Today I want you to meet (at least virtually) a very special baker, Chef Faye Palmqvist. She hosts a group on Facebook that is geared towards advanced baking, often involving one of her specialties, mini-loaf cakes. They are elegant, unique, and she sure knows how to make them ultra special. You can visit and join her group for free, clicking here. Without further ado, here is my batch of Vanilla Cake following her recipe perfectly adapted for the mini-loaf environment, with a slight twist on her Swiss Meringue Buttercream, incorporating Nutella into it.
I cannot share the recipe, as it is copyrighted from her cookbook, available in her website. But her method produces flawless cakes that bake perfectly in the little aluminum tins (like these ones).
Below, the prep work and the pans before and after baking.
I used one of her methods to pipe the buttercream that I find quite attractive and was suprisingly easy to accomplish!
I hope you join her Facebook group to profit from her knowledge and meet other baking aficionados. On Tuesdays, she posts a feature where you can ask any question about baking, other days are dedicated to professional baking – advice on selling, advertising, stuff like that. And she often encourages members to share pictures of their bakes, so it is a friendly and warm spot in the internet. I feel that is what we all need right now.
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES with RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM (decoration inspired by @cookingclassy)
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM (from The Bewitching Kitchen)
for the cupcakes (makes 10):
100g all-purpose flour 150g granulated sugar 20g cocoa powder (Dutch-processed) 45g unsalted butter 1/8 tsp salt 120ml milk at room temperature 1 large egg, room temperature 1 + 1/2 tsp baking powder
Heat oven to 350F.
Place flour, cocoa powder, salt, butter and sugar in the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
In a small bowl, whisk milk and egg. Pour half this mixture into the dry ingredients, and mix on medium speed. Scrape the bowl, continue mixing and pour the other half of the milk-egg. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to high for a few seconds.
Fill cupcake tins a little over half the volume, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.
RASPBERRY BUTTERCREAM
113g (1/2 cup) butter, softened 1/4 cup raspberry jam, seedless pinch of salt 3 cups powdered sugar super tiny amount of pink food gel color
Cut the butter into cubes and place in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix butter until smooth, for about 4 minutes. Add jam, the pinch of salt and mix again until well mixed with butter, a couple of minutes. Add the pink gel color.
With the mixer on low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing until fully combined and free of lumps. Once it is all incorporated, turn the speed to high and mix for 2 minutes. That will give you a smooth buttercream that you can use immediately to frost the cooled cupcakes.
Decorate with a fresh raspberry and hearts made with tempered chocolate (or compound chocolate) melted and piped into parchment paper or acetate.
Comments: Normally I donate all the sweets I bake, but because it was Valentine’s Day, I saved one cupcake to enjoy with the hubby after our meal. OMG! Words of the husband: “Good thing we only had one to share because if we had more I could not stop eating them”. Moist, delicious, and the buttercream frosting absolutely perfect, bringing a little sharp flavor to the party. Make them. Just make them if you want a wonderful treat.
MOVING ON…
VANILLA CAKE WITH HIBISCUS GLAZE (recipe published in the past, click here)
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SUGAR COOKIES WITH RUFFLES AND ROSES (after @sweetambs)
Several components needed for this bake, but isn’t it all worth it? I cannot take credit for the idea, I saw it by total accident in this Instagram page and fell in love with it. I adapted to use my own cupcake recipe and Tanya – tent-baker-extraordinaire and amazing friend – helped me with a frosting that holds well at room-temperature.
FROSTED COCONUT CUPCAKES WITH SNOWMAN COOKIE DECORATION (adapted from several sources, inspired by Constellation Inspiration)
For the cupcakes (makes 12): 170g cake flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 113g butter at room temperature 200g sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste 80g egg whites 90g sour cream 85g coconut milk
Heat oven to 350F. Make sure that the butter, egg whites, coconut milk and sour cream are at room temperature. Fill a cupcake pan with paper liners. Reserve.
Sift the cake flour baking powder, baking soda and salt. Reserve. Cream butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of a KitchenAid type mixer for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla to the egg whites and slowly pour into the creamed butter/sugar, continuing to mix and medium-low speed. Mix the coconut milk with the sour cream, then add to the mixer 1/3 of the reserved dry ingredients, 1/2 of the milk/sourcream, followed by 1/3 of the dry, 1/2 liquids, and finally the remaining amount of dry ingredients.
Place in the lined cupcake pan. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
COCONUT BUTTERCREAM (from Tanya Ott)
1 cup butter, softened 3 cups powdered sugar 1/4 cup coconut milk
Whisk the butter with a Kitchen Aid type mixer and the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar in three batches, continue beating in medium-speed. Add the coconut milk, beat at medium-high for 2 minutes or so. Adjust consistency with powdered sugar if needed. Frost the cupcakes once they are at room temperature and immediately stick a snowman cookie on top.
SNOWMAN DECORATION
Bake rings of chocolate cookie dough small enough to fit over the cupcake. They will be fragile. Try to make them smaller than the ones I made, so they will have an easier time standing up on the frosted cake.
Once the rings are baked, use this recipe (minus the food gel color) to make the stained glass component. Pour inside the rings, let them set. Use Royal icing to create a snowy scene with a snowman.
Comments: I absolutely loved making the stained-glass component with the snowman. You can do that a couple of days in advance, store at room temperature. They hold well. I made mine slightly too big, and at first I thought they would never stand up, but with “a little bit extra frosting” they did stay happily up. Consider decreasing the size a bit. Or, if you don’t mind the extra frosting, just go big!
The decorations matched very well our current situation in Manhattan, Kansas, aka The Little Apple.
We expect that by this weekend the snow will finally melt in our surroundings. It’s been a tough month of January. For too many reasons. Baking is keeping me reasonably sane. Or so everyone arounds me hopes.
Inspiration from this cake came from a book I’ve had for many years: Cake Decorating for Beginners, by Rose Atwater. It is a wonderful book, full of cute ideas, some pretty simple, some a bit more involved. I love ombré style cakes, having done some in the past.
NIGHT SKY VANILLA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FILLING (inspired by Rose Atwater)
for the cake: 1 +1/2 cups whole milk 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 2 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 + 1/2 cups sugar ½ teaspoons salt 2 tsp buttery vanilla emulsion (from Lorann) 3 large eggs
Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour three 8 x 2 inch round cake pans, line bottom with parchment paper. Reserve.
In a small bowl, mix together the milk and heavy cream. In a medium bowl, sift together the two types of flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream the butter using a stand mixer and the paddle attachment on medium speed until it’s soft and light, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and salt and mix until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and mix until just combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 20 seconds after each egg, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn the mixer speed to low, then add one-third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add half of the milk mixture and mix until just combined, then add another third of the flour mixture. Repeat with the remaining milk and flour mixtures. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
for the ganache filling: 230g dark chocolate, cut in pieces 240g heavy cream
Heat cream until simmering, pour over chocolate in a large bowl. Allow to sit for 5 minutes than whisk gently until smooth. Let it cool for 15 minutes then place in the fridge for 90 minutes. Use a hand held mixer to whip the ganache until lighter and fluffier. Use to fill the two layers of the cake.
for the frosting: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup vegetable shortening 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 3 to 4 tablespoons milk ¼ teaspoon salt 2 pounds (approximately 8 cups) powdered sugar food gel dye, Americolor Royal Blue and Diamond Black
In a large bowl, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, and beat together the butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
Add 2 tablespoons of the milk, the salt, and half the powdered sugar and mix just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, gradually add in the remaining sugar. Add more milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
Divide the frosting in three bowls, and one drop of blue to the first bowl, two drops to the second, and 2 drops blue + 1 drop black in the last.
Assemble the cake: Place the first cake on a board, add ganache as a smooth layer on top. Place second cake over ganache, repeat the process. Add last round of cake and press gently. Frost with a thin layer of frosting in the lightest color (or do it before adding any dye to the buttercream). Let the cake cool in the fridge for an hour or more. Frost with the dyed buttercream: cover the top and 1/3 of the height from top to bottom with the darkest color of blue. Add the medium tone to the second third of the cake, and the lightest color to the bottom. Use a scraper to smooth the layers. Add texture with a little spatula as you turn the cake. Add star sprinkles.
Comments: I wish I could report on taste and looks as it was sliced, but I donated the cake whole, so my fingers are crossed that the recipients liked it… At any rate, it is hard to go wrong with vanilla and chocolate ganache, right? The buttercream is simple to prepare and crusts nicely in case it needs to sit for hours at room temperature. I love the effect of the different colors. Of course, I had to add some gold dust because I cannot help it… I bet you are not surprised!
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING (from The Bewitching Kitchen)
120 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour 50 grams (1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons) natural cocoa powder 225 grams (1 + 1/8 cups) granulated sugar 1 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 tsp Kosher salt 85 grams (about 1/2 cup) grapeseed oil 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 75 grams (1/3 cup) milk, room temperature 170 grams (3/4 cup) very hot water
Makes 12 cupcakes. Use paper liners in your pan.
Heat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk very well to fully combine the dry ingredients.
Add the oil into the mixing bowl and mix on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and continue mixing until smooth.
With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the milk and then the hot water. Continue mixing until everything is evenly incorporated, the batter will be super thin, do not worry about it. Place the batter in cupcake pan and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. This will take 20 to 25 minutes, but check a couple of minutes earlier. Cool completely before frosting.
PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
113 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature 175 grams (1/2 cup) smooth peanut butter (Jiffy works great) 210 grams (1 + 3/4 cup) powdered sugar 1 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk to adjust consistency
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed for about a few minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add the powdered sugar and salt into the mixing bowl and start mixing on low until the sugar starts to combine with the butter. Turn the mixing speed up to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract. Add milk to adjust the consistency. If not using immediately you can refrigerate for several days. Bring back to room temperature and whip again before using to frost the cakes.
Use a piping tip like Wilton 1M if you like to make a rose pattern on top. Spraying gold is optional but nice…
Comments: I love this cake recipe so much because it is simple, straightforward and always works. You can use hot coffee instead of hot water, but I tend to simplify it and just grab water from the tap, as hot as I can get it. I know many people prefer Swiss buttercream frosting but I donate the cupcakes and not knowing how long they will sit waiting, I rather use a sturdier buttercream, which is also much simpler to prepare. If you are a peanut butter/chocolate lover, this cupcake is for you!
Bewitching Kitchen 