Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Mint Infused Whipped Cream

This past weekend I attended (and spoke at) the Blogher food conference. I wish I had a great, in depth rundown for you, but I find myself still processing it. It was fantastic to finally meet my friends from the kitchen generation, overwhelmingly fantastic, actually. It was like we had known each other for years and years. We shared hotel rooms, went to dinner together, and laughed late into the night. I also met some other really fantastic people, folks who’s blogs I’ve read for ages. That was surreal.





I went to several of the sessions, but the one that has really stuck with me was the amazing photography & food styling session with Aran, Tami and Stephanie. It was the only session in which I took notes - pages of them. The way they talked about their evolution, passion & technique was inspiring.



As soon as I got home, all I wanted to do was take pictures. Monday & Tuesday were so busy though, today was the first time I’ve had the chance.





I tried implementing a few of points that they made, I’m not sure how successfully, but it was great to have that new knowledge to work from. Thanks for the inspiration, ladies!



While out running errands this morning, I picked up this pretty little mint plant. I knew immediately what I wanted to make, an idea that had been bouncing around in my head for a while. The cupcake it’s self is rich and moist, using the fantastic Scharffen Berger cocoa powder I received at the conference, and buttermilk. I’m in love with Scharffen Berger products. If you have a chance, pick up one of their mocha dark chocolate bars. They will blow your mind.

Since it’s been so warm lately, I decided I wanted to make this a little bit lighter than your usual cupcake, opting to use a whipped cream instead of buttercream. I infused the cream with the mint, and sweetened it lightly. I think this is my favorite cupcake topping, ever. Infusing it with real mint as opposed to using mint extract is what makes it so good.



Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes with Mint Infused Whipped Cream
Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
7 tablespoons buttermilk
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, combine cocoa and 5 tablespoons hot water until a thick paste forms (this process intensifies the chocolate flavor). Add butter, buttermilk, egg, and egg white; beat until combined. Whisk in flour mixture until smooth.

Scoop batter into prepared tin. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Top with whipped cream, recipe below

Mint Infused Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream
3-4 sprigs, fresh mint (i used sweet mint, you could use spearmint, peppermint, chocolate mint, etc)
2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar (more if you like it sweeter)

Crush mint leaves a bit, then place in a medium sized bowl, pour heavy cream over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hours to overnight (i refrigerated for about 5 hours, and while the cream was minty, it wasn’t nearly minty enough. I’d recommend keeping it in the fridge overnight.)

Remove mint from heavy cream, add powdered sugar and by hand or using an electric mixer, whip until soft peaks form.

Browned Butter Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Frosting

I still remember the first time I smelled brown butter. It was 2 years ago, when I made these brown butter toffee blondies. I just couldn’t believe butter could smell like that. So nutty, so different from butter in its normal state. I’ve been smitten with it since.



So when I was trying to find a cake to go with my favorite frosting ever, brown butter was the first thing I thought of. Brown butter cake with cinnamon chocolate frosting? Sounded perfect to me.



And oh, it is. I’m in love with this cake. I want to bake it every day. I’m not the biggest frosting fan in the world, but I can’t help licking this off the spatula. There’s just something about chocolate and cinnamon together that makes me want to do a happy dance.

Both of these recipes are from one of my favorite blogs, the little red house. Sheena is adorable and lovely and takes beautiful pictures. Be sure to hop over there and say hi.



Brown Butter Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Frosting
From the little red house

(the cake recipe is for cupcakes, but if you’d like to make cake, just pour the batter into two cake pans and bake them for about 30 minutes)

Cake
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup browned butter*
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 tsp baking powder


*To brown butter:
Heat pan on medium heat.
Cut butter in to pieces and melt in pan.
Stir continuously. Butter will foam up.
After foam subsides, small brown flecks will start to appear in bottom of pan.
Continue stirring, until butter has reached a nice brown color, and nutty aroma.
When you want to lick the spoon, you know it's ready.
Turn the heat all the way down.



Preheat oven to 350°
Prepare cupcake pans with liners.
Beat sugar and eggs together until slightly thickened, about a minute.
Add milk, browned butter, and vanilla, stirring just until combined.
Add flour and baking powder, beating until well mixed--about a minute. Don't over mix.

Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until tops are springy to the touch or a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
Remove from cupcake pan and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
(I doubled this for my cake, and I also went about it a bit differently because I didn’t want super thick icing). After beating the butter, I added the cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla, and mixed it in. Then I added the cooled chocolate, and then about a cup of powdered sugar.)

5oz good quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
8 TBS butter, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
2TBS baking cocoa
1 tsp mexican vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4-8 TBS milk

Melt chocolate in a double boiler and allow to cool to room temperature.
Beat in butter until creamy. Add in melted chocolate.
Add powdered sugar, baking cocoa, cinnamon and vanilla.
Slowly beat in milk 1TBS at a time until you reach desired consistency.

enjoy!

Gooey Cocoa Brownies

Nearly 2 years ago, in the early days of honey & jam, I blogged a recipe called supernatural brownies. Those brownies are delicious, and I’ve been making them regularly ever since. I was pretty sure they were the perfect brownie, but oh, I was wrong.

A couple of weeks ago, I tweeted about needing a new brownie recipe, because I wanted to make some quick and I didn’t have the ingredients to make my favorite recipe. Jeannette from everybody likes sandwiches sent me a link to this recipe. I’ve made them 4 times in 2 weeks.

These brownies are a revelation. Gooey, deeply chocolatey, and not a bit too sweet. Plus, you only need cocoa powder, not bar chocolate, they take about 5 minutes to throw together and only 25 to bake. Perfection? Pretty dang close.




Best Cocoa Brownies

Adapted from Alice Mendrich’s Bittersweet via smitten kitchen
Makes 16 larger or 25 smaller brownies

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks, 5 ounces or 141 grams) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups (9 7/8 ounces, 280 grams) sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 7/8 ounces, 82 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup (66 grams, 2 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour

2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave for 1:30 minutes. Remove and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smoothes out once the eggs and flour are added.

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Chocolate Pavlova with Candied Kumquats

Pavlova. Even the name is swoon-worthy. I’ve always been enchanted by these fluffy, melt in your mouth desserts, but just a little intimidated by them. They just seem so fancy, you know? And in my mind, fancy always equals difficult. Which is ridiculous, because these aren’t hard to make at all!



It was Nigella Lawson that changed my mind about the whole thing. You see, I don’t really like TV chefs. Most of them annoy me a bit, I just don’t enjoy watching them, but I recently found some of Nigella’s tv shows on youtube and wow. She’s downright charming. The woman makes everything look easy! I watched her gently, causally stir the cocoa powder into the egg white mixture and thought “I can do that!”

So I did! Mixing up the pavlova is a snap, especially if you have a stand mixer. Topped with homemade whipped cream and candied kumquats, this is unbelievably decadent. If you’ve never tried it before, give it a go!



Chocolate Pavlova
adapted from the joy of baking and nigella lawson

I halved this recipe and it make 4 mini-pavs.

6 large (180 grams) egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/4 cups (250 grams) superfine (castor) sugar (note: i just ran some sugar through the food processor to make it super fine.)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch (corn flour)
3 tablespoons (20 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 ounces (55 grams) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (14 grams) granulated white sugar
Candied Kumquats - see recipe below


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (130 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Start adding the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. (Test to see if the sugar is fully dissolved by rubbing a little of the meringue between your thumb and index finger. The meringue should feel smooth, not gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved so keep beating until it feels smooth between your fingers). Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the vinegar and vanilla extract. In a small strainer, sift the cocoa powder and cornstarch over the top of the meringue and, with the rubber spatula, fold in. Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate.
Gently dollop the meringue onto the parchment paper smoothing the edges.
Place in oven, immediately turn oven down to 250 F. Bake for about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours (or about 25 - 30 minutes for mini-pavlovas) or until the outside is dry. (The outside will feel firm to the touch, if gently pressed. There will be cracks and you will see that the inside is soft and moist.) Turn the oven off, leave the door slightly ajar, and let the meringue cool completely in the oven.

The cooled meringue can be made and stored in a cool dry place, in an airtight container, for a few days.

Just before serving gently place the meringue on a serving plate. Whip the cream in your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, until soft peaks form. Sweeten with the sugar and then mound the softly whipped cream into the center of the meringue. Arrange the fruit on top of the cream. Serve immediately as this dessert does not hold and once you add the cream and fruit the meringue will start to break down.

Candied Kumquats

1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 package of kumquats, cut into slices


In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the kumquat slices and cook over moderate heat, turning them occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a thin syrup and the slices are translucent, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until the syrup is thick and the slices are tender but still intact, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer the slices to a rack to cool.

Black Bean Brownies

Black Bean Brownies. Black Bean Brownies?!

When I first stumbled upon this recipe, I was a little bit repulsed. It seemed sort of gross, beans as the main ingredient in brownies? I kept coming back to it though, and the idea grew on me.

It doesn’t make any sense, but these are good. Not the best brownie ever, by any means, but good. I’m not even sure if brownie is the right word for these, black bean fudge might be better. There’s a lot going on - the coffee flavor, the agave nectar, and of course the beans and the chocolate. Somehow it all works together.

I made mine in an 8x8 baking pan instead of a jelly roll pan, and I have to say that I think they would have been better thinner. Mine were super gooey - a little too gooey. The ones on the outer edge were much better than those in the center, because they were firmer. Also, I found the coffee flavor a little over powering, I’d definitely cut it down, probably half it, if I made these again.

Will I make them again? Probably not, but it’s an interesting option if you're gluten intolerant or diabetic.



Black Bean Brownie Recipe
From 101 cookbooks

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well ( canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1½ cups light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Just a quick note: I realized today I've been having a lot of real emails go into my spam folder instead of my inbox. If you've seen me an email in the past and I haven't responded, that's why! I'm so sorry, feel free to send it again. :)

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas!

Have you waited to the last minute to get Christmas presents? I thought that might be the case. But don’t worry! These three recipes are perfect for christmas gifts. I threw all of this together in a couple of hours. Easy! Plus, everyone knows food is a way better gift than an ugly sweater or one of those pre-made hot chocolate gift sets. You know the ones I’m talking about, with the mugs and cheap cocoa? I swear I get one of those things every year!



First, Espresso Toffee Shortbread. These are super delicious, the espresso flavor is really strong, so if you don’t like that, cut it down a bit, maybe to 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Espresso Toffee Shortbread
Makes about 4 dozen
from here, make those too!

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup toffee bits
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add vanilla, toffee, espresso powder and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter beating at a low speed until blended.

Form dough into 2 logs, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter; wrap in parchment, and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Preheat oven to 350.

If frozen, let the logs stand at room temp for 10 minutes. Remove parchment. Slice logs into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.



Second, Peppermint bark! I LOVE peppermint and chocolate together. This is so, so easy. Perfect for the chocolate lover on your list.

Peppermint Bark
From Savory Sweet Life


1 bag of chocolate chips (any kind you like)
1 bag of white chocolate chips
24 mini candy canes, crushed *do not crush using a food processor – place candy canes in a zip lock bag and use a hammer to crush into small pieces


Line the bottom of a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Pour (brown) chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave chocolate chips in increments of 30 seconds stirring the chips each time until chocolate chips have completed melted and mixture is smooth. Spread melted chocolate as evenly as possibly into lined pan. Place pan into freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat the same melting process with the white chips. While chocolate is still smooth, stir in half of the crushed candy cane mixture. Allow the white chocolate to slightly cool for a minute. Remove pan from freezer and spread white chocolate/crushed candy canes mixture on top of the chocolate layer. Spread white chocolate as quickly as possible. Top off with remaining crushed candy cane and gently pat down with the back of a spatula. Return pan to freezer for 20 minutes. Remove from freezer and gently lift the whole mixture from the pan with a butter knife. You should now have a solid sheet of peppermint bark. Remove parchment paper and break into pieces. Store any left over bark in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer. Enjoy!





Lastly, my favorite, Spiced Maple Glazed Pecans. These are SO GOOD. Sweet, but not too sweet, salty, and a little spicy. Give these to everyone!

Spiced Maple Glazed Pecans
from Martha Stewart

1 pound unsalted pecans
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to combine. Spread nut mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat. Bake, stirring frequently, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes; let cool. Pecans can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container up one week.


Merry Christmas!

happy birthday, honey & jam.

One year ago today, I was sitting at my dining room table with my laptop, a cup of tea, and a piece of toast and it was there I decided to start a blog. You see, I knew only a little bit of about the blogging world, and even less about the food blogging world, but it seemed like fun, an outlet for my passions. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, I didn’t even start with a food blog in mind.



I’ve grown and learned so much through this blog, as a baker and as a photographer. When I started, I’d sort of given up on photography, due to frustrations with my digital camera. I’d always worked with film before, and the transition over to digital wasn’t an easy one for me. I didn’t understand a thing about lighting, and all the buttons on the back of the camera just baffled me. I picked it back up for this blog, and I’ve learned so, so much this past year. I now have a passion for food photography that is sometimes overwhelming, but so much fun!



And of course, I’ve learned so much about baking. Food blogs are such a wealth of information and inspiration. I’ve grown to love the food blogging community, which lends so much support for everyone involved.



What keeps coming to mind is thankfulness - I’m so thankful for this little piece of the internet I call my own, so thankful for all of you that read what I write, look at my photos and leave me the most thoughtful comments. Seriously, y’all bowl me over with your kindness.

Of course, I have to thank my wonderful family, who puts up with all my shenanigans.

To my mother - who supports me no matter what, tolerates my craziness in the kitchen, and laughs with me when things go wrong (which is pretty regularly).

To my father - who can build me absolutely anything I ask him to, and supports me in the most subtle ways.

To my brother - who always keeps me laughing.

And to my sister - my tireless photography assistant and sous chef, I couldn’t do it without you!




I do believe that’s all I have to say, so today, to celebrate, I bring you what I love - a cup of tea, with honey and a slice of cake, with jam, topped off with cute little edible violas. I hope you enjoy!



This is one of my absolute favorite layer cake recipes, and it perfect for cupcakes too. You can fill it with anything, curd, frosting, or my favorite, raspberry jam. And the frosting, it’s so simple, but rich and delicious.



Vanilla Cake
from Southern Living

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (I left this out this time around)
3 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I used whole, I was out of buttermilk.)

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; add to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat a medium-low speed just until blended after each addition. (batter will be thick)

Bake for 32-36 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Rich Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter, softened
4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1-1/4 cups baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Alternate beating in confectioners’ sugar and cocoa, adding milk as needed, until it reaches spreading consistency. Add vanilla.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth
seeking the successive autumns."
George Eliot



I can’t even express how much I love fall. I could wax poetic about it all day long. It refreshes me, renews my love for nature, makes me thankful to be alive. It makes getting in the kitchen so much more enjoyable with that cool breeze coming in through the window.





It feels like it’s been ages since I was in my own kitchen, doing what I love the most. Measuring, mixing, photographing. It felt so, so good to at it again. I’d forgotten how much I love the process, scooping flour into the measuring cup, leveling off the top, packing the brown sugar, cracking the eggs. It’s peaceful and therapeutic for me.



I even love the waiting, the anticipation of having something in the oven. I’m a compulsive checker though, pulling the oven door open every 10 minutes, even though I know I shouldn’t.



Today has been a good day. As I sit here with an empty cake plate beside me, I’m incredibly thankful, for the weather, for my family, for good food.

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Mocha Icing
From Bon Appetit, September 2009

Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder, divided
• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar, divided
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously brush 12- to 15-cup nonstick Bundt pan with oil. Whisk 1 cup boiling water, cocoa powder, and 2 teaspoons espresso powder in 2-cup glass measure. Whisk 2 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla in large bowl to blend. Add eggs; beat to blend. Beat mixture until smooth, about 30 seconds longer. Beat in half of flour mixture, then cocoa mixture. Add remaining flour mixture; beat to blend. Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared Bundt pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool the cake 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; cool 15 minutes longer.
• Meanwhile, stir remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons espresso powder, and 2 tablespoons water in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar melts. Remove from heat. Add butter and remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips; stir until butter and chocolate melt. Cool slightly. Using spoon, drizzle icing over cake. Cool cake completely, slice, and serve.

Purple (well...brown) Velvet Cake.

Today is my lovely sisters 15th birthday. I can’t believe she’s driving. It seems like just yesterday we were yelling at each other in the back seat of the car. She’s become this awesome bluegrass loving, mandolin playing, Jesus following young woman. She rocks.



And how else could I celebrate but to make her a cake? She requested her favorite, Red Velvet. Since red velvet is essentially just chocolate cake dyed bright red, I thought it would be more fun to dye it purple. Sadly, it came out more brown, but it’s the thought that counts, right?



This is definitely the best recipe for red velvet I’ve found, it’s a little more chocolate-y
than most, super moist and slightly tangy. Plus, the cream cheese frosting was delicious, and I don’t even like it normally.



To top it off I used this little birdie, he was once a christmas ornament. It’s so Sarah.

Happy Birthday baby sister, I hope you liked your cake!


let's pretend I can actually frost cakes! haha.

Red Velvet Cake
Adapted from “The Confetti Cakes Cookbook” by Elisa Strauss via Smitten Kitchen.

Yield: 3 cake layers

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups canola oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
6 tablespoons (3 ounces) red food coloring or 1 teaspoon red gel food coloring dissolved in 6 tablespoons of water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place teaspoon of butter in each of 3 round 9-inch layer cake pans and place pans in oven for a few minutes until butter melts. Remove pans from oven, brush interior bottom and sides of each with butter and line bottoms with parchment.

2. Whisk cake flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl.

3. Place oil and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat at medium speed until well-blended. Beat in eggs one at a time. With machine on low, very slowly add red food coloring. (Take care: it may splash.) Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk in two batches. Scrape down bowl and beat just long enough to combine.

4. Place baking soda in a small dish, stir in vinegar and add to batter with machine running. Beat for 10 seconds.

5. Divide batter among pans, place in oven and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pans 20 minutes. Then remove from pans, flip layers over and peel off parchment. Cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 6 cups

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter room temperature
3 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. With a handheld electric mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat, on low speed to combine. If too soft, chill until slightly stiff, about 10 minutes, before using.


Oh, for those interested, I did get a new lens! I upgraded from the 50mm 1.8 to the 50mm 1.4. So far I love it! You can see the shots I've taken so far with it at my flickr.

The secret ingredient is...

Root beer!

I really love root beer. I love how the bubbles always go up my nose when I drink it. I love how it seems to taste like summer - all care free and child like. I remember drinking it as a kid, always IBC. I didn’t even know any one else made root beer for the longest time.



But I’d never thought of putting it in a cake before. It’s kind of crazy when your batter fizzes as you stir it. While you don’t really taste the root beer in the cake, you do in the frosting. It’s probably one of the most delicious frostings I’ve ever made. All chocolatey and root beery. And the cake is so, so moist, it’s a super good chocolate cake with a twist - you can’t really identify it.

I think I’m going to have to make a cream soda cake next.






Root Beer Float Cake

From Baked, New Frontiers in Baking

2 cups root beer (don’t use diet)

1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

Preheat even to 325 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 10-inch Bundt pan (or 2 round cake pans) with nonstick cooking spray, or butter generously and dust with flour, knocking out the excess.

In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl whisk the eggs until just beaten. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy. You can give it a quick whisk if you like, but don’t over beat the batter or it could cause the cake to be tough. Don’t worry, the batter is very loose.

Pour the batter into prepared pan and cook for 35-45 minutes (or 25-30 minutes for 2 cake pans), rotating the pan halfway through baking until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely then loosen edges with a butter knife and turn out onto a cake plate.

Chocolate Root Beer Frosting

2 ounces 60% cocoa, melted

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt (you may want to use less… maybe just 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 cup root beer

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric hand mixer, beat softened butter and cocoa powder. Once combined add the melted chocolate, salt, powdered sugar and root beer. Beat together until smooth. Spread on top of cooled cake. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Biscotti part 2: the sweet

After last weeks super successful savory biscotti, I had to try a sweet recipe. To me, this is coffee shop biscotti. Perfect for a late afternoon staring out a window with a big cup of coffee or tea.



I avoided making biscotti for so long, I have no idea why. I remember looking at some more complex recipes, ones where you had to bake it at a low temperature and then let it sit out over night. Both the recipes I’ve tried are nothing like that, and they come out perfectly. Crunchy and delicious. The almonds in the one really make it, in my opinion. It gives a nice contrast to the chocolate-chocolate.



Just a tip: I’ve noticed with a lot of recipes that use cocoa powder, if you let them sit for a little while, and don’t eat them straight of the oven, they taste much better. The flavors seem to develop and they get a little sweeter. I tried these several hours out of the oven and they were so much better that the first time.



Double Chocolate Almond Biscotti
from Gourmet

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F and butter and flour a large baking sheet.

In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined well. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in the almonds and chocolate chips.

On prepared baking sheet with floured hands form dough into two slightly flattened logs, each 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Bake logs 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool biscotti on baking sheet 5 minutes.

On a cutting board cut biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool biscotti on a rack. Biscotti keep in airtight containers 1 week and frozen, 1 month.

Just say yes to this cake.

I love the pioneer woman. I think she’s absolutely hilarious and her recipes always look divine. I’m going over to a friends house this evening so I decided to try out her chocolate sheet cake.



This isn’t a dignified dessert. There are not fancy sauces or expensive ingredients. It’s impossible to get out of the pan without it falling apart and looking like sludge.



But it’s dang good. Like, there aren’t words to adequately describe how good it is. It’s what dessert should taste like.


Do yourself a favor and make this. tonight.



Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake
Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

Cut into squares, and eat.