Tag Archives: sweets

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting

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PIN IT!

My husband and I aren’t big Valentine’s Day people. In fact, in the past we’ve been known to order a heart-shaped deep dish pizza (hey, we do live in Chicago) from one of the local pizza joints and call it a day. But this year, since he already surprised me with a box of my favorite smoked salt caramels from Fran’s in Seattle, I decided to surprise him back. With red velvet cupcakes. With bourbon cream cheese frosting.

Sure, red velvet is sort of expected for Valentine’s Day, but it also happens to be one of my husband’s favorite cake flavors. My friend Jen always used to make this very recipe, and I find that it’s one of the best. To jazz it up a bit for him, I chose to put a “manly” spin on the frosting by adding a bit of bourbon. Why not, right? (Albeit not kid friendly, so just eliminate it and add a teaspoon more vanilla if kids are present.)

This year, we passed on the pizza and celebrated with t-bone steaks, beer-braised Brussels sprouts, red velvet cupcakes and a trip to the Chicago Auto Show. Not a bad way to spend the day with someone you love.

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Bourbon Cream Cheese Frosting (makes approximately 24 cupcakes)

Slightly adapted from Saveur

What you need:

For the cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups plus 10 tablespoons all-purpose flour (the original recipe called for cake flour, but I used AP and it worked just fine)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons red food coloring
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 teaspoons bourbon
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

For decoration (optional):

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and vinegar until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet (I did this step by hand, but you could use an electric mixer if you wanted to), scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.
  3. Distribute the batter evenly between the 24 muffin cups and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 22 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
  4. For the frosting, use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and bourbon. Add the confectioners’ sugar in batches until well combined.
  5. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag loaded with a wide star tip (I used Wilton No. 2110) and slowly pipe onto the cupcake, starting from the outside and working your way in a circular motion into the center. Top cupcakes with toasted pecans.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

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The only thing better than a cookie is a BIG cookie, and this chocolate chip cookie cake is just that — a big cookie.

When I was younger, my mom would make me a big cookie cake for my birthday instead of a traditional birthday cake. I think she used a pizza pan rather than a springform pan (which is what I used), but I couldn’t help but be reminded of my childhood when cutting myself a slice of this cookie cake. It’s just so much fun to eat and super simple to make (no dough scooping), plus can you imagine if it were covered in frosting like an actual cake? Maybe next time…

I originally baked this cookie cake back in April for my husband, an accountant, to bring into his work as an end of tax season celebratory treat. I ended up making it that morning and didn’t leave time to photograph it (or even taste it for that matter), hence the reason why it has never made an appearance on my blog. But the other other day when I was going through my bookmarked recipes, I was reminded of this cookie cake and decided to make it again to share with all of you. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

From Hautebox

What you need:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup all purpose whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
How you do it:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a springform pan.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the egg, blending until well mixed. Slowly add the flour mixture until everything is well incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
  4. Put batter in your prepared springform pan and use a spatula or your fingers to press the dough into the bottom of the pan until it covers the bottom.
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cookie is lightly browned throughout. Remove from the oven and cool the cookie in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, remove the cookie from the pan, cut into slices and serve.

Caramel Apple Bread

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For most of my life, I had a serious dislike for fall. Not because of the season itself, but rather because it meant that winter was right around the corner. As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to enjoy fall a bit more. It’s the season of my wedding anniversary and my husband’s birthday, plus there is something cozy and comforting about it.

While I know I’m jumping the seasonal gun a little bit (it is 80+ degrees in Chicago today), I feel as though this bread is another thing that could fall into the “things I like about fall” category. Taking a cue from the ever popular caramel apple, this bread is sweet and delicious. Add in some nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg (what says fall more than nutmeg?) and you’ve got a serious contender for fall favorite.

Caramel Apple Bread

Slightly adapted from Pass the Sushi

What you need:

For the bread:

  • 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

How you do it:

  1. Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, stir together apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, buttermilk, oil and eggs. Add the remaining bread ingredients and stir until everything is moistened. Transfer batter to a prepared metal loaf pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top is brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  3. Let bread rest for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Once removed, let the bread cool on a cooling rack for at least an hour.
  4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 cup brown sugar and heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, add milk, then slowly increase the heat until boiling again. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar. Let glaze cool slightly before liberally drizzling over cooled bread (use as much glaze as you’d like — I used about three-fourths of it).

Upside Down Berry Buttermilk Cake

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Back to reality.

The 4th of July vacation I had looked forward to for months has officially come to an end. Grills were lit. Ribs were grilled. Cakes were baked. Beers were consumed.

Fun was had. And it was everything I hoped it would be.

But as I said, back to reality. This workin’ girl’s only got so many vacation days, you know. Luckily there are still a few pieces of cake leftover from our 4th of July BBQ to help me transition back into work life.

This cake, featured in the July issue of Bon Appetit, caught my eye immediately and I knew it’s what I wanted to make for the 4th. The original recipe called for blackberries, but I’m not the biggest fan of those so I used raspberries instead. You could probably also use blueberries or sliced strawberries if you really wanted to. Either way, this cake is an impressive-looking (and tasting) dessert that is pure summer perfection when enjoyed outside with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Berry Buttermilk Cake

From Bon Appetit

What you need:

  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan and parchment
  • 2 1/3 cups cake flour (sifted, then measured) plus more for pan (I used all-purpose flour that I sifted a few extra times)
  • 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) fresh blackberries (I used raspberries)
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
  • 1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
  • Powdered sugar (for dusting)
How you do it:
  1. Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Butter a 9″-10″-diameter springform pan; line bottom with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment. Dust with flour; tap out excess. Arrange berries in a single layer in bottom of pan; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 cup sugar.
  2. Sift 2 1/3 cups flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda into a medium bowl; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar in a large bowl at medium-high speed, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and zest. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating just until incorporated. Pour batter over berries in pan; smooth top.
  3. Bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 25 minutes. Let cool in pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then run a thin, sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen. Remove pan sides. Invert cake onto rack and remove pan bottom; peel off parchment. Dust top generously with powdered sugar and let cool completely.

Mango Blisscakes

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Brunch. Something I never truly understood the awesomeness of until I moved to Chicago. We take our brunch pretty seriously here, which is a-OK with me as it’s the only meal where it’s acceptable to have something sweet, something savory, something caffeinated and something alcoholic all in the same meal. If you don’t like brunch, well…um…there’s something wrong with you.

The only downfall of living in a brunch-crazed city is the crowds. More often than not you have to wait for a table, which is absolutely the case at M.Henry, one of my favorite brunch spots. This cozy restaurant on Chicago’s northside serves up some amazing items, including one of my all-time favorites — Mango Blisscakes. Only available on Sunday’s, the Mango Blisscakes are just what they sound like — a stack of the fluffiest buttermilk pancakes you’ve ever tried, topped with fresh mango, creamy vanilla mascarpone cream and a brown sugar oat crust. Pure heaven.

I love them so much that I was inspired to recreate them myself so I could share the love with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Now, let’s raise a mimosa to brunch, shall we? The best meal of the week.

Mango Blisscakes (makes about 10 pancakes; serves 5)

What you  need:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 cups buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for griddle
  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
  • 1 cup granola
  • Maple syrup (optional)
How you do it:
  1. Preheat your non-stick griddle/skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and  melted butter; whisk to combine. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
  3. Test griddle/skillet by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle/skillet, it’s ready. Using a 4-ounce ladle or a 1/2 cup measuring cup, pour pancake batter onto your preheated griddle/skillet. The pancakes are ready to flip when bubbles form in the center and the edges become slightly dry; about 2 minutes. Flip and cook for and additional minute or so.
  4. Meanwhile, whip mascarpone and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until light and airy.
  5. To serve, layer pancakes with sweetened mascarpone, diced mango and a sprinkling of granola. Top with additional maple syrup, if desired.

Strawberry Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Mascarpone

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I always receive a few grumbles of disapproval when I tell people this, but I’m not the biggest fan of fruity desserts. When it comes down to it, I guess I’m just a chocolate lover at heart. I blame my mother.

However, there are exceptions to every rule, and this cake is one of them.

Oh, this cake. So ridiculously simple but amazingly good — the strawberries themselves a sign that sunshine and warmer temperatures are upon us. A dessert that, dare I say it, puts chocolate to shame. Yes. To shame.

Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself. I double dog dare you.

Be sure to save me a piece.

Strawberry Buttermilk Pudding Cake with Mascarpone

Adapted from Sassy Radish

What you need:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

How you do it:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8″x 8″ glass or ceramic baking dish. Set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, combine water, cornstarch and 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a simmer, add sliced strawberries, and cook for about 3 minutes or until the strawberries become slightly syrupy. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar.
  4. In a large bow, whisk together egg, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
  5. Add 1/2 cup of the strawberry mixture to the baking dish, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Next, place the batter in large dollops over the fruit and spread evenly, being careful not to mix the fruit with the batter. Finally, spoon the rest of the fruit mixture over the batter, making sure to distribute that evenly as well.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes or until top is slightly brown. Cool on a wire rack for at least five minutes before serving.
  7. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whip mascarpone and powdered sugar in a large bowl until light and airy. Slice cake into 12 pieces (or 9, what the heck!) and top each with a generous spoonful of mascarpone.

Chocolatey Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

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During the week, I don’t have much time for breakfast. I usually have a bowl of oatmeal or toast with eggs — nothing special. But on the weekends when I have more time, I like to splurge a little. Why not, right?

This idea was inspired by one of my favorite chocolate shops, Vosges. They make a Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancake Mix that I’ve been dying to try, but I can’t seem to get past the $12 price tag — especially when it’s something I could make myself from scratch. So, here’s what I came up with. Simple, fluffy buttermilk pancakes (with some cocoa powder mixed in for good measure), topped with crispy, salty bacon, creamy chocolate chips and thick, sweet maple syrup.

Oh yeah, baby. Now that’s a breakfast worth splurging for.

Chocolatey Buttermilk Pancakes with Bacon

What you need:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 pieces of bacon, cooked until very crispy and chopped
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Maple syrup (the real stuff!)

How you do it:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cocoa powder.
  2. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine buttermilk, milk, eggs and butter. Add to the dry ingredients and mix well. If the batter seems thick, add a smidge more milk (these measurements worked well for me, though).
  3. In a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, add the batter, one ladle full at a time, making any size pancakes you like. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, or until bubbles form in the center. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes.
  4. Serve each stack of pancakes with a sprinkling of bacon and chocolate chips. Top with warm maple syrup.

Boozy, Fudgy Brownies (featuring Half Acre Beer and Lion’s Pride Whiskey)

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It’s about time adults got their own brownie, don’t you think?

One of me and my husband’s favorite pastimes is exploring Chicago’s thriving beer scene and discovering our local favorites — Half Acre being one of them. We might be a tad biased as my husband races for their cycling team, but their beer really does speak for itself. One of my favorites is the Big Hugs imperial stout, a specialty brew (aka: only available as a special release) that’s big (10% ABV) and chocolatey.

Chocolatey, you say? This very idea inspired me to combine my favorite chocolatey beer with my favorite chocolate dessert — the brownie. And why not throw a little Lion’s Pride whiskey from Koval — a local distillery — in there, too? You know, for good measure. How bad could it be?

As it turns out, not bad. Not bad at all. In fact, my husband declared this recipe his all-time favorite, and I’d have to agree — I think they’re my new favorite, too. Perfectly fudgy and outrageously chocolatley with a hint of edge from the booze, they’re a match made in chocolate heaven.

Boozy Brownies

Adapted from craftbeer.com (who knew!)

What you need:

  • Butter for coating pan
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup Half Acre Big Hugs stout
  • 2 tablespoons Lion’s Pride whiskey
  • 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

How you do it:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square baking pan by buttering (I used the butter left behind on the wrapper from the stick required in the recipe) and dusting the inside with cocoa powder. Set aside.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat until completely melted. Add chopped chocolate, stirring often, until melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and let cool to luke-warm. Stir the sugars into the chocolate and mix well.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, yolks, vanilla, stout and whiskey until smooth. Sift flour and salt in to the mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Add cooled chocolate mixture to the egg/stout/flour mixture a little at a time, folding to combine, until all the chocolate has been added. Fold in chocolate chips, being careful not to over-mix.
  5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour. Let cool before cutting.

Sour Cream Scones with Chocolate Chips

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I remember the first scone I ever had. It was cinnamon chip, it was dense and tough, and I wasn’t a very big fan. For a long time, I went on believing that I didn’t like scones.

My husband, however, loves them. More often than not, it’s what he’ll order when we go out for coffee. I’d always decline when he offered me a nibble of his — saving my calories for whatever baked good I had chosen for myself. This all changed when, one day while out on a bike ride with his friends, he brought one home from our favorite bakery, demanding that I try it. I knew this scone had to be different. Why? He a) saved it for me and didn’t eat it himself and b) brought it home in the back pocket of his cycling jersey.

So, despite its smashed, slightly unappetizing appearance (from the bike ride), I tried it. And it was good. Not overly sweet, but very buttery and biscuit-like. “Is this what I’ve been missing out on this whole time?” I asked myself. Did my first scone encounter completely ruin it for me? Needless to say, I now know how awesome scones can be. I’m officially a convert.

I made these scones for my husband as a special weekend treat. He’s an accountant and has been working a ton lately (including Saturdays — hello, tax season!), so I wanted to do something nice for him. He gave them a rousing thumbs up, so they must be good. And I liked them, too. The sour cream is an especially nice touch.

Sour Cream Scones with Chocolate Chips (makes 6 – 8 scones)

Adapted from Cookie Madness

What you need:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on top
  • 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold and cut into small cubes
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

How you do it:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Mix flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the cubes of butter to the flour mixture and using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until flour mixture is very coarse.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, egg and vanilla until smooth. Use your hands to work the sour cream mixture into flour mixture until the dough starts to come together. Lightly kneed in the chocolate chips. Once the dough completely comes together, turn it onto a clean surface and shape it into a 7-inch flat circle. Cut the circle in half, then cut each half into 3 or 4 triangles, making a total of 6 or 8 scones (I made 6).
  5. Put on a baking sheet, sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake until golden. For 6 scones, this will take 20 – 22 minutes. For 8 scones, it’ll take about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Happy Birthday (Cake)

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Yesterday was my 30th birthday. I’m sort of indifferent about the whole thing, although it’s not like I really have a choice.

My awesome husband softened the potential blow of any 30th birthday growing pains by having this cake made for me. I was so surprised and excited that I had to share it with you. Isn’t it beautiful? Chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and Nutella mousse. He sure knows the way to my heart.

Cake from Bake Chicago.