Birthday party!

Recently, I celebrated my dearest friend, Janet Mock's birthday.  She has been an inspiration to many people, of all walks of life.  I am so proud to call her one of my closest friends.  Janet has inspired me to take a leap and move to the Big Apple to pursue my career and leave the comforts of home.  Both of us are true island girls at heart.  When we get together not only do we share our love for trashy reality TV but we laugh till our stomach hurts.  We also share the same birthday month so we are similar in many ways. 
I wanted to create something special for her birthday celebration and since Janet loves German chocolate cake it was a no brainer for me.  I decide to make a cupcake version of her favorite dessert since it's portable and easier to eat (in my opinion).  I decide to use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk and brown sugar.   The result was a creamier and perfectly sweet topping! I also realized after making a few rounds of cakes and cupcakes that the addition of buttermilk helps with the moistness of the cake.  It truly makes a difference. 

Bake these cupcakes the next time you have a birthday party or any party! I'm sure they will be a huge hit! Enjoy! :)

German Chocolate Cupcakes
makes 24 cupcakes

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, large room temperature
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
5 oz. semi sweet chocolate (melted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cupcake tins.
In a medium bowl, sift cake flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
Using your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed, butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, scrape sides down with a rubber spatula in between eggs.  Add in vanilla, mix until incorporated.  Reduce speed and add flour in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk, with the flour as the last ingredient added.  Beat in chocolate and mix until all incorporated.  Scoop batter into cupcake liners 3/4 full.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Check if cake is ready when a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean.  Cool on a cooling rack. 

Coconut and Pecan topping

1 cup toasted and chopped pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks, large
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup) cut in pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 package of Bakers coconut flakes

In a medium saucepan, whisk condensed milk and egg yolks.  Add butter and cook on medium heat, stirring constantly.  Lower heat when mixture starts to come to a soft boil.  Continue to stir and simmer on low heat until mixture is thickened.  Remove from heat occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning.  Add vanilla, coconut and pecans into pan and continue to stir and cook for a minute or so.  Mixture is ready when it turns tan in color and is slightly translucent.  Transfer to a bowl to cool. 

Breakfast!

I don't know about you but one of my favorite meal times is breakfast.  Literally, breakfast at any hour of the day is perfect for me.  Not only do I love the savory foods of breakfast but as a baker I love all the sweet stuff as well!
As of now, I haven't really tried baking anything breakfast related.  However, I recently made two of my favorite breakfast treats.  Pop tarts and coffee cake.
As a kid, my mom used to buy pop tarts as a convenient way of feeding me and my sister breakfast as we were hauled out the door to school.  I loved it! It was always warm, a little crisp and oh so sweet! Were pop tarts part of your childhood? Now as an adult, I don't have it in me to buy the boxed pop tarts at the store.  I just don't feel right about all the preservatives and artificial flavors.  So I decided why not make my own.  It turned out to be really easy and the crust came out WAY better than the boxed version.  Flaky, crispy and buttery.  I also wanted to use a jam that didn't have any additives as well and came across a local Brooklyn jam company called, The Jam Stand.  Their creations are funky, creative, and most importantly, all natural!  Just what I was looking for.  I chose two different spreads for my pop tarts, Blueberry Bourbon jam (blueberries,sugar and bourbon) and Drunken Monkey jam (bananas,rum,lime and sugar).  Each of them on its own is delightful but put them in a pop tart and you have the perfect breakfast treat!!

I didn't stop there.  I love coffee and eating cake with it, and in my opinion its the perfect combination. Whenever I go to Starbucks to pick up a coffee, I literally drool and stare at their coffee cake.  Part of me tells me to just go for it and another part of me says stop you don't need it.  So what better way then making it yourself! hahaa... That way I know exactly what I'm putting in it... Did I mention to you that I LOVE cinnamon.  The first time I made coffee cake the streudel part didn't come out even though I followed the recipe.  Second time around, it came out beautiful! I'm telling you the streudel is what makes the cake! Yes its sugary but the crumbles and the cinnamon makes it so yummy!!! I also added a cinnamon brown sugar swirl in the center of the cake which just elevates the cake to another level. It not only made me happy every morning but brought smiles to my boyfriend's as well... I'll just say the cake didn't last very long.

Love

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Valentine's day is coming up and some women absolutely love this holiday and look forward to it.  Me on the other hand not so much.  This may come out cynical but I'm just being honest - it's rather a little over-rated.  What do you think? I personally don't think a day should be designated for the sole purpose of love.  I believe it should be everyday - whether you tell your parents, your friends, your children, your mentors, and of course your spouses.  Life is short as I have learned over the years and ones life can be taken away in a millisecond.  Therefore, telling someone who is important, someone very dear to your heart, that you love them whenever possible (even everyday) is truly paramount. 

With that said, I absolutely LOVE baking it has become my new passion in life. So I decided to create something that included my love for cheesecake.  Who doesn't love cheesecake?
I came up with creating bite size pieces to make it easier to eat and to give away and of course its prettier! 

The cheesecake I decide to create is a strawberry swirl cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. (Note: the strawberry swirl won't give the entire cake a powerful strawberry taste so if you're looking for a cake that has a predominant strawberry flavor this recipe is not it. Sorry!)  I decide to coat them with semi sweet chocolate so they look like truffles.  I topped them with mini hearts and put them in adorable pink & black mini liners.  I had some trouble with the chocolate and couldn't cover all of the bites, so I made some adjustments and left some of them as is. The cheesecake had the perfect tang and cheesiness to it with the right amount of strawberry. In the end, they all came out very pretty and I was happy with my results. I have to admit, this project was the most difficult.  It's very time consuming and very messy. (I had to make two batches) Chocolate can be difficult to work with, especially when it comes to dipping.  But if you have the tenacity and the patience I say go for it!

Celebrate this Valentine's day with this perfect bite size creation and I'm sure you'll receive lots of LOVE! xoxo

 

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
(8 x 8 x 1 square pan - yields about 24 mini squares)

3 packages of 8oz cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups of sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups of finely ground graham crackers
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
2 cups of strawberry puree (recipe below)


1 box of Bakers semi sweet chocolate bar
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable or canola oil

Strawberry Puree
1 lb of fresh strawberries (you may use frozen ones if you want)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of water
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.  Using a fine strainer, strain the puree into a bowl so the seeds don't come through.  You should be able to get at least 2 cups of the puree and if you want you can still use some of the chunks.  The strainer is to just help take some of the seeds out. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 
Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl.  Once the butter is incorporated with the crumbs, pour it into a greased square pan.  Using a rubber spatula, press down the crumbs until its flat and even across the pan, making sure some of the crumbs go up the sides.  Place pan in the oven for 10 minutes or until the crust has turned light brown.  Set aside. 
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat until no lumps are seen.  Add sour cream and mix until all combined.  Add egg one at a time and scrape down sides of bowl after each addition.  Beat until all ingredients are incorporated.  Add vanilla and mix until all combined. 
Pour a little of the batter into the pan until it covers the crust.  Spoon a little of the strawberry puree onto the batter and using a paring knife cut through the batter to give it a swirl effect.  Continue this process until the pan is filled to the top.  Place the pan on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven for an 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the edges are set.  It's okay if the center is still liquidy - it will set as it cools and after you refrigerate the cake.  Once done, place pan on a cooling rack, for at least a couple of hours.  Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight if you can wait. 
Once cooled, take the cake out of the pan and cut the edges off.  Cut the cake evenly into 1" squares.

In a glass bowl, melt chocolate (8 oz squares) 3 at a time for about 30 seconds in the microwave.  Stir.  If the chocolate doesn't melt as you stir, put in microwave for 10 seconds. Add another square and repeat process until all of the squares are used.  Stir and add the oil and continue to stir.  Using a fork dip each square into chocolate, you may need another spoon to help coat the bites.  Once coated put them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper to set. Put them in freezer for a few minutes so they harden. 

Voila!

Discovery

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When I moved to New York city nearly six years ago I knew it was the beginning of my life.  I had left the comforts of home, an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean, beautiful beaches and weather, my friends and family and everything that was second nature to me.  Immediately, when I arrived in the Big Apple, I became a small fish in a really big ocean.  My first impression of New York was nothing like my favorite tv show, Sex & the City.  However, the vibe and energy of the city was nothing I had ever felt before.  For some reason, it lit a fire within me and made me feel like I could accomplish anything.  I knew why I came here - to pursue my career in fashion and surround myself with the creativity and passion of fashion lovers around me.  I wanted to immerse myself in it and work hard to climb the "corporate ladder"....
Boy do things change in just a few years... They say if you can make it in New York city, you can make it anywhere.  I completely agree.  The city can suck the life out of you and it takes quite an individual to survive all the elements.  However, after all these years, I have discovered so many things about myself and about life.  New York city plays a small part of my self discovery.  It has led me to my new found passion of baking! 

This leads me to the creamy chocolate-y nutty spread called Nutella.  I discovered this delicious treat when I moved to NYC - I know, I'm a late bloomer.  Everyone always raved about it, when I asked what it was and how they ate it.  There was always something "nutella" at the bakeries and restaurants.  Nutella cupcakes, bars, cakes, crepes, the list goes on...  And when I first had my Nutella crepe - I died and went to dessert heaven.  I was bummed that I had not discovered this years ago but was so elated that I finally met Nutella in one of the greatest cities in the world.  Romantic right?

Some time has passed since my last post and I really wanted to create something personal.  And I think I got it right.... Banana chocolate chip cake with Nutella frosting.  I love bananas and chocolate and of course nutella.  So what better way then to combine all of it together! The result a dense but light tasting banana cake with just enough sprinkles of chocolate chips, topped off with a beautiful Nutella frosting that is not too rich but just right. 
Do you have any self-discoveries that has changed your life? Perhaps you can bake this cake and tell me your story! :)
Thanks for reading!

Banana chocolate chip cake w/ Nutella Frosting
serves 8-10 (2 8" round cake pans)

3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour - update: 2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (3/4 cup), softened
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas (about 3 large bananas)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two 8" cake pans. 
Sift flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  In a stand mixer, with paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Add one egg at a time, be sure to scrape sides down after each egg.  Beat until all combined, then add vanilla.  Mix the milk and mashed bananas in a bowl.  Add banana and flour mixture in thirds to the butter with the dry ingredient ending last. Add chocolate chips. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated.  
Pour batter evenly into the pans. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes or until the center is set.  Test using a paring knife and if it comes out clean it's done! Cool pans on a wire rack.  

Nutella Frosting

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of Nutella
2 tablespoons of milk
1 cup of confectioners sugar

Beat butter, nutella and milk until combined.  Then add sugar to thicken.  Beat until mixture becomes smooth and light in color.  


Happy Baking!!