Hobbit Seedcakes

"A little beer would suit me better, if it's all the same to you, my good sir," said Balin with the white beard. "But I don't mind some cake - seed-cake if you have any."
"Lots!" Bilbo found himself answering, to his own surprise; and he found himself scuttling off, too, to the cellar to fill a pint beer-mug, and to the pantry to fetch two beautiful round seed-cakes which he had baked that afternoon for his after-supper morsel.

                                                             -- The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, Chapter One

Easter Recipe Ideas

Easter has always been a pretty cool holiday in my family, my mom always did the traditional Easter basket and hid some eggs around the house. I remember THE BEST Easter was when I got a gameboy game in my basket (man, I feel old). After that we would attend the sunrise service at our church which was always held outside in a field and we would watch the sun come up over the tree tops. Afterwards we would usually head over to my grandparents house and partake in the traditional hard boiled eggs and kielbasa (from my grandmother Polish side of the family).

Not all Easter Recipes have to be obnoxiously themed (even though I'm kind of a sucker for themes) I always try to base a menu around what is currently in season so I also included some easy to prepare springtime goodies that would impress any crowd.

From top left to right:
Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
Asparagus & Parmesan Crustless Quiche
Summer Berry Skillet With Toasted Oat Topping
Speckled Egg Italian Cream Cake
Coconut Lime Pops
Chocolate Carrot Garden Cupcakes

Festive Desserts to try This Christmas

Here are some of my favorite recipes from last year, I must say I am especially partial to the Toffee Pecan Bars, Scottish Oat Squares, Cranberry Lemon Tart, and the Cherry Snowball Cookies but heck, they are all delicious!

From top left to right

Coconut cherry snowball cookies
Strawberry moscato cupcakes
Cranberry lemon tart
Scottish oat shortbread squares
Candy cane crisp cookies
Lemon & cream cheese chocolate dipped cookies
Snowball cookies
Toffee shortbread pecan bars

Death By Black Friday Cupcakes (chocolate cupcakes with chocolate espresso cream filling and chocolate whip frosting)

It is time. That time every retail/food service worker has feared, ladies and gents Black Friday is upon us. Only in the great country of America can we justify waking up at the crack of dawn and trampling the young and weak to buy stuff the day after being thankful for what they already have.

Nah, I'm not bitter...

...but you know what IS bitter? And sweet, and rich, and sinfully delicious? These cupcakes (see what I did there?)

In order to boost moral and ease our suffering I decided to make cupcakes, but not just any cupcakes!
when designing such a cake, I knew it had to have three components:
Coffee - for energy and sustainability
Chocolate - for the soul
and a bit of booze - for obvious reasons

These cupcakes were super delicious. The cake itself is moist and rich which is offset by the hint of the cherry kirsch (aka my favorite alcohol to use in desserts, you might remember THESE). Also, I added coffee to the batter (to enhance that chocolate flavor) as well as the frosting, because you can never have too much coffee!!

If you're running low on time, you don't necessarily have to make the filling because the cupcakes are moist on their own, it's just a personal preference.

For the cupcakes...

makes 12 regular sized cupcakes, recipe adapted from Pretty.Simple.Sweet

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup hot, bold coffee

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3.In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. On medium speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Beat in the milk until combined. Add the other half of the dry ingredients and beat slowly until combined. Add hot coffee and beat just until combined. Do not over mix – the less you mix, the lighter the cake will be. The batter should be liquid-y.
4.Divide batter evenly between cups, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes (or 8-10 minutes if making mini cupcakes), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Allow cupcakes to sit for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the filling...

1 TBS cherry kirsch (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
About 3 cups icing sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 pinch salt

Directions:

In a bowl start beating the heavy cream, either by hand (you're crazy) or with a whisk attachment. While beating slowly add the sugar, salt and kirsch until light and fluffy.

For the frosting...

1 cup confectionery sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream
1-2 TBS coffee, cooled
Pinch of salt
chocolate covered espresso beans for garnish

Directions:

1.Place whipping cream in mixing bowl. Shift remaining ingredients together and add to cream.
2.Mix in gently, then beat on high until a thick, frosting-like consistency forms.

To assemble: take cool muffin and cut a small hole out of the center (I would recommend getting one of these), add filling then plug it back up with the cake. Add frosting and devour.

Double Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Citrus Infused Frosting

I am going to be honest with you, I HATE summer. I know, the girl from Florida hates summer? How does that happen? It's just one of the many reasons why I have always wanted to move away, while most people are laying out on the beach, I tend to spend the majority of my time hibernating in air conditioned facilities. Despite all these negative connotations, I will say that like most instances in my life, food is what saves the day. Even though the weather sucks, it is responsible for providing endless amounts of melons, corn, berries, and citrus! I could eat my weight in these ingredients all season long. This brings me to my new favorite cupcake recipe which highlights the classic combo of orange and chocolate, can it really get any better?

By adding coffee to a chocolate cake you're immediately intensifying that coveted chocolate flavor. These cupcakes are super moist and light in texture and the hint of citrus gives it that refreshing twist.

For the cakes...

makes about 24 medium cupcakes

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed coffee (on the strong side)

For the citrus frosting...

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 milk
2 TBS freshly squeezed orange juice (OR orange liquor if you have it)
1 TBS orange zest (could be more or less depending on your preference)

A little bit of this frosting goes a long way, so I simply used a small spatula to spread a little on each cupcake.

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or line 28 to 30 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

2.Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in coffee (batter will be thin).

3.Pour batter into prepared pans or fill cups about 2/3 full with batter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans or 22 to 25 minutes for cupcakes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

To prepare frosting...

1.Melt butter, Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk/orange juice combo, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in zest.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Spiced with Mexican Canela

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

Some of you miighht be wondering what this freaky sounding cinnamon is exactly. I was recently introduced to this spice by an old friend from culinary school who mailed me some from Nebraska (of all places). This cinnamon is slightly less potent than typical American cinnamon, it also has a slight fruity note and pairs well with sweet OR savory dishes. When finely grated, it has a strong sweet spicy smell, sort of like Red Hots which is awesome! This particular cake is sort of scone-like in texture, making it perfect for the breakfast or afternoon coffee break times.

You can order this spice online HERE or you can use regular cinnamon if you must.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake Spiced with Mexican Canela

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

¾ lb. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1 ½" pieces on an angle
1 ½ cups sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 6 tbsp. cut into ½" cubes and chilled
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp Mexican Canela
½ cup vegetable shortening
⅓ cup milk
2 eggs
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°. Combine rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 4 tbsp. butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and ¼ tsp. salt in a 9" cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is melted and rhubarb is tender and slightly caramelized, 8-10 minutes, there will be a substantial amount of juice left.

2. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining sugar and salt, plus flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add remaining butter and the shortening and, using your fingers, rub into flour mixture to form coarse pea-size pieces. Add milk and eggs and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

3.Place spoonfuls of dough over rhubarb mixture and smooth with a nonstick spatula. Bake until the crust is golden and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Warning: you might want to put the skillet on a baking sheet to catch any excess juices.

4.Remove skillet from oven; place a large flat serving platter on top of the skillet and invert quickly and carefully. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like.

Recipe adapted from Saveur Magazine

Layered Italian Almond Cake For Two (or one)

It's that time of year again, the time when you buy unnecessarily large amounts of candy, watch terrible chick flicks, and eat dinner at a place you probably can't afford, and I must say I kinda love it. Even in my single years I was always a little excited about Valentines Day, I used to shamelessly hand out my cheesy homemade cards which were usually paired with a pastry of some sort. Now that I'm practically married, this day is even more fun! It gives us an excuse to do a something thoughtful for each other or to bake cakes!(Not that I needed an excuse for that).

I know I've mentioned this before, but marzipan has to be one of my all time favorite baking ingredients. It amplifies fruit desserts like tarts and apples pies, it makes a great filling for breads, and it also can be baked into cakes! There's something so heavenly about that nutty almond scent coming from the oven that no other ingredient can compare. By separating the eggs and beating the whites, you're creating a light and fluffy textured cake with the slightest taste of almond and the light and creaminess of the whipped frosting, this cake is sure to please both you and your valentine this year.

Layered Italian Almond Cake for Two

Makes two 9 inch cake layers (or one heart cake)

Cake:

1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
8 oz almond paste
6 eggs, separated
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt
1/2 c sugar

Topping:

1 1/2 c whipping cream
1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp almond extract + a few drops of red food coloring (I only had pink hence less than desired pepto bismol shade.

Original recipe from Molly Yeh

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350ºf. Prepare two 8- or 9-inch or three 6-inch cake pans and set aside.

2.Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

3.Beat almond paste and egg yolks until well blended, mix in vanilla and almond extract, and set aside.

4.In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Beat in sugar one tablespoon at a time and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whites into the yolk mixture and then gradually fold in the flour mixture. pour batter into prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let cool. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make the cake

For the topping, whip up the whipping cream and add the almond extract and red food coloring.

Check out my ombre layered cake I made last year HERE

My Personal Favorites From 2013

Looking back at my culinary adventures from last year, I realize I have become a more seasoned veteran in the kitchen (pun intended). Listed below are some of my personal favs from 2013. This year my goal is to experiment more with foreign/rare ingredients, and master the perfect pie crust. What are some of your food goals for this new year?

Listed from top left to right:

-Speckled Egg Italian Cream Cake
-Gâteau fondant aux poires - French Pear Cake
-Spicy Shrimp Bites
-Authentic Black Forest Cupcakes (Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen) with Meringue Mushrooms
-Secretly Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
-Butter Bean Hummus
-4th of July Fruit Trifle
-Key Lime Pie cupcakes with Key Lime Frosting
-Cranberry Lemon Tart
-German-Style Potato Salad (Kartoffel Salat)
-Mini Dark Sweet Cherry Pies
-Apple Marzipan Tart
-Gorilla Bread Muffins
-Blueberry Cobbler Bars
-Healthy and Hearty Pumpkin Bread Topped with Toasted Pepitas
-Pistachio encrusted salmon with balsamic glazed cherries and citrus infused quinoa

Hobbit Seed Cakes

It's that time of year again! HOBBIT PREMIER TIME!! If you didn't already know it yet, I am a HUGE LOTR/J.R.R. Tolkien fan, like, super huge, so huge I made these Hobbit seed cakes to celebrate the release of the 2nd Hobbit movie coming out this Friday! Here is the reference from the first chapter of The Hobbit,

“Come along in, and have some tea!” he managed to say after taking a deep breath.

‘A little beer would suit me better, if it is all the same
to you, my good sir,” said Balin with the white beard. “But I don’t mind some
cake – seed-cake, if you have any.”

“Lots!” Bilbo found himself answering, to his surprise; and
he found himself scuttling off, too, to the cellar to fill a pint beer-mug, and
then to a pantry to fetch two beautiful round seed-cake loaves which he had baked
that afternoon for his after-supper morsel.

The Hobbit- Chapter 1, An Unexpected Party, J.R.R. Tolkien

I can imagine these cakes were light and fluffy, slightly sweet, and a perfect pair for a cup of tea or coffee, which is exactly what these cakes are! For the "seeds" in this seed cake I used poppy seeds, just because they added that pop of texture to the bread. This cake-like bread will make the perfect addition to an elevenses or second breakfast meal (okay, I'll stop with the references now).

Zooey was very intrigued with them...

Hobbit Seed Cake

makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup sweet creamy butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBS poppy seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk or 1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS sugar (for topping)

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350°F loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2.In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beat well after each.

3.In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients and poppy seeds, with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, alternating two times with the buttermilk,and then vanilla. Beat just until smooth.

4.In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tarter until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the muffin batter until blended.

5.Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle top with sugar then bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Layered Swirl Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biscoff Cookie Pecan Crust (Darden inspiration post)

Remember all those pumpkin desserts I was forced (totally willing and without shame) to eat? I decided to draw inspiration from the pumpkin cheesecake (Olive Garden), ginger spice lava cake topped with pecans(Longhorn), and pumpkin pie in a jar (Red Lobster). I created my own little twist on the pumpkin cheesecake by swirling it in with regular, I also utilized the pecans in the crust and in place of ginger cookies I used Biscoff - the result? A tower of creamy rich pumpkin spiced cookie goodness. You're welcome.

Biscoff Cookie Pecan Crust

2 cups finely crushed Biscoff cookies, crushed finely
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
6 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper with access hanging off of sides (this will allow you to lift the baked bars up so you can cut them more easily).

2.Mix cookie crumbs, pecans, cinnamon and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of pan. Bake for about 10-15 min.

Layered Swirl Pumpkin Cheesecake

3 packages (8 ounces each) lowfat cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided use
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) OR 1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1.Using an electric mixer on medium speed, combine cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla until well blended. On low speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing each time just until blended. Remove 1-1/2 cups of the plain batter and set aside.

2.To the remaining plain batter, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Using a large spoon, stir to combine.

3.Pour 1/2 of pumpkin batter over pre-baked crust in pan. Spoon 1/2 of plain batter over pumpkin layer. Repeat until all batter is used. Using a long butter knife, gently swirl through all layers of cheesecake batter without disturbing crust to achieve a marbled effect.

4.Bake for 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Do not over bake. Use a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the crust. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove outer pan and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving. Once cooled, you can cut bars into desired shapes. In this case, I used a circle cut-out and stacked them to create little layer cakes. As you can see mine are slightly sloppy, that's because I didn't line the pan with win foil, so the circles were a little hard to cut, do as I say not as I do.

Gâteau fondant aux poires - French Pear Cake

I am SO thankful that things are finally starting to slow down and I am able to do a little baking in my spare time, it really is the best therapy. My first three BA classes are going to be over with this coming Saturday, then it's on to two new classes starting Monday (which I am hoping are not as bad). It's been a crazy semester so far, Christmas break this year is going to be glorious.

I think pears are probably the most forgotten of all the fruits, when fall hits everyone is like yay apples! Yay pumpkins! But no one stops and thinks about the lowly pear. I have always been a fan of the pears soft, sweet texture, especially when prepared in tart/cake form because they cook down so nicely. This cake might sound fancy but it's pretty simple, the zest of the fruit, flavor of the vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon make this cake ideal for the cozy winter times. Keep in mind, this isn't your typical super sweet cake, you may add a 1/2 cup more sugar in the mix if you would like, but I personally think that the powdered sugar on top makes up for the subtle sweetness of the cake.

Gâteau fondant aux poires - French Pear Cake

3-4 small ripe pears, peeled and quartered or cubed
1 cup 1 1/2 Tablespoons (250 g) butter, at room temperature
zest of 1 lemon (I used 1 tsp orange zest and it was delicious)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups 1 1/2 tablespoons (250 g) flour (I used 1 1/2 cups AP flour and 1/2 cup and 1 1/2 whole grain flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
powdered sugar (for topping)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.Grease a 24 cm (9 1/2 inch) spring pan and set aside

2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter and sugar together until very fluffy and white. Mix in the eggs slowly, one egg at a time. Add vanilla and lemon (or orange) zest.

3.In another bowl sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture slowly to the egg mixture. Don't over mix. The batter will be of a thicker consistency.

4.Pour half of the batter into the spring pan. Place the pears on top. Pour the rest of the batter in the pan.

5.Bake for about 60 min or until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Blogiversary Funfetti Cake with Purple Ombre Icing

I can't believe it's been exactly ONE YEAR ago today I decided to start this little blog. It's grown into something I never thought possible, I simply cannot imagine life without it now. I know there is still much room for improvement, but I look forward to learning and discovering little bits about myself along the way.

When I was pondering as to what one would make for a blogiversary, a couple of things came to mind. When I was little THE COOLEST thing you could bring to a party was Pillsbury Funfetti Cupcakes, it was like little burst of happiness in every bite. Now the question is, how do I improve upon this cupcake? I think the answer is why not put rainbow on top of rainbow?! I thought that ombre icing would be frustrating to accomplish but it's really super easy! This white cake recipe is super moist and delicious, and the light and slightly sweet whipped cream frosting is the perfect compliment.

Funfetti Cake with Ombre Frosting

2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup milk, room temperature
6 large egg whites, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/3 cup rainbow sprinkles (or more of you wanna go crazy)

Directions:

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans.

2.Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into medium bowl and mix with fork until blended.

3.Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter, cut into cubes and continue beating on low for about 1-2 minutes.

4.Add all but 1/2 cup of milk mixture to flour mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat for about 1 minute. Fold in the sprinkles.

5.Pour batter evenly between two prepared cake pans.Bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 27 to 30 minutes.

*Cake recipe adapted from I am Baker

For the icing...
I personally like a lighter, less sweet frosting. This is my go-to recipe:

2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

For ombre effect, divide into three bowls and dye each a different shade of the same color.
using a small spatula, spread lightest layer around the base of the cake, followed by the second to lightest and the darkest shade, don't worry about being neat, we'll clean it up later.

take a tool that looks like the one below and carefully run it around the cake, getting rid of the access frosting.

On a side note, today is my first day of training at the new job, wish me luck!

Favorite Fall/Halloween Recipes!

Bloody Witches's Fingers
Layered Pumpkin-Almond Cheesecake with Almond Brittle

Mini pumpkin pies with homemade crust
Undead Zombie Chocolate Cake with Blood Cherry Filling and sugar cookie gravestones

Midnight Mocha-Filled Cupcakes
Pumpkin Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Bites

These are some of my favs from last year (pay no attention to the semi-crappy photography). I always look forward to working with winter vegetables, and I try to come up with a cool/creepy Halloween themed dessert for our party every year. My goal this year is to work on creating more soups and stews as well as getting back into bread baking! There's nothing in this world that beats the smell of freshly baked bread coming from zeh oven...mmmmm. What are you looking forward to most food-wise this season?

Authentic Black Forest Cupcakes (Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen) with Meringue Mushrooms

I got a job today! Not just any job, but a job that will surround me with freshly baked breads and coffee beverages on a daily basis AND I actually get paid for it! There is nothing left to do but celebrate with cake!

As you can see I am continuing the German theme, I'm not sure why but I have been obsessed with everything that is German lately. I hope to travel there someday. I put "Authentic" in the title because the Black Forest Cake I was used too consisted of sickeningly sweet frosting and artificial maraschino cherries (oh America, you so silly). This cake is the exact opposite of the American version in every way. Some interesting tidbits I learned about this cake is that it is not named directly after the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in southwestern Germany but rather from the specialty liquor of that region, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch(wasser) and distilled from tart cherries. This is the ingredient, with its distinctive cherry pit flavor and alcoholic content, that gives the cake its flavor. This cake blew my mind, the cake itself is moist and rich, slightly soaked by the cherry Kirsch, topped with a whipped cream and coffee flavored frosting, accompanied by dark cherries which have also been soaked in Kirsch. These cupcakes take some time to assemble, but they last for a long time! I have kept mine for a week in the fridge and they are still super moist and delicious!

*You will have to prepare the cherries in advance so plan accordingly

Black Forest region of Germany

Black Forest Cupcakes

Before you start on the cake, take 1 cup of dark sweet cherries (I use frozen) and soak in 1/2 cup Kirsch overnight.

makes about 15-20 cupcakes

for the cake...
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line large muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.Sift the dry cake ingredients together. Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk and mix well. Pour evenly into the cupcake pans.
3.Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool and the cakes.
4.Using an apple corer or a small knife, remove the center of each cupcake and pour the 1/2 cup of Kirsch (that the cherries soaked in) onto each of the cakes(see pictures below) then insert a couple of soaked cherries inside and top with filling.

for the filling...

1/2 cup kirsch
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 cups icing sugar
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup espresso
1 1/2 lbs fresh black cherries

In a bowl beat the butter until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar, salt and espresso and mix well. If the icing is too thick add Kirsch or cherry juice.

for the icing...

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBS kirsch
2 tablespoons icing sugar
cocoa powder (for garnish)

The day you're going to serve this cake prepare the icing. Whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and pour in the Kirsch until it's a good consistency. Frost cakes, then place the fresh, intact cherries on top for decoration and cover the top with the chocolate shavings or cocoa powder. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Bekah Goertzen

For a tutorial on meringue mushrooms, click HERE