds and cinnamon to the rice then 31/2 cups water and let sit overnight, covered. In the morning blend mixture together and slowly add 21/2 cups of water and continue blending until mixed. Strain completely.

Cuppies:

 

1 stick vegetable margarine

Coconut Infused Horchata Cupcake with Tangelo Fig Compote

11/2 cups raw sugar
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh horchata
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Egg Replacer for 3 eggs

 

Mix all ingredients and spoon into 24 cuppie liners- bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

 

Tangelo Fig Compote:

2 cups ripe figs, peeled and mashed

1 cup tangelo juice

1 cup agave

 

Put ingredients into saucepan and brink to a boil then cook gently until reduced to half. Refrigerate overnight.

 

Fill each cupcake with some compote and then frost. Decorate with coconut candy.

 

Coconut Butter Cream Frosting:

 

2 sticks margarine, soft
1/2 cup fresh coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
7-8 cups confectioner’s sugar

 

 

 

I am very Passionate for Cupcakes....

This month the theme for Iron Cupcake Earth is passion. How perfect for the month celebrating Valentine's Day. Or, any day, if you bake and eat cupcakes!

I choose the story of the Taj Mahal -

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor, was griefstricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632, one year after her death. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later. Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:

Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.

What greater tribute, driven by passion, could there be...

Of course, I choose an Indian curry spiced chocolate cupcake, dense and delicious, and paired it with a coconut butter cream. But I did not stop there-- I made these yummy cuppies Hi Hats- yes, I gave each one a dark chocolate turban to cover the delicious coconut frosting. 

These are sweet, very sweet, the sweetest cupcake to share with someone you love.

And gosh, these are just the cuppies to get passionate over to boot!

The baker winning this challenge will receive fabulous prizes! Please read about them below.       
Here is the recipe....

Choco Curry Coconut Hi Hat Cupcakes

 

Cake:

2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Choco Curry Coconut Hi Hat Cupcakes

 

2 tsp curry powder

1-3/4 cups raw sugar

4 tbsp vegetable margarine

1/2 cup soy creamer

Egg Replacer for 3 eggs

2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ chocolate chips

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt chocolate in double boiler and let cool slightly.

Mix rest of ingredients. Add the chocolate to the batter, then the chips - mix well.

Bake 20 minutes until done and edges slightly pulled away from liners. Cool.

 

Coconut Butter Cream:

¼ tablespoons vegetable shortening

½ cup vegetable margarine softened

1 teaspoon vanilla  

3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons coconut extract

½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

 

Cream the margarine and shortening- add the sugar a little at a time and then mix in the vanilla, coconut flavoring, and vinegar.

Mound each cupcake with three graduating tiers of icing. Dip in chocolate and then dust with a little curry powder.

Makes 12.

 

 

Please check out all the great prizes for the Iron Cupcake Earth competition-- 

 

 

The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
The Demy™ is the first and only kitchen-safe digital recipe reader that will revolutionize the way you cook. The Demy™ holds your personal recipe collection in one compact, sleek device. Featuring a high-resolution color touchscreen, an uncluttered interface and many special tools to make any cook’s job easier. It's like an iPod - for your recipes. I have one and I have to tell you it is AMAZING.

Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Witty, one-of-a-kind imaginative cupcake designs using candies from the local convenience store. America's favorite food photography team, responsible for the covers of America's top magazines, shows how to create funny, scary, and sophisticated masterpieces, using a zipper lock bag and common candies and snack items. Watch for their new book, WHAT'S NEW, CUPCAKE?, coming April 1, 2010.

Bella Cupcake Couture
Bella Cupcake Couture offers posh and chic textile-inspired cupcake wrappers. The boutique-style designs add a touch of sophistication and elegance for any special occasion. Wrappers are printed with soy inks on recycled papers and are perfect for weddings, bridal and baby showers, birthday and housewarming gifts or just as a little treat for yourself!

Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
A fun way to serve and stack cupcakes. Make any configuration you can imagine. Also great for serving candy and other small snacks! Combine multiple sets to create tall towers or rings. Each monthly winner will receive 5 sets of 3 stackers. Fun!

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Ten years ago Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor began its extraordinary run as one of the most popular baking books of all time. Now Anne Byrn is back with the all-new Cake Mix Doctor Returns! From the beloved author who showed home bakers how adding a touch of sweet butter or a dusting of cocoa powder, a dollop of vanilla yogurt or flurry of grated lemon zest could transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here are 160 brand-new recipes—that’s right, 160 amazing cake mix recipes—for luscious layer cakes, sheet cakes, brownies, bars, cookies, and more. (US Winners Only)

Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House - New!
Vestli House produces and design high quality disposable paper products for baking and cooking. Vestli House is working with the whole process, from idea to completed product. The aim is to inspire and to bring out the artistic, fanciful and creative side of you. Enjoy it yourself or make someone else happy.

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply - New!
We love what we do and even more so we love sharing! With great interest in our products we use from our customers, we decided to sell them to you. Please visit us often as we promise to keep you up to date with cupcake liners, wrappers, baking tools and imported goodies.

Those gifts are great- read more about cupcakes and the competition at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/  and, if you like what you see when the time comes to vote, please vote! 

In fact, vote for me! 

How Do You Stay Warm in Winter?

It is a new year and Iron Cupcake Earth is back after a short holiday break. This month's theme is Winter Warmth. Well, in California it does not get too cold (that is why I live in California, after all), so this was a hard one.

I created and baked two cupcakes this month.

The first is a take off from Bakerella's summer cupcakes....but I gave them a vegan spin and infused a vanilla bean orange sun- drenched cuppie with Ricemellow, then decorated them with a vegan butter cream, Newman's Teddy grahams, and gummies.

And lots of love. In California, the sun keeps us nice and warm- all we need is  tanning lotion!

  

SPF4California Tan Cupcakes

 

1 cup raw sugar

5 tablespoons vegetable margarine

SPF4 California Tan Cupcakes

1 vanilla bean- scrapped

2 tsp orange zest

Egg replacer for 1 egg

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup vanilla soygurt

1 cup fresh orange juice

¼ cup Triple Sec Liquor

½ cup RiceMellow Kreme

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mix all ingredients together and pour filling half way into cuppie liners- bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees and cool.

 

Remove a plug from each cake and fill with Ricemellow then replug. Using a tooth pick, make several holes on top of each cuppie- sprinkle with and allow Triple Sec Liquor to soak in.

 

Decorate with butter cream, grahams, and gummies. Those recipes in an earlier postJ

 

12-15 cuppies

 

The second is a childhood take off-- when it was cold outside my mom would make us kids cinnamon toast - nothing more than a slice of bread toasted with a little margarine and sugar and cinnamon sprinkle- that always warmed us up. I kicked it up a notch and added a vegan caramel with salted cashews. Yummy indeed. My little fondant and gumpaste hooded Norwich Terrier agrees:

Norwichnut's Warm Cinnamon Toast Cupcake with Salted Cashew Caramel Butter cream

 

2 cups cake flour, sifted

Egg Replacer for 3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

Norwichnut's Warm Cinnamon Toast Cupcake with Salted Cashew Caramel Buttercream

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup vegetable margarine

¾ cup agave syrup

6 tsp cinnamon

3 teaspoons vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line tins

with cupcake liners. Cream margarine and

agave two minutes – beat in vanilla, cinnamon. 

Mix all dry ingredients together and then add the resting of ingredients. Fill liners 2/3 full and bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.

 

Take out a center from each cupcake and add caramel filling:

 

1 cup vegetable margarine

2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup corn syrup

3 cup vegan sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

 

Melt margarine over a medium in a saucepan.

Add the brown sugar, salt, corn syrup and condensed milk to the margarine. Continue to stir until the ingredients are mixed. Once all the contents are mixed, raise heat until this mixture boils.

Reduce heat to medium after the mixture has boiled. Insert a candy thermometer and continue to stir. When the temperature reaches 245 degrees, remove the saucepan from the flame.

Add vanilla to the mixture and stir while cooling.

**For Sweetened condensed milk-

Mix together dry soymilk powder equivalent to making 3 cups milk.

3/4 cp water

Heat until boiling point. (Microwave) In a pan on the stovetop Melt 6 T vegetable margarine -add 1 1/2 cp raw sugar

When the sugar begins to melt add hot milk and a dash salt

Boil gently and stir 5 min.

 

Salted Cashew Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting:

¾ cup vegetable margarine

2 tbsp vegetable shortening

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup salted cashew pieces

Beat together margarine and shortening until smooth. Add cinnamon and confectioners' sugar and beat until creamy. Add the cashews. Pipe or dollop onto cuppies, sprinkle with more cinnamon and drizzle with more caramel. Add a cashew or twoJ

 

24 cuppies.

 

You really do not have any reason at this point not to stay warm this winter!

Please check out all the great prizes for the Iron Cupcake Earth competition-- 

 

 

The Demy™ by Key Ingredient
The Demy™ is the first and only kitchen-safe digital recipe reader that will revolutionize the way you cook. The Demy™ holds your personal recipe collection in one compact, sleek device. Featuring a high-resolution color touchscreen, an uncluttered interface and many special tools to make any cook’s job easier. It's like an iPod - for your recipes. I have one and I have to tell you it is AMAZING.

Hello, Cupcake by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
Witty, one-of-a-kind imaginative cupcake designs using candies from the local convenience store. America's favorite food photography team, responsible for the covers of America's top magazines, shows how to create funny, scary, and sophisticated masterpieces, using a zipper lock bag and common candies and snack items. Watch for their new book, WHAT'S NEW, CUPCAKE?, coming April 1, 2010.

Bella Cupcake Couture
Bella Cupcake Couture offers posh and chic textile-inspired cupcake wrappers. The boutique-style designs add a touch of sophistication and elegance for any special occasion. Wrappers are printed with soy inks on recycled papers and are perfect for weddings, bridal and baby showers, birthday and housewarming gifts or just as a little treat for yourself!

Cupcake Stackers by Gourmac
A fun way to serve and stack cupcakes. Make any configuration you can imagine. Also great for serving candy and other small snacks! Combine multiple sets to create tall towers or rings. Each monthly winner will receive 5 sets of 3 stackers. Fun!

The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! by Anne Byrne
Ten years ago Anne Byrn's The Cake Mix Doctor began its extraordinary run as one of the most popular baking books of all time. Now Anne Byrn is back with the all-new Cake Mix Doctor Returns! From the beloved author who showed home bakers how adding a touch of sweet butter or a dusting of cocoa powder, a dollop of vanilla yogurt or flurry of grated lemon zest could transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Here are 160 brand-new recipes—that’s right, 160 amazing cake mix recipes—for luscious layer cakes, sheet cakes, brownies, bars, cookies, and more. (US Winners Only)

Beautiful Baking Liners by Vestli House - New!
Vestli House produces and design high quality disposable paper products for baking and cooking. Vestli House is working with the whole process, from idea to completed product. The aim is to inspire and to bring out the artistic, fanciful and creative side of you. Enjoy it yourself or make someone else happy.

Sweet Cuppin' Cakes Bakery & Cupcakey Supply - New!
We love what we do and even more so we love sharing! With great interest in our products we use from our customers, we decided to sell them to you. Please visit us often as we promise to keep you up to date with cupcake liners, wrappers, baking tools and imported goodies.

Those gifts are great- read more about cupcakes and the competition at http://www.ironcupcakemilwaukee.com/  and, if you like what you see when the time comes to vote, please vote! It would be great if you even voted for me!

  

 

 

  

 

A Little Christmas Every Day

I am so loving Christmas during the season but as soon as Christmas is over I want to pack everything away and get on with the new year to come.

I think what I love so much is all the good food and company!

Consider this cupcake for one - the Peppermint Everything Cuppie....you can use what you have on hand to decorate and it always tastes soooooo good!

Why

Peppermint Everything Cupcake

not try it...

1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup soy creamer

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. peppermint extract

1/2 cup vegetable margarine

1 cup sugar

Egg Replacer for 3 eggs

½ cup mixed dark chocolate and white chocolate chips

½ cup broken peppermint candies

 

Sift together dry ingredients.

Mix together creamer, extracts, and replacer.

Cream margarine- add sugar, then creamer. Add in dry and completely combine. Fold in the peppermint bits and chips. Fill cupcake liners ½ full.

Bake at 350 degrees 25 minutes. Cool and decorate.

 

Spread 1 teaspoon Ricemellow a top each cuppie and pile on your favorites – I used pizelle pieces, peppermint candies, Christmas candy stars and drizzled fudge on top as well.

16 cuppies.

 

YUMMY!

Merry Christmas Everyone!