Eggless Mocha Cupcake with Vanilla Frosting

Super intense coffee cupcakes topped with soft buttercream vanilla frosting..This is hundred percent mochalicious pleasure. Here I am, presenting my best frosted cupcake so far. Let me confess something today, I dream of producing beautiful bakery style frosted cupcakes every time I make them. Luck has not been on my side and I have not been able to do so till now. Frosting looks like an easy thing when I see people doing it but I have been beaten by it royally.  Never mind!!! I am determining to go beyond homely looking frosting to bakery style sophistication. Be part of my journey..till then, let’s focus on the taste. ;P  One of my friend who tasted these told me that this is the best frosting I have ever done and she just loved it. See me flying Yeeeeeyyy….. As a home baker its immensely satisfying that people for whom you bake for, love your dishes and would like to try the recipes themselves. I started blogging with the intention to record recipes and share my ups and downs, learning and experiences so that any one could look at my recipe and start baking. Just one requisite, You need an OVEN!!! Do let me know if I have been successful doing that and you have baked something after reading my post. So check out how to make these egg less but extremely light and testy mocha cupcakes frosted with vanilla buttercream. For the Cupcake 1 Cup Curd 1/2 cup Buttermilk 1/2 cup Vegetable\Cooking oil 1/4 cup Black coffee or espresso, at room temperature 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 ¾ cup Flour 1/4 cup Regular unsweetened cocoa powder 1 cup Brown sugar 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder 1 Teaspoon Baking soda 1/4 Teaspoon salt For The Vanilla Buttercream 6 Tablespoon Butter 4 Tablespoon Heavy Cream 3 Cup Icing sugar 2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners. In a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk, oil, coffee, and vanilla extract.  In another large bowl whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with light hands using a spatula and stir only until the ingredients are combined. (Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough.) Divide the batter between 12 liners in your cupcake pan. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.  To make the frosting: Beat the butter until creamy, add shifted sugar in small amount and mix. Alternate with heavy cream and vanilla, until all the sugar is combined. Beat for 2-3 minute to make it smooth and light and its done.

Frost the cupcakes with buttercream and dust some coco powder. Decorate with coffee caramel toffee. Am I able to tempt you to try baking yet?? Do let me know...

Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Glaze

As summer is on peak, I am going crazy for fruits of this weather. Seriously if you look at it, how cleverly nature has balance everything. All the fruits of summer are so water rich, light and refreshing. Think if would not have watermelon, Lime, Muskmelon, cucumber and etc. etc in summers, what it would have been like.

So as this fruity and fresh flavor was on my mind, I thought of baking something with them. So a Lemon cupcake was my calling.

Yet again, I have got this super duper easy recipe but what I am more excited about is the Lemon glaze icing. This icing is so simple yet so special because this not only looks and taste good but adds another level of texture to the soft like cloud cupcake. 

The extra punches of lemony zing with crunchy sugar intensify the flavor.

For Cupcakes

1/2 cup  Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup  Granulated sugar

2  Eggs (use 1 cup curd, if you don’t want to use egg)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 and 1/2 cups Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Milk

Zest  and fresh juice of two medium lemons

For  the Frosting

1cup Granular sugar (Pulsed once in the mixer, so that its slightly powdered but not superfine)

2 Tbsp of Lemon Juice

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a bowl beat the butter and sugar together with a handheld mixer whisker attachment on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until creamed and fluffy.

Add eggs (or Curd) and vanilla and beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 -3 minutes.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 additions and stirring by hand after each addition.

Add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix until just combined, do not overmix. This batter will be thick.

Divide the batter between 12 liners in your cupcake pan. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Get the frosting ready just before cupcakes are going to be done. Combine sugar and lemon juice in small bowl and stir once or twice, just to enough to bring them together.

Pour one tablespoon of lemon sugar paste on “Just out of oven” cupcakes, spread and add some more glaze if needed. The heat from the cupcake will melt the glaze slightly, which will help it to run, spread and finally cling as it cools off.

Enjoy your bites into this crunchy, sweet and tangy glaze followed by soft, fluffy refreshing lemony cupcake. Don’t tell me you are not showered with compliments and thanks.

Double Chocolate Cupcake with chocolate frosting

In the west you hear lot about comfort food, honesty this term does not make much sense to my Indian foodie heart as I feel everything we cook is comforting and specially what our mother would  cook for us is the ultimate comfort food. With this thought, I was thinking what really pops in our head when most of think of one thing which would bring a smile. Chocolates!!!

I am sure I could not be wrong with that. We all are so obsessed with chocolates and its loved by every age and gender. So I got my sleeve’s up to bake dark, rich, soft and extremely chocolaty double chocolate cupcake with a smooth chocolate frosting. Well I did not made my frosting super chocolaty as I like the chocolate chips to stand out but you can go ahead with adding 2-3 full tbsp of coco powder to intensify the chocolate flavor in the cupcake frosting.

Though I started with a mood to do beautifully frosted cupcake but in the end lost the steam and again washed my hand by rustic look (lazy look, I should write rather) but the taste did the talking and my little one came running for the next one as soon as finished her first cupcake.

Double Chocolate Cupcake

1/2 cup Unsalted butter

80gm Semi-sweet dark chocolate

1/2 cup Cocoa powder

3/4 cup All-purpose flour

1/2 tsp Baking soda

3/4 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup  granulated sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp  vanilla extract

1/2 cup  buttermilk

Dark Chocolate Frosting

2 ¾ cup Confectioners’ sugar

2/3 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

6 Tbsp heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips for decoration

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line a 12 cup cupcake pan with cupcake liners. I used a 6 cup pan and baked in two batches.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave for 2 min and stirring every 30 sec. You may also melt the butter and chocolate over low heat on a double boiler. Stir until smooth and let it cool a bit.

In a bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together until thoroughly combined.

 In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Add the cooled butter/chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Add half of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk. (To make buttermilk at home just add a tsp of  white vinegar in ½ cup milk and let it stand for 5-7 min.)***

Repeat until everything is added. Stir until just combined; do not overmix. The batter will be very thick, so don’t worry.

Divide the batter between 12 liners in your cupcake pan. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting: sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder to assure there are no lumps. Set aside.

 With a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy - about 2 minutes. Gradually add the sifted sugar/cocoa powder alternately with the heavy cream and vanilla. Beat on low speed after each addition. Once all added, beat on high speed until creamy and combined for at least 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt if frosting is too sweet.

Frost cooled cupcakes and top with chocolate chips and that’s it. You have these lovely cute intense chocolate cupcake inviting to taste them. Do bake them and let me know, how they turned out.

Melting moments - Some what rustic this time

I have been following Masterchef Australia for quite some years now and this has opened up mind food wise. I used to get amaze and still do by the extent food knowledge contestant and Judges have. There are many long lasting impression on me of Judges, chefs, contestant and off course recipes which inspire me everyday. One of such contestant is Julia Taylor who was the finalist of season 4. She was this super competitive reserved lady who has strived to be at top all her life. Now she was here on Masterchef where she was among best of bests.  It was initially surprising for her that there are people better than her. She struggled to find herself in elimination as she knew and believed the she was just meant to be at top. But she realized, accepted and respected the this fact the competition is really tough and there are far more talented people against her. Then what we saw was real dedication, determination and hard work from Julia. I could relate to her a lot because I have also gone through this challenge in life. She made quite a few stunning dishes in the competition but what left a big impression on me was her “Melting moments” from cookies challenge. 

Melting moments are shortbread-like cookies that rely on butter for their wonderful flavor. I got hooked to these cookie because they look very cute and a very easy to make.

I have baked this cookie I don’t know how many times because they just disappear in jiffy. I have to admit more than half I must be eating alone. This time I have introduced my twist to make them very rustic like any home baker. First, I gave it more rustic look by baking it on bit higher temperature for slightly brownish color and used creamy tangy cheese cream filling with mixed fruit jam. I saved some efforts here by using a store brought jam. Fewhh!!!  So following is my version of melting moments.

180 gm Flour

180gm Butter

60 gm Custard

60 gm Powder Sugar

1 tsp Baking Powder

Pre-heat the oven at 180 ºC

Line your baking tray with baking paper

Cream butter until light and fluffy

Add custard powder and mix, and then add powder sugar

Sift flour and baking powder together and then add to the dough

Mix until a soft dough come together

Make small balls from the dough and place on baking sheet

Use a fork and press lightly on the dough balls to create impression

Bake for 10-12 mins until golden. For bit more brownish color, I cranked the temperature to 210 and baked for anothe2-3 mins

Let them cool and then remove from the tin

Cream Cheese Frosting 

½ Cup of Cream Cheese, Softened, at room temperature

 ¼ Cup Butter, Softened, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powder sugar

2 cups powder sugar

3 Tbs of Mixed fruit Jam

Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy

Add in the vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds

Now start adding the powder sugar 1 cup at a time and beating in between each addition

You can make this frosting before and refrigerate. At the time of usages can give it a whisk and pipe

Before starting assembling of cookie gently warm the jam in small pan

To assemble the cookie, pip cream cheese on the flatter side of cookie and then smear a small spoon of jam over the cheese. Finally top it with another cookie, flatter side facing the filling to make the sandwich

And now enjoy!! Crunchy, creamy, tangy, fruity bits all at the same time will just melt in your mouth

I, thank Julia every time I make these

Vanilla Bean Muffin with Cheese Cream Frosting - Baked in nostalgia of Coorg

Vacations are always good and those vacations where you have had a wonderful time lingers for long time on your mind. I have been really busy with work and so many things, on my to do list for few weeks now. As I was dealing with fatigue and stress, I just remembered my vacation in Coorg couple of months back. We all had awesome time in Coorg and even here I would like to thank, our host Mr. and Mrs. Ganapathi of Coorg Classic home stay. One of the exciting thing was to visit coffee plantation and there we got to see spice garden. It was so thrilling to see black paper bunch which was still green. Cardamom, Cinnamon and various other spice are grown in this region of south India along with coffee. The most exciting bit for me was “Vanilla Pods”. Its smell so awesome and induced appetite for cake. Apologies for not posting those pics due to some technical issue with them but here is the pic of my Vanilla Pods.

So I have brought quite a few pod for baking.  I had decided to do a recipe in which the vanilla bean will be the star and did not got a chance to do.  So now when Coorg poped up in my head again I decided to put everything on hold and take comfort in baking vanilla bean muffin.

It’s a very easy recipe, actually nothing much to do then mixing everything in one go.

Vanilla bean Muffin

1  cup Flour

1/4 cup Vanilla Custard Powder

1 tsp Salt

 2 tsp Baking Powder

100 gm Butter, softened at room temperature

 3/4 cup Powder sugar

1 egg (Use ½ cup of curd, if don’t want to use egg)

1 cup milk

1 Pod of Vanilla Pod scrapped (you can use 1 tps of real vanilla essence, if don’t get the pod)

Pre-heat the oven at 180 ºC

Line your muffin mould with butter and sprinkle flour evenly.

 (You can use paper moulds as well but as I don’t have them right now I am doing without it.)

Mix and sift are the dry ingredients together.

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.

Add the egg (or Curd) and mix for 1 minute.

Then add the dry mixture small amount at a time and alter it with addition of milk.

Add vanilla beans in the batter. Mix well and pour the batter in muffin mould.

Bake at 200 ºC for 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Let it cool in the oven then transfer on rack for further cooling.

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ Cup of Cream Cheese, Softened, at room temperature

 ¼ Cup Butter, Softened, at room temperature

1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Cups Powder Sugar

 Beat together the softened cream cheese and butter until creamy.

Add in the vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds.

Now start adding the powder sugar 1 cup at a time and beating in between each addition. You can make this frosting before and refrigerate. At the time of usages can give it a whisk and pipe.

I used a soft plastic bag for piping. Filled it up with frosting and pushed the cream in one of the corners and then tied a band to make my piping bag. Cut a moderated opening to pipe the icing on muffin. Start with outer edge and come circling till center. Drop some chocolate chips or colored vermicelli for fun.

You could see small beans in the muffin; they intensify of flavor and fragrance of muffins and make them shine.