Great depression one pan Chocolate Cake - no milk, eggs or butter

I was on Pinterest and found a recipe on Sweet Little Bluebird for this cake. It was described as a "Great Depression Cake" because it has no milk, eggs or butter. I imagine coco and sugar would have also been expensive during the depression, but I figured I would give this cake a shot.

We were out of milk and eggs when I made this cake last night, but it did not disappoint. I usually don't like making vegan desserts because it involves weird ingredients like Earth Balance, soy milke or egg replacer, but this didn't have any of that. Totally my kind of vegan cake. It was very moist with a dense, almost sticky crumb. Even the frosting is vegan (and it's one of the easiest frostings I've ever made)

I'll keep this cake in my arsenal for anyone with egg allergies.

Great Depression Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup AP flour
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened coco powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

Ingredients for frosting

• 4 oz semi sweet chocolate
• 3 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients in an ungreased 8 inch square pan (I used a 9 inch round pan)
3. Make 3 small wells in the dry ingredients. Add vinegar, vanilla and oil to each well and pour water over the top. Mix well until smooth
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set in the center
5. Meanwhile, put chocolate and peanut butter in a double boiler. Mix until smooth
6. Pour over cake and let cool. Eat and enjoy.
   
   

I was on Pinterest and found a recipe on Sweet Little Bluebird for this cake. It was described as a "Great Depression Cake" because it has no milk, eggs or butter. I imagine coco and sugar would have also been expensive during the depression, but I figured I would give this cake a shot.

We were out of milk and eggs when I made this cake last night, but it did not disappoint. I usually don't like making vegan desserts because it involves weird ingredients like Earth Balance, soy milke or egg replacer, but this didn't have any of that. Totally my kind of vegan cake. It was very moist with a dense, almost sticky crumb. Even the frosting is vegan (and it's one of the easiest frostings I've ever made)

I'll keep this cake in my arsenal for anyone with egg allergies.

Great Depression Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cup AP flour
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened coco powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup water

Ingredients for frosting

• 4 oz semi sweet chocolate
• 3 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix dry ingredients in an ungreased 8 inch square pan (I used a 9 inch round pan)
3. Make 3 small wells in the dry ingredients. Add vinegar, vanilla and oil to each well and pour water over the top. Mix well until smooth
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until set in the center
5. Meanwhile, put chocolate and peanut butter in a double boiler. Mix until smooth
6. Pour over cake and let cool. Eat and enjoy.
   
   

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Easy Coffee Cake

I used to make sour cream coffee cake but it was never good as a spur of the moment weekend breakfast because I never have sour cream in the house. I started to like this recipe a lot more, which I got from my boyfriend's mother. This is a much more reasonable spur of the moment coffee cake. It uses ingredients you always find in your kitchen.

Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt` 

Ingredients for topping

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp flour

Directions

1. Beat egg, milk and melted butter. Mix in butter
2. Mix the dry ingredients and add those to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined
3. Pour mix into greased loaf or cake pan. Top with brown sugar topping (you can double the topping if desired)
4. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the loaf. It will look very skinny but it will rise quite a bit.

I used to make sour cream coffee cake but it was never good as a spur of the moment weekend breakfast because I never have sour cream in the house. I started to like this recipe a lot more, which I got from my boyfriend's mother. This is a much more reasonable spur of the moment coffee cake. It uses ingredients you always find in your kitchen.

Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt` 

Ingredients for topping

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp flour

Directions

1. Beat egg, milk and melted butter. Mix in butter
2. Mix the dry ingredients and add those to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined
3. Pour mix into greased loaf or cake pan. Top with brown sugar topping (you can double the topping if desired)
4. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the loaf. It will look very skinny but it will rise quite a bit.

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Infinite Zest Lemon Lime Cupcakes for the Infinite Jest Bookclub Potluck

After 4 months of putting off reading Infinite Jest, one month of slowly reading Infinite Jest, and 1 month of plowing through the last 800 pages of Infinite Jest, I finally finished it. Let me tell you, it was brilliant. It was so perfect and purposeful. It was 1100 pages but it was all super tight and wonderfully connected. I loved loved loved it. You can read my full review on Goodreads

Of course, when we discussed it at book club, I had to bring a thematically appropriate food. In the book, the only foods that appear are hash brownies and heroine. Even though those seemed thematically appropriate, they seemed questionably legal. I opted for cupcakes instead. I named them "Infinite Zest" because although I liked "The Year of the SuperMoist Betty Crocker Cake Mix" better, I did not think it would work for a from-scratch cake. (Note: if you read the book, you'd understand the years of subsidized time)

I got this recipe from Baking Bites but upped the amount of lemon.

These cupcakes have a delightful lemon lime flavor. They're not too sweet and I top them with a cooked flour frosting (because that's really the only kind of frosting I really like)

Infinite Zest Lemon Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• zest of 3 lemons
• zest of 2 limes
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

Directions

1. Muddle together sugar, lemon and lime zest so the zest doesn't stick together.
2. Cream together butter and lemon-lime sugar until light and fully. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating fully in between
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the eggs and butter. Then half the milk. Alternate, ending with the dry ingredients
5. Fill muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 until done. Let cool completely before frosting

Ingredients for cooked flour frosting

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
• vanilla or lemon extract (depending on how lemony you want the cake)
• yellow and green food coloring

Directions for frosting

1. Cook flour, milk and sugar on the stove until a very thick paste forms
2. Cool mixture completely in the refrigerator
3. Pour milk mixture into a mixing bowl and beat on high speed. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until it emulsifies and makes a light, fluffy frosting. Add extracts as desired
4. Remove a little of the white frosting and set aside for the white lines on the tennis ball. Color the rest of the frosting as desired. (To make tennis ball green, it will probably take about 20 drops of yellow and like 3 drops of green)

After 4 months of putting off reading Infinite Jest, one month of slowly reading Infinite Jest, and 1 month of plowing through the last 800 pages of Infinite Jest, I finally finished it. Let me tell you, it was brilliant. It was so perfect and purposeful. It was 1100 pages but it was all super tight and wonderfully connected. I loved loved loved it. You can read my full review on Goodreads

Of course, when we discussed it at book club, I had to bring a thematically appropriate food. In the book, the only foods that appear are hash brownies and heroine. Even though those seemed thematically appropriate, they seemed questionably legal. I opted for cupcakes instead. I named them "Infinite Zest" because although I liked "The Year of the SuperMoist Betty Crocker Cake Mix" better, I did not think it would work for a from-scratch cake. (Note: if you read the book, you'd understand the years of subsidized time)

I got this recipe from Baking Bites but upped the amount of lemon.

These cupcakes have a delightful lemon lime flavor. They're not too sweet and I top them with a cooked flour frosting (because that's really the only kind of frosting I really like)

Infinite Zest Lemon Lime Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• zest of 3 lemons
• zest of 2 limes
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk

Directions

1. Muddle together sugar, lemon and lime zest so the zest doesn't stick together.
2. Cream together butter and lemon-lime sugar until light and fully. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating fully in between
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the eggs and butter. Then half the milk. Alternate, ending with the dry ingredients
5. Fill muffin cups and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 until done. Let cool completely before frosting

Ingredients for cooked flour frosting

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
• vanilla or lemon extract (depending on how lemony you want the cake)
• yellow and green food coloring

Directions for frosting

1. Cook flour, milk and sugar on the stove until a very thick paste forms
2. Cool mixture completely in the refrigerator
3. Pour milk mixture into a mixing bowl and beat on high speed. Add butter one tablespoon at a time until it emulsifies and makes a light, fluffy frosting. Add extracts as desired
4. Remove a little of the white frosting and set aside for the white lines on the tennis ball. Color the rest of the frosting as desired. (To make tennis ball green, it will probably take about 20 drops of yellow and like 3 drops of green)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Snap and Baked & Wired -- A Double Restaurant Review

Snap

1062 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington DC 20007

http://snap-restaurant.com/

I found myself in Georgetown for lunch one afternoon and debated between a coffee shop I'd been to one before (described later) and a small hole in the wall restaurant next door. The line at the coffee house was much too long so I opted for the little green cafe next door. It had some rickety chairs in front and a sandwich board sign that proclaimed they had crepes, sandwiches, bubble tea and a back patio.

I tried the vegetarian Mediterranean plate as I did not feel like a crepe or a sandwich. The bubble tea seemed extremely overpriced for the quality (about $4 for a single drink). The service was very friendly and the food came out promptly, but the quality was mediocre at best. The pita was warm (the most enjoyable part) and the dolmas were good, but the parsley was not chopped fine enough in the tabouleh salad and the hummus was a little too salty. 

It was nice enough and I'm sure the crepes are great, but the entire establishment just felt a little dirty. The exterior patio was unkempt with uneven tables, and the interior was poorly lit. The entire establishment just felt run down and old. It was not a place I would go again.

Vegetarian plate from Snap

Baked & Wired

1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW

Washington DC 20007

http://bakedandwired.com/

I'd gone to Baked and Wired before for lunch  the past. The first time I had a cappuccino and a mixed summer vegetable quiche. The cappuccino was strong and acidic with heavy fruit notes. The quiche was really rich, flakey and cooked just the right amount. There were a decent amount of vegetables but it could have used more. I was happy with Baked & Wired that day. I was happy with the food and happy with the ambiance that had this slightly unfinished appearance. It had an "under construction" feel to it with an ever changing music selection and a staff with a slightly "hipster-er than thou" attitude that fit my mood that day. No matter how much I liked it, however, I knew I would not be able to make a judgement about the place until I had tried their beautiful looking cupcakes.

Cappuccino and quiche from Baked and Wired

The second time I tried to go there, I ended up at Snap instead. Every table was full, the line was horrendously long and the service was not what I remembered it (or perhaps it was exactly how I remembered it, but I was not in the mood for it today). I ordered a cupcake called "Peachy Keen" which was a peach cupcake with peach almond frosting. They looked beautiful and I was excited by the prospect until I ate the cake.

The cake itself was dense. It had pieces of real peaches in it, but it was not a lightly, delicate genoise. It was a little chewy and a little spongy, but overall a cake I enjoyed. However, the frosting was terribly sweet and grainy. The flavor went with the cake, but would have been better with less frosting or a marzipan instead of an almond flavored buttercream.

In general, I liked most of the things at Baked & Wired, but I didn't love anything about it. And for this to be my ideal coffee shop in the future, it would have to be a place I loved, not just a place I liked.

Peachy Keen cupcake from Baked and Wired

Snap

1062 Thomas Jefferson Street NW
Washington DC 20007

http://snap-restaurant.com/

I found myself in Georgetown for lunch one afternoon and debated between a coffee shop I'd been to one before (described later) and a small hole in the wall restaurant next door. The line at the coffee house was much too long so I opted for the little green cafe next door. It had some rickety chairs in front and a sandwich board sign that proclaimed they had crepes, sandwiches, bubble tea and a back patio.

I tried the vegetarian Mediterranean plate as I did not feel like a crepe or a sandwich. The bubble tea seemed extremely overpriced for the quality (about $4 for a single drink). The service was very friendly and the food came out promptly, but the quality was mediocre at best. The pita was warm (the most enjoyable part) and the dolmas were good, but the parsley was not chopped fine enough in the tabouleh salad and the hummus was a little too salty. 

It was nice enough and I'm sure the crepes are great, but the entire establishment just felt a little dirty. The exterior patio was unkempt with uneven tables, and the interior was poorly lit. The entire establishment just felt run down and old. It was not a place I would go again.

Vegetarian plate from Snap

Baked & Wired

1052 Thomas Jefferson Street NW

Washington DC 20007

http://bakedandwired.com/

I'd gone to Baked and Wired before for lunch  the past. The first time I had a cappuccino and a mixed summer vegetable quiche. The cappuccino was strong and acidic with heavy fruit notes. The quiche was really rich, flakey and cooked just the right amount. There were a decent amount of vegetables but it could have used more. I was happy with Baked & Wired that day. I was happy with the food and happy with the ambiance that had this slightly unfinished appearance. It had an "under construction" feel to it with an ever changing music selection and a staff with a slightly "hipster-er than thou" attitude that fit my mood that day. No matter how much I liked it, however, I knew I would not be able to make a judgement about the place until I had tried their beautiful looking cupcakes.

Cappuccino and quiche from Baked and Wired

The second time I tried to go there, I ended up at Snap instead. Every table was full, the line was horrendously long and the service was not what I remembered it (or perhaps it was exactly how I remembered it, but I was not in the mood for it today). I ordered a cupcake called "Peachy Keen" which was a peach cupcake with peach almond frosting. They looked beautiful and I was excited by the prospect until I ate the cake.

The cake itself was dense. It had pieces of real peaches in it, but it was not a lightly, delicate genoise. It was a little chewy and a little spongy, but overall a cake I enjoyed. However, the frosting was terribly sweet and grainy. The flavor went with the cake, but would have been better with less frosting or a marzipan instead of an almond flavored buttercream.

In general, I liked most of the things at Baked & Wired, but I didn't love anything about it. And for this to be my ideal coffee shop in the future, it would have to be a place I loved, not just a place I liked.

Peachy Keen cupcake from Baked and Wired

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Georgetown Cupcakes - A Restaurant Review

Georgetown Cupcakes
3301 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/

Since moving to DC 3 weeks ago, I've been trying to find a place that felt like home and that I could truly appreciate. To feel like home, I've needed my bakery (pastries as well as bread), my coffee shop, my used bookstore and my Vietnamese restaurant. I've been to Georgetown cupcakes in the past and I have great memories of the chocolate based cupcake, the red velvet and the cinnamon cupcakes. I remember the frosting was light and not cloyingly sweet. The cake had a tender crumb and the chocolate was rich without being too sweet.

This time, I tried the Key Lime cupcake topped with a key lime frosting and lime gummi candy.  (It's a little strange looking because it was a hot day, and it was 20 minutes before I could take the picture) The frosting was sweeter than a would have liked, but that's probably just because I wanted my key lime cupcake to be tart like a key lime pie.

I still like Georgetown cupcake despite the 20 minute line wrapping out the door on the weekends.  the service is considerate and relatively fast. Yet I know in the future to stick with the chocolate based cupcakes, since that's what Georgetown cupcakes does best.

Georgetown Cupcakes
3301 M Street NW
Washington, DC 20007
http://www.georgetowncupcake.com/

Since moving to DC 3 weeks ago, I've been trying to find a place that felt like home and that I could truly appreciate. To feel like home, I've needed my bakery (pastries as well as bread), my coffee shop, my used bookstore and my Vietnamese restaurant. I've been to Georgetown cupcakes in the past and I have great memories of the chocolate based cupcake, the red velvet and the cinnamon cupcakes. I remember the frosting was light and not cloyingly sweet. The cake had a tender crumb and the chocolate was rich without being too sweet.

This time, I tried the Key Lime cupcake topped with a key lime frosting and lime gummi candy.  (It's a little strange looking because it was a hot day, and it was 20 minutes before I could take the picture) The frosting was sweeter than a would have liked, but that's probably just because I wanted my key lime cupcake to be tart like a key lime pie.

I still like Georgetown cupcake despite the 20 minute line wrapping out the door on the weekends.  the service is considerate and relatively fast. Yet I know in the future to stick with the chocolate based cupcakes, since that's what Georgetown cupcakes does best.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies

I don't know if I can even call this a "brownie"

The main ingredients are butter, chocolate, eggs, cheese and sugar. There's so little flour, this seemed almost like a flourless chocolate cake. It was merely an afterthought to cradle all these other, amazing ingredients

The flavor is dark and rich. The brownies are heavy, and you will intake far too many calories by eating just one square. But these brownies are the best, most decadent brownies you will ever have.

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies
Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 oz semi sweet chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder, not dutch process
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt

Ingredients for ganache

• 6 tbsp heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Melt butter in saucepan and pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate is dissolved.
3. Add sugar and cocoa powder
4. Beat in cheese, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined
5. Fold in flour and salt.
6. Pour batter into prepared 8x8 or 9 inch round pan, making sure to spread evenly
7. Bake 45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
8. While brownies are cooling, Melt butter and heavy cream in saucepan until mixture is just below a boil.
9. Pour cream and butter over chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds and stir until chocolate is fully dissolved
10. Spread ganache over brownies and let cool/harden completely before slicing and serving

I don't know if I can even call this a "brownie"

The main ingredients are butter, chocolate, eggs, cheese and sugar. There's so little flour, this seemed almost like a flourless chocolate cake. It was merely an afterthought to cradle all these other, amazing ingredients

The flavor is dark and rich. The brownies are heavy, and you will intake far too many calories by eating just one square. But these brownies are the best, most decadent brownies you will ever have.

Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies
Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3 oz semi sweet chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder, not dutch process
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup flour
• ¼ tsp salt

Ingredients for ganache

• 6 tbsp heavy cream
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 oz semi sweet chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Melt butter in saucepan and pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate is dissolved.
3. Add sugar and cocoa powder
4. Beat in cheese, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined
5. Fold in flour and salt.
6. Pour batter into prepared 8x8 or 9 inch round pan, making sure to spread evenly
7. Bake 45 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
8. While brownies are cooling, Melt butter and heavy cream in saucepan until mixture is just below a boil.
9. Pour cream and butter over chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds and stir until chocolate is fully dissolved
10. Spread ganache over brownies and let cool/harden completely before slicing and serving

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Matcha Cupcakes with Red Bean Filling and Kinako Frosting

"It's manju, but in cupcake form"

That was the only way I could describe these cupcakes and my inspiration to my coworkers, who greedily ate all of them. For those who don't know, manju is a Japanese dessert that is usually filled with sweet red bean paste. It can be baked or steamed, and it can come in flavors like green tea or kinako. I took my favorite elements of these classic treats from my childhood to make an updated cake that might appeal to the larger population.

The cupcakes are wonderfully light with a fantastic aftertaste of sweet green tea. Kinako frosting has a taste similar to peanut butter, but even more awesome. It's an irreplaceable flavor. The frosting isn't terrible sweet and is fluffy. This recipe does not make a lot of frosting, as the red bean adds a lot of sweetness to the cake and is unnecessary. If you want a cupcake with quite a bit of frosting, multiply the recipe by 1.5.

They dubbed these cupcakes "Hapa-fabulous" after tasting them. I could not have asked for a greater compliment. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. I make mine extra large, so for me it's really more like 22...

Matcha Cupcakes (adapted from Cupcake Bakeshop)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 12 oz (3 cups) all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp matcha powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brandy or Scotch whiskey (I used Suntory Yamazaki 12 year)
• 1 package of coarse red bean paste (you will have leftovers)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix matcha powder with whiskey to create a tincture. This will bring out the bright color of the matcha better than mixing it with the milk or with the butter.
3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add half the flour to butter and beat until combined.
5. Add milk and matcha, beating until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture.
6. Pour into prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. After cupcakes are cool, cut a small cone out of the top of the cupcake
8. Cut the bottom of the cone off, leaving a small lid
9. Fill hole with a little bit of red bean paste and top with your cake lid. The cupcakes are now ready for frosting.

Kinako Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp kinako flour (roasted soybean flour)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Cook flour, milk, sugar, and 1 Tbsp of kinako in saucepan over medium heat until a thick roux is created
2. Beat thickened mixture with electric beaters until cool
3. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time until emulsified. If mixture is too warm, place in refrigerator to let cool
4. Add vanilla and extra 1 Tbsp kinako until frosting is the correct consistency and flavor you like. I think more kinako is always better.
5. Frost cupcakes, making sure to cover the hole in the top. Dust with extra kinako.

"It's manju, but in cupcake form"

That was the only way I could describe these cupcakes and my inspiration to my coworkers, who greedily ate all of them. For those who don't know, manju is a Japanese dessert that is usually filled with sweet red bean paste. It can be baked or steamed, and it can come in flavors like green tea or kinako. I took my favorite elements of these classic treats from my childhood to make an updated cake that might appeal to the larger population.

The cupcakes are wonderfully light with a fantastic aftertaste of sweet green tea. Kinako frosting has a taste similar to peanut butter, but even more awesome. It's an irreplaceable flavor. The frosting isn't terrible sweet and is fluffy. This recipe does not make a lot of frosting, as the red bean adds a lot of sweetness to the cake and is unnecessary. If you want a cupcake with quite a bit of frosting, multiply the recipe by 1.5.

They dubbed these cupcakes "Hapa-fabulous" after tasting them. I could not have asked for a greater compliment. This recipe makes 24 cupcakes. I make mine extra large, so for me it's really more like 22...

Matcha Cupcakes (adapted from Cupcake Bakeshop)

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 12 oz (3 cups) all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp matcha powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp brandy or Scotch whiskey (I used Suntory Yamazaki 12 year)
• 1 package of coarse red bean paste (you will have leftovers)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix matcha powder with whiskey to create a tincture. This will bring out the bright color of the matcha better than mixing it with the milk or with the butter.
3. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add half the flour to butter and beat until combined.
5. Add milk and matcha, beating until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture.
6. Pour into prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
7. After cupcakes are cool, cut a small cone out of the top of the cupcake
8. Cut the bottom of the cone off, leaving a small lid
9. Fill hole with a little bit of red bean paste and top with your cake lid. The cupcakes are now ready for frosting.

Kinako Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 2 Tbsp kinako flour (roasted soybean flour)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Cook flour, milk, sugar, and 1 Tbsp of kinako in saucepan over medium heat until a thick roux is created
2. Beat thickened mixture with electric beaters until cool
3. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time until emulsified. If mixture is too warm, place in refrigerator to let cool
4. Add vanilla and extra 1 Tbsp kinako until frosting is the correct consistency and flavor you like. I think more kinako is always better.
5. Frost cupcakes, making sure to cover the hole in the top. Dust with extra kinako.

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Grapefruit Cupcakes with Avocado Frosting

Citrus and avocado are a classic salad combination. I never used to like avocado (I always it was a pointless use of calories) until I tried the grapefruit and avocado salad at a local restaurant. I can no longer remember the name of the restaurant, but I can remember the beauty of grapefruit segments, thin slices of avocado, pink sea salt and a hint of lemon zest.

When trying to create a completely original cupcake idea, I thought of this salad. I thought of just how it changed my opinion of avocado and what an amazing combination this would be, especially when topped with a little pink sea salt.

The cupcakes had a perfect texture. They were dense, but still quite moist and tasted strongly like a grapefruit creamsicle. The avocado was not overpowering and neither was the salt, but provided a complexity for the grapefruit to play against. It was sweet and salty and bitter all at the same time. At first it was a confusing assault on my taste buds, but after the initial bite, it became quite enjoyable.

Grapefruit Cupcakes (makes 24)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8.5 oz) all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbsp packed grapefruit zest (about 2 grapefruits)
• 1 cup less 3 Tbsp lowfat greek yogurt
• 3 Tbsp grapefruit juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
2. In separate bowl, cream butter. Add grapefruit zest and sugar, beating until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated
4. Add half the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporate.
5. Add vanilla, yogurt and grapefruit juice, mixing until incorporated. Finish with the remaining flour mixture.
6. Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake for 10-15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean
7. Let cool completely before frosting.

Avocado Frosting

Ingredients

• 4 oz ripe avocado meat (about 1 large avocado
• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
• 8 oz powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla (optional, depending on if you want a stronger citrus flavor)

Directions

1. Beat avocado with lemon or lime juice with electric mixer until creamy.
2. Add sugar and beat until smooth
3. Frost cupcakes and garnish with a little sea salt

Citrus and avocado are a classic salad combination. I never used to like avocado (I always it was a pointless use of calories) until I tried the grapefruit and avocado salad at a local restaurant. I can no longer remember the name of the restaurant, but I can remember the beauty of grapefruit segments, thin slices of avocado, pink sea salt and a hint of lemon zest.

When trying to create a completely original cupcake idea, I thought of this salad. I thought of just how it changed my opinion of avocado and what an amazing combination this would be, especially when topped with a little pink sea salt.

The cupcakes had a perfect texture. They were dense, but still quite moist and tasted strongly like a grapefruit creamsicle. The avocado was not overpowering and neither was the salt, but provided a complexity for the grapefruit to play against. It was sweet and salty and bitter all at the same time. At first it was a confusing assault on my taste buds, but after the initial bite, it became quite enjoyable.

Grapefruit Cupcakes (makes 24)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8.5 oz) all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbsp packed grapefruit zest (about 2 grapefruits)
• 1 cup less 3 Tbsp lowfat greek yogurt
• 3 Tbsp grapefruit juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt
2. In separate bowl, cream butter. Add grapefruit zest and sugar, beating until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated
4. Add half the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporate.
5. Add vanilla, yogurt and grapefruit juice, mixing until incorporated. Finish with the remaining flour mixture.
6. Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake for 10-15 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean
7. Let cool completely before frosting.

Avocado Frosting

Ingredients

• 4 oz ripe avocado meat (about 1 large avocado
• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
• 8 oz powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla (optional, depending on if you want a stronger citrus flavor)

Directions

1. Beat avocado with lemon or lime juice with electric mixer until creamy.
2. Add sugar and beat until smooth
3. Frost cupcakes and garnish with a little sea salt

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Coconut Flour Cake with Fudge Frosting

I have never subscribed in the belief for food with special dietary restrictions. Most of my friends feel the same way. They shun most things vegan and gluten free if those foods are pretending to be real food (such as coconut flour pretending to be cake, or something as sinister as vegan cheesecake)

One of my coworkers asked me to make him a dessert with coconut flour as be has been trying to keep a gluten free diet. It wasn't as restrictive as vegan or dairy free or no refined sugars, so I decided to give gluten free baking a try for the first time.

The cake was a lot more moist and spongy than I expected it to be given the density of coconut flour. The fudge frosting was a little too sweet for me, but it was delicious and tasted like a chocolate orange you get at Christmas time. The cake will be a staple for all my gluten free friends in the future. In the future, I will also double the recipe to make a double layer cake.

Coconut Flour Orange Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 eggs
• 1 orange zest
• 1/2 orange, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with butter and coconut flour
2. Sift together baking soda, salt and coconut flour
3. Melt the butter so that half is melted and the other half is very very soft
4. Mix in honey, orange zest, eggs and coconutmilk with the butter using electric beaters
   
   
5. Slowly add coconut flour while mixing, making sure to remove all the lumps from the cake
6. Pour cake into pan and bake for half anhour or until cake is set and tester comes out clean.
7. Poke holes in the top of the cake with toothpick and squeeze the juice from half an orange over the top

Orange Fudge Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 lb powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2.5 oz unsweetened chocolate
• juice from the other half orange
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions

1. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together in the top of a double boiler
2. Combine sugar, milk and orange juice, mixing with electric beaters.
3. Add hot chocolate and butter. Continue mixing on high until thickened and cool
4. As necessary, put frosting in the refrigerator to chill faster and continue beating until frosting is the right consistency.
5. Frost cake and top with the unsweetened coconut.

I have never subscribed in the belief for food with special dietary restrictions. Most of my friends feel the same way. They shun most things vegan and gluten free if those foods are pretending to be real food (such as coconut flour pretending to be cake, or something as sinister as vegan cheesecake)

One of my coworkers asked me to make him a dessert with coconut flour as be has been trying to keep a gluten free diet. It wasn't as restrictive as vegan or dairy free or no refined sugars, so I decided to give gluten free baking a try for the first time.

The cake was a lot more moist and spongy than I expected it to be given the density of coconut flour. The fudge frosting was a little too sweet for me, but it was delicious and tasted like a chocolate orange you get at Christmas time. The cake will be a staple for all my gluten free friends in the future. In the future, I will also double the recipe to make a double layer cake.

Coconut Flour Orange Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 eggs
• 1 orange zest
• 1/2 orange, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch cake pan with butter and coconut flour
2. Sift together baking soda, salt and coconut flour
3. Melt the butter so that half is melted and the other half is very very soft
4. Mix in honey, orange zest, eggs and coconutmilk with the butter using electric beaters
   
   
5. Slowly add coconut flour while mixing, making sure to remove all the lumps from the cake
6. Pour cake into pan and bake for half anhour or until cake is set and tester comes out clean.
7. Poke holes in the top of the cake with toothpick and squeeze the juice from half an orange over the top

Orange Fudge Frosting

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 lb powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2.5 oz unsweetened chocolate
• juice from the other half orange
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions

1. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together in the top of a double boiler
2. Combine sugar, milk and orange juice, mixing with electric beaters.
3. Add hot chocolate and butter. Continue mixing on high until thickened and cool
4. As necessary, put frosting in the refrigerator to chill faster and continue beating until frosting is the right consistency.
5. Frost cake and top with the unsweetened coconut.

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Chocolate Root Beer Bunt Cake

I only realized after making this cake that it would be such a contentious issue. Root beer has always been my favorite soda, but I took this for my co-workers, most of whom are not originally from the United States. I never realized that root beer could be so contentious.

Everyone liked this cake because it did not have as strong a root beer flavor-- it was primarily chocolate. I wanted a stronger flavor that was closer to a root

beer float or cream soda. The root beer taste was very strong in the original batter but dissipated during the baking process. Yet the chocolate flavor was intense, not too sweet, and the cake was both very dense and very moist. In the future, I will use dutch process cocoa (for a lighter flavor) or root beer extract.

Chocolate Root Beer Cake (taken from smitten kitchen)

Ingredients

• 2 cups root beer
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (8.5 oz) all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease/flour your bunt pan
2. Heat root beer, butter and cocoa powder in saucepan until combined
3. Add eggs one at a time and sugar. Mix thoroughly and let cool
4. In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder
5. Add root beer mix to flour mixture, folding gently and not overmixing
6. Bake 30-40 minutes until tester comes out clean
7. Let cool completely and serve with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

I only realized after making this cake that it would be such a contentious issue. Root beer has always been my favorite soda, but I took this for my co-workers, most of whom are not originally from the United States. I never realized that root beer could be so contentious.

Everyone liked this cake because it did not have as strong a root beer flavor-- it was primarily chocolate. I wanted a stronger flavor that was closer to a root

beer float or cream soda. The root beer taste was very strong in the original batter but dissipated during the baking process. Yet the chocolate flavor was intense, not too sweet, and the cake was both very dense and very moist. In the future, I will use dutch process cocoa (for a lighter flavor) or root beer extract.

Chocolate Root Beer Cake (taken from smitten kitchen)

Ingredients

• 2 cups root beer
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (8.5 oz) all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease/flour your bunt pan
2. Heat root beer, butter and cocoa powder in saucepan until combined
3. Add eggs one at a time and sugar. Mix thoroughly and let cool
4. In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder
5. Add root beer mix to flour mixture, folding gently and not overmixing
6. Bake 30-40 minutes until tester comes out clean
7. Let cool completely and serve with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad