Tag: cupcakes

Top Tier Tiramisu

Tiramisu, the iconic Italian “pick me up,” isn’t entirely as it seems. Although some will cite texts from the 18th and 19th centuries that reference desserts with similar components, none are the proper, full-featured tiramisu as we know it. That honor is bestowed on two rival bakeries that claim to be the first; the true origin being lost to history, though neither existed before the 1950s, at the earliest.

The fact of the matter is, the tiramisu is a wholly modern creation, every bit as trendy and changeable as it is iconic. Ladyfingers dunked in spiked espresso syrup are generally agreed to be the traditional base, but plenty of equally competent offerings simply use slabs of soaked cake. Naturally, if we assemble from that starting line, cupcakes are just one evolutionary step away.

Tiramisu cupcakes, far from a groundbreaking twist, are simply another version of this crowd pleasing dessert, disassembled and then rebuilt in a different way. I promise this is less like rickety IKEA furniture and more like a like an upcycled version of a vintage find. Perfectly portioned for everyone to help themselves, they’re the ideal guests to invite to a party. That was the real inspiration here, fulfilling the mandatory cake requirement for my birthday without making a big fuss of it.

Using cream cheese in the frosting evokes creamy mascarpone, as seen in the original filling, while making it a much more stable topping for sitting out, unrefrigerated, until party goers are ready to dig in. Existing in that rare middle ground of sweet but not sugary, rich but not heavy, even I was honestly impressed by how well they turned out.

I’m not one to brag, so it’s really saying something that I might want to make these for my birthday every year. There’s an ease to them that feels like a gift in itself, effortless to whip up, painless to transport, and quick to disappear. For all the mythology and debate surrounding tiramisu’s origins, its true legacy might simply be adaptability because in cupcake form, it fits right into contemporary traditions with surprising grace.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)2 Comments

It’s S’more Than A Feeling

Any kid that once went to summer camp will forever have a soft spot for s’mores. The very word conjures up memories of crackling campfires, star-studded nights, and the all-American treat. No one can forget the sweet, sticky mess of melted chocolate, dripping out from under the heat of a toasted (okay, burnt) marshmallow, barely holding itself together between two buckling graham crackers. Though a relatively new culinary innovation that we can thank the Girl Scouts for, both the flavor and ritual have become impossibly enmeshed in our collective psyche.

I’d be willing to bet that most people these days don’t go out and light a bonfire every time cravings strike. Gathering firewood, tending flames that are extinguished after a light breeze, and battling rogue mosquitos seems like a lot to ask for a simple snack.

No longer children, subjected to these character-building moments, we have the means and technology to improve that experience. S’mores cupcakes capture all the nostalgia and flavor of the classic campfire treat, but with the added bonus of staying safe and cozy indoors. By using aquafaba, the beloved chickpea brine that whips up like a dream, it’s easy to achieve the very same toasted marshmallow flavor in a frosting. Just char the edges with a kitchen torch after piping; it’s faster than wrestling with kindling, a whole lot less messy than campfire soot, and the flavor is every bit as incredible.

Instead of tromping outside into the wilderness, preheat your oven for this round. It’s time to turn your kitchen into a haven of warm, gooey childhood comfort food, minus the campfire fuss.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)1 Comment

Carrot and Stick

Like clockwork, as the weather warms and thoughts turn to garden parties, alfresco brunches, and spring celebrations, carrot cake is invariably waiting in the wings. Despite being one of the few omnipresent produce options all year round, they’re inextricably linked with spring. Maybe it’s the vibrant orange color of carrots that helps shake off the doldrums of winter, its perceived lightness and freshness to combat months of heavy stews, or simply the associations with Easter. Regardless, if you don’t have a solid carrot cake recipe in your repertoire, you’re liable to get left out in the cold.

Carrots’ Glow Up

Curiously, the traits that we prize most in carrots today were nonexistent in their earliest ancestors. Once a thin, spindly, and bitter white root, they bear almost no resemblance to the golden-hued, sweet vegetables we know today. Centuries of selective breeding transformed it into one of the world’s most popular edible plants across all cultures. Medieval European cooks first incorporated them in simple puddings that laid the groundwork for the evolution of carrot-based desserts. As refined sugar was a rare luxury, carrots provided a naturally sweet alternative for the everyday worker.

Icing On The Cake

Contrary to my photographic evidence (or lack thereof), I would never support sending out naked carrot cake. Especially when we’re talking about cupcakes, without any buttercream addition, those are simply muffins, no matter how you try to sell it. I just don’t see the need to reinvent the wheel, when so many marvelous frosting formulas are already available. My top recommendations, in order:

Building A Better Carrot Cake

There’s no lack of options for vegan carrot cake recipes out there, and yet I’d still like to throw my hat into the ring. What sets mine apart is the inclusion of finely ground almond flour, adding a satisfying density and subtly nutty flavor. That taste resonates with the generous addition of toasted pecans, which also introduce a toothsome textural contrast. To that end, I fully endorse raisins as well, for their chewy bites of concentrated sweetness. For staunch raisin-haters, I’d implore you to replace them with diced dried pineapple instead of outright omission.

Most importantly, there’s enough actual carrot content to live up to the name, not just a few token shreds for aesthetics. While this is solidly a dessert, not a health food nor full serving of vegetables, it should at least pay tribute to the supposed star of the show. Woven throughout the lightly spiced crumb, the taproot becomes tender and almost silky after baking, adding richness and moisture, just like the historical uses intended.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)3 Comments

All About That Base

Cake mixes get a bad rap- in most cases, rightly so. Little more than overpriced packages of flour, the advantage they offer to conventional baking is slim to none. Hapless bakers end up investing their precious time and money on treats that taste no better than a processed, packaged dessert straight off the grocery store shelf. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of the concept. I’ve always railed against such purported “conveniences” that merely cut out the step of measuring ingredients already ready and waiting in the pantry.

To every rule, however, there is an exception. PastryBase is that rare unicorn that makes the cut, quite literally in the case of their adorable Unicorn Cupcake Baking Kit. What sets this apart from the pack is that you get so much more than just a bag of dusty white flour.

One box contains everything you need to hit the ground baking, which is exceptionally helpful if you’re not a regularly keep the pantry fully stocked. That includes rainbow cupcake papers, a disposable piping bag, two types of sprinkles, those highly Instagrammable unicorn toothpick toppers, and of course, both cake and frosting mix. All you need to supply is a splash of non-dairy milk, oil, and some vegan butter.

Did I mention yet that it’s gluten-free? It’s an important feature, but the least of my concerns when I’m savoring the fruits of my scant labor. This is one of those rare baked goods that dessert devotees would flock to, expressing genuine shock and disbelief that they are, in fact, gluten-free. Moist and tender all the way through, there’s not a dry crumb to be found. Of course, there’s not a crumb left by the time you finish licking the paper clean, either.

Just as importantly, they’re not bound so tightly with gums or thickeners that they’re more dense than osmium. For all the conventional ingredients omitted in this mix, these little cakes truly lack nothing.

Whipping up in mere minutes, the soft, gooey frosting comes together like a standard American buttercream. Though I held back on the liquid, adding only 1 of 3 suggested tablespoons, mine came out far less fluffy than that pictured. Regardless, I certainly can’t complain about the taste. Bearing a subtle hint of marshmallow and notes of vanilla, it crowns those golden cakes with a gentle kiss of sweetness.

Enjoyed altogether, these treats deliver a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Plus, that coarse colored sugar isn’t just for show; it adds a crunchy, satisfyingly granular texture for welcome contrast.

Easy enough for a child but too much fun to let them enjoy all the glory alone, PastryBase is the only mix I will allow in my kitchen. PastryBase is passionate about changing the notion that baking is too difficult, arduous, and time-consuming for the home cook. Their mission is to encourage everyone, from beginners to pastry mavens, to bake more often, with higher-quality ingredients, and no worries. Now that is something I can happily sink my teeth into.

This post was made possible as a collaboration with PastryBase. My opinions can not be bought and all content is original. This page may contain affiliate links; thank you for supporting my blog!

Hannah (BitterSweet)9 Comments

Cupcake Wrecks

There should really be an emergency brake for life. Even a “check engine” light would be nice, for a bit of advanced warning when trouble is imminent. At bare minimum, airbags should come standard, right?

The signs become obvious only in hindsight, when we pick through the rubble to find where it all went wrong. Rather than one origin, one point of failure, an endless array of tiny fissures mar the surface of an otherwise solid foundation. Not cause for alarm by themselves, nothing that could ever bring down a building alone, but together, in concert, they set the stage for a crippling domino effect.

Overworked, under-slept, massively stressed, straining under oppressive deadlines, I still found myself incapable of simply saying “no.” Sound familiar? Each new opportunity sounded better than the last, and how could I possibly turn down good work? Passionate about what I do, I was living the dream, inundated by more jobs than I could handle! Everything was fantastic! Everyday was packed to the max, from the moment my sweet pup jumped on my head at 5am until I collapsed back into bed at midnight. The to-do list was endless, but I loved all of the work. If not for those harsh time constraints, it would have been perfect.

Perfection is a fallacy at best, a dangerous delusion at worst.

Suddenly, but of course, unsurprisingly, the careful cloth I was weaving began to unravel as the stitches became more hurried, sloppy, and periodically missed the mark.

Preparing for the San Francisco World VegFest a mere week after being added to the roster of speakers, I hurried to bake a hundred mini Self-Frosting Peanut Butter Cupcakes to accompany my demo, sharing some basic baking tips out of Sweet Vegan Treats. Sweet and simply, this was easy stuff; a recipe I’d been making with great success for over a decade, to great acclaim. For whatever reason though, everything was going wrong. Perhaps I had been distracted by the photo shoots scheduled for later in the day, or client emails that begged for attention. Pulling the first pan out of the oven, I was shocked to discover that I had forgotten the frosting swirl- The single most important part of the whole assembly! What’s more, my beautiful little cupcakes had transformed into bizarre biscuits, shaped like mittens, of all things. What on earth? I could only ask myself in dismay and disappointment. Where is your head, girl?!

They were ruined, beyond repair. Hastily, I slapped on shoes, taking off at a dead sprint out to Berkeley Bowl, hunting fresh ingredients to begin anew. This could still be salvaged. There was still just enough time…

Violently shaken down to my knees, the pavement suddenly rose to meet me with unforgiving impact. I instinctively gripped my battered knees, but it did nothing to the lessen the tremors. The very bottom has dropped out beneath my feet, as the ground shook angrily below. It was another earthquake, but not just another; it was the big one that everyone had warned about. The catastrophic event that California had been overdue to experience, that we should have expected from the start.

I looked up towards the hills, assessing the damage, when something even more devastating caught my eye. The volcano sitting high on the horizon, long dormant, now spewed glowing cascades of molten lava, thick and syrupy, down across the land. Smothering homes with abandon, the fires began to spread from bone-dry brush along the way, and smoke as thick as grey cotton filled the air. It was coming my way.

Scrambling on top of the nearest car to delay the inevitable, I watched as magma washed away carefully planted succulents lining the streets just ahead, swallowing each helpless plant whole as if they were the salad course before the main meal. I distinctly recall my final thoughts, as the tires began to melt from the sheer intensity of the heat: Well, at least I don’t have to do the cupcake demo tomorrow…

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Hannah (BitterSweet)5 Comments

Golden State of Mind

Without cake, does it really even count as a birthday?

Sure, it’s inevitable that the celebrant will still wake up another day older regardless of the day’s festivities or lack thereof, but don’t we all? Just like a cupcake without frosting is really just a muffin, a birthday bereft of cake is not only a sad situation to imagine, but one that truly misses the point.

How often do we have a legitimate excuse to eat ungodly amounts of sweets as if there was no tomorrow, despite our best efforts at self-preservation to survive up until this milestone?

With that in mind, my own sweet birthday reward is a bit more minimal than in years past, but necessary for a proper observation of the day.

Shaking off the January chill, each glorious, golden bite of these turmeric cupcakes is a warming embrace from within. Originally inspired by the luminous golden lattes served at a favorite cafe, these sweet treats are suitably more nourishing than your average dessert. Boasting only natural sweeteners and gluten-free flours, even I would be skeptical of this formula if it hadn’t been my own creation.

Most importantly, these treats pack a bold punch of spicy flavor into a small package, turning any day into an occasion worth celebrating.

Yield: Makes 28 – 30 Cupcakes or 2 9-inch Round Cake Layers

Golden Latte Cake

Golden Latte Cake

Originally inspired by the luminous golden lattes served at a favorite cafe, these sweet treats are suitably more nourishing than your average dessert. Boasting only natural sweeteners and gluten-free flours, even I would be skeptical of this formula if it hadn’t been my own creation.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

Golden Latte Cake

  • 2 Cups Almond Flour
  • 1 Cup Oat Flour
  • 1/3 Cup Arrowroot
  • 1/2 Cup Golden Latte Mix, Store-Bought or Homemade
  • 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 1/2 Cups White Grape Juice Concentrate
  • 1/2 Cup Applesauce
  • 2/3 Cup Melted Coconut Oil
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Teaspoons Apple Cider Vinegar

Maple Frosting:

  • 1 Cup Vegan Butter
  • 1 Cup Arrowroot
  • 1/2 Cup 100% Grade B Maple Syrup
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Garnish (Optional):

  • Pinch Ground Turmeric or Yellow Sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line 28 – 30 standard cupcake tins with papers. Alternatively, if you’d like to make a layer cake, lightly grease 2 9-inch round cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, oat flour, arrowroot, latte mix, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Separately, mix together the grape juice concentrate, applesauce, coconut oil, vanilla, and vinegar.
  3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, folding the mixture together just until smooth. A few errant lumps are perfectly fine; don’t drive yourself crazy trying to beat them all out.
  4. Fill the cupcake papers about 2/3rds of the way full, or divide the batter equally between the two cake rounds, and ease the pans into the center of your preheated oven. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes if making cupcakes. If preparing cake layers, bake for 25 – 30 minutes. Bake until lightly golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the centers pulls out cleanly. Let cool completely before frosting.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Toss the butter and arrowroot into your stand mixer, beating on low speed to cream the two together. Once completely smooth and homogeneous, slowly pour in the maple syrup, followed by the vanilla.
  6. Whip on high speed for 2 – 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. Be careful not to overheat the frosting, though, as it will soften and break down if it gets too warm. Pop the whole bowl into the fridge for a few minutes if it’s giving you trouble.
  7. Spread the frosting on your cakes as desired. Keep cool until ready to serve.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

30

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 201Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 133mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 3g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes & Cupcakes

 

Hannah (BitterSweet)15 Comments