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Cupcakes So Good They'll Make You Hum

partysugar — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:30:10 -0700

Last week my sister hosted a Summer cocktail party that doubled as a birthday celebration for two friends. Since I've been known to make birthday cakes in the past, she asked me if I could do two cakes for the party. Immediately I began to worry: baking and assembling two cakes requires a lot of time. Just as I was starting to panic, I remembered the ingenious invention that is the cupcake! Each birthday girl could get her own minicake topped with a candle. Inspired by our slideshow of unconventional cupcake recipes, I decided to make hummingbird cupcakes. A native to the South, hummingbird cake is a cream cheese-frosted white cake with crushed pineapple, coconut, mashed bananas, and walnuts mixed into the batter. It's sweet, moist, fruity, crunchy, creamy, and divine - quite simply, it's everything you want in a cupcake. Although the pineapple topping is extra work, it's worth it. The cupcakes wouldn't be the same without the feathery juicy dried pineapple. To take a look at the recipe I used, read more.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
From Martha Stewart

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup coconut flakes
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe below
Dried Pineapple Flowers, recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in flour mixture.
Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with dried pineapple flowers, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and vanilla until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
With mixer on medium speed, gradually add butter, beating until incorporated.
Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add sugar, beating until incorporated. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.

Makes 3 cups.

Dried Pineapple Flowers

2 large or 4 small pineapples, peeled

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.
Using a small melon baller, remove and discard all pineapple skin.
Using a sharp knife, cut pineapple crosswise into very thin slices. Transfer slices to baking sheets.
Bake until tops look dried, about 30 minutes. Flip slices; bake until completely dried, 25 to 30 minutes more. Pinch center of each pineapple slice to shape into a cone, and let cool in a clean egg carton to form flowers. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Makes about 2 dozen.

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Kitchen Experiments: "Heavenly" Banana Bread Pudding

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:57:10 -0800

Although my 52 Weeks of Baking series is officially over, that doesn't mean I won't be in the kitchen all the time. This year, in addition to trying new recipes, I have vowed to share my kitchen experiments with you guys. As much as I love recipes, I also just enjoy throwing things together and seeing what I get. I'll warn you now, these don't always work like I planned, but sometimes I get lucky.

On New Year's Day, I woke up to a dirty kitchen - we had a small shindig the night before - two rotting bananas and half of an angel food cake. I was also crazy hungry. So I combined my random leftovers with my appetite for breakfast and threw it all together. The result was a simple bread pudding made with angel food cake as the base. To see what I created, read more.

"Heavenly" Banana Bread Pudding
A kitchen experiment by YumSugar

I created this on New Year's Day morning. I had some leftovers I wanted to get rid of and threw everything together. It was warm and tasty and hit the spot, but it was also lacking something. Maybe a little sugar sprinkled on top? If you try it, be sure to tell me what you think and let me know how you'd improve it.

2 bananas, overripe
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups leftover angel food cake, cut into cubes

enough butter or cooking spray to grease the pan

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8-x-8 baking dish (or several small ramekins).
Line the baking dish with very thin slices of banana. I used 1/2 of a medium sized banana to cover my 8-x-8 pan.
Place rest of bananas in a large bowl. With a fork mush until you have achieved a smooth consistency. Alternatively, you could puree the bananas in a food processor first. This particular batch was whipped up on New Year's Day, and I was hoping to make the least amount of noise as possible.
Next, add eggs - one at a time - whisking throughly between each egg.
Stir in milk.
Whisk in brown sugar, allowing it to dissolve. Add in cinnamon.
Add in the angel food cake. Make sure all the pieces are coated. Let the cake sit for 10 minutes in order to absorb the liquid.
Pour cake mixture into pan and place into oven.
Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

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Reader Recipe: Hummingbird Cake

YumSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:00:39 -0800

Since a few of my friends have birthdays in February, I've been browsing all over the web in search of a birthday cake that fits my mood. I found it, of course, right underneath my nose in the Kitchen Goddess group. TeamSugar regular celebrity_soup took a hiatus from posting recipes, but has been back and on a cake-making frenzy, as demonstrated by her delectable desserts. Case in point: This opulent hummingbird cake, which I've definitely added to my birthday cake list. To see the recipe, read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member celebrity_soup.

Hummingbird Cake
Paula Deen

Hey everybody!
It's been a while since I've been active on the Sugar network.
Time just passed fast and things got busy in my life, school being the main thing.
I'm really looking forward to being that nerdy cook I was and to share my recipes with you guys.
I'll be starting out slow, every week an old recipe I haven't posted and from there, new things and more cooking!
I made this cake for my friends birthday back in May. Everyone was blown away by how good it was, it finished in minutes!

Ingredients

For the cake:

Nonstick vegetable spray
All-purpose flour, for pans
3 cups self-rising flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
2 very ripe large bananas, mashed
1 (8-ounce) crushed pineapple, with juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 large eggs, beaten

For the frosting:
1 pound (1 box) confectioners' sugar
1 (8-ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk, or more if needed
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray and flour three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.
Prepare the cake; in a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pecans, bananas, pineapple, vanilla, cinnamon, and eggs.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.
Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Reinvert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.
Prepare the frosting; in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk on medium speed until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve the proper spreading consistency.
Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with 1/4 of the frosting. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another 1/4 of the frosting. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with pecans. Remove parchment paper strips; refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Taste Test: Sprinkles Vanilla Cupcake Mix

partysugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:50:38 -0700

Last week I got my hands on a container of Sprinkles vanilla cupcake mix ($14). The LA-based bakery boosts a celebrity following and is famous for its rich cupcakes topped with swirled frosting and signature modern dot. Currently, there are six bakeries sprinkled throughout the Western United States, but thanks to Williams-Sonoma, you can experience the sweetness of Sprinkles in the comfort of your kitchen. The mix comes in seven flavors: chocolate, red velvet, vanilla, lemon, pumpkin, chocolate peppermint, and banana. To find out what I thought of the vanilla variation, read more.

First off, the mix is expensive. It only makes 12 cupcakes and that doesn't include the cost of frosting ingredients. The addition of the signature modern dot is fun, but, be warned, when I opened the plastic container the dots shattered on my counter. By themselves, the dots don't taste very good either: they're chalky and bitter with no apparent taste. The recipe is straightforward and easy to follow.

The final cake is extremely dense with a strong vanilla flavor. Essentially, it tastes exactly like what it is - a gourmet cupcake made from a prepackaged mix.

The frosting was my favorite part: it's thick and creamy with a delightful flavor that's not overly sweet or too buttery.

Since I prefer to make baked goods from scratch, Sprinkles boxed mix will not become a staple in my pantry. If you prefer light, fluffy, moist cupcakes, opt for a different flavor or mix altogether. Has anyone else tried Sprinkles boxed cupcake mixes? What did you think of it?

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Happy Birthday, North: Two Sweet Cakes For My Sweet Boy!

PetSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:15:36 -0700

When cruising around looking for a perfect birthday pawty-cake recipe for my pup, I found a site that sells fondant for dogs! That's means if I wasn't super last minute, I could have ordered him either special treats with his adoro face on them, or just sent in a photo and special ordered their pet-friendly fondant (made of whole-wheat flour, peanut butter, milk, soy flour, baking soda, brown sugar, and milk) already set up to top 12 pupcakes! For his next fiesta with fellow furry friends, I'll bake up either the Peanut Butter Carrot Cake or the Ginger Banana Version . . . 'cause he's got a sweet tooth. Check out both recipes below when you read more.

Peanut Butter Carrot Party Cake
Pup Cakes -n- Cookies

North loooooves peanut butter so how could I resist a recipe with that main ingredient?!

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Directions
Mix flour and baking soda. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased 8" round cake pan or greased 12 cupcake pan (no liners!) and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Let cool. Puree cottage cheese in blender for icing. Decorate with more peanut butter and carrots.

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Ginger Banana Party Cake
Pup Cakes -n- Cookies

Not too sweet for pets but with extra scent and flavor . . . and optional sprinkled nuts for fun!

Ingredients

2/3 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup softened butter
3 large eggs
3/4 cup water
2 cups Unbleached Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Beat together mashed banana and butter until creamy. Add eggs and water. Beat well. Stir in dry ingredients. Beat until smooth, Add nuts. Spoon batter evenly into oiled and floured bundt pan or greased 12 cupcake pan (no liners!). Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes, remove from pan, replace on rack and cool.

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Source

Penny Cupcakes for Your Lil Pupcakes!

PetSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 07:00:32 -0700

I think these treats look fab, not just because I love cupcakes, but also because North's birthday is only one month away! The Penny Cupcakes are named for a fave friend of Isaboo and are safe treats for pets . . . but still yummy enough for you, too! Found in the June/July issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray, get the recipe for yum-o spiced banana and carrot cakes when you read more.

Penny Cupcakes
Every Day With Rachael Ray (June / July 2008)

This confectionery creation is an adapted, healthier version of carrot-and-banana cake that you can share with your K-9 companion!

Ingredients

2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 carrot, grated, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
¼ cup honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces softened cream cheese, optional

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease two 12-cup muffin pans. In a large bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, carrot, egg and honey; stir in 3 cups water.
In another large bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and baking powder; mix into the carrot mixture.
Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full. Bake until firm and dry, about 45 minutes. Let cool, then top each cupcake with more grated carrot and smear with cream cheese if desired.

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Weekend Well-Being: Bake Something Healthy

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:00:00 -0700

I care a lot about what I put into my body, but I still crave sweet treats. The cookies, cakes, pies, and muffins you buy at the store can be loaded with fat and sugar. Most of them are made with white flour and refined sugars, which offer you no nutritional value whatsoever.

I love to bake my own treats, but never have time during my busy week. Plus for me, baking is a time I can relax, and have fun with my girls (it gives my husband a chance to hit the gym or watch sports). Plus it's a chance to teach them about healthy eating, and also learn some math skills like measuring.

I love to bake a big batch of something on Sunday so I can enjoy it for a few days that week. I can have it for breakfast, a late afternoon snack, or pack it in my kids' lunch (the girls love that).

Want to see one of my favorite recipes? Then read more

For 1 loaf of Banana Walnut Bread you'll need:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Sucanat
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup apple sauce (instead of oil)
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (save some for the top of the bread)

Preheat the oven to 350.
Unpeel and mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork.
Add the egg and apple sauce and stir well.
Mix in the flour, Sucanat, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Stir in most of the walnuts, leaving 2 handfuls left.
Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with canola oil spray. If you don't have the spray, just take a paper towel, pour a little canola oil on it and smear that on the pan.
Pour batter into the pan and top with the remaining walnuts.
Bake for 45 min to an hour, checking it with a knife or toothpick to make sure the inside is cooked.

Fit's Tips: For breakfast or an afternoon snack, try toasting a slice of Banana Walnut Bread for a minute, and then spread some almond butter on it. Delicious, satisfying, and between the walnuts and almonds, it's a great way to get some protein.

Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 09:13:31 -0800

Instead of baking the Chinese New Year Cake - Nian Gao - for your Chinese New Year dinner, why not modernize the tradition and serve a sweet version of spring rolls? Fill spring roll wrappers with a luscious mixture of bananas, brown sugar, ginger, and mangoes. Paired with a caramel rum dipping sauce, this is a truly decadent dessert.

Guests will have fun with this finger-licking-good treat, so get the recipe and read more.

Banana & Mango Spring Rolls With Caramel-Rum Dipping Sauce
From Parties That Cook

Spring Rolls:
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
1/4 cup rum
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
4 bananas, peeled, halved lengthwise from top to bottom, then cut into a 1/2-inch dice
1 mango, peeled, pitted, cut lengthwise from top to bottom, then cut into a 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped, then toasted in 350ºF oven for 10 minutes
1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut for filling, plus 1/4 cup for garnish
12 (8-inch) square frozen spring roll pastry wrappers, thawed
1 egg, beaten
4 cups canola oil, for frying
Caramel-Rum Sauce:
6 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup coconut milk
Powdered sugar and fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Heat canola oil in a wok or frying pan to 360°F.
Sauté Fruit: Melt butter in a medium sauté pan. Add brown sugar, ginger, rum and salt; bring to a boil, then add the fruit.
Sauté for about 2 minutes until the fruit softens slightly. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Let cool slightly.
Mix in the toasted macadamia nuts and coconut right before ready to make the rolls.
Make rolls: Place 1 spring roll wrapper on work surface in diamond shape (1 pointed end toward you and 1 pointed end in opposite direction). Cut off 2 inches of the end pointed towards you. Place 2-3 Tablespoons of the fruit mixture in the center. Fold bottom pointed corner of spring roll wrapper up over fruit, then fold in sides over fruit. Brush unfolded part of spring roll wrapper with beaten egg. Roll up wrapper, enclosing fruit completely. The spring roll should look like a log. Place on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Repeat with remaining spring roll wrappers and fruit mixture.
Make the caramel-rum sauce: Combine butter, brown sugar, salt and rum in heavy medium saucepan.
Bring mixture to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and starts to bubble and turn darker brown. Add coconut milk and whisk until mixture is smooth.
Fry Rolls: Working in 2 batches, add spring rolls to medium-hot oil and cook until golden brown and crisp, turning often, about 5 minutes per batch.
Using a skimmer, transfer spring rolls to a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Keep warm in a 200ºF oven until ready to eat.
Slice spring rolls on an angle using a serrated knife. Place sliced spring roll on a serving platter. Sprinkle with coconut, confectioner’s sugar and garnish with mint. Serve caramel-rum sauce in a bowl for dipping.

Makes 20 spring rolls and 40 pieces.

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A Month of Cookies Roundup

YumSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:01:52 -0700

Last month was National Cookie Month and, in case you didn't know, we featured a different cookie recipe each day. If you missed any of them, then you're in luck, we've compiled them all for you right here. There were some basics like snickerdoodles and shortbread, but there were also some new finds like potato chip cookies. So check out the list - there are 32, one for each day and one extra! - and see what strikes your fancy!

Yummy Links: From Creative Lunches to Wild Crabs

YumSugar — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:03:12 -0700

Bored of making your kids the same food each day? Check out these creative lunchtime ideas. - iVillage
I'm not really sure you want to know this, but just in case, here's a nutritional breakdown of fair food. 760 calories in a funnel cake?! - FitSugar
Do you know where the best pizza in America can be found? The field's been narrowed down to three finalists! - Serious Eats
Speaking of pizza, things just got a little bit crazier at Domino's. Now they're offering an Oreo Dessert Pizza. - Slashfood
I wish I had the space to collect cake stands. But since I don't, I'll just have to make my own for each party - Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen

How did we all miss an exhibition of artists using chocolate as their medium? - Will Work For Food
Don't let him order the Cosmo. Learn more about the 10 Drinks Men Should Never Order. - Chow
Specialty kiosks will allow you to get recipes while at the grocery store. - Baking Bites
Using a microwave will get you a lovely semolina-banana-coconut cake in under 15 minutes. Now if only I had a microwave... - Culinate
A moving tale about the noise a crab make when it dies. - Culinate