Category Archives: Cakes & Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes

I’m slowly but surely settling back into life in Brooklyn.

Last week, I basically felt like packing up and impulsively moving to Maine. You know, because living there would be just like being on vacation. #logic

Arriving home to a heatwave, the end-of-the-month cake rush, and a week full of work at my day job (which I love, but work is work) was just enough to make me lose my pretty little mind.

Note to self: never go on vacation during the week preceding the craziest week of the month. Just don’t do it.

I worked through the weekend, but did pause Saturday night to have a mini-Maine reunion with VJ and Shira. I made tostadas and we ate all of the guacamole and loved on some cute cats. And on Sunday morning, I felt so. much. better. You know you have good friends when you can travel together for eight days, survive the hottest twelve hour drive in the history of twelve hour drives, and still want to hang out together.

I didn’t do much baking for myself or this blog last week (aside from this Chocolate Cream Pie), and honestly, I didn’t really want to. I love baking, but with the heatwave, a gazillion cakes, and work, all I really wanted to do was crank the AC up to high and take a nap. But I didn’t, and I survived it. All of the cakes turned out well, even though the frosting was a little soft from the heat. I made crowd favorites: vanilla, chocolate, and two carrot cakes, but my favorite was a coconut cake. Even in the midst of all the insanity last week, I made a mental note that that cake was blog-worthy.

And so, here it is in cupcake form. Soft, buttery, coconut-scented cupcakes, brushed with a coconut simple syrup, topped with coconut buttercream, and rolled in sweetened shredded coconut. Yes, there are four doses of coconut–there’s no mistaking the flavor of these sweet little cupcakes!

I made these yesterday morning and ate two while chatting with my roommates in our finally-not-sweltering living room. One of them, who rarely tries any of the baked goods he is constantly surrounded by, told me that this was the best coconut cake he had ever eaten. I don’t know about “best ever,” but I do know that starting this week with Coconut Cupcakes is a sure sign that things are looking up.

Coconut Cupcakes
makes 16-18 cupcakes (or one 9-inch round cake*)

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Coconut Simple Syrup:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1-1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.

Make the cupcakes. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and coconut extracts, and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients in two installments, combining completely after each addition.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3-3/4 full. Tap pan on the counter five times to release any large air bubbles. Bake cupcakes 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centers of a few cupcakes comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in the pan for five minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Repeat baking process with any remaining batter, making sure to fill any unused muffin cups 1/4 full with water to prevent the pan from warping.

Make the coconut simple syrup. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and mixture begins to bubble at the edges. Remove pan from heat. Stir in coconut extract. Use a pastry brush to paint each cooled cupcake with the hot syrup.

Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Mix in confectioner’s sugar and salt, followed by vanilla and coconut extracts. Add 1 tablespoon heavy cream and beat frosting for one minute, until fluffy. If a looser frosting is desired, add another tablespoon of heavy cream and beat for another minute. Use an offset knife to frost cupcakes.

Place sweetened shredded coconut in a small bowl. Dip the top of each frosted cupcake into coconut.

Serve cupcakes immediately, or keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Cupcakes will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Note:

This recipe may also be used to make a single-layer 9-inch round cake. Bake batter in a greased pan for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely. Brush with warm coconut simple syrup, and frost and decorate as desired.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

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How is it only Tuesday?

I’m going on vacation this Friday, and the anticipation is making this week seem absolutely endless. I can’t wait to be on an island off the coast of Maine with three of my closest girlfriends. We’re going to cook, hike, lay on the beach (if it’s not too cool), read, and relax. There’s no television or Internet, so we’ll be almost completely off the grid. It might not be your kind of vacation, but living in New York City, the idea of escaping literally all of the hustle and bustle is paradise.

Until then, though, I’ve got plenty to do. Besides organizing the last details of our vacation, I’ve left my nanny job and gone full-time at my personal chef job. I get paid to cook dinner–that’s the dream, right?! Well, it is for me.

I’ve also been baking like crazy trying to get this blog so that it can function without me for a week. It might be a little quiet around here next week, but I’m hoping to write a post or two from the Wi-Fi porch at the island’s public library.

But I’m getting ahead of myself and haven’t said a word about today’s recipe, and that’s a real shame since I’ve looked forward to posting it for two weeks. This Lemon Yogurt Cake is bright, sweet, soft, extra lemony, and totally delicious. The cake itself is made super tender thanks to a cup of plain yogurt and a big hit of fresh lemon juice. Once it’s baked, the cake is soaked in an easy lemon syrup before being drizzled with a thick vanilla glaze. You could certainly make the glaze with lemon juice instead of milk, but I think the creamy texture pairs really well with the double-dose of lemon in the cake!

This Lemon Yogurt Cake is perfect for entertaining. I think it would be great for casual dinner parties, nice picnics, or taking to a friend who could use a nice surprise. Of course, it’s a wonderful cake to have around for no reason at all. After all, it’s hard to think about your never-ending to-do list when you’re eating a slice of cake!

Lemon Yogurt Cake
makes one 12.5 cup-capacity bundt pan*

For the pan:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (I like canola)

Cake:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
8 ounces plain yogurt (nonfat is fine)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon extract (optional)

Lemon Syrup:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners sugar
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
3-4 tablespoons milk of choice
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare the pan. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together flour and oil. Use a pastry brush to paint the mixture onto the entire inside of the pan. Make sure to cover every crevice. Pour out any excess. Set pan aside.

Make the cake batter. In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, use clean fingers to rub together lemon zest and sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Mix in plain yogurt, followed by lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon extract (if using). Add dry ingredients in two installments, mixing just until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth out the top. Tap pan on the counter five times before baking for 40-45 minutes. Cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool in the pan for fifteen minutes. Run a small, thin knife around the edges of the pan before inverting cake onto a rack to cool completely. Set rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

Make lemon syrup. Combine lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. While stirring constantly, bring to a boil and let cook for three minutes, until slightly thickened. Let syrup cool five minutes before spooning over cooled cake. Let cake sit for 20 minutes before carefully transferring to a serving plate.

Make the glaze. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together confectioner’s sugar and salt. Stir in 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla. If a thinner glaze is desired, add another tablespoon of milk. Drizzle glaze over cake. Let set for 20 minutes before serving.

Cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to three days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Note:

This recipe may be divided into two 9×5″ loaf pans, although I am unsure of the bake time.

Mango Upside-Down Cake

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I know I just posted a mango recipe yesterday, but the universe seriously wants me to eat all the mangoes right now. Trader Joe’s has mango everything (even Joe-Joe’s!) and my beloved green market is positively bursting at the seams with them! And when they’re two for $3, how can I resist?!

I’ve been eating them with strawberries and lime, blitzing them into smoothies, making salsa, throwing dried mango into my granola and eating it with the fresh stuff. If there’s a way to eat a mango, I am doing it. I’m like Bubba in Forrest Gump…but with mango.

I usually enjoy my mangoes raw, but today I’m switching it up a little bit with this Mango Upside-Down Cake! It’s a soft brown sugar cake topped with thinly sliced mango and a simple brown sugar caramel. It’s super easy and perfect for entertaining this summer.

Since this cake is served upside-down, the mangoes are baked underneath the cake batter. This recipe starts with melting butter and dark brown sugar together until the sugar is no longer grainy. Once this happens, take the mixture off the heat, stir in some salt, and spread it over the bottom of the pan. Top the mixture with an even layer of thinly-sliced mango, cutting small pieces to fill in any large gaps.

Next comes the cake batter, which is basically my Vanilla Layer Cake batter with more brown sugar and the tiniest bit less vanilla extract. It’s a moist, soft, slightly dense cake that pairs perfectly with the juicy mango and caramel. Bake it all together for about 35 minutes, or until the smell of brown butter and caramelized mango makes you totally insane!
Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes before inverting it onto a cake stand or large serving plate. Don’t worry if a few pieces of mango stick to the pan–just use your fingers to nudge them back into place. Nobody will ever know it didn’t come out in one fell swoop.

My favorite thing about this cake is that you don’t need to wait forever to serve it. There’s no worrying about melting buttercream or fretting over your piping skills. Nope. Mango Upside-Down Cake doesn’t require any decorating and can be served warm, room temperature, or cold! The cake pictured here was still slightly warm from the oven, and was amazing with a little scoop of coconut gelato.

Mango Upside-Down Cake is perfect for any occasion this summer, whether it’s Fourth of July, or that you came home from Trader Joe’s with eleven mangoes 😊

Mango Upside-Down Cake
makes one 9-inch round cake

Mango Layer:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
2 small (or 1 1/2 large) mangoes, thinly sliced

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk,* room temperature

For Serving:
Vanilla or Coconut Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightlu grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter.

Make the mango layer. In a small saucepan, combine butter and dark brown sugar. Place over medium-low heat and stir constantly until butter and sugar are melted and no longer grainy, 3-5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in salt. Pour mixture into prepared pan, using a silicone spatula to spread it over the entire bottom of the pan. Top the brown sugar mixture with one even layer of mango slices. Set aside.

Make the cake batter. In a small-medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in dark brown and granulated sugars. Add eggs one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. With the mixer on low, mix in vanilla and buttermilk. Add dry ingredients in two installments, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Pour batter over mango layer, and spread with a silicone spatula to even out to top. Tap pan on the counter two or three times to release any large air bubbles. Bake 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a small, thin knife around the edge of the pan a couple of times before inverting onto a cake stand or large serving plate mango layer-up.

Serve cake warm, room temperature, or cold.

Cake is best the day it’s baked, but will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Note:

If you do not have buttermilk on hand, make your own! Pour one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup. Pour milk up to the 1 cup mark. Let sit five minutes before using as instructed in the recipe. I do not recommend using skim or fat free milk.

Mango Upside-Down Cake

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream

5 Replies

My birthday is this weekend! I’m going to be 31 😁 I feel a little old, but I’m also really enjoying this phase of my life.

In my 31st year, I have:

seen my family on six separate occasions (together and individually), including my 30th birthday trip to Santa Fe, a super-secret surprise trip to Austin for E3’s birthday, and visits to NYC from my mom, both sisters, and sister-in-law. That’s the most time I’ve spent with them since I moved to NYC in 2007. The older I get, the more I appreciate the amazing people who made me who I am.
spent some time off the grid in Maine, and enjoyed it way more than I ever expected. I can’t wait to do it again in a few weeks.
catered a dinner party for 300 people. I had three amazing helpers, and it went off without a hitch despite the six weeks of panic that preceded it. I hope to do it again this year…because I am insane.
moved. And moving in New York is horrible. Heck, moving anywhere is horrible. But I love my new apartment. Shoutout to my mom for coming to help me on the coldest weekend ever.
navigated my way through some major life changes and lessons with some modicum of grace and dignity.
opened my own Netflix account. #adulting
realized that I am still figuring out who I am. I hope this never ends.
made a lot of cookies. And eaten a lot of cookies.
really fallen in love with my friendships. My friends really stepped up and took care of me this year when I didn’t feel like I could do it myself. There’s nothing like laughing ’til you cry when you feel like your life is a mess. Thanks, guys.
started a baking blog. I dreamt of having this blog for six years before hitting “publish.” Thank you for reading, liking, sharing, and making the recipes. Thank you for making this little corner of the Internet what it is: a place filled with sugar and ridiculousness. Without you, I’m just talking to myself.

…that got a lot mushier than I intended.

This weekend, I’ll be celebrating at a cookout with those I hold nearest and dearest. My friends are making dinner, and I can’t wait! They offered to make dessert too, but being me, I just couldn’t leave well enough alone. I’ll be there with pie 😊

Of course, I thought about cake, but with the heat we’ve been having, I am afraid the frosting would melt. But I just can’t let my birthday go by without cake, so I’ve been celebrating a little early with this Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream. The cake is moist, fluffy, and so, so easy. The best part? No mixer required! I’ve been making this cake for two years, and I can safely say that it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. And that’s coming from a self-proclaimed vanilla person.

The frosting is a tribute to one of my very favorite things: chocolate malts. Oh yes, I love a chocolate malt. I just *have* to have one at least twice a month. It only seems appropriate that I’d use it as inspiration for my birthday cake frosting. This is a super easy chocolate buttercream with a hefty dose of malted milk powder. It’s creamy, dreamy, chocolaty, malty magic. If malt isn’t your thing, I recommend replacing the cup of malted milk powder in the recipe with an additional cup of confectioner’s sugar. It’ll still be delicious 😊

As for decorating, I went for a sort of naked cake approach here, using the bulk of the frosting to frost the top and fill the layers. This recipe makes enough frosting to fully frost and fill a two layer 9″ round cake, if you’d like to cover the whole thing. If you want to pipe, you’ll need to make 1.5 times the recipe. No matter which route you choose to go, your cake will be fantastic.

If you don’t have a reason to make cake this weekend, I give you full permission to use my birthday as an excuse. We’re Internet friends after all. And friends who eat Malted Chocolate Buttercream together stay together, right?!

Have a great weekend!

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream
cake recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
makes one two layer 9″ round cake

For the pan:
2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (I use canola)
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder

Cake:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil (I use canola)
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (low fat is fine)*
1 cup strong, hot coffee (decaf is fine)

Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup malted milk powder (I use Carnation)
pinch of Kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons heavy cream

chocolate chips, for decorating (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the pans. In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together oil and cocoa powder. Use a pastry brush to paint the entire insides of the pans with the mixture. Set aside.

Make the cake batter. In a large mixing bowl to sift together flour, cocoa powder, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together oil and eggs, followed by vanilla, buttermilk, and coffee. Whisk in dry ingredients in three installments, just until combined. Divide batter evenly among the pans. Tap full pans on the counter five times to release any air bubbles. Bake 23-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pans for ten minutes before running a small, thin knife around the edges. Invert cakes onto cooling racks and allow to cool to room temperature.

Make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy (about two minutes). Beat in confectioner’s sugar, followed by cocoa powder. Mix in malted milk powder and salt, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Add in vanilla and 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and beat on high for two minutes. Add more cream by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached. Fill the layers and frost as desired. Decorate with chocolate chips, if desired.

Frosted cake will keep covered at room temperature for up to two days, and in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Note:

If you don’t have buttermilk, put one tablespoon of white vinegar in the bottom of a liquid measuring cup, then pour milk up to the 2 cup mark. Stir and let sit for five minutes, until curdled. Use as instructed in the recipe. Do not use skim or fat free milk.

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Category Archives: Cakes & Cupcakes

Coconut Cupcakes

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Mango Upside-Down Cake

Chocolate Cake with Malted Chocolate Buttercream

Vanilla Bean Ricotta Cake