Red Velvet

Red Velvet Cupcakes that I made in The Cupcake BootCamp @ The Chopping Block

The Red Velvet Cupcake get everybody's attention just because of its color red and its velvety texture. The history of Red Velvet Cake, which was later transformed into cupcake, is marked by myths and legends. A red velvet cake was a signature dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City during the 1920s. According to a common legend a woman once asked for the recipe for the cake, and was billed a large amount. Indignant, she spread the recipe but the hotel denies this story .... 

Red Velvet Cupcakes (The Chopping Block)

Yields: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 stick butter, softened

3 4 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon cocoa powder 

Red Food Coloring (dosing the amount you want)

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cup cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

2. Mix the vinegar and baking soda and set aside.

3. Beat butter and sugar until the cream is light and fluffy, that's about 5 minutes.

4. Add egg and beat until well incorporated.

5. Make a paste with cocoa powder and food coloring and add to cream butter and sugar (here I did different, I did not make this paste, I put the food coloring directly to the batter until the I see the color I wanted).

6. Add the flour and buttermilk to cream butter and sugar in 3 additions always start and finish with the solid. Add salt.

7. Add the vinegar mixture and the vanilla.

8. Fill cupcake tins until 2/3 of its capacity.

9. Bake for 20-25 minutes and let cool to be able to unmold and cool completely wait to decorate.

Cream cheese Frosting

Yields: 3 cups

Ingredients

1 cup (8oz) cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups powdered sugar (1 lbs)

How to make

1. Beat the cream cheese, vanilla and butter in a large bowl of electric mixer

2. Add the powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.

3. Decorate your cupcakes!

That's it folks!

Happy Baking!

Wonky Cakes

I'm that kind of person that love the things that were different, funny and creative. Of course that the tradicional also pleases me but the "crazy" things get my attention. If you noticed I'm writing about the Wonky Cakes...lol...These inclined, crooked cakes are awesome, crazy and perfect in the same time! I want so bad to learn how to make them but I still haven't found a course here in Chicago area. I only found in Canada and England. If anyone knows where I can take the class around here please let me know!!


My Wilton instructor told me about a lady in England who make this Wonky Cakes. Her name is Lindy and her company is Lindy's Cakes. Her cakes are gorgeous and she also teach some classes but the problem is that she lives on the other side of the Atlantic!! My dear friend Layla from Layla Pegado Cakes is so lucky!! hehehe
This video I found on Youtube and it is kinda like a tutorial and it is very nice to watch! I hope you guys like it! :D

Happy Baking!! 

Godiva, Godiva...

Mmmmm... I love Godiva more than anything... I'm a total sucker for their chocolates, truffles  and candy bars. It seams that everytime you bite you fall in love all over again... It's really something!  And now I'm more in love with them. Godiva just launched their cake bites collection! Yeah, they surrendered to the world of cake pops and bites! Don't you think it's perfect? I want so bad!!! hahaha


They named the collection Bakery Dessert Truffles to see the website just click here.

Happy Baking!!

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes

Yummy!! .... as promised I'm posting the recipe for Chocolate Cherry Cupcake with Chocolate Caramel Ganache.... oh yeah!!.... Guys, this cupcake is so good...

Chocolate Cherry Cupcake (The Chopping Block Chicago)

Yields 12-15 cupcakes

Ingredients

1 1 / 2 cup pitted fresh cherries (you can use the frozen ones too ... just remember to bring them to room temperature)

1 1 / 3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 / 2 teaspoon baking powder

1 / 2 teaspoon sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 1 / 2 cup light brown sugar

1 / 2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 / 2 teaspoon almond extract

2 eggs at room temperature

2 / 3 cup Water

1 / 3 cup milk

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven at a temperature of 350F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2. Roast the cherries on a parchment paper lined tray for 20. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then chop the cherries and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

4. In the mixer cream butter and sugar in medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy (4-5 minutes).

5. Add the chocolate, extracts and continue beating until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time.

6. Combine water and milk in a saucepan. Bring to boil and immediately remove from heat.

7. With the mixer on low speed add the flour mixture a ¼ cup at a time and then add the hot liquids very carefully. Mix until smooth.

8. With a spatula add the chopped cherries and gently mix the batter.

9. Pour the batter into cupcake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

10. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.

Caramelized Chocolate Ganache (The Chopping Block Chicago)

Yields approximately 4 cups of ganache.

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 / 4 cup of "light corn syrup"

2 tablespoons water

1 1 / 2 cups heavy cream

Pinch of sea salt

3 ounces of dark chocolate or semi bitter chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)

Preparation

1. In a small saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Gently stir until dissolve and place over medium heat. DO NOT STIR! :) Cook until the sugar is caramelized.... (it will take a while, but keep an eye on the sugar! We don't want to burn it...)

2. Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Return to heat and continue to whisk until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate, butter and salt.

3. Pour the ganache in a bowl and let cool for at least 30 minutes (tip: you can speed this process leaving the ganache covered with plastic wrap in the fridge)

4.When ready to use, transfer the ganache to a bowl and whip with a mixer lightened in color and a creamy texture.

5. Then just decorate your cupcakes!

You may notice that on my cupcakes I dipped then on the ganache because when I was on class the ganache was still warm and didn't have the consistency to decorate using the piping bag. Hope you liked it!! :D

Happy Baking!

Cupcake Boot Camp

Hi guys!! Yesterday I had a very nice cupcake class. It was focused on baking gourmet cupcakes which was awesome!! The class was held at "Chicago Chopping Block". We made five cupcake recipes:


- Mini Raspberry Cheesecake with cream cheese frosting;- Chocolate cherry covered with caramel chocolate ganache (hmmmmm. ....: D) Look at them, going to the oven .... oh yeah!!!

- Peaches and Mascarpone Cream Cupcake;
- Red Velvet Cupcake with cream cheese frosting;
- Banana Peanut Cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream (hmmmmmmmm)


I've learned two new types of frosting : cream cheese and milk chocolate buttercream...

Here they are ... 21 cupcakes .... oh my gosh ..... hmmmmm ...

I need to say anything else? hahahahahahahhahaha ... I came home full of cupcakes, which made my husband very happy ... : D
In the box, ready to be eaten ....

Later on I'll post my favorite recipe: the cherry chocolate cupcake!!

Happy Baking!

Trying new recipes

Hi guys! Sorry for my absence! My son is suffering with his teething and they are coming all at once... so the motherhood needs to come first! But I managed to take some time and grab him with me to have a fun time in the kitchen so I could try 2 new recipes: Chocolate Chiffon Cake and Chocolate Ganache. Both were very good, but together I thought it was a disaster! hahahahahaha ... the cake and the ganache has a super strong chocolate flavor, is wonderful, is not sweet. And I made the ganache that they taught us in Le Cordon Bleu with 70% cocoa chocolate. Actually I think that for a connoisseur of "chocolat" those recipes were very good but for those who like a sweet chocolate treat (like me) weren't ... I will repeat the recipe, but I will make the ganache with milk chocolate.

The mini cake won my pool this week so I baked in mini cake pans but I did not decorated or make it fancy... just plain chocolate cake with some sprinkles on top...

Chocolate Chiffon Cake (Le Cordon Bleu)

Dry Ingredients

2/3 cup of flour plus 1 1/4 cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Liquid Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup of egg yolk (about 4 Jumbo eggs)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Merengue Ingredients

2/3 cup egg whites (which gives the whites of 4 eggs ...)

1/3 cup sugar

A pinch of cream of tartar

How to make it

In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients

Using a separate bowl combine liquid ingredients and then add to the dry ingredients.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy and then add the sugar to finish the meringue.

Place the meringue slowly into the mixture of liquid and dry ingredients, mixing very gently with a spatula. Mix until all the ingredients are combined.

Place in two 8”cake pans to bake on the preheated oven (350F) for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes and then continue cooling on cooling rack or parchment paper.

Ganache Chocolate (Le Cordon Bleu)

8 oz dark chocolate

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream

Heat the cream (do not boil) and then add the chocolate to melt in hot cream.

That's it for now!

Happy Baking!!!