Coconut Times Two

It started with a coconut birthday cake ~ just a sweet little present for a best friend on her mid-week birthday (on a cute cake plate, too). The perfect size for a small party (or for hoarding away for yourself with out too much gluttonous guilt), this 6" cake is about as tall as it is wide done in three layers. I adapted the recipe from Rose's Heavenly Cakes, Southern Manhattan Coconut Cake, a delicate white cake made with cake flour, egg whites, and thick coconut milk. 

The frosting is a fluffy, coconut buttercream with just a hint of cream cheese. The cream cheese keeps it from being two sweet, which when paired with the natural coconut flavor keeps it from putting the sweet glands on lockdown like some coconut candies sometimes do. The layers were first brushed with a coconut simple syrup then a generous layer of buttercream with extra flake coconut added. Keeping the focus on the cake itself, it is finished with subtle upward strokes that mimic the infill of flaked, sweetened coconut on the crown. An petite triple ruffle borders the bottom. 

Because 6" cakes don't just happen, and the smell of that delectable batter begged for immediate consumption, a dozen cupcakes came out of the mixing bowl.  They received the same treatment as the cake with a brush of coconut simple syrup before being topped with a generous dollop of coconut buttercream and a dip in flaked sweet coconut. They are the kind of delicious that makes me want to break up short sentences with periods: they. are. that. good.  If ever there were a time for scratch and sniff computer screens, this would be one. But for now, a picture will have to do. 

Spring Wedding Cupcakes

Once upon a time, in church halls across the country, punchbowls brimmed with champagne punch,
jordan almonds preened in tulle and dessert tables beheld
the newlywed's first sweet taste of married bliss. 

Here's a modern interpretation for the classic cake and punch reception: a lovely tower of cupcakes
as the centerpiece of the dessert table. The bride and groom had requested their friends and family
bring a sweet ending to help celebrate their new beginning at their luncheon reception. With a cupcake
 tower, the couple can still pose for that iconic wedding photo of 'cutting the cake' while keeping with their casual spirit.  

This glimmering sliver stand allows for a single cupcake to rise to the top, 

here with a pair of lemon yellow love birds. 

Cupcakes are princess white sour cream cake filled with red raspberry jam and finished with a 

generous swirl of wedding-white buttercream.  Pale yellow, grass green, soft pink and

 white gumpaste daisies glow from hand painted silver luster dust and small pearls.  

It's Coming up Cupcakes

When a spring birthday takes a class of kindergardeners to the park for celebrating, be sure that flowers and butterflies will be there decorating the occasion.

Sunny yellow and leaf green American buttercream top off these princes white sour cream cakes. A variety of large and small fondant flowers, leaves, and butterflies brushed with shimmer luster dust make these birthday cupcakes ready for a song.

Pink Lady

Yes, it really was that pink. This is a mixed berry buttercream crowning a vanilla butter cupcake. To get this level of bright berry goodness see the recipe below.

1/2 cup frozen mixed berry wild cherry blend (Trader Joe's brand, but I'm sure other unsweetened frozen berry blends would work just fine), thawed with juices.
1 cup cool room temp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond flavoring
3-4 cups of powder sugar
1-3 TBS cream or milk as needed

Add frozen berries with juices to mixer and beat until broken down. Purists may want to push the berry mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds; I happen to like the contrast of texture and evidence of real fruit. Add butter and salt then mix until fruit is incorporated into the butter, about 3 minutes. Turn off mixer and add 2 cups of sugar. Mix on low until incorporated, then add extracts and another cup of sugar, then another. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes until frosting lightens up.

This is when you have to step away from the recipe and go on instinct. Is it too thin? then add another cup of sugar. Is it too thick, add a TBS of milk. Cream in mixer for another 3-5 minutes  until light and fluffy. Spoon into decorating bag and decorate cupcakes, or fingers as desired. I think a fresh berry on top would be a perfect decoration to complete the cake.

Golden Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberries

A big Costco box of strawberries and a new cookbook were the inspiration behind these sassy strawberry treats.

Whenever I get a new cookbook for cakes I like to start with the first recipe that the author kicks off with. I think of it as a first date: I'm getting a feel for her recipes and seeing if we have a future together. My newest cookbook is Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World in an ongoing search to bake sans eggs and nuts so that my youngest can enjoy my work free of allergens. I'm not sure how the rest of my relationship will go, but I am definitely looking forward to our second date, er, recipe.

These are the Golden Vanilla Cupcakes, listed as a basic, go-to cake. Unlike me, I played by the book and didn't include dairy in the recipe (like I am ought to do because milk and butter aren't a problem for us and it just seems wrong not to). Soy milk, vinegar, oil, sugar, flour...pretty much everything but the eggs. The cakes were fragrant and had a moist although a bit corse crumb. I decided to take them a step beyond basic and fill them with fresh chopped strawberries macerated in maple syrup and honey. 

To do this, I cored out a cone with a small knife and pressed in about a tablespoon of the syrupy strawberries, then pressed the lid back on.  I finished the cakes off with a modest swirl of cream cheese buttercream frosting. This was not a vegan version, rather a batch I had in the deep freeze that seemed perfect for this 'on a whim' project. I don't know if it would be as delicious, but with vegan cream cheese and shortening I think a similar frosting could be made. A sliced strawberry and a sprinkle of gold sanding sugar finished the decor and hinted at the golden fruit hidden inside.