The tale of making 400 cupcakes.

Once upon a time I was asked to bake 400 cupcakes for a friends wedding.  I can't pass up a challenge.  I knew it was going to be a challenge from the start, but boy, am I SO glad I did it!  From how much ingredients to buy, to how much to charge, to where I'm going to bake 400 cupcakes, ALSO where was I going to store 400 cupcakes once they were all iced, or how was I going to display 400 cupcakes.  These are the things that I had to take into consideration when I had 5 weeks to plan.  For 5 weeks, this house lived, breathed, and ate cake and icing.  First things first was I had to come up with an idea and a design on how I was going to display a good amount of the 400 cupcakes.  My mom and I googled for hours and shopped around Lowe's for inspiration.  We finally found 3 20" glass table tops for $6.00 and my loving father found 3 $1.00 fancy bowls.  We decided to stack the glass table tops of top of the bowls and put a flameless candle underneath each bowl.  It turned out so pretty, better than I ever thought it would!  Then comes the baking of the cupcakes.  First round of baking cupcakes was the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.  My mom and brother helped and we made a huge dent in what needed to be baked.  Unfortunately, Phillips first turn up to the Kitchen Aid got him fired from the job because he turned the mixer on full blast at the very start.  BATTER WENT EVERYWHERE. When I say everywhere, I mean, EVERYWHERE. So he was fired.  By the end of that night we had 24 dozen cupcakes baked.  The second night I had to make 12 dozen red velvet cupcakes.  My mom and I went over to my sister's house and we took over her house for an evening.  So in only 2 nights I was able to bake 400 cupcakes.  That was certainly a weight lifted off my shoulders.  All I had to do now was to bake a cake and icing the cupcakes and figure out where I was going to store 400 iced cupcakes.  The wedding is on a Friday so Thursday rolls around and my best friend Allie comes over and and my mom helps me out and we set up 3 tables in the family room, and once I again, my cupcakes take over.  Allie is in the kitchen slaving away making about 15 batches of cream cheese icing.  While she is doing that, I'm in the family room icing the cupcakes.  About 10:00 pm rolls around and I finally iced the last 400th cupcake! High fives all around!! Luckily, it was very chilly that night so you know what we did?  We packaged all the cupcakes up in their boxes, opened up the doors and windows in the family room, and the family room served as our innovative refrigeration system.  Don't be alarmed, I did have a back up plan for an actual refrigerator, but this way they were able to all stay in my house, and this was less travel time for when I needed to deliver them the next day.  Friday morning at 9:00, my mom, dad, and myself travel over to Independence to set up my display, all goes smoothly.  Mind you, this entire week I was desperately sleep deprived.  After setting up, I come home and decorate the wedding cake that they were having for the cutting of the cake.  Then, 5:00 rolls around and Aunt Trinett, my mom, and myself travel back over to Independence in Aunt Trinett's van that is lacking backseats.  That is where myself and the 400 cupcakes and cake resided for this 20 minute car ride.  I just sat back there and talked to the cupcakes and encouraged them to stay strong and not topple over or commit suicide.  After a long 20 minutes, we finally made the last turn into the parking lot and everything went smoothly. I know, I know, you were hoping for a traumatic ending to that, but alas, the 3 Musketeers did it again!  We unload the cupcakes and start displaying them out on the cupcake table.  That took only about an hour/hour and half.  To celebrate a successful day, we ordered pizza and drank wine!  Then 10:00 pm rolls around and I go back to the hall for a 3rd time that day to collect all my things and out of the 400 cupcakes, there were only about 50 or so left and the night was still going strong! WOW! I thought they were going to have cupcakes coming out of their ears.  I was so glad to get some great feedback that night and the following couple days.  What an experience it was.  I couldn't had done it without my dad, my mom, my brother, sister, brother-in-law, Allie, and Aunt Trinett and Uncle Don.  I seriously could not.  I am so blessed. For this being my first wedding, let alone a HUGE wedding, I must say, it was very successful. 

  

And this was the tale of making 400 cupcakes. 
And no one killed anyone in the process. 
And we all certainly lived happily ever after.

The end.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting!

Being a 21 year old, self proclaimed baker is overwhelming.  I work, I go to school, I hang out with family, I hang out with friends, I bake on the side, I booze on the side, because, well, let's be honest, it may be the booze talking, but I love booze. In fact, I might even bake with booze.  And when I say might bake with booze, I mean I do bake with booze.  Anyways, I do all those things all while trying to make a business of my own.  With the help of my happy little family (happy happy happy), we're trying to make my dreams come true.  So far, so good.  Keep the business coming! As for today, I'm off, on a SUNDAY.  That rarely happens.  So as a family we take advantage of it, and we have a feast for dinner.  I am contributing this fabulous cake.

Ingredients:
For the cake-
-1 cup flour
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 salt
-100 grams butter - softened
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1 whole egg
-1 egg yolk
-75 grams dark chocolate
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup milk

For the frosting-
-250 grams mascarpone cheese
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-1/3 cup powdered sugar
-1 cup heavy cream

*Fresh berries*

Directions:
For the cake-
-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
-Butter and flower two, 8 inch cake pans.
-Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
-Whip the butter and brown sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.
-Add egg, egg yolk, melted chocolate, and vanilla until smooth.
-Alternately, add flour mixture and milk ending with flour mixture.
-Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
-Bake 20-23 minutes.

For the frosting-
-Whip mascarpone, cocoa and powdered sugar until creamy.
-Add heavy cream and whip on high to light and fluffy peaks.

**I actually ended up doubling the frosting ingredients from what I have above because I wanted to frosting oozing out the middle and lots on the top :)

Cream Cheese Frosting!

My life is nonstop these days.  And the last thing I want to deal with are moped drivers on the interstate. What? Pretty sure that's illegal, and if it isn't, it sure as heck should be because this hoodlum was all over the place and like screaming at cars.  He had horrible balance and was about to fall sideways on his cool, lime green moped.  And to top it off, he didn't even know where he was because once we got to the end of 471 to 27, he asked the car next to him where 275 was!!! AHHH! I hate you.  Hate's a strong word, and you know what.....I hate you dude.  Now that rant is over. It is now, FINALLY, March....and it's still cold. However March is filled with Basketball, beer, and apparently great cream cheese frosting.  If you are like me, and somewhat despise buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting is the way to go.  It's less "fakey" tasting.  A lot of buttercream recipes call for Crisco, and personally, I think that is disgusting.  There's other recipes that call for just butter, but it's still pretty gross.  Literally, I don't think this recipe could be any easier to do. Also, it has a wonderful, thick consistency and it stays put! 

Ingredients:
-1.5 blocks of cream cheese
-1 stick of butter
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-2 lbs powdered sugar

Directions:
-Cream the cream cheese and butter until very smooth.
-Add the vanilla.
-Gradually add in the powdered sugar until all is incorporated and smooth.

-Add food gel coloring as desired.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.

I am so thrilled with how this cheesecake turned out! I was somewhat winging it when I added my homemade raspberry puree, and I wasn't sure if it was going to mess with the chocolate consistency. So on Thursday night I had a trial run, and needless to say, it was a success. The family gobbled it down before I could say "Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake."  Today I made 2 more of these bad boys, and am selling them to a friend for his dad's birthday.  I call Grandma out to come look at the finished product and I thought she passed out in the doorway from pure excitement.  She said, "Now who are these for???" (hoping they were for her.) I told her who they were for and she said, "Wow! He sure is a lucky boy! And so is his daddy!".....I could make a dessert out of garbage and I know I can count on Grandma giving me an A+! She's a doll like that. 

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
-1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
-2 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese - softened
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1 vanilla bean - seeds scraped from inside of pod
-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-3 eggs
-1 cup sour cream
-8 ounces melted semisweet chocolate - cooled slightly
-6 ounces raspberry puree
-Fresh raspberries - for garnish

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F if using a silver springform pan (or 325 degrees F if using a dark nonstick springform pan).

-Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan.

-In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the butter and mix well. Press onto the bottom of springform pan and set aside.

-In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, remaining cup of sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds and beat until light and creamy.
 

-Add the flour to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
 

-Add the melted chocolate and sour cream and mix well.
 

-Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended.
 

-Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the center is almost set.
 

-Run a sharp knife around the rim of the pan and allow cake to cool on a wire rack before removing rim of pan.
 

-Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

***Cheesecake may be made up to 2 days in advance before serving and will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.***

I'm backkkk with Salted Caramel Mousse & Chocolate Trifle

Long time, no see! I know, I know....it's been forever since I have last blogged.  I've been so busy with school and work these days! Growing up is for the birds!  However, I did start my paid co-op with Kroger's pastry department.  Just so you know, there is a bakery AND a pastry department and the pastry department makes everything from scratch, aside from a couple things from Servatii's (boo, overrated).  We make everything from chocolate ganache cakes, to lemon tarts, to death by chocolates, to New York cheesecakes.  We have it all.  I'm getting a lot of experience working there.  However, I'm also getting a lot of experience with working with the public, as well. .....I kid you not, yesterday some man came up to me as I was sampling out some desserts and started yelling and complaining to me about how Kroger and Target both have Starbucks in the front of their store, and "I work in the medical field (.......congrats?) and nothing turns my stomach more than the smell of coffee.  I've gone to corporate before to tell them to move the Starbucks to the back of the store."  Ok.....WHAT do I even say to that? Yeah, sir, you are so entitled to everything in life.  And the cherry on top of this story was once I was finished listening to his rant about Starbucks making his stomach sick, he asked me what I was sampling out, and it was Tiramisu......awkward.  But again, it's funny how some strangers can make your day miserable and then 10 minutes later this sweet, little old man, had to be at least 85, came up to me and was telling me about how he got diagnosed with bone marrow cancer a year ago and that they were able to catch it in time and he said to me, "That Big Guy upstairs is really watching out for me and you and loves us. ....And I love him back!" So, even though I have a bunch of whacks jobs from the insane asylum come into work sometimes, there's always those few that remind you of the important things in life.

 

Ingredients:
Trifle Ingredients:
-Twix bars (I used 3 packages) - chopped
-1 1/2 cups of chocolate fudge sauce - storebought
-4 cups Whipped cream (homemade or storebought)
-Salted caramel mousse (recipe below)

Salted Caramel Mousse Ingredients:
-1/3 cup sugar
-3 tablespoons water
-1/3 cup heavy cream
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
-4 oz. Cream Cheese
-1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

To Make Salted Caramel Mousse:

-Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan.

-bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
-Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, though, because it goes from clear to amber very quickly!)

-Remove from heat and slowly add in cream (just start with a tablespoon or two), stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. (Be careful, as the mixture will definitely bubble up and possibly splatter as you add in the cream.) 

-Stir in vanilla and salt. 

-Set aside until it reaches room temperature, or refrigerate to speed up the process.

-In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed for 1 minute until very smooth.
-Add in the room-temperature caramel and powdered sugar, and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
-If the mousse is too thick, add in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream.
-Then increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

-Fold in 3 cups of whipped cream into the caramel mixture. (1 cup of plain whipped cream remains for garnish). ---This is the caramel mousse.

To Make Trifle:

-In a trifle bowl, add a layer of the chopped Twix bars. Then use a pastry bag (or a Ziplock bag with the corner tip cut out) to pipe in a layer of caramel mousse. Even out with the back of a spoon.
-Then do the same with a layer of chocolate fudge sauce. (I heated my sauce just a tad to make it easy to pour, but make sure it is back to room temperature before pouring on top of the mousse)
-Then repeat!
-Finish off with a layer of plain whipped cream, and top with the remaining Twix bars.

Sick of pumpkin yet?...Never!

This picture pretty much sums my thoughts up exactly.

Pumpkin...what a wonderful gourd it is!  I once saw a girl with the name "Punkin" (not a typo), how very fortunate of a name. Cute. I'm sure she's going real far in life, too....with a name like that, how could you not?  I think by the end of November, I will be so sick of pumpkin that it will be time to smoothly transistion into Christmas goodies.....great for everyone's figures.  I read it somewhere if you eat chocolate fudge 25 out of the 31 days in December that you are guaranteed to lose 9 pounds. I also read somewhere not to believe everything you read. Also, I am known to make stats up. 65% of stats are made up. Anyways, one stat I know that is true is if you are to make this pumpkin roll, you will 100% enjoy it. Like how I did that? Smooth criminal.

Ingredients:
For the roll
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup Pure Pumpkin


For the filling 
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese - at room temperature 
1 cup powdered sugar - sifted
6 tablespoons butter - softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
For the roll
-Preheat oven to 375°F.
-Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture.
-Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
-Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.
-Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end.
-Cool on wire rack (About an hour and 15 minutes)

For the filling
-Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth.
-Carefully unroll cake.
-Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake.
-Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if you wish!

**Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.**

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Maple Buttermilk Glaze.

I haven't blogged in a few weeks. Wah.  Halloween is in 2 days so I'll treat you all to a joke. Why did the ghost go to the bar?.....to get some BOOze. Thank you, thank you.  School has been keeping me busy with midterms and such as for the past couple weeks.  Tonight I have my cake decorating midterm. Wish me luck! I'm working on sending out my resume's for co-oping...that's always exciting. Wooooo.  I'm also working on figuring out my classes for next semester which is exciting to see everything come together....kinda.  I have no motivation to go out in this cold and windy weather so I will be sure to pack my hot tea and be on my way to class tonight. As far as this pound cake goes....delicious.  Made it yesterday afternoon while momma's chili was simmering away on the stove. Great combo. Try it sometime. .....I will also be doing my blog for my pumpkin roll in the very near future!

Ingredients: For the cake:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 
3/4 cup sugar 
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
1/2 cup butter - softened 
4 large eggs 
1 teaspoon vanill
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

For the glaze: 
1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk 
1/4 cup sugar 
2 tablespoons butter 
2 teaspoons cornstarch 
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°.

-Lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
-Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 another layer of paper towels. -Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

-Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended.
-Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.
-Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. -Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

-Spoon batter into prepared pan.
-Bake at 350° for 55 minutes.
-Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack.
-Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

-To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil.
-Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.