Baked Sunday Mornings: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes
Woe is me… One week ago I was in New York, traipsing around the city in search of its best pastries and meals. I discovered quite a few new spots and visited many of my old favorites, bringing home an uncomfortably heavy bag of loot that I was lucky enough to get on the plane […]
Love & Chocolate Always Win: Boston(Strong) Cream Cupcakes
BostonStrong: the mantra adopted immediately by the city after the horrific bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing 4 people and injuring 264. I had no words… I spent 3 semesters in college at Boston University and fell madly in love with this spirited, proud, quirky, historic, beautiful, and downright charming city. (The use of ‘wicked’ […]
Bake for the Gold: Olympic Rings Cupcakes
If you’re anything like me, you are watching the Winter Olympics every night with baited breath. (Or maybe you’re not quite as nerdy as me, but keep reading anyway.) Every time I watch, it makes me want to pull on my ice skates, jump onto my snowboard, or take up skiing… none of which I […]
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Serving Size: 12 Yield: 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes Ingredients: – For cupcakes: – 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour – 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt – 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature – 1 cup sugar – 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste – 2 eggs, at […]
Cinderella’s Midnight Snack: Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
So, after Cinderella’s unfortunate midnight pumpkin incident and prior to her “rescue” by Prince Charming, very few people are aware of her actual activities. (Disney always softens the ugly truth– have you read the original version of The Little Mermaid?) I’ve come to learn from anonymous sources that what she was doing on that sad, dark […]
The Bee’s Knees: Pull-Apart Honey-Cola Cake with Lemon-Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise
I live in California. What we call “winter” is a pathetic shadow of what the rest of the country endures for several months of the year, and it seems that this year’s cold season has been particularly long in many regions. I have reveled in our 70°+ March and April days, weeks-long stretches of brilliant […]
Ode to the Emerald Isle: Chocolate Irish Cream Cupcakes
I have a love affair with Ireland. Anything Irish– people, history, folklore, language, music– something about this culture resonates in my soul. It’s been that way since I was a teenager, when I attended college in Boston and worked for a small company of Irish pubs. Boston itself has a rich Irish history and character, […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Holiday Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream
Updated (again) photo from Christmas 2016 remake– update at the bottom! You know how athletes often learn to visualize a victorious race or a perfect routine? When I’m baking something new, especially something exciting and beautiful, I often have a mental image of what I want it to look like; it’s usually pretty, elegant, professional-looking, […]
The Wafel Whisperer: Pumpkin Marshmallow Spekuloos Cupcakes
I’ve had these cupcakes in my head for many months, and (happy joy!) it was finally time to realize the dream. They are the perfect flavor combination for Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season, as they evoke the warmth and coziness of this chilly and festive time of year. No doubt you’ve had, or at […]
Fall Fiesta: Cinnamon Cupcakes with Chocolate-Chile Buttercream
I’ve made no secret of the fact that cupcakes bring an unprecedented and slightly alarming level of delight to my life. And really, I’m okay with that. So far on this fledgling lil’ blog, I have featured only chocolate-based cupcakes, because, well… many of my favorite recipes are made of chocolate, smothered in chocolate, studded […]
