Rum & Coke Cupcakes

 I recently asked my friends and family on Facebook to give me some cupcake flavor ideas and my Aunt suggested rum and coke. I knew coca-cola cake was a fairly popular recipes and thought that  rum frosting would go well with it.
I mainly chose the recipe that I used because I found the method of heating the coke and the cocoa together and then stirring in the mini marshmallows to melt them very interesting. And I would also like to note that this was my first successful attempt at making Swiss meringue butter cream.The texture is very interesting; lighter than butter cream but it still has a lot of richness to it.

Recipe found at Coffee and Cannolis

Ingredients:

For the Cupcakes 2 cups AP flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter 
1 cup Coca-Cola©
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cup mini marshmallows 

For the Frosting 5 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
4 sticks of butter, diced and softened
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup rum (I used a dark rum)

Directions:

For the Cupcakes Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with cupcake liners.

In stand mixer fitted with a flat beater, combine flour and sugar; set aside. In saucepan, combine margarine, cola and cocoa and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Add marshmallows and stir slowly until melted.

Remove pan from heat and pour over flour and sugar. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well.

Fill cupcake liners about 1/2-2/3 full and bake for about 17-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before frost.

** Don’t worry if the batter seems a little thin; it will bake up fine!

For the Frosting Combine egg whites and sugar in a bowl placed over simmering water.  Bring mixture to 150 degrees F while whisking constantly.

Transfer mixture to stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium high speed (8 on a KA mixer) until mixture cools and doubles in volume, forming soft medium peaks; about 10-12 minutes.

Add butter in one piece at a time, mixing to incorporate after each addition.  The mixture may appear clumpy and almost curdled looking at first – this is normal for Swiss Meringue Butter Creams!  Keep mixing – it will become even and smooth again!

Add salt and rum and mix to combine.

Blackberry, Lemon, and Vanilla Cupcakes

 I have only made cupcakes that had a filling twice before so I was really excited to make cupcakes that had two different fillings. I really just made these on a whim because they were just too beautiful to resist. And with all the berries that are filling up the produce section now; I had to make my love of blackberries known.

 Recipe found at Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit

Vanilla Cupcakes
12 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat butter on high until soft, about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugar. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat for 30 seconds between each.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
5. Measure out milk and vanilla together.
6. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter/sugar mixture and beat to combine.
7. Add about one third the milk/vanilla mixture and beat until combined.
8. Repeat above, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Scoop into cupcake papers about half to three-quarters full.
10. Bake for 22-25 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.

Lemon Curd

2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
2. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in butter, piece by piece. Cover with plastic wrap, and cool in the refrigerator.
3. By hand, whip together cream and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
4. Fold cream into the chilled curd.

Blackberry Mash

6 ounce blackberries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
seeds from 1/4 vanilla bean

1. Heat blackberries, water, and sugar over medium heat until boiling.
2. Mash with a potato masher.
3. Add cornstarch and vanilla bean and cook for a few minutes until thick.
4. Remove from heat and cool.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces or 1 package of Philly cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2-3 cups sifted powdered sugar
seeds from 1/4 of a vanilla bean
vanilla extract to taste

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature by letting it sit out for 1 or 2 hours
2. Beat butter until soft and creamy.
3. Add cream cheese and beat until combined.
4. Add half of the sugar and the vanilla bean. Beat until creamy.
5. Gradually add remaining sugar (more if you have to) until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.
6. Add vanilla extract to taste if the seeds aren’t enough adding in 1/2 teaspoon increments.

Assemble
1. Fill the cupcakes with the lemon curd and blackberry mash using the cone method. This post has step by step photos of the method.
2. Frost.
3. Top with a blackberry.

Notes:
-Do not be afraid on the cone method. I always assumed it would be difficult but it is very easy and it leaves little pieces of the cake for you to eat.
-I had never used vanilla bean in a recipe before so I looked for them at the store. However, they were so pricey that I left them out of the recipe and only used vanilla extract.

Lessons Learned From the Past: Part 1

Practice really does make perfect. I started baking about 2 and a half years ago now and recently I went back and looked at the photos I took of some of the first cupcakes I made. It really is amazing how different they look now. Armed with a little baking know-how, a Kitchen Aid mixer, and a piping set, I have been able to turn out some really good looking and tasting cupcakes.

I feel like I have really learned a lot since I started making cupcakes so I thought I would share a few of my tips.

Here are some old photos of mine and the lesson I learned from making them:

• For starters, the camera I was using was horrendous. I now use a Nikon D3100. You don't need a $550 camera but just knowing a little about exposure and focusing can make a big difference. (This tip is really only important if you are planning on posting photos for a blog, though.) And remember; natural lighting is always best!

Avoid Box Mixes When You Can

Black Forest Cupcakes circa 2010

Fill AFTER Baking

• I used a box mix for these. I HATE box mixes now. I can definitely taste a major difference between box and from scratch. The chocolate recipe I always use now is just as easy to make and much better tasting. 
• The reason the cupcakes have sunken down in the middle is because they were filled with cream and cherries. After being baked they swell up, then shrivel which causes them to sink down. It is much wiser to just take the time and fill them after they are baked. The cherries will also maintain a lot more of their flavor that way.

Don't Microwave Your Butter

Pumpkin Cupcakes circa 2010

• The flavor of these cakes were just fine and I do currently use this pumpkin recipe. However, the frosting was too runny. The reason being I was not taking the time to let by butter soften by just sitting out at room temperature. I was melting it slightly in the microwave. Microwaves don't cook evenly so part of the butter would turn to liquid while the rest would just soften. The extra liquid in the recipe makes it too runny. I did not have a piping set at the time, but if I did, it certainly could not have held its shaped after being piped.

Mountain Dew Cupcakes with Mountain Dew Buttercream circa 2010

Beware of Cake Recipes with Large Ratios of Liquid Ingredients
Be Patient When Making Butter Cream Frosting

• It has gotten to the point where I can read some recipes and know that it's no good. When a cake or frosting recipe calls for a lot of liquid, it is most likely to fail. With too much liquid in a cake, it will most likely sink and become really dense. When they sink, only half of the wrapper will be full and there is usually a dip in the middle. The texture isn't very pleasant either. It's more or less solid because all the liquid has made it too heavy.
• Butter cream is a fairly common frosting yet I find it to be one of the most difficult. For starters, I was microwaving the butter which was turning part of it to liquid and making the frosting very runny. With the extra liquid (Mountain Dew) in this recipe, the frosting was basically liquid. "Breaking the butter cream" is the term I like to use when the liquid in the recipe separates from the sugar resulting in an unpleasant looking and tasting texture. To avoid this, you need to be careful about the amount of liquid going into the recipe and take a good amount of time incorporating the sugar into the butter. A stand mixer comes in handy here because it can take 7-10 min.

I hope this may help some to learn from my mistakes!

To be continued!

Piña Colada Cupcakes

I was at Global Foods the other day and bought a can of coconut milk and was planning to use it to make some coconut curry one day. However, I randomly decided that I wanted to make piña colada cupcakes last Sunday so the coconut curry will have to wait.

One of my favorite cupcake recipes is the Strawberry Muffin Cones Recipe from Taste of Home.
Well I guess technically it's a recipe for muffins but like I care. What I really love about this recipe is you can replace the fruit and yogurt ingredients with what ever fruit/ flavor you choose. So I decided to try the recipe with pineapple and piña colada yogurt to get piña colada cupcakes!

Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Key Lime Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Sometimes I just get in a cupcake baking mood and I can't be stopped. Since I happened to have graham crackers and limes sitting around, it was finally time to try this recipe.

An Introduction

Hello!

My name is Amanda, I am 19, and I live in Northern Virginia. I am currently attending Community College to get my Associate's in Liberal Arts. After getting my degree, I plan on going to the University of Mary Washington to get my Bachelor's in Business because it is my dream to open my own bakery/ cafe.

I have been baking since I was 16 and not to brag, but I think I'm getting pretty good.

I am self-taught and owe a lot to the cupcake bloggers out there who provide recipes and tips. Because I love all the bakers out there who blog, I really wanted to start posting some of the recipes I use and some of the tips and tricks I have picked up over the last three years.

I call my "business" (It's not official yet) TOBOTOS. Which stands for That One Bakery On That One Street. It was just a silly name my friends and I came up with a couple of years ago but I have been using it ever since. I rhymes with "lotus" of you were wondering how to pronounce it.

I will be posting recipes soon!

I hope you enjoy!