{Tutorial} Neapolitan Layer Cake

May 13, 2013 by 7 Comments

Neapolitian Cake by JavaCupcake.comOoooooooooooh I’ve been in a funk.  A baking fun.  Last week I make a double chocolate layer cake but since then… nothing.  I haven’t even been motivated to make rice krispy treats.  (I have 4 boxes of Rice Krispies – thank you WIC.)  So today, I opened up my baking cookbooks, browsed Pinterest and checked out a few of my favorite blogs.  One of the themes I saw running across all of them – Neapolitian.  Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla together to make one delicious dessert.  So, with Mother’s Day this past weekend, I decided that I’d make a Mother’s Day Neapolitan Layer Cake to celebrate.

Mother's Day Neapolitian Cake by JavaCupcake.com

My mom passed away 3 years ago… so she was definitely on my mind as I was making this cake.  Especially when it was time to sit down and enjoy a slice.  I’m certain she would have enjoyed this cake with a big glass of milk!  Three layers of decadent cake filled with chocolate and strawberry frosting and topped with vanilla buttercream.  Eat bite has a unique flavor…. it’s like a party in your mouth with every bite!

Neapolitian Cake by JavaCupcake.com

What really inspired me to make this particular cake was one of my most favorite bloggers, Amanda of i am baker with her Neapolitan Rose Cake.  I’ve used her tutorials to make a rose cake before, but this one was going to be different.  I was going to make the neapolitan cake, but I wasn’t going to do roses.  Instead, I’d just smooth out the three flavors of frosting over the three different layers of cake.  But still, that’s a lot of work! I had a feeling thought it was going to be so worth it in the end.  And ya know what… all the hard work was TOTALLY worth it in the end because this cake was delicious!

So, instead of posting detailed recipes for this cake, I decided to write a tutorial on how to assemble and make this cake.  I’ve posted the chocolate and vanilla cake recipes several times before, but tried a new strawberry recipe… I’ve linked to all of them below.  You’ll also see what supplies you need to make this cake and a detailed tutorial to assemble it.

Enjoy!

{Tutorial} Neapolitan Layer Cake

For the chocolate cake:

I used THIS RECIPE for the chocolate cake. It actually makes too much batter… so when you prepare it, measure out a dozen cupcakes first and then pour the rest in your 9-inch round cake pan. Bake as directed in the recipe.

For the chocolate frosting:

I used my basic chocolate buttercream recipe, found HERE. You’ll probably use ALL of this for the cake, so you might want to make extra to frost the extra cupcakes.

For the strawberry cake:

I tried a new recipe for this cake and I think it turned out amazing!  Thanks to the blog, I made that! for the recipe!

For the strawberry frosting:

I took my basic vanilla buttercream recipe and substituted about 1/4 cup strawberry puree (that I had reserved from the cake recipe) for the cream. I also added 1 tsp strawberry extract instead of vanilla extract. It was super yummy!

For the vanilla cake & frosting:

I used a whole batch of batter using my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe. It made a very tall cake & I trimmed off a lot of extra cake. So next time, I’d scoop out 6 cupcakes first, then pour the rest into the pan to bake. I also used this same recipe for the vanilla frosting, but I doubled it.

Neapolitan Cake by JavaCupcake.com

Supplies needed to assemble the cake:

-Cake layers and frosting
-Offset spatula
-Wax paper
-Cake stand or cake turn table
-Paper towels
-1 cup measuring cup
-Spatula/scraper

Assembling the Neapolitan Cake:

  • Trim the three cake layers so they are the same height.  
  • Place a piece of wax paper on your cake turn table and place the chocolate layer with the trimmed side up.
  • Place 2 cups of chocolate frosting on to the first layer and spread evenly over the top.
  • Set the strawberry layer, trimmed side up, on to the chocolate frosting and gently press down.
  • Place 2 cups of strawberry frosting onto the top and spread evenly.
  • Place the finally vanilla layer, trimmed side DOWN, onto the strawberry frosting and gently press down.
  • Crumb coat each layer of cake with the coordinating frosting and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
  • Once the cake has set – begin frosting the outside of the cake starting with the chocolate on the bottom and working your way up to the top with the vanilla.  Use 2 cups of vanilla frosting on the top layer of the cake. If you need an idea of how to apply the frosting, check out my Ombre Cake Tutorial – see steps 3-6 for how to apply the frosting in layers on the side of the cake.
  • Make sure to clean off your spatula often with the paper towels. Mixing flavors at the seams will result in smears of color onto the wrong layers.
  • Using your offset spatula, do your best to smooth the sides of the cake without smudging the colors together.  This process takes a steady hand and a lot of time.  GO SLOW.  Unlike the ombre cake, you don’t want the colors to collide together to create the gradual change of colors… you want three distinct color layers – but still want a smooth, finished look.
  • To transfer the cake to your cake plate, gently and carefully pull the wax paper and cake off the edge of the cake turn table.  Place your hand under the cake as your peel away the wax paper and pull the cake completely off the stand.  Transfer the cake to the cake stand and use any additional chocolate frosting you have to touch up the bottom edges.
Filed Under: cake, cakes, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, family, frosting and icing, fruit, fruit filled cake, layer cake, life, recipes, strawberry cake, strawberry frosting, vanilla cake, vanilla frosting

Lemoncino Raspberry Cupcakes

July 2, 2012 by 10 Comments

Lemoncello.  Oh, how I love you.  You’re tart and delicious and are perfect in my cupcakes.  I’ve been looking all around Germany for Lemoncello liqour, but have failed to find any.  Yes, I know I could make my own (thank you to many readers who suggested it to me!), but I just don’t have the patience to wait until it’s ready.  I wanted to bake with this delicious liquor ASAP!

While in Italy, I finally found a lemon liquor called Lemoncino and of course brought home a big huge bottle of it.  I haven’t even been home for a week and I’ve already come up with the most delicious use for this liqour… cupcakes.  Yup, of course… a Lemoncino cupcake paired with a raspberry buttercream.  Those two things sound delicious enough by themselves… but you know me, I can’t go simple.  I go big.  Always.

I made candied lemon zest to go on top.  Yeah, I did it.  Candied. Lemon. Zest.  (You can see how I made the zest HERE.) And with that lemon zest is a fresh red, ripe, local German raspberry.  I had my Dad try these cupcakes last night…. he didn’t even make it out of the kitchen before the cupcake was in his belly.  Four bites and it was gone!  I’m thinking he liked it.

I think this is my new favorite summer cupcake.  It really is a perfect combination of sweet and tart with the lemon and raspberry!

Print
Lemoncino Raspberry Cupcakes

51

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Perfect summertime treat combining two classic flavors, lemon and raspberry.

Ingredients

    Lemoncino Cupcakes
  • 1 cup flour + 2 Tbsp corn starch
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 2/3 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large egg whites

  • Zest of one lemon
  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup Lemoncino liquor (Lemoncello works too or any lemon liquor you have)
    • Raspberry Syrup
  • 1/2 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • Juice of one lemon
    • Raspberry Buttercream
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable shortening (you could use butter instead, but the shortening adds stability)
  • 1lb powdered sugar
  • Raspberry syrup
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

    Lemoncino Cupcakes
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, baking powder and salt at least three times. Set aside.
  3. In a measuring cup that pours, measure out the milk. Add the egg whites and whisk together. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, press the sugar into the zest of the lemon until it's fluffy and full of flavor. Add the butter and mix together on high until smooth.
  5. Add the Lemoncino to the butter and sugar and continue to mix on high until it lightens in color, about 4 minutes. You really want these ingredients to cream together well.
  6. Add the flour and the milk alternating, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure all the flour has been incorporated. Mix 20 seconds on medium speed. Do not overmix!
  7. Divide batter between 12 cupcake cups filling them about 2/3 full.
  8. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. NOTE: While these are baking would be a perfect time to make the raspberry syrup for your buttercream!
    11. Raspberry Syrup
  11. In a small pot, combine the berries, sugar and lemon.
  12. Heat until simmering, breaking up the berries with a wooden spoon.
  13. Simmer for about 7 minutes until the syrup thickens.
  14. Pour through a strainer to remove the seeds.
  15. Set aside remaining syrup to cool.
    16. Raspberry Buttercream
  16. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and butter.
  17. Add the powdered sugar and mix on high until smooth.
  18. Add all the raspberry syrup you made earlier to the butter and sugar and beat until smooth.
  19. Add 2-3 Tbsp of heavy cream until you get your desired consistency.
  20. Beat on high for 3-4 minutes or until the buttercream has lightened in color and is fluffy and smooth.
    21. Assembly
  21. Using a large round tip, pipe circles of buttercream on top of each cupcake.
  22. Top with candied lemon zest (recipe can be found HERE) and a fresh raspberry.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://javacupcake.com/2012/07/lemoncino_raspberry_cupcakes/

Filed Under: buttercream, cupcake recipes, frosting and icing, fruit, fruit frosting, fruity cupcakes, lemon, raspberries, raspberry, recipes

Strawberry Lemonade Scones

April 17, 2012 by 6 Comments

I’ve been trying to get into the kitchen at least once a week lately.  I just have to.  Baking is what makes me feel like… me.  So, this morning I whipped up a batch of scones.  Not just any scones though…

Strawberry

Lemonade

Scones

Yah… I said it.  Two of the most perfect fruits paired together to make a sweet and tart delicious breakfast treat!

I actually wanted to make these over the weekend for my family, but when I went to the store to buy the berries…. they were all out!!  How rude of them to be out of berries when I needed them.

I was inspired to make these scones by Munchkin Munchies.  She made a strawberry lemonade scone and it looked so yummy!  But, I’m lazy and didn’t want to make lemon curd to top it with… so I came up with my own recipe to incorporate the lemon more into the dough to create a stronger lemon taste.

I’m thinking they turned out pretty darn amazing!

Enjoy!

Print
Strawberry Lemonade Scones

51

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6-8 scones, depending on size

Ingredients

    Scones
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter

  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • zest from one large lemon or 2 Tbsp
  • 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk

  • 1 heaping cup fresh strawberries, cut into chunks

  • Turbinado sugar or Sugar in the Raw

  • Flour - for kneading and work surface
    • Lemon Glaze
  • 1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp milk

Instructions

    Scones
  1. Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lightly spray with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, press lemon zest into sugar using the back of a spatula. Add the lemon juice, egg yolk and butter milk and whisk until just combined. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter using a fork and your fingers until no large chunks of butter remain.
  4. Add the sugar mixture to the flour, stirring to make a soft dough.
  5. Fold in the strawberries. NOTE: Dough will get sticky with the addition of the berries.
  6. Turn out onto a generously floured board and knead about 15 times or until the outside of the dough is no longer sticky.
  7. Pat/press dough until it's 1 inch thick. Cut into 6-8 squares and sprinkle with Turbinado sugar.
  8. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges and top turn golden brown.
  9. Remove to wire rack to cool.
    10. Glaze
  10. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, juice and milk.
  11. Drizzle over cooled scones.
  12. Sprinkle more Turbinado sugar over glaze.
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://javacupcake.com/2012/04/strawberry-lemonade-scones/

Filed Under: berry, bread and pretzels, breakfast, buttermilk, featured, fruit, lemon, recipes, scones, strawberry

Fresh Fruit Stuffed French Toast

March 24, 2012 by 3 Comments

Living in Germany we have access to all kinds of delicious fresh breads.  One of our favorites is a loaf of Paderborner bread which is a rye and wheat sour dough bread baked in tins, ideal for for sandwiches, toast, and this morning… french toast!

We always have a wide array of fresh fruit in our house too.  This morning we had blueberries, bananas, strawberries and raspberries and used all that delicious fresh fruit to stuff inside a thick slice of Paderborner bread to make stuffed french toast! YUM!

It’s really super simple to make and SO GOOD!  Especially when topped with a dollop of Nutella or a drizzle of honey.

Print
Fresh Fruit Stuffed French Toast

51

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 slices (depending on size of loaf)

A perfect Saturday morning breakfast!

Ingredients

  • Loaf of your favorite bread, uncut (I used a German Paderborner loaf)
  • 3 eggs (or more if you have more bread)
  • 3-4 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon & 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups fresh fruit, sliced (I used sliced bananas and strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
  • butter
  • Nutella, peanut butter, honey, maple syrup, & powdered sugar (or any other toppings you'd like)

Instructions

  1. Cut loaf of bread into 1 1/2 in thick slices. (Our loaf sliced 4 slices.)
  2. Using a small serrated knife (like a steak knife), slice open a pocket in each slice of bread. Be careful not to cut all the way through to the sides or bottom. You're creating a pouch for your fresh fruit.
  3. Stuff/layer the fresh fruit into the pocket. I layered strawberry, banana, blueberry, raspberry, banana and strawberry. Don't stuff it too full or the fruit will fall out when cooking.
  4. Preheat, on high, a skillet or frying pan and melt 1-2 Tbsp of butter in the pan.
  5. While that is heating, prepare your eggs. Crack the eggs in in a bowl with a flat bottom. Add the milk, vanilla and spices then whisk until combined.
  6. Once your skillet is hot, reduce heat to medium. Dip both sides of your stuffed bread into the egg mixture, making sure all sides are covered. Let the bread sit in the egg mix on each side for 5-10 seconds.
  7. Place once slice of stuffed bread in the pan at a time (you can cook more at a time if you have a larger skillet surface) and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until egg has cooked and bread has turned a dark golden brown. NOTE: Watch your heat, you don't want it too hot otherwise the egg will burn quickly and your french toast won't cook though.
  8. Cook bread on its sides for 30 seconds.
  9. Remove from plan and place on a plate.
  10. Serve topped with butter, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and more fresh fruit. Also, Nutella, peanut butter, maple syrup and honey make excellent toppings for your french toast!
Schema/Recipe SEO Data Markup by ZipList Recipe Plugin
http://javacupcake.com/2012/03/fresh-fruit-stuffed-french-toast/

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, breakfast, french toast, fruit, recipes

Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

December 18, 2011 by 2 Comments

I’ve got this yummy box of mandarin oranges just sitting on my counter.  I don’t know what it is… but I think my family might be all mandarin oranged out.  I think this might be our third box this season… so yeah, it was about time to do something with them before they went bad.

But what?  Oh… duh, COOKIES!  haha  It’s that time of year and I’ve been doing nothing but baking cookies lately.  So, why not mandarin orange cookies?  But hmmm…. what goes with orange in cookies… hmmmmm??? CRANBERRIES!  Oh and WHITE CHOCOLATE!

I took a basic brown sugar cookie cookie dough recipe and transformed it into a super amazing Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie!

Now, I used fresh cranberries and fresh oranges, but I’m sure if all you had was canned or jarred that would be okay too.  I just love the idea of big chunks of fresh fruit in these cookies!

I’ve seen some with a glaze on top, but I didn’t want to hide the chunks of fruit inside of them, so I just topped them dough with sugar before baking.  I think they’re pretty much PERFECT!

Mandarin Orange & Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp orange extract
3 tbsp orange juice
Zest of one Mandarin orange

2 1/2 cups AP flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup halved fresh Mandarin orange slices (about 4 Mandarin oranges)
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks (I used a mix of both cause that’s what I had on hand)

1/4 cup sugar, for dusting

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
  3. Add the egg, extract, zest and orange juice.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on high for 3-4 minutes or until the dough is light and fluffy.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
  5. Add the flour to the butter/sugar and mix on low until just combined.
  6. Fold in the halved orange slices, chopped cranberries and white chocolate.
  7. Drop 1 tbsp of dough onto the cookie sheet, 1-2 inches apart.  Do not place more than 12 on a sheet, the cookies spread and need room!
  8. Dust each mound of dough with sugar.
  9. Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown.  Do not overbake!
  10. Remove and let cook on sheet for about 1 minute.  Remove to a wire rack to cool complete.
Filed Under: cookies, cranberries, featured, fruit, fruity cookies, mandarin orange, orange, recipes

Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

September 14, 2011 by 14 Comments

I had the pleasure of getting 11 apples from a new friend here in Germany that came from her parents apple trees in Schweinfurt, Germany.  I can’t say that I’ve ever tried an apple from Germany so this was a real treat.  The apples she gave me were crisp and slightly tart, but full of great flavor!

Everyone told me I should make an apple pie with the apples, but I really wasn’t in the mood for pie.  So, I surfed the internet for inspiration and saw a pull apart bread baked with diced apples and tons of cinnamon and brown sugar.  I’ve always wanted to try a pull apart bread so I thought this would be the perfect time to start.

The recipe I got my inspiration from came from Flour Me With Love.  It’s got a great photo tutorial that I followed to put together the dough and bread.  I changed up the ingredients just slightly and of course added my own flair to it. :) I liked this recipe a lot because I didn’t have to wait for the bread to rise. I just made the dough, rolled and cut it and into the oven it went! :)

Apple Filling:
6 apples, peeled & diced (I used my apple peeler, corer, slicer then cut into pieces. This worked great!)
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp nutmeg
pinch of ginger
1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp warm water

  1. Peel, core and dice your apples.  Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over them.
  2. In a large pan, combine the butter, apples, sugar, vanilla and spices.
  3. Mix the corn starch and water together then add to the mixture.
  4. Bring to a light boil and cook for 3-4 minutes,
  5. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes,  continually stirring.
  6. Set aside to cool and thicken.

Dough:
3 cups flour (plus more for work surface and kneading)
1 package yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan.
  2. In a small sauce pan, bring the milk to a simmer… just until bubbling.  Remove from heat and add the butter, stirring until melted.  Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of your stand mixer with the hook attachment, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt and brown sugar.
  4. Add in the water, egg and milk/butter mixture.
  5. Turn on your mixer to medium speed and mix until a ball forms.  My dough wasn’t coming together, so I added another 1/4 cup of flour to help it come together.
  6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a well floured surface.
  7. Knead for 5 minutes adding more flour to keep the dough from getting sticky or sticking to your hands or counter.
  8. Roll out into a large rectangle (or the best you can do), about 1/4 inch thick.
  9. Spread 2 tbsp butter over the dough then spread the apple mixture over it evenly.  Reserve about 1/4 cup of apple mixture.
  10. Using a pizza cutter.  Cut about 4×5 inch pieces of dough.  Stack them into piles of three pieces.  Don’t worry if sizes aren’t exactly the same, just do your best to stack like sizes together.  If you have odd sizes, just add them to the tops of your piles of three.
  11. Hold your baking pan on it’s end.  Stack your pieces into the pan.  Set the pan down and spread the pieces out so they fill the entire pan.
  12. Use the reserved 1/4 cup apples to spread on top.
  13. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until golden brown.  If the apples on top start to brown or burn, cover the loaf with foil.
  14. Let cool in pan for about about 30 minutes, there may still be some raw dough in the middle, but don’t worry!
  15.  Run a butter knife along the edges of the pan to help it come out.
  16. Glaze and enjoy!

Glaze:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 tsp milk

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powered sugar and cinnamon.
  2. Add the vanilla, butter and milk and mix until you get a smooth consistency.
  3. Pour over slightly cooled bread.  Allow to set up before cutting into the bread.
Filed Under: apple, bread and pretzels, cinnamon, featured, fruit, recipes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

September 10, 2011 by 16 Comments

Jenn and I planned to make caramel apple cupcakes without even chatting about it first!  I guess those Fall flavors are just in the air and we’re ready to get baking!! Apples, cinnamon, nutmeg… OH MY!

You may remember the Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes I made before!  I brought them to my first Cupcake Camp and they were a HUGE success!  My very first recipe I came up with on my own from scratch!  I knew I didn’t want to make these caramel apple cupcakes exactly the same, but some elements of it I knew were too good to pass up.

I started these Caramel Apple Cupcakes with the same pan cooked chopped apples that I used with my Tree Hugger Apple cupcakes.  Sugar, apples, lemon, and spices cooked on low heat to create a ooey gooey apple filling.  Seriously, I could eat it by the spoonful.

Apple Mixture
Makes about 2 cups apple mixture

3 Granny Smith apples, diced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp hot water + 1 tbsp corn starch

  1. Over medium high heat,  mix together all the ingredients in a frying pan on the stove.
  2. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and cook for about 10 minutes.  Stirring frequently.
  3. Set aside to cool completely.

Apple Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup apple mixture
1 tbsp heavy cream (optional)

  1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment.
  2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
  3. Mix in the vanilla.
  4. Add the apple mixture and mix on low until just combined.
  5. If mixture is too thick, add a tbsp of heavy cream to smooth out.
Caramel Buttercream
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1lb powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 tbsp caramel syrup
  1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together.
  2. Mix in the vanilla.
  3. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
  4. Add the cream to loosen.
  5. Mix in the caramel syrup and mix until smooth.
  6. Beat on high for 30 seconds, scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again.
  7. EAT!

Apple Cupcakes
Makes 18 full size cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

1 cup apple mixture

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cupcake pans with liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, juice and vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk/sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  4. Add the flour to the wet mixture and mix together just until combined.
  5. Fold in the apple mixture.
  6. Fill regular size liners about 2/3 full.  Fill mini liners 1/2 full.
  7. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Rotate pan after 12 minutes of baking.
  8. Cool in pans for about 7 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Assembly
  1. After cool, cut a cone out of the center of each regular size cupcake.  Trim off the bottom of the cone.
  2. Core out the center of each mini cupcake using an apple corer.
  3. Fill each cupcake with the cream cheese apple mixture.  Replace to tops of the regular size cupcakes only. (I used a small ice cream scoop to fill the regular size cupcakes and a piping bag to fill the mini’s)
  4. Top with caramel buttercream and then rim with your favorite topping. (Nuts, candy, sprinkles, caramel sauce)
  5. Insert popsicle stick or lollipop stick into center of cupcake.
Filed Under: apple, caramel, caramel cupcakes, caramel frosting, cinnamon, cream cheese, cupcake recipes, filled cupcakes, frosting and icing, fruit, fruity cupcakes, mini, recipes, seasonal, seasonal and holiday cupcakes, spiced

Peach & Blackberry Galette

August 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Mmmmm fresh fruit from the Farmer’s market! I heart you! So sooo sooooo much!  I ventured into pie territory a while back and it was a great experience and one of my favorite baking adventures… and while I love the idea of a pretty pie, even more than that, I love the idea of a rustic galette.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: fruit, peaches, pie, posts by jenn, recipes

Peach Blueberry Pie

August 16, 2011 by 4 Comments

There haven’t been many recipes that I’ve seen online where I turn around and make them within 24 hours of seeing them.  I mean let’s be real here, I probably read 40 blogs a day and scan through dozens of recipes.  That’s a lot of food.

So, when I saw what Joy the Baker posted yesterday and the urge to get back in my kitchen and bake came over me I just KNEW that it was going to be this pie.

See last week, I made over 150 cupcakes in 4 days.  That may not seem like a lot of cupcakes for an established bakery, but for a stay-at-home mom who only has two good cupcake pans and and can only bake one pan at a time…. 150 cupcakes is no small feat.  I burnt

out after those four days of baking and vowed I was going to take this week off.  I said THE ENTIRE WEEK I WILL NOT BAKE.

Well, it’s Tuesday and I baked a pie.  But really, can we call that really baking?  It was more like slicing and mixing and rolling.  I guess the pie baked, but I didn’t really make anything.  lol I even used a premade pie crust.  I totally cheated.  :D

But, let me tell you… there is NOTHING BETTER than a slice of WARM peach and blueberry pie with a dollop of vanilla bean ice cream.  I took a piece that was waaay too big for me and I ATE ALL OF IT.  Ok, not ALL, my daughter helped me with half but I WANTED to eat all of it!!

I used Joy’s recipe for the pie filling, changed things just a bit to accommodate for what I had in my kitchen and I used a pre-made pie crust… but seriously friends, this pie was one of the best I’ve ever made!

Peach Blueberry Pie
Adapted from Joy the Baker

Pillsbury Premade Pie Crust

about 3 pounds ripe peaches (I used 8 small peaches)

1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup (heaping) sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
juice from one lemon

1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

2 tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for topping crust before baking

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F degrees. Lightly spray 9-in pie dish with cooking spray. Place the rack in the center of the oven.
  2. To make the filling, wash and slice peaches. In a medium bowl, combine peach slices and blueberries. In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, spices, flour, and cornstarch. Pour the sugar mixture over the fruit, and gently toss together with a wooden spoon. Stir in the lemon juice. Place bowl of fruit in the fridge to rest while you roll the crust out.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece of the Pillsbury pie dough out into about a 13-inch round. Fold the dough in half and gently lift onto pie dish and unfold. Gently press into the base of the pan, being careful not to tear or stretch the dough.
  4. Add the pie filling to the pan making sure it’s spread evenly.
  5. Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust. Use a cookie cutter to cut out a few small shapes in the top dough. Set cut outs aside. Fold the dough in half and gently place it on top of the pie filling.
  6. With a small knife, trim the crust, leaving about 3/4-inch overhang. With your fingers press the top and bottom crusts together and fold under. Use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges of the dough.
  7. Brush lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
  8. Arrange the reserved dough cut outs on top. Use a little egg wash on the backs to “glue” them to the pie.
  9. Place pie, on a cookie sheet, in the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350 and bake for 35-45 more minutes. Remove from the oven when crust is browned and golden, and the juices are bubbling. You may want to check it after 20-25 minutes to see if the crust is browning too much on the edges. If they are, cover with a pie crust round/protector or foil.
  10. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool for 2 hours before serving.
  11. Serve warm with ice cream!
  12. Enjoy!
Filed Under: blueberry, featured, fruit, peaches, perfect for spring, pie, recipes

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

July 29, 2011 by 43 Comments

As soon as I saw the recipe for Cherry Limeade cupcakes on Annie’s Eats I was certain it would make it into the rotation sometime this summer.  I put the call out to my friends that I’d be making them this week and got a couple orders for these little summer goodies.

The recipe from Annie’s Eats was a pretty basic recipe, but I wanted to kick things up a bit and really bring out the lime flavor.  In the original recipe, they noted that most of the lime flavor came from the lime syrup that was drizzed on top, but I really wanted a punch of lime to come through in the cake itself.  I zested two limes and pressed that into the sugar, bringing out the natural oils and flavors creating a lime sugar.  I also added the juice of the two limes into the batter.   I also added a bit more lime juice concentrate than the original recipe called for too.  :)  And a few other tricks.

I’m really happy with the intense lime flavor of these cupcakes.  Paired with the sweet cherry frosting, it’s a perfect summer treat!

Enjoy!

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes
Makes 4 dozen cupcakes

Cake
5 1/4 cups flour*
3/4 cup corn starch*
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced

10 oz can of limeade concentrate or lime margarita concentrate, thawed and at room temperature

6 eggs

1 cup milk
1/3 cup hot water

*NOTE: This combo of corn starch and flour is to make cake flour.  If you have cake flour on hand, use 6 cups of it.

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.  Line cupcake pan with liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, prepare the sugar by working the lime zest into sugar by pressing the back of a spatula down into sugar, thus releasing the oils from the zest into the sugar. This process should take about five minutes, and the sugar will become very fragrant. Set aside.
  3. In another large bowl, sift together the flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder and soda three times.  You really want to make sure the corn starch is very incorporated into the flour.  Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth.  Add the lime sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy.
  5. Add the entire can of limeade concentrate and lime juice.  Mix until combined.  Don’t worry if it appears curdled… it’s normal at this point!
  6. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.
  7. In three parts, add the flour mixture.  Between each addition of flour, add half the milk.  Mix only until the flour is just combined.
  8. Add the hot water and mix by hand until incorporated.  DO NOT OVER MIX!
  9. Fill liners 2/3 full, or use an ice cream scoop to distribute one full scoop into each liner.
  10. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  11. Cool in pans for 5-10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Lime Syrup
1 10 oz can of lime juice concentrate or lime margarita concentrate, thawed
1 cup powdered sugar
  1. Whisk together the powdered sugar and thawed concentrate until all the sugar has dissolved into the concentrate.
  2. Once the cupcakes are cool cool, poke 7-10 holes in each cupcake with a toothpick.  Drizzle a tablespoon of syrup over each cupcake, allowing it to soak into the cake.
Cherry Buttercream
Double this recipe to have enough to frost 4 dozen lime cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar, sifted
5-6 tbsp Maraschino cherry juice
3-4 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/8 tsp Wilton Christmas Red food color gel

Maraschino cherries, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth.
  2. Add the sifted powdered sugar, one cup at a time, to the butter.  Cream after each addition.
  3. After half the sugar has been added, add the cherry juice and mix until combined.
  4. Add enough whipping cream until you get your desired consistency, you may not need all of it, or you might want to add more.
  5. Mix in the coloring.
  6. After everything has been combined, mix on high for 30 seconds.
  7. Pipe onto cupcakes and top with a cherry and lime for garnish.
Tips & Tricks – Lemon & Lime Sugar
When using lemon or lime in a recipe, to really add a punch of flavor, zest the fruit into your sugar before creaming with the butter.  By working the zest into the sugar, you’ll create a fragrant sugar full of the oils and acids from the fruit creating an extra dimension of flavor to your cupcakes that will really make them stand out!  I do this almost every time I use lemon or lime and it really creates an exceptional product!  Good luck!
Filed Under: cherry, cupcake recipes, featured, frosting and icing, fruit, fruit frosting, fruity cupcakes, lime, recipes, tips & tricks, top posts sidebar

Coconut Cupcakes

June 11, 2011 by 16 Comments

Happy weekend, javacupcakers!  Today I am going to share with you the coconut cupcakes that I made for 2 of my favorite people at work.  They wanted coconut, so I made coconut. Here we go…

[Read more...]

Filed Under: coconut, coconut cupcakes, cream cheese, cream cheese frosting, cupcake recipes, frosting and icing, fruit, posts by jenn, recipes

Peach Bellini Cupcakes

May 31, 2011 by 7 Comments

Do you have a ladies brunch coming up soon?  No?  Well, then you should plan one just so that you can make these cupcakes… they’re perfection!  So cute & classy… we love classy around here ;)

[Read more...]

Filed Under: alcohol, alcohol cupcakes, cupcake recipes, fruit, fruity cupcakes, posts by jenn, recipes

Raspberry Jam Cupcakes

May 7, 2011 by 7 Comments

My mom died last year just after Mother’s Day… so this year is kinda difficult for me.  I’m in a new country, away from family and missing my Mom.   So, what did I decide to do to make things a little easier?  Make cupcakes for my new friends who are all fantastic mothers! [Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, cupcake recipes, featured, fruit, fruity cupcakes, raspberry, recipes, vanilla

Limoncello Cupcakes

May 1, 2011 by 4 Comments

Are you ready for summer?  Because I’m soooooo ready for summer it’s crazy.  These were perfect to hold me over through since we still have rain and clouds here ;( boo. They’re nice and fresh, tart and sweet all at the same time. ;) Yummm!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: alcohol, alcohol cupcakes, cream cheese, cupcake recipes, filled cupcakes, frosting and icing, fruit, lemon, posts by jenn, raspberry, recipes

Pineapple Flowers

April 25, 2011 by 3 Comments

These are courtesy of Martha Stewart’s genius.  She uses them to top off her delicious hummingbird cupcakes.  I say delicious, because they’re totally one of my favorite cupcakes.  I thought these would be super hard to make, so I actually held off for a really long time. After I saw Betsy’s Aloha Cupcakes and we decided to make Hawaiian food for Easter, I knew I they would be just right!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: fruit, perfect for spring, posts by jenn, tips & tricks

Triple Berry Pie

April 24, 2011 by 2 Comments

For Easter this year I wanted to make something a little more traditional for dessert. Last year, I made a super cute bunny cake and basket cupcakes which were a big hit, but being in Germany without my big family and lots of kids to bake for, I needed something simpler and smaller.  PIE!

I’m not gonna lie. I hate making pie crust from scratch. It’s a pain in my behind. I know, I know… it tastes sooooo much better than store bought, but without all my baking supplies (aka my rolling pin or glass pie pans) I wasn’t about to try to make a pie crust from scratch here. I do however think that the Pillsbury pre-made pie crusts are quite delicious and no one will ever know it came from a box!

And yes… I could have gone to the local market here and gotten all fresh fruits for this pie, which seriously, you totally can when you make it, but out of convenience and cost, I went with frozen berries.

 

JavaCupcake’s Simple Triple Berry Pie
Makes 2 – 9in pies.

2 cups strawberries, frozen (1 small bag)
2 cups raspberries, frozen (1 small bag)
2 cups blackberries, frozen (1 small bag)
1 ¼ cup sugar + more for dusting
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
6 tbsp butter
1 egg + 2 tbsp water, beaten for the egg wash
2 boxes Pillsbury pre-made pie crusts

  1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place racks on two lowest shelves and place a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf to catch all the dripping juices.
  2. In a large bowl, fold together the berries, sugar, zest and lemon juice.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
  3. While the berries are resting, roll out your pie dough into your 9in pie pans, leaving at least ½ inch hanging over the edge.  Cut the second sheet of dough into ¾ in strips.
  4. Fold the flour into the berries then distribute evenly into your two pans.  Brush the egg wash along the edges.
  5. Cut the butter into small pieces and place over the top of the berries.
  6. In a lattice pattern, arrange the strips of dough on top of the berries.  Cut off any excess dough that hangs over the edge from the lattice dough only.  Fold the edges of the bottom dough over and crimp.  Egg wash the entire top of the pie then sprinkle with more sugar.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 F degrees then reduce heat to 375 F degrees for 60-75 more minutes or until the crust is golden brown.  If you see that the edges of the pie are getting too brown, use foil or a pie ring to cover the edges to keep from burning.
  8. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Filed Under: fruit, perfect for spring, pie, raspberry, recipes, strawberry

Orange Zest & Poppy Seed Cupcakes

April 20, 2011 by 3 Comments

I’ve been dreaming of Betsy’s Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes for the last few days…it might be the sunshine, it might be Spring Fever… not really sure, but they sound amazing.  They’re definitely still on my list of need-to-make-ASAP! But, I wanted to make something quick and easy, with ingredients that I already had in the kitchen… enter Orange Zest & Poppy Seed Cupcakes with an Orange Zest Cream Cheese Frosting!

I used the Lemon Poppy Seed muffin recipe that I posted a few weeks ago but with oranges instead (duh, lol) and I added frosting.  Cause well, isn’t it a cupcake if it has frosting?  I think that’s the rule.  Either way, they only took about 10 minutes to whip up and the cream cheese frosting is just the staple recipe that I use all the time with a little bit of fresh squeezed OJ and some zest. They’re fresh, they’re pretty (and you all know how I feel about pretty already!) and they’re fun.

Poppy seeds always seem to make everything a little bit more fun.  FYI, you can find a little jar of poppy seeds in the seasoning/spice section of your grocery store.  When spices are on sale you can get it for a pretty good deal.  I like to have them on hand because they’re a nice addition to salads and coleslaw as well. ;)

Orange Zest & Poppy Seed Cupcakes (adapted from Simply Recipes):

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder (make sure your baking powder is no older than 6 months)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tbsp poppy seeds
  • 10 Tbsp unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick), softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp orange zest (*If you don’t have oranges, you can also use orange juice-with or without pulp)
  • *I used the zest of 1 medium orange for this recipe
  1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle-lower part of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, poppy seeds, and salt and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy (about 2 minutes with an electric mixer). Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Beat in the orange zest (*I use my parmesan grater as a zester).
  4. Beat in one third of the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Beat in one third of the yogurt. Beat in a third more of the dry ingredients. Beat in a second third of the yogurt. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and then the remaining yogurt. Again be careful to beat until just incorporated. Do not over beat.
  5. Line 24 cupcake pans with cupcake liners.  Evenly distribute the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Test with a long toothpick (*I use a thin bamboo skewer) to make sure the center of the cupcakes are done. Set cupcakes on wire rack to cool. After 5 minutes, remove cupcakes from pan.
  6. Whip up your favorite cream cheese frosting recipe (for these, I used about 3 cups of confectioners sugar). Add 2-3 teaspoons of orange zest and the juice from 1 orange (you can use the orange that you zested already for the recipe) to your frosting.  The frosting is super pretty when you can see the orange peel zest.

When I made the Lemon Poppy Seed muffins, I used my extra large muffin tins, so I only had about 7-8 huge muffins. With these, I wanted regular sized cupcakes so I used my ice cream scooper and filled it about 3/4 way with batter (so that my cupcake liners were 2/3 full with batter) and I had a full 2 dozen.  They turned out super cute :)

To pipe the frosting, use a large round tip.  Start in the middle of the cupcake and squeeze until you have a large dollop in on your cupcake, then swirl just a bit to get a little curly tip.  The cupcake liners are from Bake it Pretty, of course, lol.  How awesome would these be with orange creamsicle cupcakes?! Those are on the need-to-make agenda as well!

Are you baking anything exciting this weekend?  We’re having a big Hawaiian feast, so the Aloha Cupcakes are on our menu ;) PS. don’t forget to let me know if you’re going to be at the opening of Burning Cupcakes on May 7th in Tacoma on 6th Ave!  Hopefully I’ll get to meet a few of you there!

Hazel, meet Javacupcakers. Javacupcakers, meet the puppy love, Hazel ;)

I figured no one can resist a cute pic of the pup ;) she was pretty interested in the cupcakes tonight!  She tried super hard to get a taste with no success, but she was cute nonetheless (I had to google that, bc I wasn’t sure if it’s a real word. Turns out it is.  lol)

Smile! :) Happy Wednesday!

 

Filed Under: cream cheese, cupcake recipes, fruit, fruity cupcakes, perfect for spring, poppy seed, posts by jenn, recipes

Raspberry Almond Cupcakes & Dark Chocolate Buttercream

April 13, 2011 by 2 Comments

It’s been kind of a long week over here on my side of the world….and I don’t feel like Friday will be here soon enough *le*sigh*  My solution?  Bake, of course!  I’ve had these cupcakes saved for a long long long time and never got around to making them.  I’m glad that I finally took some time to whip them up, because they totally made me feel better!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, buttercream, chocolate, chocolate frosting, cream cheese, cupcake recipes, frosting and icing, fruit, fruity cupcakes, posts by jenn, recipes

Take yourself to Hawaii with Aloha Cupcakes

April 10, 2011 by 6 Comments

It’s Spring here…. sunshine everywhere and the temperature is getting warmer! Which means tropical fruits and lots of them!  I picked up a pineapple and mango just thinking we’d cut them open and eat them. [Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, cupcake recipes, featured, fruit, fruity cupcakes, perfect for spring, recipes

Peach Coffee Cake

April 3, 2011 by 6 Comments

I follow a lot of baking blogs, websites, Facebook pages of bakers and food related companies.   But one of my favorites is C&H Sugar on Facebook.  Yah, it’s a sugar company… but did you know they also post recipes?  This weekend C&H posted a recipe for peach coffee cake and I was inspired! [Read more...]

Filed Under: cake, cinnamon, fruit, recipes

Strawberry Jam Tea Cakes

March 10, 2011 by 2 Comments

Hey folks!  So, I’m sure about where you are, but over here in WA I’m really really really ready for Spring to happen.  The weather has been extra gloomy lately and I would absolutely love to see the sun for an extended period of time in my life!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: cupcake recipes, fruit, fruity cupcakes, perfect for spring, posts by jenn, recipes, strawberry

Sweet finds at the Metropolitan Market

February 27, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I love the Metropolitan Market.  Everytime I go there I can always find so many delicious goodies and treasure for my kitchen.  Last night, my hubby and I stopped at the Met after dinner for dessert and I decided to snap photos of all the yummiest goodies I could find!  [Read more...]

Filed Under: baking supplies, cookies, fruit, misc. baked goods

Lemon Blueberry Tartlets

February 24, 2011 by 1 Comment

I love lemon.   I love blueberries. Put them together…. you get deliciousness!! For my farewell party a few weeks ago, I wanted to make a variety of finger foods and desserts and I knew these little tartlets would be perfect!

Although these tarts have several steps and take a bit of time…. they make a ton of perfect bite size tartlets for any party! A big THANK YOU to my husband for rolling out the dough and making most of the shells for these! They were a huge hit at our party!

Tart shells
6 pre-made pie shells (3 boxes)
mini cupcake pan
cooking spray

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
  2. Unroll one pie shell at a time. Using a rolling pin, roll out any tears and creases, making the dough slightly thinner and bigger.
  3. Using a round cutter (I used a cup from my cabinet), cut out dough. Prick each piece of dough several times all over to prevent puffing while baking.
  4. Repeat until all the dough is cut.
  5. Place one round into each hole of your mini pan. Make sure to press gently into the pan, you don’t want to stretch the dough.
  6. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
  7. Cool completely before filling.

Lemon filling
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1/4 cup lemon zest (approx 6 lemons)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt

1 cup (approx) fresh blueberries tossed in 1/2 tbsp sugar

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. One at a time, add the eggs and egg yolks, scraping sides and mixing completely after each addition.
  3. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt and mix until well incorporated.
  4. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until thick, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
  5. Whisk briskly when it starts to thicken and cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly, making sure it does not boil.
  6. Pour into cooled tart shells and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.
  7. Just before serving, top with 3 fresh blueberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Filed Under: blueberry, fruit, lemon, perfect for spring, recipes, tarts

Very Berry Cheesecake Muffins

February 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I’ve got this deck of cupcake cards… each card has a different recipe. I don’t know why I’ve never used it before, but the other day I was flipping through it and saw a recipe for a cheesecake cupcake that I used as the inspiration for this muffin! [Read more...]

Filed Under: cream cheese, featured, fruit, muffins, recipes

Amanda’s Strawberry Lemon Bars

February 5, 2011 by 1 Comment

My nieces came over this weekend and my 12 year old niece (who let me tell you looks more like she’s 16) helped me in the kitchen.  Amanda and I made lemon bars topped with strawberries and a dusting of powdered sugar, oh and a butter crust.  Yes… it does sound THAT good. [Read more...]

Filed Under: bars, fruit, lemon, perfect for spring, recipes, strawberry

Cute kitties gone BAD & a few lessons learned

January 14, 2011 by 5 Comments

If my cats didn’t have their moments when they were so cute… if I didn’t feel guilty at the thought of getting rid of my cats… if one of them wasn’t a gift to my daughter for her birthday… [Read more...]

Filed Under: disasters, featured, fruit, strawberry, tips & tricks, white chocolate

Triple Lemon Cupcakes

December 4, 2010 by 3 Comments

It’s Apple Cup today! GO HUSKIES!  What better reason to make a batch of cupcakes than a football game with my alma mater’s biggest rival?!? [Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, curd, featured, filled cupcakes, fruit, lemon, perfect for spring, recipes

Appledoodle Cupcakes

October 26, 2010 by 1 Comment

I had a very special request by Carrie of Bella Cupcake Couture.  ”Tree Hugger Apple” cupcakes for her birthday! [Read more...]

Filed Under: brown sugar, buttercream, caramel, cinnamon, featured, filled cupcakes, fruit, recipes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

September 9, 2010 by 3 Comments

It’s back to school time in our house and I wanted to do something special for Emily’s teacher as a way to kick off the school year! I have been craving the scents of Fall so I knew an apple cupcake would be in order! [Read more...]

Filed Under: caramel, cream cheese, featured, filled cupcakes, fruit, recipes

Birthday Cupcakes

August 25, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Today’s cupcakes go to a beautiful little girl who is turning 6!! Her Daddy just got back from Iraq and this birthday is going to be a super special one for her!   [Read more...]

Filed Under: featured, filled cupcakes, flowers, fruit

Mini Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

August 7, 2010 by 7 Comments

It’s been over three months… three long months since I’ve baked a cupcake.  Today, I reclaimed my excitement, desire, and drive to bake again thanks to an old friend who called and asked me to make cupcakes for an upcoming bridal shower.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, chocolate, featured, filled cupcakes, fruit, mini, recipes, vanilla

Lime Green Raspberry Birthday Cupcakes

April 26, 2010 by 2 Comments

This past weekend was my nieces 12th birthday party and she requested my White Velvet Raspberry cupcakes for her party.  The first time I made these for a client, they were all pink and super cute! But I knew my niece wasn’t exactly a pink girl… she is more into turquoise and lime green and those kinds of colors.  So, I went on a hunt to make these cupcakes match her personality!

I started looking on Etsy to find some liners which would match perfectly for my niece and found turquoise with green polka dot liners.  I mean really, it’s like they were made just for her! So super cute!! I ordered them and they arrived the morning I was baking the cupcakes.  Well….. unfortunately, the company I ordered them from sent me the wrong liners.

<-the ones I wanted

Apparently, she had two liners with the same name and sent me the other ones.  Needless to say, I wasn’t very happy and I didn’t have time to search out a local store potentially an hour away just for new liners.  So, I made do with these and wrote an email to the company I bought them from.  (Who didn’t really offer much help other than a discount on a future order.  It’s not like these things are that expensive, so a discount?? lol no, I’m good. Thanks)

After I got over that little fiasco, it was time to make the cupcakes and they turned out amazing!  Made a special pedestal for my niece to hold one perfect cupcake just for her and she was thrilled with it.  I told her that she’ll be able to put the pedestal on her dresser next to her jewelry box and keep her special rings and necklaces and such on them.

I also created several pedestals with some fun things I found at thrift stores.  A couple of them even matched the cupcakes perfectly!

And finally…. the birthday girl with her cupcake and pedestal!

Emily was so happy with these cupcakes and loved everything about them!  Everyone at the party gave me rave reviews and some even said they were the best cupcakes they’ve ever tasted! YAY me!!!  I got two referrals and hopefully they’ll turn into orders! :)

Filed Under: filled cupcakes, fruit, life, velvet

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

April 21, 2010 by 21 Comments

It’s SPRING and I’ve got the FEVER!  Fresh fruit is everywhere and I am buying a lot of it! I had about a flat of strawberries and these beautiful lemons in my kitchen and an itch to come up with a new recipe. [Read more...]

Filed Under: buttercream, cupcake of the month, featured, fruit, recipes, top posts sidebar

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Pound Cake

April 12, 2010 by 2 Comments

Emily spent the night at the neighbors house this weekend and I wanted to make something to thank them for having her over.  I had a couple lemons and big bag of frozen blueberries and thought a pound cake would be perfect!

Joy the Baker had a couple of recipes for some great pound cakes, but none that had all the elements I wanted to incorporate.  So, I took the basic recipe for her lemon pound cake and added my touch to it and created this deliciousness!!

Lemon Blueberry Poppy Seed Pound Cake

adapted from Joy the Baker

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
The zest of one large lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
The juice of one large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2  tablespoons poppy seeds
1 heaping cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer.

In the mean time, using a spatula work the lemon zest into the granulated sugar by pressing the sugar and the zest together.  This process should take about five minutes, and the sugar will become very fragrant.  Add the sugar to the butter mixture and continue creaming.

Add the lemon and vanilla extract.

Add eggs one at a time, beating for about one minute each.  Scrape down the bowl after each addition.

Slowly add the sifted flour and baking powder.  Don’t over mix in the electric mixer.  Bring the ingredients together with a spatula.

Fold in the poppy seeds and the blueberries with a spatula until just incorporated.

Pour into a greased and floured pan and bake for 70-85 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Basic Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together the 2 tbsp of milk and vanilla.   Add that mixture to powdered sugar in a small bowl.

Mix with a spatula until smooth.

Add remaining milk (or more) until you get the consistency you want.

Drizzle over the top of the cooled pound cake.

.


Filed Under: cake, fruit, glaze, perfect for spring, poppy seed, recipes

Emme’s Banana Bread

March 21, 2010 by 6 Comments

My daughter Emily has always loved being in the kitchen with me and today, while we were washing the dishes before we started she says to me, “Mom, I love it when we’re in the kitchen together.  Even if we’re just doing dishes or we’re baking cupcakes, I really like spending time with you in here.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: bread and pretzels, featured, fruit, recipes

Whole Wheat Blueberry Scones

March 19, 2010 by 4 Comments

Yesterday I made Brown Sugar Chocolate Scones and realized that I could use this basic recipe to make any flavor of scones! So I went to the Metropolitan Market and picked up some blueberries and some whole wheat flour! I was going to make a healthier scone full of delicious berries!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: featured, fruit, recipes, scones

Tree Hugger Apple

January 25, 2010 by 13 Comments
I was asked by Foodies@Work (on Twitter @foodiesatwork) to write a guest blog for their site.  They wanted me to come up with a cupcake that reflected the Pacific Northwest.  At first, I instantly thought seafood!! But reconsidered because I’m certain that a lobster cupcake wouldn’t be that tasty.  So I decided on apples. [Read more...]
Filed Under: buttercream, filled cupcakes, fruit, guest blogger, recipes

White Velvet Raspberry

January 18, 2010 by 9 Comments
It was Tracy’s grandmothers 84th birthday and she wanted cupcakes! She wasn’t a big fan of chocolate so a white cake was ordered and wanted to add a bit of color with raspberries.  So what I came up with was this White Velvet Raspberry filled cupcakes topped with Vanilla Buttercream and a fresh raspberry! [Read more...]
Filed Under: buttercream, fruit, recipes, velvet

Blueberry Madness!

August 22, 2009 by 7 Comments

Blueberries are in season here in Washington and my husband let me buy A TON of them!!! First, I made blueberry muffins and then… then I found a recipe from one of my favorite cupcake shops for a Blueberry Cupcake!!!! Mmmm I couldn’t resist!! The recipe for Blueberry cupcakes with Blueberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream is from Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle and can be found here. My mother-in-law is in town and it happens to be her birthday so I made here these delicious treats to celebrate!

Here is a photo journey of the cupcakes that turned out to be a big hit with my family!

The blueberries cooking to make the puree… it smelled so good!!
I added 1/4 cup of sugar to the recipe here also.

The batter just before it hit the cups!

Oh yes, that is puree swirled on top of the cupcakes!

Just out of the oven…. mmmmmmm.
Topped with meringue buttercream and a blueberry!!

Blueberry perfection.

A couple of notes about the recipe…
I, personally, did not care for the meringue buttercream. This recipe, the frosting turns out very buttery in flavor. When my family tried the cupcake, they said it was very rich but when paired with the cupcake it was perfect. I think if I were to make this again, I would add more sugar and add less butter. Also, I think I’d make just my favorite buttercream recipe and add the blueberry puree for flavor. Another suggestion was that I put whole blueberries in the cupcake as well. Just some things to think about :) Enjoy!
Filed Under: buttercream, fruit, meringue, recipes

Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins

August 18, 2009 by 25 Comments

Yes, I know… these aren’t quite cupcakes. But they are in the shape of a cupcake… so that totally counts, right? It’s blueberry season here in Washington and they blueberries are everywhere. Plump, juicy and full of delicious flavor. I bought four giant pints of blueberries at the market this weekend and knew I had to do some baking with them. My first attempt are these Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins with a crumbly sugar and butter topping… the recipe comes from Bakerella. (Click HERE for the complete recipe)

I’m not sure if I browned the butter correctly… my daughter said it smelled like grilled cheese while I was making it. I may have burnt it just a bit. Next time, I’ll watch it closer… like the recipe said to. *Ooops* The batter was perfect for 12 muffins, full of blueberries… and the crumbly topping was a perfect addition to add some crunchy texture to the muffins.

They were so good, I ate two just as they came out of the oven. Shoved them in my mouth while dripping crumbs all over the sink. Totally worth the mess. This morning, I’ve got my cup of coffee and have devoured two more muffins… a bit slower this time though. Delish.


PS… the muffins taste nothing like grilled cheese either :)

Filed Under: fruit, muffins, recipes