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The Cupcake Thread!

Mara, thanks for the tips on the choc. marshmallow cupcakes. I tried to melt some marshmallows w/butter (based on how to melt them to use for rice krispie treats.. yes, big mistake!) the other day and what a mess! I will definitely try your method next time. I really do want to make my own marshmallows but haven''t worked up the energy yet.

DandiAndi, I think your cupcakes look great!

Jas, going to try and remember to take a pic of the tips I use most. They are pretty big and my favorites. What do you think was wrong with the lemon recipe you tried? I agree about it being hard to find a good lemon recipe. That''s a flavor I still want to experiment with. I did recently buy some lemon oil from a more upscale company so I''m wondering if that will make any difference. I also finally bought a good zester so I can actually use zest in the recipes that call for it!

My latest cupcakes were Chocolate Walnut with a Banana frosting. Yum! These weren''t intentional as I wanted to make Smores. Since I had a marshmallow disaster and had some leftover Banana frosting, I decided to try it. They tasted great! So now I''ll add that to the collection. Sorry, forgot to take pics of those!
 
So, I''ve never done much cooking or baking until recently. Given that, I don''t know too much about what the ingredients do, and I want to learn.

Can you ladies help me and tell me what the ingredient does? Or if you were going to add/delete some, what the effect (or is it affect?) would be? I know, perhaps some are obvious, but I''d still like to hear what you think.

Flour=
Sugar=
Baking powder=
Baking soda=
Salt=
Butter=
Eggs=
Cocoa=
Vanilla=
Bittersweet vs Semi-sweet chocolate=

If you''d like to add to the list, please feel free!

Thanks!
 
Dixie - Chocolate walnut cupcakes with banana frosting sounds yummy!
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Sorry I don''t really have any input on your ingredient list...I''m very new to baking but I''ll be curious to see what some others say as well.
 
So I tried making ganache this weekend. So easy and yummy! I ended up with chocolate ganache filled chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese frosting. They were so good.

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Last one

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Date: 5/26/2009 12:07:07 AM
Author: dixie94
So, I've never done much cooking or baking until recently. Given that, I don't know too much about what the ingredients do, and I want to learn.

Can you ladies help me and tell me what the ingredient does? Or if you were going to add/delete some, what the effect (or is it affect?) would be? I know, perhaps some are obvious, but I'd still like to hear what you think.

Flour=
Sugar=
Baking powder=
Baking soda=
Salt=
Butter=
Eggs=
Cocoa=
Vanilla=
Bittersweet vs Semi-sweet chocolate=

If you'd like to add to the list, please feel free!

Thanks!
Click to expand...
HI Dixie...there is some book out there that one of my class teachers recommended called something like Science of Baking and she said it was very good.

I am not that great with figuring out EXACTLY what one does vs the other just yet but here are some tips I do know...some of them are obvious like sugar makes things sweet and vanilla adds flavor.

Butter/oils...this makes the cake moist. I use butter for cakes where they need the butter flavor, aka butter/yellow cake, whereas I use oil for cakes where I want ANOTHER flavor to come through, aka banana or lemon or chocolate. I used to be very against oil in cakes and want to always use butter but I notice a distinct 'muddying' of the flavor when I use butter vs oil in some of those more 'flavored' cakes if that makes sense.

Eggs...provide lift and some fats (yolk) in the cake. If you beat the eggs you are adding air into them, so typically that means you are adding lift into your cake. If I am making a cake where I need more fats I will typically add the yolk vs the white rather than adding a bit more oil.

Cocoa....obviously provides flavor but the one thing to note here is that it's a powder that absorbs liquid, therefore you need to add more liquid in a recipe that you are adding cocoa into. If you, for example, take a white cake recipe and decide to just make it chocolate by adding cocoa, you need to add more liquid to compensate for the dry powder you are adding in.

Same for if you ever add a gelatin into your cakes to play with flavors, aka lime jello mix, you need to add more liquid to compensate for the fact that jello powder's job is to absorb the liquid...so it will make your cake dry if you don't add more liquid.

I also don't add vanilla to cakes that should be flavored something else. An example is I was watching Martha the other day and she was making some citrus cupcakes and put vanilla. I was like why are you putting vanilla into a citrus cupcake. I am more apt to put lemon extract into that cupcake than vanilla. But then again I don't like when flavors muddy.

Bitter vs Semi vs Milk chocolate...the higher the cocoa content (%%) the more bitter and less sweet the chocolate will be. If you add a bitter chocolate into a cake instead of using semi (if the recipe calls for it), then you prob want to compensate by adding more sugar to the recipe as well. A milk chocolate is the most sweet with least amount of cocoa and bitter is the most. I like using semi as a good middle of the road, esp for ganaches...unless I will be adding conf sugar then I can use bitter.

Flour, baking powder, soda, salt...these are all things I am still familiarizing myself with and how they change the recipes. Most of these are 'precise' and if you change something from the recipe it is hard to know how to compensate to make it right again. I have had a lot of days where I tried something and thought oh that isn't right. But one thing I have learned is that you def need to add enough baking powder into recipes that call for it...because I used to add too little and the cupcakes would sink a lot. The rule of thumb I use now is 1c flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder (though I have seen some call for 2 tsp for 1c flour). Also in recipes where they use mostly buttermilk vs milk, I notice that most of the recipes call for more baking soda than powder, and sometimes no powder at all. But milk recipes call for powder and maybe a shake of salt and/or a tiny bit of soda, but not much. Anyway this section of ingredients to me is the MOST finicky and I am still learning about it.

I'll add one which is Milks/Buttermilks...I use sour cream some times for moisture but you can't use it in all recipes as the taste will come through depending. Buttermilks I notice make the cake a bit more moist and thick feeling, but they also add more moisture than regular milk will, so you might have to compensate with a bit more flour. I prefer using Vit D milk, and I swear when I use a high quality one such as Horizon or Clover and it's organic it tastes better...maybe it's mental.

I made 3 types of cupcakes this wkd...I was a baking powerhouse hahaa. I did vanilla PB, chocolate w/cream cheese, and yesterday I did an experiment cuppie that turned out SO darn good, it is now one of my favorites. It's what I am calling Mango Colada and it has fresh pureed mangos, coconut cream, rum and then the frosting is a mango marscapone cream. YUM. I think I had like 5 minis last nite.
 
OK, next cuppie question!

What is everyone''s ''go-to'' vanilla cupcake recipe?? I''ve tried a few and just didn''t LOVE them. The Magnolia and Billy''s ones were yum, but very heavy... maybe it was just me? Has anyone got a good, moist, fluffy vanilla cuppie recipe that they swear by? A few I''ve seen call for cake flour, but I''ve never seen that before
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Dandi--i am still looking myself. I''ve always used a basic white-cake recipe that i used for regular cakes. It is so easy, reliable, good, even rise and the taste is good, but not WOW. I recently tried the magnolia recipe and again, while the taste was pretty good (i did not find them dense at all--in fact, the batter was really fluffy due to all the mixing so i found the rise was a bit uneven on some of mine) again, not amazing or anything.
I think i may try my old standby recipe and replace the oil with butter. The butter may add some richness.
I''ll let u know what happens!!
 
Date: 6/4/2009 9:07:30 AM
Author: DandiAndi
OK, next cuppie question!

What is everyone''s ''go-to'' vanilla cupcake recipe?? I''ve tried a few and just didn''t LOVE them. The Magnolia and Billy''s ones were yum, but very heavy... maybe it was just me? Has anyone got a good, moist, fluffy vanilla cuppie recipe that they swear by? A few I''ve seen call for cake flour, but I''ve never seen that before
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Click to expand...

Here ya go:

The Whimsical Bakehouse Vanilla Cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F. Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Sift into mixing bowl:

1 3/4 Cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Add and mix to combine:

1 cup sugar

Add:

1/2 cup plus 2 1/2 teaspoons warmed milk (110F)
2 large eggs
4 ounces unsalted butter (I personally prefer Land O Lakes)
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (LorAnn is good if you can get it, but basically Madagascar vanilla.)

Beat at low speed with the whisk attachment for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. Raise the speed to medium-low and beat for 1 /2 minutes.

Add:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix at low speed for 30 seconds.

Fill each liner three-quarters full (I use a commercial disher aka ice cream scoop. I think it''s the #20, but I usually identify them by color, in this case, yellow.) .) Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Tops should spring back with lightly pressed.
 
Mara, I was always under the impression that Vanilla enhances the other flavors.
 
Thanks so much for taking the time to post that pennquaker!! Very kind of you, I''ll try it tomorrow! What is cake flour though? Is it the same as self-raising??
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Jas, I just found the Magnolia ones really heavy and a bit dry. Perhaps I overcooked them, would doing that have that affect?
 
penn, thats what i have heard but i find vanilla such a strong flavor that i can almost always taste it with other flavors. i do agree it works well in chocolate for a touch but for something like an orange or a lemon i typically do almond as an accompanyment.

re: magnolia''s cupcakes, i have not had them but friends who have said the cake reminds them of a dense almost cornbready texture. so if the cupcakes came out like that i guess it''s how they are supposed to be?

one of my fave vanilla recipes was on some blog...i can''t remember what it was called now but it is SUPER simple. literally just basically 1.5c flour, 3 tsp baking powder, a dash of salt, 2 eggs, 1c sugar, 1 stick of butter, 3/4c milk, and a lot of vanilla. also when you make vanilla cupcakes, put a lot of vanilla. i hate ''vanilla'' cupcakes that taste like butter cake. that''s butter not vanilla. also in my vanilla i also put a tiny bit of oil for extra moisture because i find that vanilla and butter cake recipes dry out a bit faster. as for ''method'' mine is more lazy when i mix the wet (minus the milk) in one bowl for about 30 seconds, then add the dry and then the milk last. also if the mixture is too thick (a lot of vanilla recipes are for me), i add a bit of water just to loosen it up and make it easier to scoop and drop. yum.
 
Mara every time I see you are the last post on here I come running for more pics...
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Date: 6/5/2009 6:33:50 AM
Author: DandiAndi
Thanks so much for taking the time to post that pennquaker!! Very kind of you, I''ll try it tomorrow! What is cake flour though? Is it the same as self-raising??
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Jas, I just found the Magnolia ones really heavy and a bit dry. Perhaps I overcooked them, would doing that have that affect?
Click to expand...

I love the magnolia recipe but I have found that if you don''t follow it to a T (i.e., your ingredients are cold, you overbeat, etc.) they come out dry and heavy. They are still a heavier crumb cupcake even when made correctly-but are delish if made right IMO.
 
i can''t believe i didn''t know about this thread sooner! i''m totally loving it! these are lemon cupcakes with a lemon cream cheese frosting:

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another shot

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this was my first attempt to cover cupcakes with fondant. they''re lemon cupcakes (my boyfriend''s favorite) with a buttercream frosting underneath the fondant

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these are chocolate cupcakes with mint buttercream frosting. they tasted like junior mints!

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my 2nd attempt at fondant covering...

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i made these for one of my regulars at my bar for his retirement. his drink of choice is Budweiser and i actually found these cute cupcake toppers at my local baking supply store! the cupcakes were a mix of chocolate and vanilla with a swiss meringue buttercream frosting

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i made these for my boyfriend''s brother''s high school graduation. they were a mix of lemon and chocolate cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. the toppers are all made of fondant except for the diplomas which were rolled up pieces of paper

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here''s another shot of the retirement cupcakes. they were beer and golf themed (the two things my regular loves), the suns are for Florida which is where he''s retiring to, and the BWB logo is my bar name. due to the limited time i had, they''re not as "tidy" as i would''ve like them to be. for example, the BWB logos - i used Wilton''s black decorating icing and it kept breaking up on me. it''s not the smoothest consistency, but it''s hard to color white frosting into black. i think i''ll have to use chocolate frosting (since it has a brown base color) and mix in black icing coloring. anyone have experience in this?

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WOW vip they are all amazing!! You are so talented!!!!!
 
Well, I had another go at the Magnolia recipe, but did a few things differently. This time I didn''t beat the flour in, I folded it in by hand and then gave it a quick whip at the end to make sure everything was incorporated. I had them in the oven for about 3 minutes less this time, I watched them closely towards the end. Also, I used buttermilk instead of regular milk. And they are to DIE for! This is exactly how I imagined them to be last time. They are rich, moist, buttery and dense. Yummy!!

Thankyou for your suggestions, everyone! I''ve learned heaps from all this
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Date: 6/6/2009 7:32:16 AM
Author: DandiAndi
Well, I had another go at the Magnolia recipe, but did a few things differently. This time I didn''t beat the flour in, I folded it in by hand and then gave it a quick whip at the end to make sure everything was incorporated. I had them in the oven for about 3 minutes less this time, I watched them closely towards the end. Also, I used buttermilk instead of regular milk. And they are to DIE for! This is exactly how I imagined them to be last time. They are rich, moist, buttery and dense. Yummy!!


Thankyou for your suggestions, everyone! I''ve learned heaps from all this
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Click to expand...

ahhhh... your description is making me want to make some cuppies. yum...

I still haven''t gotten the choco raspberry cuppie photos off my camera
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working on it!

vip- gorgeous!
 
Date: 6/6/2009 7:32:16 AM
Author: DandiAndi
Well, I had another go at the Magnolia recipe, but did a few things differently. This time I didn't beat the flour in, I folded it in by hand and then gave it a quick whip at the end to make sure everything was incorporated. I had them in the oven for about 3 minutes less this time, I watched them closely towards the end. Also, I used buttermilk instead of regular milk. And they are to DIE for! This is exactly how I imagined them to be last time. They are rich, moist, buttery and dense. Yummy!!


Thankyou for your suggestions, everyone! I've learned heaps from all this
36.gif
Click to expand...

Oh good I am glad you enjoyed them! I really love that recipe but it really does take a bit of finesse to make correctly. I have made a few batches that I wasn't watching and they just weren't great. But when made right-YUM!

I'll have to try the buttermilk too...I usually like buttermilk in recipes!
 
Date: 6/6/2009 7:44:41 AM
Author: icekid

ahhhh... your description is making me want to make some cuppies. yum...

I still haven''t gotten the choco raspberry cuppie photos off my camera
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working on it!

vip- gorgeous!
Click to expand...
Hehehe, well there''s only one remedy for that!

I''m dying to see your cuppies icekid!
 
Date: 6/6/2009 9:13:48 AM
Author: neatfreak

Oh good I am glad you enjoyed them! I really love that recipe but it really does take a bit of finesse to make correctly. I have made a few batches that I wasn''t watching and they just weren''t great. But when made right-YUM!

I''ll have to try the buttermilk too...I usually like buttermilk in recipes!
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I was so dejected when they didn''t work out the first time, I''d read your response to them neatfreak and a few others on cupcake blogs. I really wanted to love them like so many others did! Me likey now
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Sunkist they are too cute!!! Plus they look seriously delish!
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Here are the ones I made for the weekend. The quintessential cupcake - chocolate and vanilla with a cherry on top! And a cherry dipped in Lindt 70% cocoa, no less
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