From the top down.
It's all about the Icing today. I'm excited because I've just picked up The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook (I actually visited the bakery when last in NYC and had their famous red velvet cupcakes!). I so seldom purchase these things that it's a huge deal when I actually go through to the other side of the checkout with something in my bag (if you could actually see the number of times that I fill my Amazon.ca cart and then chicken out and empty it and leave the site! A little embarrassing actually)
As You all know, we love chocolate (sorry KT - don't worry, I've got something brewing just for you... Soon to come!) and I very much love having homemade treats for my kids to eat instead of a bunch of stuff with multiple ingredients that I can't pronounce. I figure that this way I know exactly how much salt and sugar they are ingesting (well... who am I kidding, I eat the stuff too! Trust me, way better than Starbucks). Today, after some consultation, I decided that it would be chocolate cupcakes.I got this cupcake recipe from one of my university roomies and I honestly haven't a clue where she got it BUT, it's been my go to chocolate cupcake recipe ever since. Up to know, I have only ever used regular milk for this recipe but today I've got some buttermilk in the Frigo that needs to get used up before it dies (hmmmm, maybe some fried chicken too???). So, I'm going to give the buttermilk a go instead of the 2% - can't be that bad... right???
Now about the Icing - the Magnolia cookbook has some fantastic looking recipes that I'm already bursting to try (just got it yesterday but the pages are already all marked up) however there is a whole section devoted to icing. I may not make the recipe exactly as written but I think that I'm going to give the Vanilla Buttercream a whirl... I've just got to run out and get some butter!!!
Chocolate Cupcakes (from my friend Hiroko)
1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp bk powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (like I said, I have been using regular old milk up
to now with great success)
to now with great success)Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set the bowl aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients in small portions, mixing well and alternate adding some of the flour and some of the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour.
Place dough into prepared cupcake tin and bake for about 20 minutes. Makes about 12 medium sized cupcakes.
Cool completely before icing.
Vanilla Buttercream icing (inspired by Magnolia Bakery Cookbook)
I cup of butter, softened to room temperature
5 cups of SIFTED icing sugar
1/4 cup of milk or cream
3 tsp good quality vanilla
I actually changed this up a little from the recipe in the book.
Same ingredients, different proportions. I lowered the sugar and milk and upped the vanilla. What I got was a smooth, creamy icing. I think that the trick to the smoothness here is mixing the icing sugar and butter well before adding any wet ingredients.
Same ingredients, different proportions. I lowered the sugar and milk and upped the vanilla. What I got was a smooth, creamy icing. I think that the trick to the smoothness here is mixing the icing sugar and butter well before adding any wet ingredients. I mashed up the butter quite well but not until it was super liquidy and then added in 4 cups of icing sugar. I got that all mixed together and then added the vanilla (not the cream yet), mixed that together and then added the last cup of icing sugar. Once that was quite smooth and creamy but still a little stiff I added the cream. Add it little by little so that you can see just how much you need.
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About Me
- Wanda Thorne
- St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.
About Me
- Wanda Thorne
- St Michael's Choir School is celebrating it's 75th anniversary year of service to St Michael's Cathedral. Part of the school celebration is a trip to Italy where our boys from Grades 5 - 12 will be performing and celebrating Mass. This blog will be chronicling our adventures. Wanda Thorne is the Vocal Coach at St Michael's Choir School. Gerard Lewis is the Grade 7/8 Homeroom teacher at the Choir School.
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3 comments:
O M G!!!! It's times like these, when I read/hear about/see pictures of your intense abilities in the kitchen that I deeply agonize over the distance between Calgary and Toronto. These look FAB! You truly rock my world sister :)
Thanks! Seriously! You are scaring me a little bit right now though... have you been into the Sangria? LOL I'm really just very happy that you left a comment... so cool 'Sis! Thanks
Bahahaha...no Sangria (very misfortunate)! Just bein' real ;)
Much Love
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