Homemade Strawberry Vanilla Confetti Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

S requested for a strawberry cake with strawberry frosting for her birthday cake. I found a way to get natural strawberry flavor with out drowning the cake in juice: concentrated strawberry puree and freeze-dried strawberries!  She was very excited to see her cake

The cake consists of a strawberry cake with concentrated puree swirled into the cake, strawberry filling and strawberry cream cheese frosting.

Adapted from: http://www.alattefood.com/berry-vanilla-naked-cake-with-lemon-whipped-cream/

Strawberry Vanilla Cake – Yields 1 4 layer 6 inch cake and 12 cupcakes

• 2cups chopped strawberries, pureed for the cake (note there are more strawberries used for the frosting and filling
• 4 eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 TBSP vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1.2 ounces freeze dried strawberries, pulsed into a fine powder in a food processor
  • Consider adding to milk to soften and minimize lumps
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Sprinkles

Heat the strawberry puree in a small saucepan until most of the moisture is gone and the remaining fruit is thick.  Allow to cool completely

Beat egg whites on high.  Add 1/4 cup sugar once the egg whites go beyond the foamy stage.  Once stiff peaks are achieved, place into another bowl and set aside.

Sift flour, freeze dried strawberries, baking powder cornstarch and salt into a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk milk, sour cream and vanilla

Cream butter for about 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Add oil.  Add 1 1/4 c sugar slowly (1/4 cup was already added to the egg whites).  Add egg yolks one at a time.  Continue to beat until well incorporated.  Start adding the dry and wet ingredients, alternating.   If food coloring is desired, would add at this stage.

Fold in egg whites until no white streaks remain.  Stir in sprinkles.

Pour cake into 2 6-inch pans about half way up.  Scoop remaining batter into 12 cupcake wells

Spoon strawberry puree over the top of the cake and cupcakes.  Save some puree for the frosting.  Swirl into batter with a toothpick.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes for the cake, 16-18 minutes for cupcakes

Strawberry Filling-for cake only, but I did brush some onto the tops of the cupcakes when they were still hot.

• 2 cups strawberries, quartered
• 6 TBSP sugar
• small pinch salt

Combine strawberries, salt and sugar and let sit for 1 hour.  Collect the juice and reduce liquid by about half.

Puree the strawberries, then add the reduced liquid

Whipped Cream Filling (for cake only)

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt

Beat the cream till soft peaks.  Slowly add the cream cheese, vanilla and salt

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 sticks softened butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 pounds powdered sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 2 tsp vanilla
• pinch salt
• 1/2 ounce freeze dried strawberries
• thickened strawberry puree previously prepared for the cake

Beat the butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes.  Add sugar gradually.  Then add cream cheese, vanilla and salt.   Add freeze dried strawberries.

Add strawberry puree slowly until the desired color is achieved.  Add more powdered sugar to maintain desired thickness.

Assembly

Cut the cakes into 4 rounds.

Spread the strawberry filling over the entire surface of the first cake layer. Then spoon on whipped cream filling

Place the next cake layer and repeat the previous step.

Wrap cake in plastic wrap and let set for a few hours if possible

Frost with the buttercream frosting

 

 

Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

The answer to S’s request for chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting for her birthday party…and don’t forget the sprinkles!

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated:  Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling
Ingredients
Ganache Filling:

• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (see note) 
• ¼ cup heavy cream 
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes: Makes about 16 cupcakes

• 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine 
• 1/3 cup (1 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa 
• 1/2 cup hot water 
• ¾ cup AP flour 
• ¾ cup (5¼ ounces) granulated sugar 
• ½ teaspoon table salt 
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/4 c buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:

• ¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 8 ounces chocolate (milk, semisweet or dark), melted and cooled

Preparation
Ganache Filling:
Place-chocolate, cream, and confectioners’ sugar in medium -microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high power until mixture is warm to touch, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard-sized muffin pan (cups have ½-cup capacity) with baking-cup liners. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour water over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in refrigerator to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
Whisk oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a small bowl, combine the  baking soda and vinegar, then stir into the batter.
Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one slightly rounded teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.

Frosting:  In a food processor, process the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and salt until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the corn syrup and vanilla extract and process until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the chocolate and pulse until smooth and creamy, 10 to 15 one-second pulses. Frost the cupcakes as desired. The frosted cupcakes can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

 

Corned Beef Hash

• Left over corned beef dinner:  corned beef, carrot, potato, cabbage – all chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Kale
• Fresh thyme and oregano
• 4 eggs, fried to your preference

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt a good amount of butter.  Once foaming, add onions, bell pepper thyme and oregano.  Cook for about 5 minutes to soften.

Add garlic and continue to cook until browned.

Add kale and cooked till wilted

Add corned beef dinner, adding a good amount of pepper.

Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Place a heavy lid over it and allow to brown.  After about 5 minutes, stir the mixture and place the lid back on to continue to brown.

Once you have lots of tasty browned bits, fry your eggs.

To serve, spoon the corned beef mixed onto a plate and top with the fried egg.

Bob’s Beer Bread

Bob is a dear co-worker of mine who has put on a St Patrick’s Day Corned Beef luncheon at work for several years.  We didn’t have one this year due to the lack of a break room at work, so I decided to make my own corned beef, accompanied by his beer bread.

• 3 cups self-rising flour (or 3 cups flour with about 2 1/2 TBSP baking powder and a good pinch of salt)
• 1/2 c sugar
• 4 TBSP melted butter, place more for the brushing on top
• 12 oz Guinness

Combine in a bowl and pour into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Brush with butter, then continue to bake for another 5 minutes.

Chocolate Beer Bread

Whipped up a batch for St Patty’s Day.  Turned out crisp and salted on the outside.  I really liked the malty flavor the porter imparts.  I don’t have the exact baking time.  30 minutes is an estimation.

• 2 2/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 3/4 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 c sugar
• pinch salt
• 12 oz chocolate porter
• handful chocolate chips
• handful chopped walnuts
• 4 TBSP melted butter + more for brushing on top

Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt then stir in wet ingredients till well combined.  Lumps are OK but don’t want dry pockets of flour.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Pour into 3 greased mini loaves and bake at 350 degrees till puffed and a toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Let cool for about 15 minutes, the remove from pans.

Brush the tops with butter

 

Rice Noodles with Gravy

• 6-8 dried mushrooms, rehydrated in 2 cups hot water
• 1 pound fresh rice noodles
• soy sauce
• 2 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• sweet sauce sauce
• whole fermented bean sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 4 ounces sliced pork (may also add shrimp)
• 2 fistfuls Chinese greens
• 1 1/2 TBSP cornstarch mixed in water to dissolve

In a wok, heat oil on high heat and add rice noodles, a few handfuls at a time, to the pan, adding soy sauce to achieve brown color.  Allow the noodles to brown or char a bit.  Pour noodles into the serving dish.

Add more oil and stir fry ginger and garlic until fragrant.  Add dried or fresh shiitake mushrooms (thinly sliced).  Once the mushrooms have let out their water, add dark soy sauce, sweet sauce sauce, whole fermented bean sauce, chicken broth and mushroom water (if dried mushrooms used, otherwise, add more plain water).  Once seasoning is at desired level, add pork slices and vegetables.  Add shrimp when veggies are almost done, if using).  Once cooked through, add a slurry of water and corn starch and bring sauce to a boil to thicken.  Pour over noodles and serve immediately.  Serve with pickle chilis or chili sambal.

Chicken Pho

I was fighting a cold this weekend (the first of the season for me, despite someone else in the household being sick at any given time this winter), and was in the mood for a hot and steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup…

For the broth

• 1 picnic pack chicken (4 drumsticks and 2 breasts, bone-in)
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 4 inch knob ginger, unpeeled
• 4 whole cloves, toasted
• 2 TBSP coriander seeds, toasted
• 4 star anise pods, toasted
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 TBSP fish sauce
• 1 TBSP palm sugar

Place the onions and ginger on a baking sheet and place under the broiler set on high.  The top of the onion should be about 3 inches from the heat source.  Broil for about 15 minutes when onions are soft and charred.  Once cool enough to handle, peel ginger with a spoon and onions.

Take the chicken and whack the bones open on 2-3 inch sections with a cleaver to expose the marrow.

While aromatics are in the oven, place chicken in a pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil and parboil for 3 minutes.  Dump out the water and rinse the chicken in a colander.  Clean the pot and add the broth and more cold water, about 4 cups.

Add the onion, ginger (cut into 4 pieces), cilantro stems, toasted spices to the pot and bring to a boil, then immediately set to simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and cover the pot partially.  Continue to simmer.  Skim off impurities that float to the top every 20-30 minutes

Let chicken cool and remove meat from the bones.  Return bones to the pot.  Continue to simmer for 1.5 hours.  Add fish sauce and palm sugar to taste

Shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Place a serving of rice noodles in a bowl,  add the chicken and label the hot broth over the noodles.  Garnish with bean sprouts, Thai basil, chili pepper, lime wedge and cilantro.

Serve with ‘ginger scallion dipping sauce’ on the side.

Ginger scallion dipping sauce for chicken

Used to accompany steam chicken or chicken noodle soup (Asian style)

• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 inch knob of ginger, finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste

In a small frying pan, add the ginger and garlic. Add oil to the cold pan and turn heat to low. Heat until ginger and garlic are cooked but not browned. Add a pinch of salt and green onions. Cook until onions are softened.