Happy Easter…

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….and finally a Blog Post that explains why it got so quiet here!

My last post here in this Blog seems like years ago, well, actually it’s been 8 months. I guess I can blame it on the cold weather (no good light for good pictures on my balcony) plus I guess I had a little baking showing break (it’s not that I really stopped baking).

But I made a decision, and something new started in my life, right now I am doing an apprenticeship to become a real pastry chef! I am doing it since January and I love it. So please excuse the laziness.
I get up at 4.45 am in the morning and work 8 hours, but the good thing is, I BAKE all day <3 and in about 1 1/2 years I can call myself a pastry chef.

These Cupcakes I made for Easter are lemon blueberry cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and a self-crafted marzipan flower on top… recipe follows.

Have a good Easter!

Cheers

Sometimes you just need nuts!

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to calm you down, to satisfy your hunger, to make you happy.

I always wanted to make a “nutella” butter cream. Some might think, well, just do it then…
But as being lactose intolerant, it’s not so easy, because the real nutella is full of lactose. Luckylie I found a substitute. A brand here in Germany makes a non dairy hazelnut spread, that just taste like the original!



Walnut chocolate Cupcakes with “Nutella” butter cream

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (125ml) lactose free buttermilk
1 1/2 cups (170g) flour
1 cup (225g) sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g) butter or lactose free margarine (room temp.)
100g chopped semi sweet baking chocolate
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 chopped walnuts

Mix the chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts in a little bowl and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C) and line muffin forms with paper cups.
Mix eggs and egg yolk with vanilla and buttermilk and set aside. Combine in a bowl the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix with an electric mixer the butter to the flour mix. Beat in the egg mixture just until combined.

Fill your muffin forms with one tablespoon of the batter each. Then sprinkle one tablespoon of the chocolate nut mixture on top and fill the rest of the batter on top of each cup. Sprinkle the rest of the nuts and chocolate on top. Let bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Nutella butter cream

1/2 cup butter or lactose free margarine
1/4 cup nuttella
3-4 cups confectioner’s sugar

In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the nutella beat until combined add as much confectioner’s sugar until you reach your preferred consistency. Decorate the cupcakes as desired.


Njam! Make them, make them, then you see!

Passion Fruit Tartlette

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sweet shortcrust pastry, passion fruit curd and meringue…

To be honest, the summer 2011 sucks. Temperatures jump from one day very hot (but always rain), next day 10 degrees less, and right now it’s fall, it really is…goodbye summer, see you next year, hopefully!
So, to cheer at least the taste-buds up I made these today and summer feeling was at least dancing on my tongue.

If you are a passion fruit lover, you’re gonna love this curd and the combination of the very fresh fruity and crunchy seeds in a silky curd with the sweet shortcrust pastry and the fluffy meringue.
Out of the fridge, a real refreshing summer dessert. You should make them.

Sweet shortcrust pastry (Donna Hay’s Baking Book, modern classics)

Ingredients

2 cups (220g) flour
3 tablespoons sugar
5 oz. (150g) butter or lactose free margarine, chopped
2-3 tablespoons iced water

Mix the flour, butter and sugar until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add enough iced water to smooth the dough and mix until combined. Knead the dough lightly and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and line the tart tin (the recipe makes about 350g pastry, so I just used as much as I needed for 6 mini tartlette tins and put the rest in the freezer).
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) and place a piece of baking paper over the pastry and fill with baking weights or uncooked rice or beans. Bake for 10 minutes then remove the weights and bake for further 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Passion fruit curd (adapted from here)

Ingredients
(I halved the recipe)

4 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup passionfruit pulp (see note)
125g butter, chilled, chopped

Place eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a 6-cup capacity heatproof, microwave-safe jug or bowl. Whisk with a balloon whisk until well combined. Add passion fruit pulp and butter. Stir to combine.
Microwave passion fruit mixture, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50%) for 6 to 10 minutes, whisking every minute, or until thick enough to coat a spoon.

Fill the pastry shells with the curd and preheat the oven again to 350F (180 C) and make meanwhile the meringue. (I only made a real small amount)

Meringue

1 egg white
1/4 cup (55g) sugar

Beat the egg white with an electric mixer on high speed until it peeks form, then start adding slowly the sugar while still beating until it’s stiff.

Put the meringue on top of the passion fruit filled tartlettes and put them in the oven until edges get golden brown. Refrigerate for an hour until serve.

Now I got summer in my tummy!

Baby Shower Mini Cupcakes!

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Devils Food Cake and Vanilla Cake with two different Butter Creams for a Baby Shower

My favorite, chocolate with strawberry. But the other one’s were good,too.

The directions for both cakes are the same.

Devil’s Food Cake Cupcakes
from BHG Magazines special Cupcakes, makes 24

Ingredients

3/4 cup (170g) butter or lactose free margarine
3 eggs
2 cups (220g) flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (450g) I only used 1 cup (ca.200g) sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk or soy milk

 

Vanilla Cupcakes
also from BHG Magazine, makes 24

Ingredients

3/4 cup (170g) butter or lactose free margarine
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups (300g) flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (395g) sugar (I used again only 1 cup/200g)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk or soy milk

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Celsius). In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture. Beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes. Let cool and frost as desired.

Guess, what the baby’s going to be?

Happy first anniversary!

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…happy one year of baking and blogging!

It’s been a year, wow! One year with 38 published posts, that means I baked every ten days,
and I have to admit, I bake more then I publish.
One of the very most impressive cakes I’ve seen so far, was a rose cake from I am Baker. And I always wanted to make one. So I did for that special day, but I definitely need more rose piping practice.

The recipe for the cake was Betty Crocker’s yellow cake again. Between the layers are strawberries with wiped cream…
I want to say thank you, to the little community of readers, thanks for the comments, the “likes” and thanks to my honey husband for trying each cake and supporting me so much! I love you!

Oh, let’s get rich and buy our parents homes in the South of France
let’s get rich and give everybody nice sweaters
and teach them how to dance
let’s get rich and build our house on a mountain
making everybody look like ants
from way up there, you and I, you and I, you and I

I am off…Cheers!

Cinnamon “Roll” Cupcakes

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for the necessity of a lactose intolerant for a sweet treat!

A lactose intolerant person here in Germany can’t go to a local bakery and order a non dairy piece of cake, there will simply be NONE! With good luck, people would know what you mean, but even the super best organic fanciest store will try to tell you that it is not possible to bake without milk products…. uhm… I hate those people, I hate the fact that Germans are so slow thinking when it comes to food intolerance.

So, I needed cake as a treat for myself, I made those fluffy, nutty, cinnamony, vanilla creamy cupcakes and was very satisfied.

Cinnamon “Roll” Cupcake

Ingredients 

  • 2/3 cup (150g) butter or lactose free margarine
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups (280g) flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (150g) brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (70g) chopped pecans
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 3/4 cups (175g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk, or soy milk

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl stir together brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating on medium speed until combined. Beat till fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, Beat in vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.

Spoon about one tablespoon of the batter into each prepared muffin cup. Sprinkle about one teaspoon of the brown butter mixture over batter in cups. Spoon the remaining batter evenly over brown sugar mixture in cups. Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture over batter in cups.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
I made a vanilla butter cream frosting to it.


Dear Germany, it’s time for you to change your cake baking habits!

Happy 4th of July!

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After living with my American husband for over 4 years, I got all the American holidays set up in my mind. And I don’t want to miss them, it’s always a good occasion for a cake!

I just finished yesterday a great all day baking experience of 80 cupcakes for a wedding. And some might think after such a day you need a break… not me! I had strawberries left and found a hand full of blueberries in my freezer and did a classic “American flag” 4th of July cake. Sorry I didn’t use 50 blueberries for the stars…I simply didn’t have as many.

The yellow cake recipe is from Betty Crocker’s.

Ingredients 

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter or stick non dairy margarine, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups milk or soymilk
  • 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 Celsius).

Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 13 X 9 X 2 inches, 2 round pans 9 X 1 1/2 inches, or 3 round pans, 8 X 1 1/2 inches with shortening and lightly flour.*

Beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly.

Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally; pour into pan(s).

Bake in a rectangle pan 35 to 40 minutes, 9-inch rounds 25 to 30 minutes, 8-inch rounds 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.

Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Frost with white frosting and decorate with fruits.

I will definitely use the yellow cake recipe again, it’s a very moist yummy cake, perfect for frosting.

Well, I guess I am at least a little Americanized…

Chocolate Espresso Macarons

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I tried, I will try more, I must do, I want to!

On a little trip to Amsterdam, I finally had the pleasure to find a little praline store that sells Macarons. That was my first not self made one I tried. It was amazing, so yummy, I did regret that I only bought one to try and not the whole 12 pieces package.

Back home, I started researching for recipes. I made them before once or twice, but I always thought they taste too sweet and don’t have much flavor. I come along doing them well without cracking shells, so the technique making them doesn’t really scare me, it’s not too difficult.
So here’s the result.

The recipe is kind of foolproof, I found it here

Ingredients:

  • 45 gr almond meal
  • 75 gr confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 egg white( 36 gr)
  • 10 gr sugar
  • food coloring gel paste or powder, not liquid

Mix the almond meal with the confectioner’s sugar and set aside. Beat the egg white until it starts to get stiff, add the sugar and the food coloring of your choice (I added for those here a teaspoon of instant espresso powder).
After the egg white is well beaten you take a spatula and mix the almond meal mixture under the egg white.

Pipe the batter on to a with parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make sure that each is similar in size.
Let the sheet sit for about 20 till 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 140 degrees Celsius (285 Fahrenheit).
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool before filling.

I got inspired for these here and kind of mixed the filling from scratch with baking chocolate, cocoa powder, butter, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar.

I know now, that practicing to bake these little gourmet goodies is really worth it.

Baking for me is an affair of the heart <3, what is it for you?

Neapolitan Dream Cupcakes

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so far my favorites!

Yummy those where so good. I had the pleasure that my mother in law gave me an American magazine with 150 cupcake recipes in it. I love that magazine. I wish I could get it here. And by going through all the pages stuffed with so many good recipes and ideas I saw those and had to make them right away.
It’s fantastic to have three different batter flavors. Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry all in one cake. It really taste kind a like a Neapolitan Ice Cream which I always loved to eat, before I got that damn lactose intolerance.
But now I found a substitute! A good one!

First you need a basic batter. You could also use a yellow cake mix. I used this recipe for Yellow Cupcakes.
(Makes 24)

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (170g) butter or lactose free margarine
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups (300g) flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups (395g I used only 250g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups (300ml) milk

Allow butter and milk to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat butter on high speed for 30 seconds and gradually add sugar. At eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

For the second step you need

  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ounce (28g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • 1/4 cup strawberry preserves

Divide cupcake batter evenly among three bowls. Let one of them just sit. In the second one stir in cocoa powder and melted chocolate. Mix the strawberry preserves in the third bowl.

Line 24 muffin cups with paper bake cups and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Celsius).

Spoon one tablespoon of the strawberry batter into the bottom of each muffin cup. Add one tablespoon of the chocolate batter and top each with one tablespoon of the yellow cupcake batter.

Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make a vanilla butter cream frosting and divide them into two equal parts. Now you can ether use red food coloring to color the butter cream pink or you use artificial strawberry extract or just the strawberry preserves you used for the batter.
Now spoon pink and white frosting side by side into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe frosting over cupcakes.

I turn my head up to the sky
I focus one thought at a time
I do not let the little thieves
under my tightly buttoned sleeve …