Green Tea again?!

I can't get enough of green tea.

Let's see, I have paired it with...

Cream Cheese

White Chocolate

Strawberry Yoghurt

So far... so good... but I still want to see how far I can go with this flavor so I decided to pair it with another tea... Red Rose Tea. They are these dried little rose buds which smells so heavenly. You'd only need to steep 2 to 3 buds a cup and you're all set to enjoy an afternoon tea.

Green Tea Cupcakes with Rose Tea Buttercream

Green Tea Cake

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons Matcha green tea powder

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 9 inch round pans. Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking soda, salt, and green tea powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar, oil, and eggs until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes before turning out of the pans.

Rose Tea Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

1 pound powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cooled steeped rose tea (from 2-3 rose tea buds steeped from 1 cup hot water)

Steep 2 - 3 rose tea buds in a cup of warm water. Set aside to cool 2 tablespoons and enjoy the rest.

Cream butter for 1 minute and add the powdered sugar slowly.

Add cooled rose tea water until well combined.

Happy Cupcaking,

Aikko

Playing around with colors

I'm playing around with colors and ended up with this.

Tell me, does it scream happiness? :)

Happy cupcaking!

Aikko

Happy Mother's Day!

I know I’m a day late. It was a busy weekend and I didn’t have time to post this. But as the Filipino saying goes: “Huli man at magaling, naihahabol din”.

So here’s the mother’s day cupcake for the 2 of the most wonderful moms in the whole world. I love you mama and mommy! Thank you for everything!

Happy Mother’s day to all the moms out there!

Happy cupcaking!
Aikko

Pinoy Cupcake: Kapeng Barako Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Marie Buscuits

I remember when I was younger, my Decembers wouldn't be complete without the yearly trip to NAIA to fetch my father so we could spend the holidays together. And my mother's Decembers wouldn't be complete if she wouldn't see me get so impatient waiting for him to arrive garbed in his "uniform" so we wouldn't miss him.

When my mother sees me impatiently playing with the rails which separates us from the ones arriving in Manila, she would instantly produce a bag of Marie biscuits in her bag which she knows would keep me (or rather my stomach until the Barrio Fiesta dinner/lunch) occupied till my father arrives.

As part of my Pinoy Cupcakes series, this has been inspired by --- you guessed right, Marie biscuits. Those little round biscuits that just melts the moment you dunk it in a steaming mug of hot coffee. Yum yum yum.

The cupcake is coffee-flavored and to give it a Pinoy twist, instead of regular coffee, I used kapeng barako for an added kick. To make it fancier, the cupcakes have been frosted with Chocolate Ganache and Marie biscuits. Now, if only I could dunk it in the coffee cupcakes.... nah, never mind.

Hershey's Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream

36 Special Dark Hershey's Chocolate Kisses

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Simmer heavy cream and vanilla extract

Chop kisses to even smaller pieces.

Place in a mixing bowl

Pour cream into the Kisses and stir until thick.

Refrigerate Ganache for 30 minutes then whip it as you would a whip cream.

Ganache is now ready for piping!

Happy cupcaking!

Aikko

Pinoy Cupcake: Calamansi Cupcakes Frosted with Cream Cheese, Glazed with Bugnay Wine and Topped with Butterscotch Mini Cupcakes

Third installment of the Pinoy Cupcake Series.



Is it just me, or did you also noticed that the last 6 posts have something to do with chocolate? I think it's time to break the trend. This week I decided to focus on Calamansi - the Pinoy version of lemon.

We use it with bagoong when eating fried fish, with patis when eating liempo, I use it with salt when eating Chowking's Chicharap. Seldom have I heard of it being used to make dessert so I dedicate this week's post to Calamansi.



Why Calamansi? Why not.

Since there is no recipe for calamasi cupcake, I decided to look for a recipe for lemon cupcakes and found one at Martha Stewart's website. I just made made the necessary substitutions.



Calamansi Cupcakes

(adapted from Martha Stewart's Lemon Cupcakes)

Makes 24/325 degrees



3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons fresh calamasi juice

1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk and calamasi juice, and beating until just combined after each.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.



Because of the tangy flavor, it seems a cream cheese frosting would compliment this cupcake. My dilemma is, how can I make it more Pinoy? I decided to glaze it with a simple Bugnay wine (from Baguio) syrup then topped it with Butterscotch (from Bacolod) shaped like little cupcakes.

Bugnay Wine Glaze



½ cup Bugnay wine

6 tbsp sugar



Bring wine and sugar to a boil until mixture thickens.







Happy Cupcaking,

Aikko

Pinoy Cupcake: Tsokolate Ah Cupcakes with Fried Suman and Panucha Frosting

For those who remember Noli me Tangere well, you can probably tell the difference between tsokolate eh and tsokolate ah.

Tsokolate ah is the chocolate drink the Spanish priest (was it Padre Salvi?) would request to be served if his guests are VIPs while tsokolate eh is its bland counterpart, fit for unwanted visitors.

No, it's not June 19 or December 31 but I suddenly just want to do something in honor of Pepe. Uh oh, the geek in me is coming out again! Yeah, yeah, I can just hear Kristine, Bo, Nina, and Shetan laughing! Hahaha :P How could a chocolate cupcake be anymore richer worthy to be called Tsokolate ah? For this, I decided to swap local ingredients to my usual chocolate cake recipe. Instead of using cocoa powder, I used cacao tablea I bought from a recent trip to Pangasinan and instead of the usual milk, I used gatas ng kalabaw from the Salcedo Market.







I made 24 cupcakes but unfortunately, 12 of them overflowed because I placed way too much batter in a liner (see below). Good thing the other 12 baked perfectly fine. Nevertheless, the 12 that overflowed was still yummy the gang finished it in no time.

As for the frosting, I tried something new. Went to the sugar section of the grocery store and saw some lonely looking packs of Panucha at the lower level of the shelves. Hmmm... choclate and panucha? An unlikely combination but I think it was worth the try. Unbelievably, it gave a caramel-like taste to the frosting. It's so yummy! Cupcakes wouldn't be complete without a cute topper. I don't know if suman can be classified as cute but it sure works for this cupcake.



Panucha Frosting

1 stick butter

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 bao of Panucha

2 tbsp milk for the panucha

2 tbsp milk for the frosting



1. Chop the panucha to small pieces. In a double broiler, melt the panucha till smooth then add water to prevent it from hardening again.

2. Place melted panucha in an ice bath for five minutes. After which, add 1/8 c milk. Stir vigorously to blend both milk and panucha.

3. Cream butter for 1 minute and add the powdered sugar slowly.

4. Add the panucha mixture. Make sure that it is completely cooled before adding to the butter mixture. Otherwise, the butter will melt and you'll no longer be able to pipe the frosting

5. Mix well to makesure all ingredients are well blended

Happy Cupcaking,

Aikko





ps: This is part of my experimental Pinoy Cupcake series I started some time ago. Hope there's more to come. Cheers! I mean... tagay!

Rhett and Scarlett's Red Velvet

Okay, I admit, guilty as charged, this is not the first time I tried baking red velvet cupcakes. This is my second try. The first one was a bit of a disaster... I used cupcake cups, the ones that can stand on their own, so I had to rely on the good ole toothpick to test if it was done. The problem was, it was too well done it almost got burnt. Then the weather was just so hot that day the cream cheese frosting simply wouldn't obey me! Or was it because I have overbeaten the frosting?! Aaargh!!!

So you see, I have to to do it again. And this weekend was the perfect time to redeem myself. Red food coloring? Check! Cream of Tartar? Check! Cocoa? Check! Cream Cheese? Check! Baking cups? Check! All set!

I decided to call it Scarlett's Red Velvet. Not only because it rhymes or because of its origins but because I wanted to name it after one of the most memorable fictional characters set in the backdrop of American Civil War. I'm getting geeky already. I know, I'll stop now. Wait a sec, it could also be called Rhett's Red Velvet! But frankly my dear, I don't give a bleep... *wink*

If I say so myself, I think this one turned out way better than the last one. The cake was moist not burnt, the reddish tint was just right and the frosting was so kind it obeyed me this time! Yey! The dark chocolate malt looked a-ok as the icing on the cake... or should I say cupcake?

Happy cupcaking,

Aikko

ps: I decided to call it Rhett and Scarlett's Red Velvet, sue me. *wink*

Blair and Nate's Flourless Chocolate Cake

Last week, I made an almost flourless cake. It was so yummy but the texture was not the same as the flourless chocolate cake I tasted at The Market.


So this week, I tried another recipe. I found one at howdini.com. Chef Ceci Carmichael seems to have the recipe I'm looking for. And it only has five ingredients, cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate bars, sugar, egg and butter. How simple is that?!


I have to say, this version of the fourless chocolate cake is for "adults only". Nothing naughty here guys! Its just that it isn't as sweet as I expected it to be. Next time I try this recipe, I'll probably replace unsweetened cocoa powder with a sweetened one and the bittersweet chocolate bar with milk chocolate. Let's see how that one will turn out. But it would probably be awhile if I ever tested this recipe again. I'm trying to revive my Pinoy cupcakes series. Hopefully starting next week. If I get all the needed ingredients. Fingers crossed.




Here's Chef's Ceci's version. I just modified it to fit my little cupcake liners.
(1) Melt 2 sticks (1 cup) butter and 8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in saucepan over low heat.
(2) While butter and chocolate are melting, mix dry ingredients together - 1 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 cup granulated sugar.
(3) Add eggs to dry ingredients and wisk together. (You can add the eggs all at once.)When the butter/chocolate mix has cooled enough to ensure that its heat won't scramble the eggs in you dry ingredients/egg mix, temper the butter/chocolate mix into the dry ingredients/egg mix and wisk the two together until they are completely blended.
(4) Cut a piece of wax or parchment paper to fit the size of your springform baking pan, and lightly butter it
(5) Place it into the baking pan, buttered side up, and pour the cake mix into the pan.Place into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Don’t overbake it!Remove from oven, allow to cool and remove from the baking pan. Place on a serving plate.



From the looks of it, the cupcake can stand on its own with just a dust of powdered sugar. It's just that I don't know when to stop!!! Here I was thinking I have to whip a cup of heavy cream to frost the cupcakes. I shouldn't have done it since it backfired. Whipped cream curdled just as I was about to stop and pipe it. See? It completely sucks!!! Good thing I have one good cupcake left to frost and take a picture of.


Why Blair and Nate? In preparation for Gossip Girl's Season Three coming this September of course! You know you love me, xoxo...

Happy cupcaking!

Aikko

Gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie Cupcakes

A few weeks ago, Cielo and I went to The Market to grab some dinner when I noticed they were now selling mouthwatering cakes and pastries. Their flourless chocolate cake caught my attention and decided to try one. I took my first bite and already I was in seventh heaven. It was that delicious! The cake just melts in your mouth.

So this weekend, I decided to make my own version. I found a recipe for an almost flourless chocolate cake from Clotilde's Chocolate and Zucchini. The original name of the cake is Gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie. Geez, even I can't pronounce that but it sure sounds classy to me. Anyway, by the look of the ingredients, it seems it's fairly easy to make plus baking time's short too. Plus factors for me since I am fairly new at this.

Now for the frosting... I had a feeling the cupcake will have a very sweet and intense flavor so I decided to top it with just whipped cream to balance the flavor out. Problem is, with a country as hot as ours, topping the cupcakes with whipped cream may be a disaster since it will melt quite easily. So, I tried looking for a no melt whipped cream recipe and found this. Problem solved.




Hmmm.... what do I put at the top, cherries, of course!

Hope Clotilde wouldn't mind me reposting the recipe...

__________________

"Gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie"

translation: Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake

- 200g (2 sticks minus 1 Tbsp) butter

- 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate

- 200g (1 C) sugar

- 4 eggs

- a rounded tablespoon of flour

Note: like all dark chocolate cakes, this cake is best made a day ahead (or at least in the morning if you serve it for dinner).

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place cupcake liners in a 12 piece cupake pan. Melt together the butter with the chocolate (in a double-boiler or in the microwave slowly and for just a few seconds at a time, blending with a spoon between each pass). Transfer into a medium mixing-bowl. Add in the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and let cool a little. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add in the flour and mix well.

Fill in the cupcake liners upto three fourths full and bake for 25 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the cupcakes inside for another ten minutes, then put the pan on a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and take it out about an hour before serving.

White Chocolate Cupcake with Green Tea Frosting and White Chocolate Shavings

It's good to be back!


Its been a while since my last post but I intend to post as much as I can


I love green tea!!! But I don't know what to pair it with... cranberry? chocolate? hmmm has to be a bit subtle so the green tea flavor will come out. I eventually decided on white chocolate.


I love how it turned out, the white chocolate cupcake are a bit crinkly when I took them out of the oven but I guess this is fine because the white chocolate wafting in the air is heavenly. And I guess I should not worry since I will top then with the green tea frosting anyway.

Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!!!

Happy Cupaking,

Aikko

White Chocolate Cake

(adapted from Food & Wine Magazine, November 2004)

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sticks butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk

8 ounces white chocolate, melted

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter at low speed until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla. At low speed, alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions. Add the melted white chocolate and beat just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans and smooth the surfaces.

Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Green Tea Frosting

(from Food Mayhem)

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

4 teaspoons matcha powder

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure

To make frosting, sift together confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder. Set aside. Using a heavy duty mixer with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla on medium speed for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add sugar/matcha gradually. Once all of the sugar/matcha is mixed in, increase speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes more.