Maple Bacon Cupcakes

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
I went through way too much bacon trying to come up with this recipe, but I am finally happy with the results. This posting is because my sister, mom, and friends have been asking for the recipe. It may have taken awhile but here it is and I hope you enjoy it.
Cupcake Recipe: Oven: 350 F
Cook Time: 25-30 min
Makes: 30 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened 
2 cups Raw sugar 
3 eggs room temperature 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 teaspoon maple flavoring 
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2  heaping teaspoon baking powder 
2 cups sour cream
1 lb thin cut applewood smoked bacon cooked and finely chopped 
Directions:
 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

1.)  In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until well blended 

2.) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.) Add vanilla and maple flavoring, mix thoroughly.

4.) In a separate medium bowl sift together flour, soda, and baking powder. 

5.) Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, start and end with the   flour mixture, beat just to incorporate after each addition. Don't over beat. Add the chopped bacon last and stir in by hand.The batter will be thick.

6.) Fill each cupcake cup with 1/4 cup of batter. If you over fill, the cupcake will be flatter and spill out over the cupcake holder while baking.
7.) I start checking if they are done around 25 min  and check every 2 min after. Pull out as soon as you see the tooth pick coming out clean. Over cooking can dry them out. 
8.) Let cool for a couple of minutes in the pan then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack.

 

Maple Cinnamon Ermine Frosting  
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups Raw sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Directions:

In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk until smooth. Place over medium heat,  stir constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. 

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper placed directly on the surface to avoid a skin from forming,  and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes on Med speed, until smooth and creamy. 

Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. 

Add the vanilla and maple, beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and fluffy. The mixture will turn whiter in color. Add Cinnamon and stir in.

Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. The longer you leave it in the fridge the harder it will become. I leave it a little longer when I need it to hold a shape.

Versatile Vanilla Cupcake and Vanilla Frosting

Vanilla Cupcake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

   
     I could take you through all the trial and errors I have been through to find this recipe, but you would probably just get bored and skip down to the recipe anyway, or you would just leave the page and go find someone who doesn't carry on so much. I will tell you, this is my favorite recipe not because it makes the most beautiful cupcake, but it has never turned out dry or over powering and it is very easy to adjust.

    This week, the recipe is getting a makeover and turning into a maple bacon cupcake with strawberry filling and maple frosting with a candied bacon topping. It is also the base for my Hawaiian cupcake and I have incorporated so many different fillings in it that I won't even list them. I have to bar the kids from the kitchen on this one too, they like this batter better then cookie dough. The batter will be really thick and rich, and will make about 30 cupcakes.

     My only complaint about this cupcake is, my cupcakes come out with a flat top. What I really like is the cake isn't too sweet.The cake also seems a little more dense then some of my other recipes but it still manages to come off light at the same time. It holds together great when adding fresh fruit fillings, custards or mousse, and can easily take flavor changes. I recommend trying this if you just want a good vanilla cupcake or want a recipe you can play with. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Vanilla Cupcake

Recipe:

Oven: 350 F
Cook Time: 25-30 min
Makes: 30 Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened 
2 cups sugar 
3 eggs 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2  heaping teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Directions:
 

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

1.)  In a mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until well blended 

2.) Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

3.) Add vanilla and mix thoroughly.

4.) In a separate medium bowl sift together flour, soda, baking powder and salt. 

5.) Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, start and end with the    flour mixture, beat just to incorporate after each addition. Don't over beat.The batter will be thick.

6.) Fill each cupcake cup with 1/4 cup of batter. If you over fill, the cupcake will be flatter and spill out over the cupcake holder while baking.
7.) I start checking if they are done around 25 min  and check every 2 min after. Pull out as soon as you see the tooth pick coming out clean. Over cooking can dry them out. 
8.) Let cool for a couple of minutes in the pan then transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

2 Sticks/ 1 Cup butter room temp.
1 TBS Vanilla paste or extract
4 Cups Confectioners sugar ( sift for smoother frosting)
2 to 3 TBS Whipping Cream ( depending on desired consistency)

Directions:

1.) Cream Butter until lightens in color and become fluffier.
2.) Add Vanilla beat until well blended
3.) Gradually add the Confectioner's sugar about 1 cup at a time.
4.) Once the sugar has been added, add whipping cream until you reach desired consistency.

  

 

 

 

 

 



 
   

Chinese Paper Wrapped Cupcakes

Chinese Paper-Wrapped Cupcake without a Sponge cake emulsifier.

Chinese Paper-Wrapped Cupcake with Emulsifier

Cupcake without emulsifier

Cupcake with emulsifier

 



The cupcakes I get from the Chinese bakery are a cross between a really light and airy sponge cake and a cake. Most of the recipes I have tried online give almost the same flavor as the ones I normally buy but not the texture or height. I finally gave up on my quest, mainly because my daughter's grandmother, who is Chinese was starting to laugh at my failed attempts. She went and bought me cupcakes to make up for not getting it right.
      Now, have you ever had one of those "Duh" moments? You know, you are working on getting something done or right and you finally notice the answer is right in front of you the whole time? Well, when I got the cupcakes from the bakery again and started looking at the ingredients on the label, there was not any mention of milk or butter. There was Vegetable Oil and other names I didn't quite get. I figured out those are from using an emulsifier and so I ordered a sponge cake emulsifier from Ebay. Being from the US that is the only place I could get a hold of some. I made the cupcakes both ways to see if it really made a difference and it does in texture and size but not really in taste. The cupcake on the left was the one done without the emulsifier and the right , with.
    Below I will give the recipe and in case you are like me and cannot get a hold of the cupcake molds I have some pictures showing how I set up the cups.

This is what I use to make the cups.

The spice bottle just gives the cup some weight and helps it from crushing in all the time.

My paper once it is wrapped around the cup. The spice bottle helps keep the cup from crushing in.

Paper wrapped cup placed into another cup.

Cups pushed together.

Finished Cups

  The items used to put the cups together are: Parchment Paper, 9 oz paper Cups ( No they will not burn or smoke, just make sure to take them out of the pan right after cooking, scissors,I use a heavy spice jar just to stabilize the cup and help push it firmly into another cup, and the pliers I use to get the cups apart because I sometimes get them stuck. Pliers make it much easier to pull the cups apart then trying to use my nails. Also, if you want your cupcakes to balloon out at the top then make sure your paper is bent out some. When you push the cups together you can fold the parchment over the lip of the bottom cup. Once you separate them you can straighten it back out but there will be more of a curve and your cupcake will balloon more then just going straight up. I had some left over cups that I folded the parchment down on and wanted to use them. All of the cupcakes from those cups looked like huge ice cream cones when baked.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake. Needs the chocolate mouse from the cake recipe to be good in my opinion.

Now, for the recipe I based it off of a magazine I have had since 2003. It is a collection of recipes sent in for Taste Of Home Chocolate Lover's Edition, Pg2 52 it is actually a chiffon cake, but I changed it a lot. Although, I did try making the cupcakes out of the written recipe before messing with it. I don't think I like them in chocolate form.

Here is my revamp for the Chinese Cupcakes without using the emulsifier because getting it is expensive and almost impossible here in the US.

Paper-Wrapped Cupcakes
Makes Approx 9
Oven 325  F  21-24 min


Ingredients:
2 Cups Sifted Flour
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 TBS Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
7 Large Eggs Separated
3/4 Cup Cold Water
2 tsp Vanilla paste/ Vanilla Extract
(vanilla paste just shows the black flecks couldn't taste a difference between the two in this recipe.)
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar

Directions:

1) In a large bowl sift together , flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt
2) Slightly beat your egg yolks
3) Make a well in your flour mixture and pour in, vegetable oil, egg yolks, cold water and vanilla
4) In a separate bowl beat egg whites with cream of tartar until you see stiff peaks, Do not over whip.
5) Fold egg whites into your flour/egg yolk batter.
6) Fill cups 80% full and place in oven. I set my cups in cupcake trays and go every other spot because the paper seems so bulky. Again do not let the cups sit in the trays to cool down. I know the cups I was using have a then film of wax on them and letting them sit the first time, left rings of wax on my tray. The wax washes off but I would rather not deal with it. It doesn't happen now that I take them out right away.
   When pouring the batter into your cups, be careful not to get batter on the parchment. It will burn, if you look at the pictures I have posted here, you will see that I managed to hit the paper a few times.


Good luck with these if you decide to try them. I hope you enjoy them as much as we have. I am no longer getting laughed at, so I am taking this recipe as a successful one.






 

Light and Airy Red Velevet Cupcake with Your Choice of Frostings

Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Red Velvet Cupcake with Ermine Frosting

     There is a very good reason that I have two different frostings on my Red Velvet Cupcakes, it really isn't that I can't make up my mind. In an earlier post, I mentioned how picky my daughter's grandmother (Debbie) is. She came over from China when she was about 20 years old. While she has learned a lot about American culture and language, there is still so much she has not seen or tried. Red Velvet Cupcakes was one of those things.
     When I decided to make Red Velvet Cupcakes for the Restaurant on Mother's day, I needed Debbie's opinion on them. Last time I gave her something that remotely tasted like cream cheese, she spit it out on a napkin in front of me and threw it away. I was not about to make that same mistake again. Since she loves the Ermine Frosting I use on the Genoise Cake and I read that it was also considered one of the original frosting for Red Velvet, it seemed reasonable I go that route. On the other hand, my mother is the Italian one and anything with any type of cheese makes her happy. I think that a Ricotta Cheese Frosting would have her drooling but I stuck with the Cream Cheese Frosting for her.
     Overall, I think the cupcakes were a huge success. Debbie only allowed 3 of the 20 Ermine Frosted cupcakes to reach customers, she kept the rest for herself. I have never seen her eat that much sugar in such a short time frame. It took her about 3 days for her and her husband to eat them. As for the Cream Cheese Frosted cupcakes, they didn't last long either. Although my mom never got one, I will make up for it with cannoli and she will forgive me.
     Red Velvet is a hard flavor to describe. This recipe makes a cake that is mild in flavor, you can taste the tang of buttermilk, it isn't over sweet but it is light and moist. There really isn't one flavor that takes over and I think a lot of what makes a good Red Velvet is the frosting on top. So here are two really good ones to choose from.
     If you haven't had Ermine Frosting before it is very light, velvety and does not have an over powering sweetness. It doesn't end up tasting like milk and flour so don't be worried about that. To be honest, I really liked the Cream Cheese Frosting and I am trying to think of a cupcake it will go great with. I think Red Velvet has such a mild flavor that the Cream Cheese just takes over. It isn't a bad thing, the frosting is pretty yummy and the customers loved it. I had a lady actually use her finger to wipe some of the frosting off the side of a tray so she could get more of it. That action did have me speechless for a moment, but I recovered and was pretty please with myself for having made something that had an adult acting like a kid again.
     Well enough babbling here, my 10 year old daughter has been kind enough to inform me that I have a bedtime and I am well past it. So, here are the recipes for the cupcakes and frostings, I hope you enjoy them.  

Red Velvet Cupcake
Makes: 24  
Oven: 350 F 20 min  
Ingredients:
 2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 TBS Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 1/2 Cup Buttermilk room temp
2 Eggs room temp
2 TBS red Food Color/ I tend to use gel
1 tsp Vinegar 1 TBS Vanilla paste or Extract 1 TBS Vinegar  
Directions:
Sift together Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Salt and cocoa in a bowl
 In a mixing bowl beat together Oil, Buttermilk, Eggs, Red Food Coloring, Vinegar and Vanilla
Once liquids are well mixed add your flour mixture and beat just until combined
Pour into cups about 2/3 full.
Put in the over and bake about 20 min. The biggest mistake I have noticed with people complaining about dry cupcakes, is that I watch them take the cupcakes out a little too late and then leave them in the pan still cooking until they are completely cool. Watch your cupcakes I start checking mine about 18 mine in and then every 2 min after. The second my toothpick comes out clean then pull them out. I let cool in the pan 3-5 min and then convert them to a cooling rack. These have been moist every time I have backed them.  

Ermine Frosting  
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk until smooth. Place over medium heat,  stir constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. 

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper placed directly on the surface to avoid a skin from forming,  and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes on Med speed, until smooth and creamy. 

Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. 

Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and fluffy. The mixture will turn whiter in color.

Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. The longer you leave it in the fridge the harder it will become. I leave it a little longer when I need it to hold a shape.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1 lb Cream Cheese room temp
2 Sticks Butter 1 Cup
2 tsp Vanilla Paste
4 to 4 1/2 Cups Confectioner's Sugar (sift)

Cream the Butter and Cream Cheese in the mixer until light and fluffy, add Vanilla and then gradually add the confectioner's sugar until you reach your desired consistency. This frosting is softer if you use the 4 cups Confectioner's Sugar but if you place in the fridge for about 15 minutes you can frost and it will hold a good shape with the extra sugar added in.
 
I hope you enjoy these as much as everyone did here. Thanks for checking out my blog. 
   

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes

Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes and Traditional Kentucky Bourbon Balls

   My next door neighbors were throwing a Memorial Day Party with a live band and about 50 people attending. I thought it would be an awesome time to see if these alcohol filled cupcakes were as good as they looked and sounded.
   The base of cupcake is the same as my normal chocolate cupcake, except I am going to replace the 1 cup of coffee with 1 cup of Guinness/Stout. I also double the ingredients to get 28 cupcakes.  The middle, is a filling of chocolate ganache made from bitter/ semi sweet chocolate chips and Irish Whiskey. The frosting tops off the cupcake with a buttercream frosting featuring Irish Cream Liqueur. Now, this cupcake might just smell as if it is drenched in alcohol, but I promise the taste is smooth and subtle. If you want something stronger then I would suggest using a pastry brush to add more Irish Whiskey to the cupcake before filling it.
   I will do the recipe for the Traditional Kentucky Bourbon Balls as soon as I get a few extra minutes. I have had to rewrite my blog and have not had as much time as I thought I would to invest in writing.

Chocolate Cupcake
Makes: 28
Oven: 350 F
Cook Time: 18-20 min

Ingredients:

3 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Cocoa
2 Cup Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Vanilla Paste/ Vanilla Extract
12 TBS Olive Oil
1TBS Vinegar
2 Cup Guinness or Your favorite Stout

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, sift together : Flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In a 2 measuring cup, I pour my Guinness, then pour in the vanilla, vinegar, and olive oil. Stir together.
Pour your liquid mixture into your flour mixture and stir just until blended. It will still seem kinda of soupy and lumpy. With the Guinness in it, you will also notice the really strong smell. It will be fine though, I promise it will not taste that strong.
Pour into your cupcake holders and bake for 18-20 min. I do start checking around 15 min in and then every 2 min after. My oven is fickle at times. Don't over fill your cupcake holders, I fill just over half full.
After you take them out of the oven, I usually give them 5 min and convert them from pan to cooling rack.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

 

8 ounces bittersweet/semi-sweet chocolate

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

2 to 3 tablespoons Irish whiskey 

Directions:

Pour the chocolate chips into a bowl. I normally heat the cream in my measuring cup, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until smooth. Cool until thickened, but soft enough to pipe. I did use an extra tablespoon of whiskey when I made these because the person helping me swore he could not taste the alcohol. It gave the ganache more of a mouse like texture. It was pretty great.

Fill the cupcakes:

Cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but don't cut  through the bottom. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top. I trimmed the extra cupcake off the piece I cut out and then place the top back over the hole. You can skip this step if you like, the frosting will be covering up the ganache even if you don't use the cupcake to do it.

  

Bailey's Buttercream Frosting

 

4 cups powdered sugar (Sifted) Not mandatory to sift but gets rid of any lumps in your frosting.

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 - 6 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream

pinch of salt

Directions:

 

Beat your butter in mixer until creamy and fluffy. Add Salt. . Slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time mixing until combined. Add the Bailey's 1 TBS at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

 

Chocolate Sunflower Cupcake

Chocolate Sunflower Cupcake

This is the perfect chocolate cupcake recipe for me. I don't know how many vertically challenged bakers lacking counter space I have reading this blog but, I know, I fall under this description. If you have ever dealt with a Kitchen Aid mixer, you will know they not only take up a nice amount of counter space but, they weigh a virtual ton. Mine, sits precariously atop my kitchen cabinets almost touching the ceiling. Getting this thing down requires some amount of grace. I get a chair to climb on the counter, then I use my finger tips to wiggle the machine closer to me in order to get a firm grasp. It never fails that my mixer is tilted right over my head before that grasp is achieved. Once I get a hold of it then I can carefully climb back down with my prize in hand. This cupcake avoids all those steps and just uses one bowl and a whisk. Not only that, you won't need to wait on eggs to become room temperature or milk. They turn out light, moist and fluffy every time with a picture perfect dome on top.

The recipe is typically used to make Wacky Cake. Unlike most cakes and desserts you will not use eggs, milk or butter. Although they do not know where the recipe actually originated, it is thought that during World War II there was a shortage of milk and eggs, so wacky cake was born of necessity. Beatrice Fe O'Hearn is believed to be the first to create a recipe and has passed it down thru her family and friends since the 1930's. This is my version.


Chocolate Cupcake
Makes: 15
Oven: 350 F
Cook Time: 18-20 min

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1TBS Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla Paste/ Vanilla Extract
6 TBS Olive Oil
1 Cup Coffee  (You can make this as strong or weak as you want but it does help accent the chocolate and I have never been able to taste it in the cupcake. I use Nescafe instant and only 1 tsp I didn't want it strong.)

Directions:

In a medium size bowl, sift together : Flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
In a 2 measuring cup, I make my coffee, then pour in the vanilla and olive oil. Stir together.
Pour your coffee mixture into your flour mixture and stir just until blended. It will still seem kinda of soupy and lumpy. This is okay and how it should be.
Pour into your cupcake holders and bake for 18-20 min. I do start checking around 15 min in and then every 2 min after. My oven is fickle at times. Don't over fill your cupcake holders, I fill just over half full.
After you take them out of the oven, I usually give them 5 min and convert them from pan to cooling rack.

Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
4 cups Confectioners' Sugar Sifted
1 cup Unsalted Butter
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste/ Vanilla Extract
2 to 3 TBS Whipping Cream

Directions:

In a mixer whisk  together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another until smooth and fluffy.

Add vanilla and mix, I add the confectioner's sugar one cup at a time. If it seems to be getting too thick I tend to add a TBS at a time of the cream. Depending on the consistency you want the frosting, you will add more or less Whipping Cream.

Putting together:

Unfortunately, I wasn't thinking about adding petals to my cupcakes until after I baked them. The sides of the holders were too tall for this to work. So, I got Oreo Cookies  (they make everyone happy), and I striped my piping bag with orange gel using a chop stick, This works great for the orange like you see but needs to be repeated after about 6 cupcakes.
  Put a dab of frosting in the middle of your cupcake, then place the Oreo on top. Pipe the frosting around the cupcake making sure to get close to the edge of the cookie.

Fresh Fruit Genovese  or Genoise cake.

    I love book stores, especially when they put books on clearance. Some books are wonderful because they contain useful information that you really need. There are books that are just entertaining to read and you can't seem to put them down, I lost a week to the "Game of Thrones" series. Then, there are books that just inspire you to try something new. That is where this cake came from. I was rummaging through some books at a store when a picture caught my attention. The book was $0.25 and had the best looking cake on the front. I just had to figure out what it was and make it.
   I bought that book over 10 yrs ago and to this day the cake that sits on the cover is still the most requested item I am asked to make. The cake is called many things, in the book it is listed as Genoese and Genovese. I also get Genoise or Italian Sponge Cake. When learning how to make this, I had plenty of disasters in the kitchen. So, before getting into how I make my cake lets go over some easy substitutes. Frustration had me trying a white box mix and added things like , vanilla, pudding, and sour cream to it. I have substituted with a Vanilla Chiffon cake, an Angel Food Cake and regular Sponge Cake. They all worked and all were complimented by all but my daughter's grandmother.
     My daughter's grandmother, Debbie. She is a wonderful woman and I love her dearly even when she makes me want to bang my head against a wall. To say she is picky would be like saying the Pope might be religious. The first time I made this cake for her she loved it. The second time, she said I made the wrong cake, the third time was still not like the first time. I swear, I changed nothing. So, I started using different cakes trying to get the texture she wanted. The texture of Genoise is a little like her Chinese cakes she gets from the bakeries. She is Chinese and likes a much lighter texture in her cakes and does not like anything overly sweet. Liking a light spongy cake does not mean she likes Sponge Cake or Angel Food Cake either. You kind of have to have a spongy cake, that has a cake texture if that makes any sense at all. The  Genoise cakes work and once you learn the technique to making it you will not be disappointed.
     Genoise cake does not use any chemicals for leavening so you be using only the air you create to give the cake volume. It is made with whole eggs that are beaten with sugar normally,over heat to ribbon stage. They are not a fatty cake and sometimes are a little dry, there are recipes that add butter to the batter at the end in order to give a little more moisture but this does result in a flatter cake. This recipe, I don't worry about a dry cake because the fresh fruit will keep it moist and it did not make me beat the eggs and sugar over heat which made this an easier recipe.

I had 15 min to put this together and I would not suggest doing it on a plate without using parchment paper under the rim of the cake as an easy clean up tool. This is my typical cake decorating skill though and why you will rarely see a cake posted here.

Genoise "Irresistible Cakes" Sarah Maxwell and Angela Nilsen

Serves 8-10
Preheat Oven 350 F
Bake Time 30-35 min

Ingredients:

 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour (sifted)
Pinch of Salt
4 Large Eggs
1/2 Cup Sugar
6 Tablespoons flavoring. ( The recipe says to use an orange flavored liqueur but I use cut my fruit up early and the juice that collects in the bottom of the bowl.)

Directions:
Grease an 8.5 inch springform cake pan, line with parchment paper and grease the paper.
Sift together flour and salt then set to the side. The book recommends sifting 3 times. I sift the ingredients as I measure then once again together.
Put eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat about 10 minutes, until thick and pale.
Sift the flour mixture into the mixing bowl and fold in gently.
Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake until toothpick comes out clean, 30-35 min.
Leave cake in the pan for approx 5 min then take out and place on a cooling rack.

Frosting
Choose your favorite whipped frosting, but I use Ermine frosting it is velvety smooth and again not very sweet. It is even great if you want to decorate a little.

 Ingredients:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a saucepan, whisk together flour and milk until smooth. Place over medium heat,  stir constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10-15 minutes. 

Cover with plastic wrap or waxed paper placed directly on the surface to avoid a skin from forming,  and cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat the butter for 3 minutes on Med speed, until smooth and creamy. 

Gradually add the sugar, beating until fluffy. 

Add the vanilla and beat well.

Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on the medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and fluffy. The mixture will turn whiter in color.

Cover and refrigerate for about 15 minutes. The longer you leave it in the fridge the harder it will become. I leave it a little longer when I need it to hold a shape. 

If you will not be serving the cake until later I would put it in the fridge and bring out about 30-45 min before serving. 

Filling and Topping:

 

1 lb of your favorite soft fruit. For color I try and get a variety such as blueberries, black berries, strawberries and Cherries. Grapes, cherries, kiwi, slices of star fruit, and many more options work well. It is up to you. 

Clean and cut your fruit

Place in a bowl together with a little sugar sprinkled over the top. I use about a tablespoon. 

Let it sit and gather juice if you are going to use it to brush on your cake. 

1 1/4 cups Shelled pistachios or cashews, finely chopped

4 TBS Apricot jam/preserves, warmed and strained, for glaze

Putting it all together:

*Cut your cake in half

*Brush bottom half with liqueur or the juice from your fruit.

*The top half should be hollowed out just enough to place fruit inside and have it fit onto the bottom half without any gaps. Brush the inside with your liqueur or juice again and fill with 1/2 the fruit.

*Spread frosting over the bottom layer and then place the top layer on.

* Frost the rest of the cake

* Take your chopped nuts and gently press them to the side of your cake all the way around. 

*Take the rest of your fruit and place on the top of the cake

*Use the strained apricot as a glaze over your fruit on the top of the cake. This will add a great shine, flavor and some sweetness if any of the fruit is still a little tart. 

I know this cake seems like a long ordeal but it is worth it. Even if you are like me and cannot decorate a cake to save your life, this one will end up beautiful. The general idea for this cake is a great one even if you shorten the process and change the type of cake you use or the frosting. If you do try this please give me a yell and let me know what you thought. Thank you.