Hayley's Caramel Cupcakes

My sister, Hayley, celebrated her 17th birthday in August. The only request she had for her cake was caramel. I spent days researching to find the PERFECT recipes for my caramel concoction! She loved them and was so surprised by the hard caramel candy and jumbo cupcakes!

This Cupcake recipe actually uses a combination of 4 different recipes (assembly instructions at end):
1) Double Caramel Cake
2) Caramel Frosting V
3) Dulce de Leche Filling (optional)
4) Caramel Sticks (optional)


DOUBLE CARAMEL CAKE
INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup plus 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided use
1/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3 eggs
3 cups sifted cake flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
Melt the 1/3 cup sugar in a heavy skillet, stirring constantly until deep-brown syrup is formed - a process called caramelization. Remove from heat and slowly stir in boiling water, being careful that steam does not burn your hand. Set syrup aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line jumbo cupcake/muffin pan with 12 liners.

Cream butter in bowl of electric mixer. Add 1 1/4 cups sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is well-incorporated. Stir in 4 tablespoons of the reserved syrup.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk and vanilla. Add flour mixture to the batter alternately with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Divide batter evenly among the cupcake liners and bake 20 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove pans from oven and let stand about 5 minutes, then turn cupcakes out to cook onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

CREDIT: "The Cake That Broke My Will post" from the Culinary Concoctions by Peabody blog


CARAMEL FROSTING V
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound light brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium, heavy saucepan, bring the sugar and cream to a rolling boil. Boil one minute. Add soda, and boil one more minute. Remove from heat. Add butter, but DO NOT STIR YET. Let the mixture cool. Beat well.

NOTES:
It is extremely important to leave the butter alone! I actually cut my butter into smaller pieces so that it would be easier to beat after it chilled. I left it in the refrigerator overnight and was able to beat it straight out of the fridge - I know some others had left comments on the recipe that they had to let it sit out for about half an hour. It does take a serious mixer to blend this at first since it's so sticky, but it's well worth the effort!

CREDIT: Submitted by "Carol" on Allrecipes.com


DULCE DE LECHE FILLING
INGREDIENTS:
1 can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:
Remove label from the can. Place UNOPENED can in a deep pot of water, making sure the water is at least 3-4 inches over the top of the can. Bring water to a boil and boil steadily for 3 hours. DO NOT let the water level get below the can. It is important to keep the water level above the can, or the can could explode. It is a good idea to set a timer as a reminder to check the level and add water every 15 minutes.

After 3 hours, turn off heat and allow water to cool. Remove can and refrigerate until cold before opening can. Store in refrigerator.


CARAMEL STICKS
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs light corn syrup

DIRECTIONS:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper coated with butter or pan spray.

Combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir them together with your fingers, making sure there are no lumps. Brush down the inside of the pan with a little water, using your hand to feel for any stray granules of sugar.

Cover the saucepan and place it over medium heat for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Do not stir from this point on. Keep an eye on the pan - it will be very bubbly. When stray sugar crystals appear on the side of the pan, brush them down with a clean, wet pastry brush.

Insert a candy thermometer. When the temperature reaches 300°, lower the heat to medium. Continue to cook the sugar until it reaches 325; this will happen quickly. It will be golden brown. At 325°, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit for 1 minute, or until the bubbles subside.

Let the caramel cool to 300°, 5-8 minutes. It should be thick but still liquid, like molasses. Scoop a spoonful of the caramel and let it fall back into the pot. If it flows in a smooth steady stream, it is ready to use. If it drips, it's still too hot.

Carefully scoop out a spoonful of the caramel and position it about 6 inches above the prepared baking sheet. Pour the caramel off the spoon across the baking sheet into desired shapes. The caramel will harden immediately.

If the caramel becomes too cool to work with before you finish making all of the sticks, reheat it. If it has hardened completely, smash it up and place the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes. The temperature should not exceed 300°.

CREDIT: Sherry Yard, The Secrets of Baking, p. 54, c. 2003

ASSEMBLY:
FILLING:
Make sure that cupcakes are completely cooled. Fill a pastry bag with a medium round tip (I used tip 7 from Wilton) with the Dulce de Leche. Poke the tip into the top of a cupcake and squeeze a small amount of Dulce de Leche into the middle of the cupcake. If you do not have a pastry bag, you can use a paring knife to cut out a small "cone" from the top of the cupcake, spoon a small amount of Dulce de Leche into the hole and plug the opening back up with the "cone" cut from the cake.

FROSTING:
Fill a pastry bag with a large star tip (I used tip 1M from Wilton) with the Caramel Frosting. Pipe onto the top of the cupcake in a circular motion, starting from the outside going inward.

GARNISH:
Stand up shapes and pieces of the Caramel Stick Recipe.

Strawberry Fields Forever Cake

My dad requested a strawberry cake for his birthday. I searched everywhere on my quest to find a recipe for a homemade strawberry cake that did not include white cake mix! I gleaned this recipe from the Honeyed Hashette blog - her photos looked so yummy, I just had to make it!







INGREDIENTS:
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 3oz. package strawberry Jell-O
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1/2 cup frozen sweetened strawberries, puréed
Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
Strawberry Filling

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

In large bowl, cream together butter, sugar and gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour and baking powder in medium bowl. Add to batter, alternating with milk until flour and milk are incorporated. Blend in vanilla and strawberry purée.

Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

ASSEMBLY:
Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with Strawberry Filling. Spread Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing evenly over filling on cake layer. Top with second cake layer; spread top with Strawberry Filling. Spread remaining Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing on top and sides of cake. Garnish, if desired.

GARNISH:

Sugar-Frosted Strawberries (Using a pastry brush, coat fresh, clean strawberries with egg white, then roll in sugar. Let dry on wax paper for 2 hours. NOTE: Do this step just before serving as frosted strawberries do not refrigerate well.)

CREDIT: "Strawberry Cupcake Fields Forever post" from the Honeyed Hashette blog

Strawberry Filling

This recipe goes with Strawberry Fields Forever Cake.

I wanted to jazz up my dad's strawberry birthday cake a little bit, so I made up some strawberry filling to go on top of each cake layer with some strawberry purée I had leftover from the cake and icing. This can also be used to drizzle over the cake and/or plate as a garnish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup frozen sweetened strawberries, puréed
1 Tbs cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
In small saucepan, bring puréed strawberries to a boil, stirring constantly. Dissolve cornstarch into 1/2 Tbs warm water and pour into boiling strawberry mixture, stirring until thickened. Add more cornstarch (dissolved) if necessary to thicken more. Cool and refrigerate until use.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing

This recipe goes with Strawberry Fields Forever Cake.

Since our printer was not hooked up when I was making this cake, I jotted the recipe down on paper instead of printing it from the Honeyed Hashette blog. The icing that I made was so soft and fluffy that it was actually too soft for the cake - on the drive to my dad's house, the top layer of the cake kept sliding off and I had to do some major cake resuscitation when I arrived. I mentioned to my husband that the recipe's 1 1/2 cups of butter was a lot and that next time I'll cut it down to 1/2 cup so it won't be so soft. Well, lo and behold, when I jumped online to add the recipe to my blog, I realize that the recipe DID actually only call for 1/2 cup of butter and I had mistakenly written down 1 1/2 cups butter! Either way, the icing is delicious!!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
INGREDIENTS:
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup frozen sweetened strawberries, puréed

DIRECTIONS:
Blend cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and blend well. Add strawberry purée and blend well. Refrigerate until use.

CREDIT: "Strawberry Cupcake Fields Forever post" from the Honeyed Hashette blog

Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake

We're housesitting for some friends right now and they have blueberry bushes brimming with fresh blueberries just waiting to be baked into something yummy! I found this recipe in my new book, "Southern Cakes", and had to try it out.

INGREDIENTS:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375°, and generously grease a 9-inch square or round pan.
Is a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugar, and beat with a mixer at high speed until well combined. Add the egg and beat well for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and light.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well. Stir in half the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then half the milk, mixing just enough to keep the batter fairly smooth and well combined. Add the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk, mixing gently. Stir in the blueberries.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 375° for 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden, springs back when touched gently in the center, and is pulling away from the sides of the pan.

CREDIT: Nancie McDermott, Southern Cakes, p. 124, c. 2007

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

I had some ricotta cheese left over that I needed to use up before it expired and found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I haven't tasted them yet because I've just had oral surgery and am on a liquid diet for a few days, but my family loves them!

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 Tbs milk

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bow, with the mixer a low speed, beat the sugar and butter until combined. Increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Reduce speed to medium and beat in the ricotta, vanilla and eggs.

Reduce speed to low. Add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until dough forms.
Drop dough by level tablespoons, about 2 inches apart; onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350° for about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly golden (cookies will be soft). With spatula, remove cookies to wire rack to cool.

When cookies are cool, prepare icing**. In small bowl, stir confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. With small spreader, spread icing on cookies.

** I did not have any milk, so I improvised on the icing. I made 6 different flavors:

• lemon (using lemon juice)
• orange (using orange juice that was strained through mesh to separate the pulp)
• pomegranate (using pomegranate juice)
• Irish cream (using a few drops of Irish cream oil and some Irish cream flavored coffee creamer)
• vanilla maple (using some vanilla extract and real maple syrup)
• cocoa almond (using cacao liqueur, almond extract, and half and half)

CREDIT: Submitted by "LindaK" on Allrecipes.com

Cookie Bouquet

My sister gave me this KitchenAid mixer for my birthday, and her only condition was that she gets the first thing that I make with it. Hmm...I knew that this had to be something good. She's a chocolate fan, but I've already been doing so much chocolate lately, I thought I'd try a Cookie Bouquet. After scouring the internet for days searching for the perfect recipe, I finally found it. I used the "Michelle Bommarito’s Sugar Cookies For Sticks" recipe that I found on the Cookie Madness blog.

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 sticks butter, unsalted, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of almond extract
Meringue-Powder Icing

DIRECTIONS:
Sift together the flour and baking powder. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, salt and both extracts.

Slowly add flour mixture (1 cup at a time) and stir until incorporated

Form the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (I found that it needed to refrigerate overnight in my refrigerator.)

Preheat oven to 375°. Roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface to approximately 5/8″ thick. Cut the cookies into shapes and place the cut cookie shape on a parchment lined cookie; Poke a stick into cookies.

Bake the cookies for approximately 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown in color. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

THE PROCESS:

I tried two different methods of putting the stick into the cookie. The first was to press the stick into the back of the cookie, then cover it with a bit of rolled dough and press it together. This method tended to let the cookies "spin" around the stick after they were baked.


The second was to carefully push the stick straight up into the cookie. I think that this method worked the best, but I had to be really careful to go STRAIGHT and level into the cookie. I had a few that were slightly at an angle and had to re-roll the cookies.



Cookies cooling on their sticks after being baked. Be sure that the cookies are COMPLETELY cool before trying to frost them.





My friend, Stacey, was in town and helped decorate the cookies. For this particular icing recipe, we found the easiest method is to use a knife to frost the cookies, then gently shake the cookies back and forth to smooth out the icing before it sets. This seems so much easier to me then the outline-and-flood method!

Our cookies setting out to dry. We frosted each cookie with a different color and let that set. The dots in the middle of the flowers were "painted" on with a cookie stick. When that was dry, we used a piping bag to pipe on the white outline. Be sure to let the icing COMPLETELY dry (preferably overnight) before bagging them up or stacking them.

Once the cookies were dry, we stuck them inside a clear cookie/treat bag (you can find them at large craft stores in the baking aisle) and wrapped the bottom with a silver twist tie. To make our bouquet, we put floral foam into the bottom of a 6" clay pot (I used a 6" round ball). We then stuck the cookies in at various heights and angles, then stuffed the moss around the bottom of the sticks to cover the foam. In hindsight, it would have been MUCH easier to lay the moss down, then stick the cookies in. A pretty pink bow was the finishing touch.

Ashley with her cookie bouquet! She loved it! :)











CREDIT: "Michelle Bommarito’s Sugar Cookies For Sticks" from the Cookie Madness blog