Ever since I discovered how simple it is to fill cupcakes I have become obsessed with creating multi-component mini cakes. The added layers of complexity take an already delicious treat from a “yum” moment to a “wow” moment. Or, if you’re lucky, a “wow-I-can’t-breath-because-I’m-too-busy-shoving-this-amazing-cupcake-in-my-mouth” moment.

When I was challenged with creating a cupcake rendition of the German classic Black Forest cake I set right to work. The essential makings of a Black Forest cake are chocolate cake, whipped cream and cherries. The chocolate cake aspect was easy as I already have my perfect chocolate cupcake recipe memorized. I decided to keep the filling simple by using pre-made cherry preserves to give me more time to focus on the whipped cream, but you can certainly make the cherry preserves yourself if you are feeling extra ambitious.

Before getting to the whipped cream topping I knew these cupcakes had to have a little something extra. Although the cupcakes are chocolate I wanted something additional since more chocolate is always better. The most delightful chocolate ganache was hardened on the top of each cupcake to create a wonderful hard shell to contrast the lightness of the fluffy frosting, while also helping cover up the incision marks from filling the cupcakes.

Then onto the final piece: the whipped cream. The whipped cream would have to be light and airy, while still being sturdy enough to act as a frosting for the cupcake. With a bit of tinkering I achieved the perfect texture and was soon piping it into my mouth. I mean onto the cupcakes. Topped with some shaved chocolate and a fresh cherry the Black Forest cupcakes were completed. When you make these cupcakes be sure to admire their beauty before serving them as they won’t last very long!

Black Forest Cupcakes

 

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Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

• 1 batch Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes
• 1½ cups cherry preserves
• 1 cup chocolate ganache
• 1 ounce chocolate
• 24 cherries

for the frosting

• 1 8-ounce package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 cups heavy cream, chilled

Directions

for the cupcakes

1. Using a cupcake corer, apple corer, or knife create a large cavity in the center of each cupcake. Reserve the top of the removed cupcake piece. Fill the cavity with a tablespoon of the cherry preserves. Place the top of the removed cupcake piece on top of the cherry preserves to seal the cupcake back up. Place the cupcakes in the fridge to chill.
2. Remove the cupcakes from the fridge and carefully pour chocolate ganache over the top of each cupcake to coat it. It’s okay if it doesn’t look pretty because it’s going to be topped with frosting. Place it in the fridge for the ganache to harden.

for the frosting

1. Whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and lemon extract in a metal bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy. Transfer to medium bowl then chill in the fridge.
2. Clean out the bowl of the stand mixer and chill with the whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. Once the bowl has had a chance to chill, whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks start to form, but be sure not to over-beat the cream or it will break. Remove the bowl of cream cheese mixture from the fridge and gently fold in the whipped cream.
3. Remove the ganache-topped cupcakes from the fridge. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a round thick tip with the frosting. Hold the pastry tip over the center of a cupcake and squeeze until a large dollop covers most of the cupcake. Using a microplane, shave some chocolate over the whipped cream frosting and top with a cherry. Repeat for the remaining cupcakes. Store in the fridge until serving.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I wasn’t always a chocolate ice cream person. During the years of my youth I was a vanilla ice cream gal. Well, my true preference was a chocolate-vanilla swirl, but you can’t always have it all. When forced to decide between chocolate and vanilla at the hands of ice cream or no ice cream, clearly a situation of life or death, I would choose vanilla.

Sometime during my preteen years I smartened up and converted to my current chocolate ice cream ways. I like to attribute the switch to me being older and wiser, but it was probably due to hormones. Lets stick with the older and wiser thing though.

Now I don’t have anything against vanilla ice cream. I love vanilla ice cream. I try not to discriminate against any flavors of the frozen sugary variety, unless it’s mint ice cream. What is that monstrosity? Anyways, all I’m saying is that all vanilla based ice creams are better in chocolate form. Chocolate chip cookie dough, cookies and cream and peanut butter cup ice cream are all delicious vanilla based ice creams. But put them against chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough, chocolate cookies and cream and chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream? Not even close!

Today I’m sharing a rich and chocolate-filled ice cream. Double chocolate chip ice cream. The question becomes is it chocolate ice cream with extra added chips or is it a vanilla based chocolate chip classic turned to the delicious dark side? The answer, my friends, is both. In my humble chocolate obsessed opinion there is no better way to improve upon a vanilla based ice cream than by turning it into a chocolate based ice cream, and there is no better way to upgrade a chocolate ice cream than by adding even more chocolate. So where do you stand in the oldest debate of time: chocolate or vanilla?

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

 

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Yield: about 1 quart

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream, divided
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 5 ounces semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder. Whisk until the cocoa is blended then bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to simmer for 30 seconds, whisking continuously.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat before adding the chopped chocolate and stirring until smooth. Add the remaining cup of cream, stir, then pour the whole mixture into a large bowl. Place a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
3. Using the same saucepan combine the milk, sugar and salt over medium heat until warm. In a medium bowl whisk the egg yolks then slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Pour the milk and egg mixture back into the saucepan. Constantly stir the mixture over medium heat with a heatproof spatula making sure to scrape the bottom and not let any clumps form. Continue stirring until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spatula.
4. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it through the mesh strainer into the large bowl with the chocolate mixture. Stir until combined then mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Insert the bowl into an ice bath and continue stirring until cool.
6. Chill the mixture in the fridge. Once cold, pour into your ice cream maker following the manufacturer's directions. During the last 5 minutes pour in the cup of chocolate chunks.

Notes

I prefer to use Ghiradelli chocolate.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

I have made a terrible mistake. Truly awful, really. You probably already noticed and have been secretly scolding me, but I will confess anyway. I have been posting on Lemon & Mocha for six months and have yet to post a full-blown fresh lemon recipe. Whew, ok, now that the elephant in the blogosphere has been addressed I already feel a lot better. I know I was moments away from protest forums and lemon-lover blog trollers taking over so this recipe was posted just in time.

And I know once you taste this lemon curd tart with fresh berries you will forgive me because your mind will be so overloaded with delicious and joyful thoughts that you will forget I kept this recipe from you for so long. Lemon, like many other ingredients and flavors, took a while for me to cozy up to, but once I did, I fell madly in love. A romantic my-eyes-light-up-at-the-mention-of-its-name love, not an obsessive have-its-name-tattooed-on-my-chest-and-we-aren’t-even-exclusive love, just to clarify.

This tart is not only stunning, but incredibly easy, amazingly fresh and positively simple! If you’ve never had lemon curd, don’t let the name scare you away. It has the texture of pudding and will make you want to eat it with a spoon in the pantry closet so you don’t have to share. The lemon curd is sweet, but the tartness of the lemon flavor definitely pushes through to the forefront of your tastebuds. Paired with the flaky puff pastry, the sweetness of the berries and the light dusting of powdered sugar, this treat is the perfect fresh ending to a big holiday meal.

Lemon Curd Tart with Fresh Berries

 

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Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

for the lemon curd

• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

for the tart

• 1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted according to package instructions
• ¾ cup blueberries
• ½ cup raspberries
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

for the lemon curd

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and eggs. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in the pieces of butter. Whisk the curd frequently until the curd is thick enough that it keeps the mark of the whisk when you touch it to the curd in the saucepan.
2. Transfer the lemon curd to a small bowl to cool. If there are small lumps of egg you can push the curd through a fine mesh sieve, but I typically skip this step. Cover the surface of the lemon curd with a piece of plastic wrap so that it’s completely touching the curd. Place in the fridge to cool.

for the tart

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry and lay on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
3. Let the baked puff pastry cool. Once the puff pastry is cool top generously with the lemon curd. Place the berries on top of the lemon curd then lightly dust with powdered sugar. To serve, cut into squares.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

What can you say about the humble potato? They are a starchy vegetable, inexpensive and abundant. They may seem plain and boring, but once transformed into french fries, latkes, scalloped potatoes and gnocchi, well you know where I’m headed with this. Of course we can’t forget mashed potatoes. Imagine the most perfect mashed potatoes you’ve ever eaten. A creamy and smooth texture, a buttery and rich flavor and the perfect combination of seasonings. I bet 98% of people could eat a whole plate of those perfect mashed potatoes. The other 2% are either allergic to potatoes or delicious things. Now imagine those perfect mashed potatoes in a little individual serving to have all to yourself. Now imagine those perfect mashed potatoes are actually cupcakes. Wait, what?

Did I trick you? Maybe the title gave it away. Happy April Fool’s! These aren’t mashed potatoes at all, but pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting and salted butter caramel sauce. Although now I kind of want mashed potatoes.

But put that thought out of your mind and switch gears to dessert. A perfectly spiced and moist dessert that will have you swooning. And your mind reeling because you thought it was a cup of mashed potatoes. That’s a melted yellow Starburst on top, not butter!

Even if you aren’t that into April Fool’s and silly pranks aren’t your thing, you still have to make these cupcakes. If you continue to frolic about your days without tasting this exact combination of pumpkin, cream cheese and caramel, I’ll have to weep for you every night. And I dislike crying, especially when I’m trying to eat cupcakes. So go ahead and make these sneaky treats!

April Fool's Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Salted Caramel Sauce

 

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Yield: 14 cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup pure pumpkin
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the frosting

• 5 ounces cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1½ cups powdered sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

for the caramel sauce

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¾ cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream, divided
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¼ teaspoons coarse salt

for assembly

• 14 yellow Starbursts

Directions

for the cupcakes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Completely line one 12-cup muffin pan with foil cupcake liners and two cups of a second 12-cup muffin pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the brown sugar and eggs until combined. Add the pumpkin, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and stir until combined.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, making sure not to over-mix.
5. Evenly spoon the batter into the lined cups. Bake for 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack until frosting.

for the frosting

1. Beat the cream cheese and the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

for the caramel sauce

1. In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook until the sugar is a rich golden brown, making sure to stir often.
2. Remove from the heat and whisk in half of the cream. Be careful as the mixture may splatter.
3. Once combined stir in the rest of the cream, the vanilla and the salt. If any lumps form slowly whisk the caramel sauce over low heat.

for assembly

1. Spread the cream cheese frosting on the cupcakes, slightly mounding the frosting. Create a well in the center of the frosting with a small spoon. Place 1 Starburst at an angle in the well.
2. Drizzle warm caramel into the frosting well until it fills up and spills over like gravy.

Notes

Leftover caramel sauce can be kept in the fridge for 2 weeks and reheated slowly in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.

3.2.1263

Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

Last week was the first day of spring! Not that you would notice here in Boston where the lows sank into the 20’s this week. It’s okay, us New Englanders don’t expect much out of spring. Everyone says that unlike some other parts of the country New England experiences all four seasons and that is true, but not how you imagine it. We get all four seasons except sometimes we can go from fall to summer to winter… in one week. And usually the year feels like a really long winter, a decent summer, with the teeniest smallest amount of spring and fall in between. But, as the song goes, “Boston, you’re my home,” and I wouldn’t change it for anything.

To get through the seemingly forever winter I like to treat myself to some summer and spring flavors, especially berries. Even though berries may not be in season just yet, frozen berries are a great substitute, especially if you’re baking with them. A few weeks ago I wanted to use some berries and make a small and quick dessert. A dessert that would actually be for two, a little unlike my experiment with the vanilla blackberry-mascarpone cake for two, and would be ready without extensive preparation and cooking time. These mini berry cobblers for two are the perfect treat. They are like little light cakes with a juicy berry center that will make you think it’s summer and not actually still 40 degrees.

Some cobblers have a texture more similar to biscuits, but I like this recipe for the cake-like result it yields. The ingredient amounts are a bit odd because I was scaling down a full-sized treat, but the end result is satisfying deliciousness. Cutting into the soft cake with your spoon to discover the moist berry inside is almost as exciting as scraping that last bit of the cobbler into your mouth. Almost. So treat yourself and your lucky friend, significant other, child or second-cousin twice removed to these delightful mini berry cobblers. Or treat yourself twice, you know by now I certainly won’t judge you.

Mini Blackberry Cobblers for Two

 

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Yield: 2 cobblers

Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons milk, plus 1 teaspoon
• ½ cup blackberries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Divide the butter equally and melt each half in two 8-ounce ramekins. Set aside.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl.
4. Add the milk to the flour mixture and whisk until just combined, being sure not to over-mix.
5. Divide the batter and pour half into each of the prepared ramekins. Do not stir, just pour over the melted butter. Pour ¼ cup blackberries into the center of the batter and again, do not stir.
6. Bake the cobblers for 25 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden.
7. Serve warm with fresh berries and whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

Instead of blackberries try substituting raspberries, blueberries or a combination of all three.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments