vanilla cupcakes

you know me. okay, maybe not really. but what i was going to say here was, i never like throwing any leftover ingredients out if it's still good and i know that i can make use of it. so as usual... you know, the typical mexican dinner night that calls for sour cream, well, there was a bunch leftover. so, what did i do with it? of course, bake with the leftovers!

what we have here is a super moist, waaaay delicious and perfectly sweetened vanilla cupcake; and nicely decorated for easter sunday (yes, this was our easter meal dessert – of course you can decorate it anyway you like for any occasion). i say you can skip the frosting if you want, because the cake out of the oven is seriously a yummy bite already. the sour cream in this recipe is superb. for sure better than your buttermilk or good ol' milk. the cake comes out perfectly baked and not dry at all. i love that the taste and texture stays true even a couple days later (yeah, sitting out on the counter... and so not in an airtight container! my bad).

this recipe is for sure a keeper in my opinion. if you’d like to see it for yourself, i say go ahead and give it a try. it's super simple to make. you can't mess up. i've made it two times in the last week and loved it every time. the only thing i wasn't too crazy about was that although the cake puffed up (rise) while baking in the oven, once you take it out and it cools, it falls back and dips just a tad. not totally crazy about that, but hey, i guess that's okay when it's so good. not too big of a deal especially if you're going to frost it. you won't be able to tell.

okay, enjoy! :)



vanilla cupcakes
recipe from here

ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line standard muffin/cupcake tin with paper or foil liners.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add butter, sour cream, egg and egg yolks, and vanilla; beat at medium speed until smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula and mix by hand until smooth and no flour pockets remain.
3. Divide batter evenly among cups of prepared tin. Bake until cupcake tops are pale gold and toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from tin and transfer to wire rack; cool cupcakes to room temperature before frosting. For frosting ideas, you can check out these recipes.

makes 12 standard size cupcakes. enjoy and happy eating. :)

12 days of christmas baking - day 2: snickerdoodles

okay, i'm a little slow posting day 2's recipe here. but here it is. i decided on snickerdoodles. and i have to admit, i've never really had a snickerdoodle cookie before until i finally tried blue bottle coffee's vanilla-saffron snickerdoodle a few months back. some people say why did they even put saffron in their cookie, because it totally ruins the classic taste. i'm like, does it matter? it tastes fine to me!

my mother-in-law is a big fan of snickerdoodles. she said they're super simple to make (which they are) and for some reason, if you're a sweet tooth, the sugar really comes out in this recipe. so it's like this extra sweet goodie, without too much sugar really. i mean, chocolate chip cookies use way more (or slightly more) sugar.

anyway, below's the recipe for these yummy looking cookies. it's slightly adapted from blue bottle coffee's recipe. i took out the vanilla bean and saffron because i didn't have those ingredients on hand. oh, and i added the cinnamon sugar coating to give it a more festive taste, being that it's the holidays and all. so if you'd like to try and make some, i say go ahead. enjoy and happy baking! :)

snickerdoodles
recipe adapted from blue bottle craft of coffee cookbook

ingredients:

• 2 cups (9.9 oz / 280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (4 oz / 113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (3.8 oz / 109 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg (1.8 oz / 50 g), at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

optional (to coat the dough before baking):

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Sift the flour and baking soda into a medium bowl.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt and mix on low speed until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk, and vanilla extract and whisk vigorously until well blended. With the mixer on medium speed, add the egg mixture very slowly, in a steady stream, and mix until well-incorporated and very smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then mix on medium speed for 30 more seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed just until uniform in texture.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Roll 1 tablespoon portions of the dough into balls (and if you want to roll them in the cinnamon sugar mix, this is when you do it). Then place them on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden but not too dark, rotating the pan midway through the baking time. Ideally, the baked cookies will be tall and slightly undercooked in the center, and will buckle shortly after coming out of the oven. If the cookies don't buckle, don't worry; they'll still be delicious. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing. These cookies are best when eaten warm, shortly after they come out of the oven. However, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Alternatively, the dough can stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as needed and saving the rest of the dough to bake another day.

makes about 4 dozen small cookies or 9 large cookies (1/4-cup dough balls, bake for 16 mins).

check out last year's day 2 recipe: chocolate snowcap cookies

mini vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd + vanilla buttercream

so far this year we've had 3 people leave us at my work place. and this most recent one will be missed a whole lot. let's just say lunches aren't quite the same without him or the overall vibe isn't quite the same without him. he's fun and has quite the personality anyone would love to have around. so as a little farewell whatever-you-call-it, i made him some mini cupcakes. i asked him what he'd like but he couldn't decide and said for me to bake whatever. and cupcakes it was.

below's the recipe for one of the cupcakes i made. i've always been a fan of amy sedaris's vanilla cupcake recipe so i took her recipe and adapted it a little bit for my little take on her vanilla cupcakes. the overall result? the mini cupcakes turned out great. very nice and moist and with the lemon curd and buttercream combo, they were scrumptious. oh, and yes, i made others as well. you'll see there are mini red velvets with cream cheese frosting and another vanilla with chocolate coffee frosting. but these mini vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd and vanilla buttercream toppings are getting the feature in this post. they really are good. i absolutely love that hit of tartness from the lemon curd as you plop that one-bite mini cupcake in your mouth. seriously, the combination of sweet and sour is just perfect.

so go ahead and make some. you can even make your own lemon curd or use store-bought ones. hey, even a favorite jam could work too. but i say the whole lemon and vanilla combo is the way to go if you're up to making the whole cupcake from scratch. give it a try and let me know what you think! enjoy and happy baking. :)


these mini vanilla cupcakes are delicious. i absolutely love amy sedaris's vanilla cupcake recipe and the lemon curd pairs perfectly with it.


everyone at work enjoyed these goodies. who doesn't like one-bite mini cupcakes?! :)


mini red velvets w/ cream cheese frosting + vanilla w/ chocolate coffee frosting + vanilla w/ lemon curd + vanilla frosting: these were some tasty cupcakes and they made the perfect mini going away gifts.


yes, i instagram everything and lately it's been a lot of food photos. this was my instagram shot of the goodies i gave to my going away coworker.

mini vanilla cupcakes with lemon curd & vanilla buttercream frosting
cupcake recipe adapted from amy sedaris

cupcakes:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• 2/3 cup buttermilk

vanilla buttercream frosting:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• cream or milk

directions for cupcakes:

1. preheat oven on to 375°F.
2. in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
3. put butter in mixer and beat at medium speed until somewhat smooth.
4. pour in sugar and beat well. add in the egg and mix well.
5. then add: vanilla, the dry ingredients and buttermilk. beat until it looks like it is supposed to and pour into individual baking cups, until they are about 2/3 full.
6. bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
7. let cakes cool completely before topping it off with the lemon curd and frosting.
8. makes 20-24 mini one-bite (or two?) cupcakes. or 6-8 regular ones (i can't guarantee the exact amount though because i only made mini ones).

directions for vanilla buttercream frosting:

1. cream butter in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
2. slowly add in the sugar, vanilla extract and beat until light and fluffy; and has reached the right consistency; about 3-4 minutes. add cream or more sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency.

enjoy! these mini cupcakes are best enjoyed within a day or two. happy eating! :)

you can check out these recipes as well:

• sprinkles-inspired mini red velvet cupcakes
• eggless vanilla cupcakes w/ chocolate buttercream frosting
• meyer lemon curd

browned butter vanilla yogurt cake

in my previous posts i mentioned how i had baked all these cakes for my uncle's funeral service. well, i came upon this lemon rosemary cake on pinterest and actually made that recipe. anyway, the cake turned out delicious (and unfortunately i don't have any pictures to show for here). m was actually quite a fan of the cake (he's always such a tough critic with my baked goods). because of his rave review i decided i would make it again. except for this time when i went to make it, i didn't have my butter ready at room temperature like the first time and the microwave wasn't cooperating when i went to use it (to soften the butter) so i ended up having to brown my butter – therefore leading to this new cake recipe i came up with, adapted from the lemon rosemary cake of course!

this browned butter vanilla yogurt cake is just right. i haven't cared too much for frosted cakes lately so yogurt cakes, cake loaves, cakes with simple powdered sugar dusting or glaze icing was right up my alley. plus, it doesn't hurt that i still have all those ingredients in the fridge. so yes, i know… even after that 12-hour marathon baking expedition, i went ahead and baked this cake a few days after. i have to say, this yogurt cake is delicious. it's nice and simple with nothing too extravagant, but elegant enough that you know you're eating something good. the browned butter really enhances the vanilla flavor. and the yogurt in the cake really keeps it nice and moist. of course, not to mention the added lemon glaze on top that gives it that nice sweet and sour kick. oh, it's good!

below's the recipe should you want to make one yourself. i did mine in a 9-inch cake pan, but of course, you can use whatever pan you like. enjoy and happy baking! :)


this browned butter vanilla yogurt cake is really the perfect treat. i love it with a nice cup of coffee -- when i do drink coffee (because i don't drink tea) in the morning or afternoon as a mini sweet treat. ;)

browned butter vanilla yogurt cake
recipe adapted from baked bree

ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (i used plain because that was all i had)
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° F.
2. in a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat until it turns into a nice, sweet and delicious golden brown. note: you'll know when you've got browned butter when your whole kitchen starts to smell or smells like a nice toffee butterscotch candy. otherwise, i say anywhere from 3-5 minutes is pretty good. then pour it in a medium bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. while the butter is cooling, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. set aside.
4. now, add the vanilla to the bowl with the butter. mix to blend. then add yogurt, and add eggs one at a time. again, mix all the ingredients until blended.
5. add in the dry ingredients and mix for an additional minute, scrapping the bowl, until everything is smooth and combined.
6. pour batter into an 9-in cake pan (or you can use a loaf pan) that has been sprayed with cooking spray (i used olive oil instead).
7. bake for 45 to 50 minutes. cool in pan for 10 minutes. take the cake out of the pan, and cool completely on a rack.
8. to make the lemon glaze: whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice together. then add more sugar and lemon juice as needed. drizzle over cake. let glaze stand until completely set.
9. serve right away once the glaze has set. enjoy! :)

makes 8-12 servings depending on how you slice it. this yogurt cake is best enjoy within the same day it's made. otherwise, it can keep up to two days if nicely wrapped.

dessert table for a first birthday party

i just wanted to share a photo i took with instagram. i really think my first attempt at a dessert table this past weekend turned out beautifully. you can't really go wrong with mini cupcakes and macarons; oh, and of course, the full birthday cake. everything was lovely and cute as can be for a little girl having her first ever birthday (party).

so how was the party and goodies? a big successful! ;)

for the (similar) recipes shown in the pictures above, you can access them here:

- eggless vanilla (and chocolate) mini cupcakes
- coconut and raspberry macarons (coconut macaron recipe to come – no recipe posted yet. but you can get other macarons recipes here)
- martha stewart one-bowl chocolate cupcakes

enjoy!

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UPDATE: a few more photos from the party ;)


not only are these mini vanilla and chocolate cupcakes so cute and adorable, they're egg-free and perfect for any no-egg diet!


i had been meaning to make these coconut macarons and i think they turned out great! so yummy, and the raspberry ones are just as good.


so here's a (similar to my instagram) photo of the dessert table (this one was taken with my canon). i love how cute this dessert table turned out!

eggless vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream

i had been wanting to bake some cupcakes for a while. finally this morning i was able to. i figured if i got up early enough (typically we do with two little ones around here), and had enough time getting all the usual morning routines out of the way i would squeeze in a quick bake session. and lucky for me i was able to do all of that!

these eggless vanilla cupcakes are delicious. you'd never thought there weren't any eggs in them. these are great for parties or little ones who may have an egg allergy. i've made this recipe a bunch of times before and every time they always turn out just right. try them for yourself and you'll see what i mean. scrumptious, i know!


these eggless mini vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream topped with chocolate covered almonds are so adorable!


very simple and easy to make egg-free cupcake recipe

eggless vanilla cupcakes
adapted from love and olive oil

ingredients:

cupcakes:
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup milk (if using buttermilk, skip vinegar)
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

chocolate buttercream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
3 to 3-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

milk or cream, as needed

directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine milk and vinegar and stir to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes. Mixture will curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Whisk sugar, oil, vanilla extract into curdled milk mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Mix until relatively smooth. Fill cupcake liners with a scant 3 tablespoons of batter (cups should be just under 2/3 of the way full). Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For frosting, cream butter in electric mixer for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Slowly add 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and beat until smooth. Add creamer or milk and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla extract and mix at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add cream or more sugar as necessary to achieve proper consistency. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes.

Enjoy!

vanilla biscotti teething biscuits for the little one

so my last teething biscuits for v didn't turn out the way i thought it would. like i mentioned in that blog post, the texture of the biscuit itself was unexpected and not in the (good) way i had hope. i expected it to be more of a crumbly cookie-like texture, but instead it was very doughy. i decided i try a different recipe and see how those turn out.

well, let me tell you, these vanilla biscottis turned out great! they are exactly like the regular kind the big kids can eat, firm but crumbly when gnawed, except that they're not as sweet. of course if you'd like to add more sugar in your version, go ahead. i'm sure you can even substitute whole wheat pastry flour for the all purpose flour if you want. i didn't substitute the flour because i didn't have any whole wheat handy or added a whole lot of sugar because i figure this is for my little one, a little hint of sweetness will do just fine. plus, the small amount of butter is giving this cookie that yummy buttery taste. i hope my little one will enjoy them as much as i'd enjoy making them for her.

below's the recipe should you be interested.


these homemade cookies are great for the little ones and so easy to make


a side view of these goodies


this recipe sure makes plenty! i know v will be so happy to see something else different for a change ;)

teething vanilla biscotti
recipe adapted from here

ingredients:
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 tbsp butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour, 1/4 cup extra if needed

directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cream the sugar with the butter and beat in the egg. Add the vanilla extract, 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt and mix the dough well. It should be fairly sticky, but you should be able to gently mould it with your hands. If it's too sticky, add the extra 1/4 cup of flour. Form the dough into a long "log" shape (around 8-10 inches long) and bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet/cookie sheet.

Allow to cool, then carefully cut into 1/2 in slices with a sharp knife. You should get around 16-24 slices. Place each slice, cut side down, on a baking/cookie sheet, then bake for another 15-20 mins, turning the Biscotti over half way through the cooking time. If they still feel soft, lower the heat and cook for an extra 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely - they get harder as they cool. Store in airtight container. Should keep for 2-3 days.

more macarons!

i have been baking lately. i've just been too busy or lazy to post up pictures. below are a few macarons i've baked within the last couple of weeks. i think i've got my own little french macaron recipe down now. i know i mentioned before how i use david lebovitz's, but i think from his... i've derived my own little recipe, which is almost foolproof (well, at least the 3-4 times i've made it, it's turned out great!). i cannot wait to make some more macarons. until next time, enjoy the photos below! and yes, i'm still working on my food photo skills. right now they suck. it doesn't help i don't have a fancy camera either. hehehe.. enjoy!


coffee macarons with coffee chocolate filling -- these turned out sooooo yummy!


marbled coffee macarons with chocolate ganache


sometimes, the classic vanilla macaron is best. i love simple things and this is definitely one of them.


my gift packaging isn't quite there yet, but i'm trying. these look so much better than many of my previous ones.