Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

Tomorrow I'm having a surgical procedure. Nothing huge, but I will receive general anesthesia and will most likely be quite uncomfortable for a few days. Stuff like this tends to give me a little bit of anxiety in the days leading up to it. To keep my mind of off things, I headed into the kitchen over the weekend to work on some recipes and posts so you guys would be well entertained during my "down time". Working in the kitchen, concentrating on a recipe, always has a calming effect on me and helps me to clear my head and this time was no different.

First thing I made was this Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake that I found once again on "Tasty Kitchen". It struck a chord with me right away for its flavor combination, but also for the simplicity of the recipe. Another bonus: getting rid of some of my very last frozen berries, which is perfect since fresh berry season is just around the corner. The cake is made quickly with just a few everyday items. Once baked, it almost appears like the cake has layers because of the blueberries sinking to the bottom and the taste is very reminiscent of an old fashioned cake you would find in Grandma's kitchen. The cake crumb is just lightly sweetened with hints of lemon throughout, without the citrus flavor being too overpowering. The buttermilk ensures a light and fluffy texture and the juiciness of the berries works perfectly. To top it all off, the cake has a crunchy sweet crust from sprinkled on sugar which is added right before baking. The sugar crust also helps balance the sweetness level.

This cake is simply wonderful for breakfast or even dessert, especially when enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Since I made this on the weekend it was an amazing early morning treat that everyone in the family gave the thumbs up to. This recipe worked great with the frozen berries and there was minimal "bleeding"; however, I'm really looking forward to making it again when fresh berries are in season. Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake; it's a good thing!

Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk Cake

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 large egg

1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken

5 ounces fresh (or frozen, un-thawed) blueberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add the egg and beat well.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches, mixing until just combined. Carefully fold in berries.

Pour batter into cake pan, spreading and smoothing the top. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 35* minutes. Remove from oven  and cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack and cool for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Invert onto a plate and cut into 8 slices.

*When using fresh berries start checking the cake after 20 minutes 

Adapted from: Tasty Kitchen

Red Velvet Whoopie with Cream Cheese Filling

After seeing a few awesome looking red velvet cakes and red velvet cupcakes on various blogs my kids started bugging me to make this brightly colored confection. To be honest, while they are great to look at I wasn't sure if I was going to make a dessert that required me to add in a whole bottle of red food dye. It kind of went against everything I usually stand for. I try to maintain a dye-free zone around the house whenever possible with one of the only exceptions being my personal weakness; M&M's.

I figured since I had never tasted this cake I should give it a go at least once in my life, even if just for the fact to say: I tried it. I knew I didn't want a big cake around the house, especially if it turned out to be something I wasn't too fond of. The other idea was to make cupcakes, but it's been done on other blogs and sometimes the rebel in me wants to be a little bit different. So what was left? Yep, whoopie pies. These little delights are always a huge hit when I make them and they are also perfect to "pawn off" on neighbors and friends. This recipe is adapted yet again from this great little book that has so many fun ideas inside: Whoopie Pies by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell. 

This whoopie pie starts by baking the cake part. The recipe calls for up to 1 cup of cocoa, but also mentions that 1/4 cup might suffice if you want more of a red looking cake. I used the later since I wasn't going for chocolate flavor. Besides the usual suspects of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, this also calls for buttermilk. I always have a small container in my fridge, but if you don't, or don't want to purchase any, it can easily be made by measuring 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar into a cup and adding milk to total 1 cup. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, give it a stir and you are good to go.

To make perfect whoopie pies use an ice cream scoop to drop perfect little round cakes onto your baking sheet.

The filling of these whoopies is a traditional cream cheese frosting. I started with the recipe given in the book, but decided after tasting it that it was lacking cream cheese flavor, so I doubled the amount it called for since you can never have too much cream cheese, right?

So, what was the verdict of these little desserts? The kids loved them, their friends loved them, and I think my neighbors enjoyed them as well. As far as my husband is concerned, he thought they were tasty but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't ask for them again. What about me you are wondering? Well, this is tricky since I loved the frosting. The cake part I felt kind of "eh" about. I could take it or leave it. In fact, I was almost annoyed that it didn't have a distinguished flavor. Would I make them again? Maybe. If I was trying to go for a theme I think they would be adorable, or if someone asked me specifically about making them. Considering that you can find so many incredible other cakes or whoopie pie combinations out there, this one just left me lukewarm and I could find much better options to waste my calories on, but if you are a fan of Red Velvet anything, then you must give them a try, I bet you'll like them!

Red Velvet Whoopie with Cream Cheese Filling

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the pies:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder (can be upped to 1 cup if you want more cocoa flavor)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 ounce (one small bottle) red food coloring

1 cup buttermilk

For the filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 1/2 cups (one 16-ounce box) confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the pies: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, shortening, and both sugars on low speed until just combined. Increase the speed to medium  and beat until fluffy and smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and red food coloring and beat just until blended.

Add half of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk to the batter and beat on low until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining flour mixture and 1/2 cup buttermilk and beat until completely combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop batter onto one of the prepared baking sheet and repeat, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time for about 10 minutes each, or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

For the filling: In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Add the vanilla and increase the speed to medium, beat until creamy and smooth, about 4 minutes.

Assembling the whoopie pies: Spread filling onto the flat side of one cake using a knife or spoon. Top with another cake, flat-side down. Repeat with the rest of the cakes and filling.

Alternatively, you can use a pastry bag with a round or star tip to pipe the filling onto the cakes, which will give you a smoother, neater presentation.

Adapted from: Whoopie Pies

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Even after being married for over 18 years my husband still takes me by surprise. He's been telling me for years how much he dislikes chocolate desserts and quite frankly he never craves anything chocolate besides the very occasional Resse's Peanut Butter cup. So, imagine my confusion and surprise when I asked a couple of days ago what sweet treat I should blog about next and he answered very quickly: "German chocolate cake, I love that!" Huh,  did he just say chocolate cake? He swiftly let me know that this cake is not really a chocolate cake because of the frosting. Really, who am I to argue this logic? Since I had just made a big triple layer cake I was looking for something more portable and portion controlled (meaning something that I could easily distribute to friends and neighbors) and with that in mind, I found these cupcakes in my Martha Stewart's: Cupcakes book.

For the record, German Chocolate cake has nothing to do with Germany. It is one of my pet peeves when people assume that just because I was born and raised there I should be an expert on this cake. I'm sorry to disappoint, but I didn't even know such cake existed till a few years ago when I ate it at a party. In case you wonder how the name came about, it traces back to Bakers sweet German chocolate which was invented by Samuel German for the Bakers brand in 1852. Traditional German chocolate cake is a layered chocolate cake filled and topped with a coconut-pecan frosting.

Today's recipe is pretty close to some of the traditional ones out there, but veers slightly by using melted semi-sweet chocolate instead of the German chocolate baking bars which makes it a little less sweet. Cake flour and buttermilk ensure that the cake part of this cupcake is wonderfully moist and light. The frosting is cooked on top of the stove out of egg yolks, butter, brown sugar and condensed milk. Once the mixture is thick, it is removed from the heat and strained into a bowl where vanilla, salt, sweetened coconut, and toasted pecans finish it off. When the frosting is cooled and firmed up, you are ready to frost your cupcakes. I decided to go against Martha's instructions and only top the cupcakes with the frosting (she had you cut them apart and add filling in the middle as well). I decided to add a little classic touch by drizzling the finished dessert with a quick chocolate ganache.

How did this mini-cake measure up to the traditional? Everyone loved this portion controlled version of the original. One is plenty rich and leaves you perfectly satisfied without being overly full. My daughter, the chocoholic thought the ganache drizzle is what made this cupcake. My boys didn't talk, they just inhaled, and my husband, well, he gave me a big sticky sweet kiss right after he finished his. I take that as a compliment!

German Chocolate Cupcakes

~makes 24 cupcakes~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins

2 cups cake flour (not self-rising), sifted, plus more for tins

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

5 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Coconut-Pecan Frosting (recipe to follow)

Chocolate Ganache, optional (recipe to follow)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush stand muffin tins with butter; dust with cake flour, tapping out excess. whisk together cake flour, baking soda, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, and beating until combined after each. Beat in chocolate until combined.

Divide batter evenly among prepared cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 10 minutes Run a small offset spatula of knife around the edges to loosen; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

To finish, spread frosting on top of each cupcake. Drizzle with ganache (if desired).

Adapted from: Martha Stewart's: Cupcakes 

Coconut-Pecan Frosting

~makes about 4 cups~

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 package (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Directions:

Heat egg yolks, evaporated milk, brown sugar, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick, about 10 minutes (it should reach the consistency of sour cream). Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.

Stir vanilla, salt, coconut, and pecans into frosting. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, Frosting can be refrigerated up to 1 day in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature and stir with a flexible spatula until smooth.

Chocolate Ganache

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

3-5 tablespoons heavy cream

Stir heavy cream by the tablespoon into the melted chocolate until combined and it reaches desired "drizzle" consistency. Use immediately.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

 

My teenage daughter is a self-proclaimed chocoholic. She loves any and everything chocolate, and it usually must be included in her desserts. She will eat other desserts I make as well, but the groaning and grumbling that comes along with anything that doesn't include chocolate is quite humorous. She is the total opposite of my husband who loathes everything chocolate and loves anything made with fruit. As you can see, it can get quite difficult to accommodate both of them while keeping the peace.

A couple of weeks ago when I featured the Orange Raspberry Muffins, I first got dirty looks from my daughter, then lots of begging to find a recipe for a chocolate muffin as well. She was lucky that day and I complied. The recipe comes from one of my favorite and probably most utilized cook books "Baking: From my home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan. Her instructions are always precise and result in great baked goods that are consistent every time. This is a quickly made recipe that doesn't require much more than a bowl, a measuring cup, a whisk, and a spatula.  Chocolate is melted along with butter in a double boiler, and then added to a big bowl which includes all the measured dry ingredients along with buttermilk (which ensures a tender crumb), eggs, and vanilla. More chopped chocolate is added to the mixed batter before dividing it into muffin cups for baking.

This is a terrific chocolaty recipe that satisfied my teens craving. I really enjoyed them as well since I loved the fact that they weren't overly sweet. They also freeze wonderful and still taste great, especially if being nuked in the microwave for a few seconds. They are a great muffin that could almost be classified as a cupcake, but if you stick with the former, there won't be as much guilt attached if you have them for breakfast! So, if you love chocolate, feel free to make this recipe, and remember by adding bittersweet chocolate, one might argue the "health benefits" of this delight!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Muffins

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Melt the butter and half of the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; or do this in a microwave. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a  rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don't worry about being through - a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffins cups.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a think knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Adapted from: Baking: From my home to yours

Lollipop Garden Cupcakes

When I heard that my friend's daughters' 7th birthday was coming up, I offered to make the cupcakes for her party. Looking through a few different books and online I had decided (and after approval of the birthday girl of course) she was going to get lollipop garden cupcakes out of my trusty Martha Stewart Cupcakes book. 

After talking to the birthday girl to find out her favorite colors I went with a yellow/red theme. The cake part of the cupcakes is my go-to recipe for Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes. The frosting is a simple, but tasty, Fluffy Vanilla Frosting that I tinted orange with food coloring. However, if you are looking for a shortcut, feel free to use a boxed cake mix and canned frosting.

The cupcakes were baked in golden yellow paper cups, and after cooling I frosted them before rolling them carefully in red sprinkles. The leaves were cut out of airheads candy, but I'm sure you could use pretty much any kind of green taffy or fruit leather. The final touch after the leaves get inserted was to stick in a lollipop as the flower.

I thought they turned out really cute and the birthday girl was excited about them as well.

Happy Birthday Janessa!

Lollipop Garden Cupcakes

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 recipe of your favorite cupcake, baked

1 recipe of your favorite vanilla frosting (tinted to desired color to work with sprinkles)

Sprinkles (any color will work)

Lollipops

Green Taffy or Green Fruit Leather

Directions:

Using an offset spatula, spread buttercream or frosting on cupcakes, smoothing into dome shapes. Place sprinkles in a small bowl. Gently press each frosted cupcake into sprinkles, rolling it around so entire surface is coated. Insert a lollipop into the center of each cupcake. Then, using a paring knife or kitchen shears, cut leaf shapes out of green taffy strips. Press one leaf into each cupcake next to the lollipop. Refrigerate 30 minutes to allow frosting to set.

Fun Easter Cupcakes

 With Easter only a few days away I thought it would be fun to make some cupcakes that appeal especially to all the little guys. I saw the Easter chick cupcakes online made with boxed cake mix and canned frosting and thought that it wouldn't be that much more time consuming and most definitely better if I made it all from scratch. If you do want to save some time, then go ahead and by all means use a boxed cake mix along with a store bought container of frosting.

I started with an old favorite in our house, Yellow Buttermilk Cupcakes. It is an easy, very pleasing recipe for which I usually have all the ingredients on hand. They are light and fluffy and to me these cupcakes go with any kind of frosting such as chocolate, strawberry or cream cheese. This time though I went the simple route, just a good plain old (but nonetheless delicious) vanilla frosting since I wanted the decoration to be the star of this cupcake. I definitely had a lot of fun making these and the kids got very excited when they came home from school and saw all the little chicks lined up on the counter. While I was making them I ran out of yellow cupcake liners, so I figured why not make a few Easter grass cupcakes with little candy eggs as well. I thought they were just as adorable. These cupcakes are simple enough that even kids could help for a great Easter activity.

Maybe you have some kids in your family as well that would get a kick out these, or make them for a fun edible table decoration for your Easter meal or brunch. I'm sure everyone is going to love these little fun cupcakes, I know we did.

Fun Easter Cupcakes 

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 Recipe of your favorite yellow cupcake or a boxed cake mix following directions on box

1 Recipe of your favorite white frosting or 1 container vanilla frosting

Shredded sweetened coconut (about 2-4 cups)

Yellow liquid food color (for the chick cupcakes)

Green liquid food color (for the Easter grass cupcakes)

Brown miniature candies (for the chick cupcakes)

Orange Gumdrops (for the chick cupcakes)

Jelly Beans or Candy Eggs (for the Easter grass cupcakes)

Directions:

Line muffin cups with paper baking cups.

Bake cupcakes according to directions of your recipe or follow the directions on the boxed cake mix. Cool cupcakes completely on a cooling rack before frosting them with your favorite vanilla frosting.

Place coconut in a resealable food-storage bag. Add about 8 drops yellow liquid food color (or green for the Easter grass cupcakes); seal bag and shake to mix. Top the frosted cupcakes with either yellow or green coconut. 

For the chick cupcakes: add eyes with brown miniature candies. Cut orange gumdrops to resemble beaks; place on cupcakes.

For the Easter grass cupcakes: Arrange Jelly Beans or candy eggs to look like an Easter Nest.