Chocolate Angel Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Speckled Buttercream

I may be be called cute at times, but one thing I'm not is cutesy. Nor am I follower of fads. That's why the whole cupcake craze just never appealed to me much. I will have one now and then, but I am not obsessed . Although I admit there are those that have taken the cupcake to pure art form. I wrote about the whole craze here. Give me a multi tiered cake to bring out the artist in me. However when it comes to a portable dessert to break my dry spell of not baking , the cupcake comes to the rescue. The small parcels of sweet goodness are just  the right thing to tote to work to satisfy  the few people that had been missing my sweets.

The security guard and customer service representative were beginning to wonder what was going on with me. They got spoiled over the holidays.  But with New Years and personal vows to get my health and weight  in check before things got out of control, baking was sidelined. Then Certain Someone, decided to remodel, which I am grateful, but it takes time with our schedules and figuring out what to do with all my stuff. So my kitchen just isn't in the state I would like it to be for things to flow. I moved things around and lost my Mojo. The other day I moved my Kitchen Aid back to its original place and I got the urge back . With egg whites in the freezer and visions of lightness, I decided on Angel Food. Chocolaty Angel Food, cause that what's I am. Then topped with an Italian Meringue Butter cream speckled with vanilla bean paste. Light and rich. Certain Someone is not one for sweets but that didn't stop him from asking for his "Honig to bring me another bite of cake. Ein Bisschen".

I exaggerate, but that's the gist. At work , those managed to partake scarfed them down in a bite. They are that light, but with a rich decadent topping. I choose Rose Levy  Beranbaum's Chocolate Lovers Angel Food Cake from the Cake Bible as my guide. The recipe is designed for a cake,but it made 24 cupcakes plus one 6 inch plain cake.
You can find the recipe here for the cake.
I used my recipe from from the French Pasty School. Here you can find an classic Italian Meringue with a tutorial that's based on a Rose Levy Beranbaum  recipe.

Some quick tips:

•  Make your own cake flour by substitute by sifting  together 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour with 1/4 cup cornstarch.
• Make sure the egg whites hit the stiff beak stage. To test hold up whisk attachment and see it the beaks hold their shape.The recipe has 3 stages, frothy, soft, and stiff.
• Don't be deterred if your Italian Meringue curdles. It's one of those things that has looks really bad before it shapes up and comes to life. Just keep beating on. It will come together , promise.
• I used Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste which is a great alternative to actual vanilla beans.Just add to butter cream  to achieve speckled effect. 
• If making cupcakes , fill liners 2/3 of the way. Tap pan to settle batter.

Happy Thanksgiving

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting




For the second Thanksgiving since Ive been involved with Certain Someone, we are spending Thanksgiving with his colleagues. Normally I love to cook and prefer to spend it at home. Of course I have to go to the obligatory aunts house as well. I view Thanksgiving not as a mad race around to houses to gorge, but a time to kick back, and experiment. My mother instilled that adventuresome spirit in me in regards to food. We've had traditional turkey, Peking Duck, Goose, duck,Standing rib roasts, the works. I miss her dearly. But her spirit lives on in my cooking escapades. Certain Someone being new to this country likes a traditional turkey. We will go to his bosses( they compete to get him on holidays) tomorrow and I'm contributing red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Googling most red velvet recipes show them to be pretty consistent. A lot of people are adverse to the red food coloring., but it seems to be the essential ingredient to get the color.I used this basic recipe and added more cocoa as I wasn't sure that the amount was typo. I used 2 tablespoons rather than 1 teaspoon. I made my turkey decorations out of royal icing a week prior to top off the cupcakes.The combo is great. I hope my hosts like my festive turkey cup cakes.Now onto brainstorming on what to take to the others for Christmas. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!