Halloween special: chocolate spiderweb cupcakes

IT'S HALLOWEEN TYME. Leggo.

For the cupcakes:

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:

3 cups confectioner's sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the spider webs:

1 cup dark chocolate candy coating

Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare 18 cupcake molds with cupcake liners.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into cupcake molds.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. Using an electric mixer, on medium-high speed, combine cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Once the cupcakes are done cooling, frost using a piper with a large tip, or make a make-shift piping bag using a thick, quart-sized plastic bag. Fill the bag with frosting and cut a hole at the tip of one end. Then squeeze the frosting out onto the cupcakes.

Last, melt candy coating in a microwave in 30-seconds intervals, stirring well in between, just until melted. Transfer melted candy coating to a piping bag or plastic zip-lock bag; snip a verrrrry small hole in the end of the bag. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Pipe freehand spiderweb designs. I made a few extra to eat. Nom.

Top the frosted cupcakes with the spiderwebs. Voila!

Cake recipe from Hershey's, everything else by Broma!

Nutella truffles

I'm supposed to be studying for my Psychopathology midterm that is Wednesday, but I haven't started. You know how people procrastinate by cleaning their rooms, doing errands, and, like, hanging out with friends? Yeah I bake. I super bake. I bake until the cows come home. It's both therapeutic and kills time.

I mean, it's actually pretty good for everyone involved. My housemates get to eat truffles, I get to eat truffles, and everyone's stress levels go way down. Obviously a win-win. As for the exam itself, we'll see how that goes. I should start that now. Slash tomorrow...

For the truffles:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup Nutella
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon instant espresso (or 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee) powder
a pinch of salt

For the coating:

1/3 cups walnuts, finely chopped
3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each time until the chocolate is smooth and melted (heating in intervals will ensure you don't burn the chocolate). Set aside.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat together the softened cream cheese and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar. Next, beat in the vanilla and espresso powder. Add the melted chocolate and Nutella, beat until smooth. Last, add the remaining 2 cups of confectioner's sugar and beat on medium speed until everything is combined. Place plastic wrap on top of the mixture and put in to the refrigerator to set for about 2 hours.

Once the truffles have set, use a melon baller to scoop the mixture and shape into balls. Coat a third of the recipe in the chopped walnuts, a third in the confectioner's sugar, and a third in the cocoa powder. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe adapted from Friend Tiffanie by me!

Sticky buns are my obsession

Like I'm actually obSESSED with them. These are better than any store-bought sticky buns by faaaaar. So doughy and perfect.

For the dough:

4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
3 1/2-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 pinch of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

For my awesome glaze:

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

In the bowl of a standing mixer, add the eggs and half the sugar. Microwave the milk until just warm to the touch. Whisk the remaining sugar, salt, and yeast into the milk and let stand for five minutes to ensure that the yeast is good. (It should foam.) Add the milk mixture, the butter, and 3 ½ cups of the flour to the standing mixer. Fit the mixer with a dough hook and churning on medium speed until a ball of dough forms. Sprinkle with flour as needed, or until the ball separates from the sides of the bowl about 5-8 minutes. Transfer to an oiled metal bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Cover, additionally, with a dishtowel and place the bowl somewhere warm to proof for 4 hours.

Take the proofed dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Kneed a couple time and sprinkle with flour until the dough is still sticky, but workable. Roll the dough into a 16 by 12 inch rectangle about ¼ of an inch thing. Spread the dough with the tablespoon of butter. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Roll the dough up into a spiral log. Stretch the dough into an 18-inch cylinder. Cut the dough with a serrated knife into 12 portions. (For easy cutting, cut the log in half, then in quarters, then cut each quarter into thirds.) Arrange the 12 portions, cut side down for the two end buns, in the baking pan with the glaze, three rows by 4 columns. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, and foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.

If using refrigerated buns, remove from the fridge the night before baking or at least six hours before baking. Leave, covered, in a warm place until ready to use. This allows the buns to rise a second time. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bake the proofed buns, uncovered, for about 30-35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the buns register 170ºF on an instant-read thermometer. 

Using an electric mixer, beat together all glaze ingredients. Once the buns are out of the oven, immediately frost the tops with the glaze. Then swoon and foodgasm.

Sticky bun recipe from Bakelist, frosting by me

Red velvet cheesecake brownies

As if cheesecake brownies weren't enough. Duh.

For the red velvet bit:

1/2 cup butter
2-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp red food coloring
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

For the cheesecake bit:

8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease. In a small, heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate together. Stir with a fork until very smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and red food coloring. Add in the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Batter should be red. If a brighter red is desired, add an additional 1/2 tsp food coloring. Add flour and salt into the bowl and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Next, prepare cheesecake mixture. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Drop in dollops onto prepared brownie batter. Gently swirl two batters with a butter knife.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. A knife inserted into the cheesecake mixture should come out clean and the edges will be lightly browned.

Cool in the pan completely before slicing and serving, either at room temperature or chilled. Brownies can be refrigerated, covered, for several days.

Recipe from Baking Bites

Pumpkin cheesecake muffins

There's nothing like cooking with friends. Everything tastes better, calories count less, and you get to be with the people you love. I highly recommend this recipe with friends on the side. So0o0o corny but so true.

For the muffkeys:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup canola (or /vegetable) oil)

For the cream cheese swirl:

8 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. 

Grease muffin trays. Pour half of the pumpkin batter into 12 muffin cups. Then add half of the cream cheese filling on top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Scoop the remaining half of the pumpkin mixture into the 12 cups. Top with the second half of the cream cheese mixture. Swirl again with your knife to combine. Dust with ground cinnamon. Bake until knife comes out clean when inserted into muffin, about 20 minutes. 

Red velvet redux

I've used this exact Martha Stewart recipe before in cupcake form, but I couldn't resist posting it a second time because the cake is just so. freaking. good. I made it for one of my housemate's birthdays and- well, that's a lie. Another one of my housemates and I made it together. It was adorable. Anyways, it turned out absolutely fantastic. The cake is extra moist because it calls for oil and not butter, which is a huge plus. Oh, Martha, you never cease to impress me. Even given your incarceration...

Makes one, two-tiered 9-inch cake

For the cake:

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup hot (but not boiling) water
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons white vinegar

For the frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 9-inch cake rounds; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Set aside. Whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa in a medium bowl; set aside.

Mix sugar and oil on medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk until combined. Add eggs one at a time; mix well after each addition. Mix in food coloring and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.

Stir together baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl. Add baking-soda mixture to batter, and mix on medium speed 10 seconds. Mix in the hot water until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.

Once the cake is cooled, using a serrated knife cut off the convex tops from both cakes, leaving your cakes with flat tops. Crumble the discarded cake tops into tiny crumbs to be used as a garnish for later. Set aside.

While the cakes are baking, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, mix together the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. Add the confectioner's sugar in batches until the frosting comes together and there are no lumps. Let cool in a refrigerator until the cakes are ready to frost.

Frost your cake as you normally would, using about a third of the frosting for between the two layers, the top, and the sides of the cake. Finally, sprinkle the cake crumbs around the sides of the cake, spreading evenly. YUHM SO GOOD.

Cake recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes

Better than sex cake

Hi, I'm a cake with a ridiculous name, and I don't look very pretty. In fact, I'm really, really ugly and un-photogenic. But I taste awesome. So awesome.

The name. It refers to the combination of pineapple and coconut infused in a vanilla cake. I didn't make it up, apparently this is a legit thing. Go ask Paula Dean. Not really sure if it's bette... yeah. But I will say it's pretty fantastic ;)

For the cake:

1 box of vanilla cake mix, along with whatever ingredients the mix calls for (eggs, oil, water)
20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, with juice separated from pineapple
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes

For the frosting:

12 ounces cream cheese
3 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 stick salted butter, at room temperature

For the topping:

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes

Preheat the oven according to cake mix directions.

In a large bowl, prepare the mix according to cake mix directions. Add in the drained, crushed pineapple and the shredded coconut. Pour into two greased 9" round cake pans and bake according to cake mix directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Next add the confectioner's sugar in small batches, beating after each addition. You can store the frosting in the fridge until the cake is ready to frost.

When the cake comes out of the oven, let it sit for ~10 minutes, then flip it out of the pan and make small indentations with a fork throughout the cake. Pour 2-3 ounces of the pineapple juice saved from earlier over each cake. Allow to soak for at least 20 minutes before assembling cake.

Place remaining 1 cup of coconut on bakesheet and bake until golden brown, 6-9 minutes. Make sure to stir the coconut half way through. Be very watchful of the coconut-- it takes seconds for toasted to turn to burnt.

Frost the cake in layers, then add the shredded coconut to the top. Et voilà!

Recipe by me

Hummingbird bakery cheesecake

 

One time we made a celebratory cheesecake. Then it broke coming out of the pan. But it was still an amazing cheesecake, so we ate it anyways.

For the crust:

8 ounces digestive biscuits (or graham crackers)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

1 1/2 pounds full-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) caster sugar
3 large eggs
3 ounces mixed berries

Line the base of a spring form pan with parchment paper. Place the biscuits in a food processor and whiz into fine crumbs using the blade attachment. Tip the crumbs into a bowl, add the melted butter, and mix together with a spoon. Place the mixture in the prepared tin, pressing it into the base with the back of the spoon. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool and set for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 320°F. Using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar on medium speed until smooth. Break the eggs in one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure every bit is incorporated. Stir in the mixed fruits by hand, checking that they are evenly dispersed, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Create a water bath for the cheesecake. Wrap the outside of the spring form with foil, folding it up around the sides of the pan. Then place thepan in a roasting tin and fill with water to about 1/4 inches below the top edge. The moisture created in the oven helps to prevent the top of the cheesecake from cracking. Run a palate knife around the inside edge of the pan; this releases the mixture from the sides so that it doesn't stick.

Place in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the cheesecake is a light-golden color on top (more so around the edges) and generally firm to the touch, with only a slight wobble in the middle.
Keeping the cheesecake in the tin, allow it to cool down at room temperature, then place in the fridge to set for a few hours, or preferably overnight. Once the cheesecake has set, it can be taken out of the pan and decorated with extra berries or whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days Cookbook

Brownies with espresso cream cheese frosting, crushed oreos, and sea salt

I die. Who's the culprit? 

exhibit A: the sea salt top. Could it be the ones so carefully sprinkled over the brownie? The saline biting my palate with saltiness? Or could it be.....

exhibit B: the crumbly oreos. They're definitely suspect. Come on, now. Cookies on top of a brownie? That's awfully dangerous. But perhaps it was.....

exhibit C: the cream cheese espresso frosting. And with the espresso powder perfectly accentuating the chocolate flavors above and below its creamy layer? It's killer. Or is it.....

exhibit D: the ooey brownie goodness. Now I turn to our last, and possibly most dangerous, of our suspects. You all know I'm a huge fan of brownies. This is, like, a top 5 favorite food type-of-deal. This recipe comes from Alton Brown and I've got to say, they're pretty rad. Definitely not as ooey as my plumb good brownies, but still great in all their moist cakeyness.

Who knows what put me 6 feet under. With such plausible subjects, maybe it was a group homicide.

Morbid, I know, but these brownies kill me. They're that good.

Makes 18 brownies

For the brownies:

1 cup sugar, sifted
1 cup brown sugar, sifted
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
8 ounces melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon iodized salt
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

For everything else:

6 oreo cookies, crushed
Espresso powder, for dusting
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Grease a 9 1/2" x 11" pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean. When it's done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it's mostly cool.

While the brownies are cooking, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, use a spatula to combine all ingredients for the frosting together. Once roughly combined, use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the frosting until smooth, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Once the brownies are cool, remove them from their pan and place on a cutting board, face up. Cut the width into sixths and the length into thirds. Keep brownies together so it is easy to spread frosting. Spoon the frosting out onto the brownies and spread evenly, coating out to the edges.

Sprinkle crushed oreos over the frosting, again coating evenly. Then, dust more instant coffee powder over the top. Finally, sprinkle a good amount of sea salt over the entire thing. Carefully pull apart and enjoy!

A buh buh buh... low-fat cheesecake like woah

I really like cheesecake a lot a lot a lot.


For the cheesecake:

1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) Neufatel cheese, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted

For the sauce:

2 pints fresh strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
zest of 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 200°F. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Using a fork, press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9 1/2 inch springform pan. Pat evenly to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat Neufatel cheese on medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, about two minutes. Blend in sugar and then eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add milk and vanilla extract, and beat another two minutes. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Set pan on baking sheet. Bake at 200°F for two hours, then turn heat up to 300°F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, chill thoroughly before serving.

While cheesecake is cooling: Prepare strawberries by cutting off stems and slicing each berry in half or quarters. In a medium pan bring the cut strawberries, lemon zest, and sugar to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down to simmer and heat for 15 minutes. Add cornstarch if necessary to thicken the sauce. Allow to cool completely, then serve on top of cheesecake. Wahoo!