FRIENDLY GHOST CUPCAKES (NO FONDANT!)

Posted in Cake by sallybr

The idea for these cupcakes came from this recent post in a blog I love… She added the disclaimer of “NO FONDANT” in her title and I decided to do the same because the first thing that comes to mind when you see these babies is… wow, that is A LOT of fondant! No, friends. The ghost “clothing” is made of modeling chocolate! How cool is that?

The road to make these babies was full of trepidation. I opted for cupcakes after exchanges with Haniela, the Cookie Goddess who is also an amazing baker in all fronts. She had made cupcakes covered in fondant (check them out here) so my adventure was a cross between two ideas.

First things first. I made chocolate cupcakes using this adorable pan from Wilton, the same that Haniela used in her bake. The result was a complete disaster. I forgot to spray the cavities (can you believe it?) and the cakes did not release. I was left with a mess of cake crumbs. I was ready to bag the project for that day, but Hani gave me the brilliant idea of making cake pops in the pan. I gathered the crumbs, mixed with a simple American chocolate buttercream, and pressed into the cavities. Froze for 1 hour.

That worked like a charm. Brought the pan to room temperature, dipped the bottom in hot water for 5 minutes, and they all came out perfectly domed. After that, I gave them a light coating with chocolate buttercream and placed back in the freezer while I worked on the modeling chocolate.

MODELING CHOCOLATE USING WILTON CANDY MELTS

Melt 15 oz WHITE WILTON candy melts gently in the microwave

Heat 1/3 cup light corn syrup in the microwave for just 10 seconds until barely warm

Mix corn syrup with melted candy, stir. When it forms a dough, stop immediately.

Allow it to sit at room temperature, covered in plastic for 2 hours or overnight.

Roll out between two sheets of parchment paper, cut circles large enough to drape over the cakes.

Cut circles for eyes using a small piping tip. Glue sprinkles, and if desired, spray with diamond dust or another type of glitter of your choice.

I am so in love with this project! Maybe one day I will be brave enough to do the large cake from Sprinklebakes blog, but for the time being I am happy with these. Huge thank you to Haniela for saving my day after the baking fiasco.

ONE YEAR AGO: Semolina Sourdough

TWO YEARS AGO: Incredibly Simple, times three

THREE YEARS AGO: Chile Rellenos

FOUR YEARS AGO: Vietnamese “Pizza”

FIVE YEARS AGO: Chocolate Bonbons with Mango-Ganache Filling

SIX YEARS AGO: Giant Cookie Meets Mousse

SEVEN YEARS AGO: The Brazilian Battenberg

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Salzburg Sourdough

NINE YEARS AGO: If I had One Hour

TEN YEARS AGO: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Sourdough Rye Bread with Flaxseeds and Oats

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Apricot-Raspberry Sorbet: A farewell to Summer

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Marcela’s Salpicon

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Pork Kebabs

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Fondant au Chocolat

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Got Spinach? Have a salad!

20Sep2025

CAMPFIRE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

I cannot take credit for the design, it is from a cookbook I highly recommend: Cupcakes for Any Occasion, by Rachel Lindsay (click here to order it). She used lemon cupcakes for her version, I opted for chocolate, going for a reverse creaming method that is so simple and easy to bake.

CAMPFIRE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
(inspired by Rachel Lindsay)

for 10 cupcakes:
100g all-purpose flour
25g unsweetened cocoa powder
140g white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
50g unsalted butter, room temperature, soft
1 large egg
120ml milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 + ½ tsp baking powder

for the buttercream:
226g butter, very soft
452g powdered sugar
1 tablespoon heavy cream (or more to adjust consistency)
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
6 Oreo cookies, crushed fine
orange, red and yellow food gel coloring
Pretzel sticks (four per cupcake)
mini marshmallows (1 to 2 per cupcake)

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare a muffin type pan with cupcake liners.

Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Reserve.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt, butter and sugar into the stand mixer
bowl with the paddle attachment. Mix on a medium speed until all the butter looks like small pieces of sand. Add half the milk mixture, mix to incorporate until smooth. Give it a final minute mixing in high-speed. Add the rest of the milk, and whisk until fully smooth.

Add to the lined pan, a little more than half full. These cupcakes rise a lot. Bake until a toothpick comes clean, about 16 minutes. Let cool completely before icing.

Make the buttercream. Whisk the butter in high speed for five minutes. Add half the powdered sugar, mix at medium-speed until fully smooth. Increase speed to high for 30 seconds. Add the other half of the sugar, pinch of salt, vanilla and heavy cream. Whisk in medium to high-speed until smooth. Adjust consistency if needed.

Keep half of the buttercream in the mixer. Add to it the Oreo crumbs. Transfer that to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Divide the rest of the buttercream (around 110g portions) to smaller bowls. Dye each portion red, yellow and orange. Place them over plastic wrap as straight lines side by side. Make a sausage with that plastic wrap and insert into a piping bag fitted with a medium size leaf tip.

Decorate the cold cupcakes first with “stones”, using the Oreo buttercream. Add “flames”, stick Pretzels to make the decorations, using small marshmallows for additional touch.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I love the way the addition of Oreo cookies make the buttercream perfect to mimic stones. That could come in handy for Halloween designs in the future. I made a little mistake and used Pretzel sticks to insert the marshmallows, but in the cookbook she advises using toothpicks, and they will work a lot better, so keep that in mind if you want to try these. I am so happy with the way they turned out!

One extra bit of advice: when you pipe the “rocks”, smooth the surface with a brush to make them more round and smooth. I did not do that to some of them, and wish I had. Once the buttercream hardens you cannot quite smooth things out.

ONE YEAR AGO: La Couronne Lyonnaise, Two Ways

TWO YEARS AGO: Have a Heart

THREE YEARS AGO: Chocolate-Hazelnut Tartlets

FOUR YEARS AGO: Turkey Taco Salad

FIVE YEARS AGO: Cheese and Pesto Emmer Roll-ups and Elaine’s Cookbook Review

SIX YEARS AGO: Mango-Hazelnut Entremet Cake

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Lebanese Lentil Salad and a Cookbook Review

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Cottage Loaf

NINE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Loaf with Cranberries and Walnuts

TEN YEARS AGO: Sichuan Pork Stir-Fry in Garlic Sauce

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Our Green Trip to Colorado

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Ditalini Pasta Salad

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Celebrate Wednesday with a Thai Seafood Curry

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Post-workout Breakfast

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Semolina Barbecue Buns

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Lavash Crackers

27Aug2025

SUMMER IN CUPCAKES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

My favorite season is almost over, no way to deny it, even if the temperatures outside still give me plenty of reasons to smile. Before Autumn vibes arrive in full force, I share a couple of cupcakes that embrace and celebrate the warmth of the Summer.

ORANGE-VANILLA CUPCAKES
(adapted from several sources)

for the buttercream use this recipe (scaled down to 150g butter)

120g all-purpose flour
150g granulated sugar + zest of 1 orange
40g butter, unsalted, removed from the fridge for 30 minutes
1 large egg
120mL milk
1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
1/2 tsp orange emulsion (I use LorAnn)
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper baking cups. Recipe makes 9 to 10 cupcakes.

Rub the sugar with the orange zest and let it sit for a few minutes.

Put the flour, baking powder, sugar/orange, salt and butter cut in small pieces in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low until the butter is in very small pieces, almost like sand.

Whisk the egg with the milk, vanilla, and orange emulsion, add slowly to the mixer running in low-speed. Once it is almost smooth, increase the speed to high for a couple of minutes, scraping the bottom of the bowl once.

Stop the mixer and make sure the batter is fully smooth, mixing by hand with a spatula. Add batter to the 9 cupcakes, filling half-way full only. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Leave cool completely before decorating.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

For the beach cupcakes, I used buttercream in three shades of blue, but sadly not different enough to give a nice contrast. There is always next time… The decorations were made with fondant and a silicone mold, plus a final spray with PME pearl luster.

For the butterfly-decorated cupcakes, I used two colors of buttercream, orange and yellow. The chocolate discs were made with transfer sheets and a cookie cutter.

I hope you enjoyed this little duet of cupcakes, and maybe bake a batch or two…

ONE YEAR AGO: Puff Pastry Twists with Cinnamon and Cardamon

TWO YEARS AGO: Three Delicious Bakes

THREE YEARS AGO: Banana Bread from the Experts

FOUR YEARS AGO: Shrimp Stir-Fry with Snow Peas and Cashews

FIVE YEARS AGO: Pickled-Roasted Chickpeas with Cashew Cream

SIX YEARS AGO: Twice-Baked Goat Cheese Souffle

SEVEN YEARS AGO: A Star from England in the Bewitching Kitchen

EIGHT YEARS AGO: Hommage to the Sun

NINE YEARS AGO:The Fabulous Three
.
TEN YEARS AGO: Turkey-Chorizo Burger with Green Chile Dressing
.
ELEVEN YEARS AGO:Taco Salad
.
TWELVE YEARS AGO: Semolina Sourdough Boule
.
THIRTEEN YEARS AGO:Forgive me, for I have sinned
.
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: Cracked Wheat Sandwich Bread
.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Au Revoir, my Bewitching Kitchen
.
SIXTEEN YEARS AGO:French Bread

7Aug2025

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH HONEY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Posted in Cake by sallybr

These cupcakes are like little bursts of sunshine on a plate… apart from a marbled buttercream, I added compound chocolate discs made by spreading the melted product over transfer sheets (click here for my favorite source), allowing to set and cutting small circles with a cookie cutter.

BANANA CUPCAKES WITH HONEY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
(adapted from several sources)

makes 16 cupcakes

2 cups ( 260g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups (350g) mashed bananas
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup ( 100g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup ( 60g) sour cream at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

Heat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pans with cupcake liners.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside. Cream the butter and both sugars together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla, then beat on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the mashed banana. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. With the mixer still running on low, slowly pour in the buttermilk until combined.

Spoon the batter into the liners to no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

HONEY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

2 + ½ cups (300g) confectioners’ sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients until smooth.Divide in two portions, leave one white, and yellow food coloring to the other half. Add both batters side by side into a piping bag fitted with a tip 1M to add a swirl to the top of each cupcake. Stick a little decoration if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I have not tried the cupcakes but got very nice reviews once I donated them. The chocolate decor is a nice touch, but of course, can be omitted to make life easier. I usually make the discs every time I use chocolate transfer sheets to make chocolate-covered Oreos, so I simply save them in a little plastic container at room temperature.

ONE YEAR AGO: Air-Fryer Chicken Skewers

TWO YEARS AGO: Almond-Cranberry Sandwich Cookies

THREE YEARS AGO: Brazilian Candy, Surpresa de Uva

FOUR YEARS AGO: Red Quinoa “Tabbouleh”

FIVE YEARS AGO: Cucumber Salad with Yogurt-Harissa Dressing

SIX YEARS AGO: Sundried Tomato and Feta Cheese Torte

SEVEN YEARS AGO: Hickory-Smoked Beef Tenderloin

EIGHT YEAR AGO: Spaghetti Squash, Revisited

NINE YEARS AGO: Stir-fried Chicken and Cabbage in Spicy Almond Sauce

TEN YEARS AGO: Fifteen Years!

ELEVEN YEARS AGO: Light Brioche Burger Buns

TWELVE YEARS AGO: Sourdough Blues

THIRTEEN YEARS AGO: Headed to Hawaii

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO: A yummy Brazilian cake: Bolo de Fuba’

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: Hidden Treasure

SIXTEEN YEARS AGO: Avocado Three Ways

23Jul2025

A TRIO OF BROWNIES

Posted in Cake by sallybr

I cannot pick a favorite. Ok, one is not technically a brownie, but a blondie. Tomatoes, tomahtoes… They are all delicious, luscious, satisfying, rich, borderline decadent.

BISCOFF BLONDIES

If you are a lover of Biscoff cookies, these will bring a huge smile to your face. The recipe comes from thebiteofthebakes.com but for some reason it is unavailable, so I will cut and paste it from the file I had previously saved. I linked to the main site, but for some reason it won’t work in Safari, only in Chrome.

BISCOFF BLONDIES
(from biteofthebakes)

170g butter
170g white chocolate
110g brown sugar
110g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
30ml heavy cream
250g all-purpose flour
25g cornstarch
200g chocolate chips
150g chopped Biscoff cookies
200g Biscoff spread

Heat your oven to 350F. Line a 9×11″ rectangular baking dish with baking paper.

In a microwaveable bowl, melt together unsalted butter and white chocolate. Melt in short bursts stirring well each time until smooth. In a large bowl or stand mixer add your melted chocolate, butter and sugar and mix until combined.

Add the eggs, egg yolk and double cream and stir until combined, then add the flour, cornstarch, fold gently. Add the chocolate chips and Biscoff pieces. Pour the mixture into your lined baking tin and swirl on some melted biscoff spread and top with more biscoff biscuits.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once baked, let the blondies cool completely in the pan, then place the blondie (still in the tin) in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

RED VELVET OREO BROWNIES

RED VELVET OREO BROWNIES
(from cakemehometonight)

½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp red gel food coloring
½ tsp white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups roughly chopped Oreo cookies
8 Oreo cookies

Heat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a 9×9 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and cover with parchment paper.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the unsalted butter and brown sugar. Microwave for 90 seconds until the butter is melted, and then whisk until the mixture is well combined and smooth. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, eggs, and egg yolk. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the eggs and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes until light and pale. While mixing on low speed, slowly drizzle in the brown sugar mixture to temper the egg mixture. Add in the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, red gel food coloring, and white vinegar and mix until well combined.

Add in the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and mix on low speed until combined and smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold in the roughly chopped Oreo cookies.

Pour the red velvet brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Add additional broken Oreo cookies to the top of the brownie batter. Bake the brownies for 24-26 minutes until set. An inserted toothpick in the center of the brownies should come out with moist crumbs. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the brownies to room temperature. Cut the brownies into 16 squares.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

S’MORES BROWNIES

S’MORES BROWNIES
(from Eric Kim, by New York Times)

½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
135 grams honey graham crackers (about 9 whole crackers)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
113 grams semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces
½ cup (100 grams) packed dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
170 grams marshmallows

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease a 9-inch square metal baking pan with ½ tablespoon of the butter. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang to make it easier to remove the brownies after baking. Use another 1/2 tablespoon of butter to grease the paper.

Line the bottom of the pan with a single layer of graham crackers, breaking them as needed to fit, then crush the rest of the crackers over and sprinkle with the granulated sugar.

Melt the remaining 7 tablespoons butter and chocolate gently in the microwave at 50% power. Stir in the brown sugar and salt, then let the mixture cool slightly until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then continue whisking until smooth and shiny, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter over the graham crackers lining the pan.

Top the brownie batter with the marshmallows in a single layer and bake until the top is toasted and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the brownie comes out smudged with a little chocolate, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate in the pan until ready to serve.

To serve, lift the brownie out of the pan and slice into squares or bars. Enjoy chilled, or at room temperature.