Gingerbread Cupcakes With Brown Butter Cream-Cheese Icing

Gingerbread Cupcakes With Brown-Butter Cream Icing Icing It wouldn’t be the holiday season without ginger in some form, so why not use fresh ginger whenever possible. Both the cookies and cupcakes featured here call for finely chopped fresh ginger—no need for the powdered form. The cookies can be left plain, dusted with icing sugar, or decorated with royal icing and sparkly sugar. Because they’re so small, there will be plenty of extras. The cream cheese icing on the cupcakes is beyond the ordinary with its use of browned butter and real vanilla.  Ingredients:  Mini Gingerbread Cookies  1¼ cups all-purpose flour  ¼ tsp baking soda  ⅛ tsp salt  ¼ tsp nutmeg  ½ tsp cinnamon  ¼ tsp cloves  ⅛ tsp ground pepper  ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature  ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar  ¼ cup fancy molasses  1 egg yolk  1 tbsp very finely chopped fresh ginger  Royal Icing (optional) 1¼ cups sifted icing sugar, divided  1 egg white  Coarse sugar for dipping cookies, optional  Gingerbread Cupcakes  1½ cups all-purpose flour  ½ tsp baking powder  ½ tsp baking soda  ¼ tsp salt  ¼ tsp nutmeg  ⅛ tsp allspice  ⅛ tsp ground pepper  ½ cup fancy molasses  ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature  ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature  ½ cup packed dark brown sugar  1 egg, room temperature  3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh ginger  Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting  ¾ cup unsalted butter  1 vanilla bean  2 cups icing sugar, sifted  2 pkgs. 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature  Directions:  Cookie dough; sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ground pepper and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the molasses and beat to combine, followed by the egg yolk and fresh ginger.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Form the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. The dough can be made a day ahead.  Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough about ¼ inch (5 mm) thick and cut out with mini cookie cutters. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, then refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Bake in the middle of the oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges and feel barely firm when touched gently. Cool on wire racks. The cookies can be baked 1 or 2 days ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.  Royal Icing, whisk together ¾ cup (175 mL) of the icing sugar and the egg white in medium bowl. Add the remaining sugar and whisk until smooth and thick. Using a small paper piping cone, or a pastry bag with a small round tip, pipe decorations on the cookies. Before the icing sets, dip the cookies in coarse sugar, if desired. For the cupcakes, line 16 muffin cups with paper liners, then place the muffin tins on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, allspice and ground pepper and set aside. Combine the molasses and buttermilk and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth and lightened in colour. Beat in the egg until combined, followed by the fresh ginger. (The mixture may look curdled after the addition of the ginger but will come together with the addition of the remaining ingredients.).  On low speed, add the molasses mixture alternately with the dry ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling them no more than two-thirds full.  Bake the cupcakes until they’ve risen to the tops of the liners and are dry on top, about 20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. The cupcakes can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.  Icing, place the butter in a small saucepan. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the black seeds into the butter; add the vanilla pod. Place the pot over medium heat and cook the butter until the foam subsides and the butter takes on a light, nut-brown colour. Remove from heat, discard the vanilla pod and transfer the butter to a bowl. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.  Transfer the cold butter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the icing sugar and beat on medium speed until the butter is smooth and creamy. It will look dry and crumbly at first, but will come together after a few minutes. Add the cream cheese a few tablespoons at a time and beat until smooth. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip and pipe the icing overtop each cooled cupcake. Decorate with 1 or 2 mini gingerbread cookies. Serve at room temperature.  Makes 16 cupcakes, with extra cookies

Hummingbird Cake

Hummingbird Cake

This is the banana and pineapple cake Southern Living made famous in 1978.  It continues to be popular today.

Ingredients: 

3 cups all-purpose flour   

2 cups sugar 

1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped 

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon pepper 

3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten 

1 cup vegetable oil 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple packed in juice, undrained 

2 ripe bananas, chopped 

FROSTING: 

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, at room temperature 

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

3 cups confectioners' sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 to 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped, optional 

Preparation

1. Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour 2 9-inch round cake pans that are at least 2 inches deep. Line pans with parchment; grease parchment.

2. In a bowl, whisk flour, sugar, pecans, zest, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in fruit. Fold into flour mixture. Divide batter between pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

3. Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a paring knife around inside edges of pans. Turn cakes onto rack to cool completely.

4. Make frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on high speed until light, 3 minutes. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Reduce speed to low; beat in sugar, then vanilla.

5. Assemble cake: Using a serrated knife, slice cakes in half horizontally to make 4 layers. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Spread with a scant 1 cup frosting. Repeat twice. Top with final cake layer, bottom side up. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle pecans on top and press into frosting on sides, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Frost Like a Pro

Follow these simple steps and people might think you bought your dessert at a bakery.

Step 1. Level it.

If your cake has a domed top, use a serrated knife to cut off the dome, making top as level as possible. Flip the bottom layer over so it rests on the cut side before frosting.

Step 2. Frost the middle.

Spread the frosting evenly on the first layer using an offset spatula. Don't worry about making it look perfect, as long as it's even. Be careful not to pull crumbs into the frosting. Place the second layer on top and gently press down.

Step 3. Finish it.

Spread the frosting over the top and sides. To make pretty whorls, run the back of a tablespoon over the frosting in a swirling motion.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups grated carrots (about 9 carrots, you can grate them in food processor fitted with a shredding a blade or use a box grater)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)*

1/2 cup moist, plump raisins (dark or golden) or dried cranberries

2 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

*

For the Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 pound or 3 and 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (I omitted this and replaced it with 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract)

1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Finely chopped toasted nuts and/or toasted shredded coconut (optional)

*

Directions:

FOR THE CAKE

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter three 9-x-2-inch round cake pans, flour the insides, and tap out the excess. Put the two pans on one baking sheet and one on another.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, stir together the carrots, chopped nuts, coconut, and raisins.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil together on a medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one by one and continue to beat until the batter is even smoother. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing only until the dry ingredients disappear. Gently mix the chunky ingredients. Divide the batter among the baking pans.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point, until a thin knife inserted into the centers comes out clean. The cakes will have just started to come away from the sides of the pans. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes and unmold them. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

The cakes can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.

FOR THE FROSTING

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until the frosting is velvety smooth. Beat in the lemon juice or extract.

 If you'd like coconut in the filling, scoop about half of the frosting and stir the coconut into this position.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

 Put one layer top side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. If you added the coconut to the frosting, use half of the coconut frosting to generously cover the first layer (or generously cover with plain frosting). Use an offset spatula or a spoon to smooth the frosting all the way to the edges of the layer. Top with the second layer, this time placing the cake stop side down, and frost with the remainder of the coconut frosting or plain frosting. Top with the last layer, right side up, and frost the top- and the sides- of the cake. Finish the top with swirls of frosting. If you want to top the cake with toasted nuts or coconut, sprinkle them on now while the frosting is soft.

Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, just to set the frosting before serving.

TO SERVE THE CAKE

This cake can be served as soon as the frosting is set. It can also wait, at room temperature and covered with a cake keeper overnight. The cake is best served in thick slices at room temperature and while it's good plain, it's even better with vanilla ice cream or some lemon curd.

Notes:

The cake will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It can also be frozen. Freeze it uncovered, then when it's firm, wrap airtight and freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost, still wrapped, overnight in the refrigerator.

from Dorie Greenspan