Nutella Cupcakes

I woke up with cupcakes on my mind. You see, I love cupcakes and I think this goes back to my childhood and the horrible lack of cupcakeness throughout most of  it. Growing up in a First Generation Italian home cupcakes were not really my Mom's forte: why make silly old cupcakes when you can make homemade Cannoli, Biscotti, and French Candies? But I always had a deep longing for those oh so simple yet oh so good  All-American cupcakes, and here's why: 1) The size, you get your very own cake! 2) They are portable each having their own carrying case. 3) They are so adorable! 4) Easy to serve, no cutting. 5)Fun to decorate making each and everyone unique if you desire to do so. I guess these All-American treats are a lot like us as Americans: Carefree, Individual, and quite Adorable!
I do have to confess though that my Mom did give in and made me chocolate cupcakes for my 10th birthday, as you can see in the photo below. Although I am sure the very idea of making cupcakes seemed rather silly to such an experienced baker and pastry maker, she could whip out 100 homemade cannoli shells in an afternoon and made 100's of homemade candies and cookies every Christmas, my Mom humbled herself and baked me regular old chocolate cupcakes.

And many years later I finally understood my Mother's struggle to give in to such a simple request  when on my daughter's  birthday I asked her what "special foods" I could make her for her birthday meal and she all too quickly responded, "Frozen tater-tots and pop-tarts!"

 Nutella Cupcakes Recipe

This recipe is a nod to my Italian American roots: Hershey Cupcakes with Nutella frosting!

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa powder (This is the recipe on the back of the box.)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs 

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil or 1 stick butter melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Frosting: 1 small  jar Nutella

Directions

Line 2 cupcake trays with cupcake liners and spray each with some vegetable spray.

Heat oven to 350.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, including the sugar.

Add the milk, eggs, vanilla, and butter and mix for 2 minutes on low with a mixer.

Add the boiling water and stir just until combined.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or ice-cream scoop fill each cup 2/3 full with the batter.

Bake for 22-25 minutes. Cool trays on racks for 5 minutes. Run a knife around edges if any seem to be stuck to the pan.

Flip over on to rack, bang bottom and release onto tray, flip each cupcake over and cool completely.

Frost with Nutella!

Note: This recipe make about 30 cupcakes but I find that if you let the batter sit and wait for the first batch to bake and cool they do not bake as well so I usually just make 24 using my 2 (1 dozen) trays at once on the same oven rack and throw out the rest.

Leave these cupcakes out on a counter and covered as they do not refrigerate well.

Baba A Rum/Limoncello

Ever since I first watched Babettes Feast over 10 years ago I have become completely obsessed with baking and eating Babàs, so much so that my Dad  teasingly calls me "Baba". Then five years later I went to Italy and was thrilled to see these  little babàs in the Pasticceria scattered all over southern Italy, the Neapolitans are considered the master babà-makers of Italy.  My favorite was a babà soaked in Limoncello, a lemon liqueur. This recipe is one I have tweaked over the years and is pretty close to those I had in Italy and note that I have given you two syrup recipes, one for a  rum and one for a limoncello syrup.
Tools
12 cup bundt pan
Food processor or mixer *NOTE: if you use a mixer you will need to mix for 8 minutes at the end instead of 2 minutes.
Ingredients
Rum Syrup:
1 teaspoon vanilla
 1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup Jamaican rum
Limoncello Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup limoncello
zest of 1 lemon
Cake:
21/2 teaspoons yeast
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
pinch salt
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup warm milk
4 eggs
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup warm water
Directions
Rum Syrup: Boil water, add vanilla and sugar and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove, cool, and add rum.
Limoncello Syrup:  Boil water, add sugar, zest, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove, cool, and add liqueur.
Cake: Disslove yeast in the milk and water. Add the 1 tablesoon of sugar and 1/4 cup of the flour. Cover with plastic and allow it form a sponge and double in size, just a few minutes.
Place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the sponge and mix on low speed.
On low speed add the eggs 1 at a time.
Add the butter in 2 batches and mix together, then mix on low for *2 minutes- see note .
Note: This will be a very sticky gooey dough!
Preheat oven to 350.
Pour into a very well sprayed bundt pan. Cover with sprayed plastic and allow to double in size in a warm place (on top of pre- heating stove), about 50 minutes.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350.
Loosen the edges with a knife and then rest for 10 minutes.
Loosen edges again and then flip onto tray.
Poke holes with a toothpick and brush mixture on with a brush. Repeat this every now and then until the syrup is gone. Make sure to get edges, sides, and inside the center of the cake.
Serve with Rum or Limoncello flavored  homemade whipped cream (Placed in the center of the cake) or like the Neapolitan's do, with Vanilla Custard!

Babette preparing her feast!

Flour-less Chocolate Cake

Flour-less Chocolate Cake

 

This is dessert is similar to a cheesecake in it's texture, it is so rich and so chocolaty that you only need a small piece to feel satisfied! This seems like a difficult cake to make due to it's richness and density but is actually very simple and it's naturally gluten free.
Note: This is an adaption of a recipe I found in my Kitchenaid  recipe booklet.
 Ingredients
11/2 tablespoons prepared espresso or very strong coffee (This just enhances the chocoloty-ness!)
16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle)
1 stick of butter (unsalted)
1/4 cup  granulated sugar
4 eggs (room temp) separated
Topping
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1 cup cold whipping cream, 1 teaspoon raspberry or coffee flavored liqueur (Or just use vanilla) , 2 tablespoons powdered sugar 
Tools 
You can use a hand mixer, a stand mixer.
8 inch springform pan or pie pan
Directions 
Whip up the egg whites to until stiff peaks form. I always do this first so that I can re-use the same bowl, egg whites will not stiffen up if there is any grease in the bowl at all. Remove and set aside.
Place the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until melted and smooth. If it is not melted zap it for 10 more seconds and stir again but don't over heat or else it will get dry and clumpy and then you have to throw it out.
Mix together the chocolate butter/mixture along with the sugar and egg yolks until combined. Add the espresso and mix again.
Fold in the egg whites gently starting with 1/4 of the mixture to temper it and then add the rest. You want to do this gently so that the egg whites do not loose their air.
Pour thuis into the pan and cook for about 30 minutes.
It will be slightly higher all along the edge when it is done.
Remove and cool for 10 minutes and then run a knife around the edge.
Cool completely before covering and placing in fridge. It is best served cool.
Toppings:Warm the jam in a microwave just for a few seconds and stir. Spread this all over.
Whipped Cream:Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and liqueur with a wire whisk until cream stands in stiff peaks.

Grand Marnier Cake (Orange Liqueur Cake)

I am so proud of this recipe because my daughter, Danielle, and I came up with it one day in a moment of inspiration! I used my Homemade Grand Marnier but any orange flavored liqueur will do. This cake is very light so we chose to do a orange liqueur infused whipped cream topping for it which just adds to the airiness of the cake. I think this will make a nice Christmas cake because of the wintery oranges and snowy whipped cream!
Ingredients
Cake
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier Liqueur (plus a small amount set aside with a pastry brush for later use)
The juice of 2 oranges
1/2 cup butter room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
Whipped Cream Topping
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier
Mix ingredients on high with a whisk attachment until cream is stiff and holds peaks.
Tools
1 sheet cake pan OR 1 bundt cake pan. I coat the pan well with PAM spray.
Directions
First beat egg whites in a very clean bowl (no residue of fat in the bowl at all) at high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form. Set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
Mix 2 tablespoons of liqueur, the juice of the 2 oranges, and enough water to make 1 cup total of liquid and set aside.
Now cream the butter and sugar at high speed until creamy and light. Add the zest and mix. Add the dry ingredients and the juice mixture (no egg whites yet!) alternately starting and ending with the dry. But do not over mix, just enough to mix together.
Gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour into the pan and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Remove from oven and test by inserting a toothpick in the center, if it comes out dry it is done. It should be slightly golden on top.
Cool on counter for 10 minutes.
Remove from pan to a rack and cool completely. Or you can leave the sheet cake in the pan and serve from there. If using a bundt pan cool for 10 minutes and then remove and place on a rack to cool completely.
Half way between the cooling process brush a light coat of Grand Marnier all over the top of the cake. If it is still slightly warm it will soak this up.
To Serve
Cut into squares and serve each piece with a big dollop of cream.

"Eye"talian Cream Cake Y'all

This cake is a traditional Southern American dessert and is actually not Italian at all. My quest for the perfect Italian Cream Cake recipe started because my sister in-law had a slice at a bakery down in Jacksonville Florida and quickly became addicted to this light~creamy~coconutty~ cake! I decided I was going to bake it for her the next time we are down there. I got a recipe off of the internet, made some changes to it and after the first bite the memories came flooding back to me, Piccadilly cafeteria in Charlestown Square Mall in the 1980's, it was my favorite dessert on the line! My best friend, who will remain nameless, and I used to cut school and go to the Mall just to order Jambalaya soup and "Eye"talian Cream Cake. So I guess you could say this cake was good enough to cut school for ; )

Tools:
two 9 inch cake pans with straight up edges (These work best for layer cakes)
Cooking Spray or butter/flour method to coat pans
Racks to cool cakes
Ingredients
2 cups flour all purpose
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk (or milk with a teaspoon of white vinegar added)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter room temp
1 cup coconut flaked
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups white sugar (the original recipe had 2 cups but I found it too sweet due to the sugar in the coconut)
5 eggs beaten lightly

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese room temp
1/2 cup butter room temp
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup coconut flaked
extra coconut for top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 or 325 if you are using glass pans. Spray the pans and set aside. Mix the baking soda into the butter milk and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light & fluffy. Mix in the eggs, buttermilk mixture, vanilla, and coconut until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl. Now sift the dry ingredients, flour mixture and baking powder, straight into the mixture and mix on low for 1 minute only. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Pour into the pans evenly (you can eye it or use a ladle)and bake in the middle rack at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Prepare the frosting by beating the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until light and fluffy adding the heavy cream to achieve a spreadable consistency. Mix in by hand, the nuts and coconut. Remove the cakes when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set on counter top in pans to cool for 15 minutes. Now flip out onto a rack to cool completely before frosting.
Trim any hard edges or bumps off the cakes and lay4 parchment strips onto the outer edges of the cake stand so that you can slip them out from under the cake when you are finished frosting. Place the first layer on and spread some frosting onto it. Now repeat with the second layer and frost the sides as well.. Add some coconut flakes to the top and gently pull out the parchment strips.
Serve this cake room temperature for best texture and flavor.

Basic Biscuits & Shortcake

This is a biscuit recipe that can be simply tweaked to make *shortcake. If you use butter it will have a much richer taste but if you use 1/2 shortening they will be lighter and fluffier it's really just a matter of personal preference. You have probably noticed by the photo that they are not your typical round shape. I got this idea from a cooking magazine and love it! Not only is it easier but the biscuits come out lighter due to less handling and there are no left over scraps.
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
*5 tablespoons butter/shortening very cold (I cut it up and then place it in the freezer for a minute)Plus a few more tablespoons melted to rub on to the biscuits before baking
*3/4 cup half & half
Directions
Preheat oven to 450
Line a sheet pan with parchment
In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients
Cut up the butter into small cubes
Mix the butter in the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles course crumbs (You need to still see the butter chunks in it, this is what makes the biscuits light & fluffy)
Pour in the half & half and stir just until it starts to come together (do not over stir) and form into a ball
Dump this onto the parchment lined pan
Pat & form it into a circle about the size of the bottom of a pie plate
Cut it into 8 even wedges (I use a bench scraper for this)
Melt some more butter or margarine and spread this on the biscuits
Bake until golden and fluffy for about 14 minutes

*Sweet Shortcake: Increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons, reduce the flour to 1 3/4 cups and replace the half&half with heavy cream. Before baking, brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with additional sugar.

BISCUIT TIPS:
*Make sure these ingredients are ice cold: milk & butter

For soft fluffy biscuits place close together on the baking sheet but for crispy biscuits place further apart, about an inch apart!

Try replacing buttermilk for the half&half this will make a tender tart biscuit!