Cupcakes for My Boy

Hello again. Sorry I have been largely absent this summer. Truth be told, I've lost my mojo. I have to say that with the tiny hint of fall in the air (I said tiny), I am starting to feel more energized about getting in the kitchen. I have been so busy with writing assignments that my brain is fried by the end of the day. The blazing heat further fries my brain and I want nothing to do with turning the oven on. I go in the kitchen, stand and stare. Then we order take-out. Or I just make boring stuff. Or, maybe I make something interesting, but I don't have time to write the recipe down or photograph it. The kitchen is just too much of a mess and I have two hungry little mouths to feed. If something starts to feel like a chore to me, then I don't like it anymore. And I don't want this blog to be an unpleasant chore (like doing the laundry).

So, I have come to the conclusion that I'm just never going to be a full-on recipe blogger. That's just not who I am. I will tell you funny stories from time to time, write about recipes, travel and give you glimpses into the life of a harried mama. (But don't call me a mommy blogger!!) I'll also reflect on my family and the memories that inspire me to cook and eat good food. Maybe this blog defies labels, and I'm OK with that. Basically, I'm just going to keep doing what I have been doing but not beat myself up about it.

In keeping with my "I am who I am" revelation, I want to tell you about making cupcakes for my son's birthday last week. There are no award-winner photos here. No perfectly folded napkins. No macro shots of caramel dripping in slow motion on perfectly piped icing. Nope, just some simple photos of homespun cupcakes that I took with my camera or phone in a rush. (I'm not knocking good photography - really, I'm just jealous! ;)

Salted caramel cupcake with a side of chocolate ice cream. Yes, please!

My seven-year-old is hilarious. He is quite the serious foodie. He loves cooking shows, chef demos at the Farmer's Market and is obsessed with sweets. (I wonder where he gets all this from?!) When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he said "salted caramel." His favorite ice cream at our favorite ice cream place, Morelli's, is salted caramel. The first time I tasted it, I developed a mild obsession over it. It is sooooo good. Now my boys are addicted and they get that flavor in their kiddie cones almost every time we go. He also insisted that I make the cupcakes because "they're the best." He's my biggest fan, and I'm just going to enjoy that while it lasts! Despite it being the hectic first week back to school, I manage to whip them up and rush them off to his school in the nick of time.

I'm not even going to give you a recipe because I'm still not 100 percent happy with my yellow cake recipe. If I ever find a good one, I'll let you know. Likewise, if you have a good one let me know! But, here's all you need to do to replicate these.

Packed and ready to carry to school.

Cream Cheese Salted Caramel Cupcakes

• Make your favorite yellow cupcakes
• Ice with cream cheese frosting (Here's a recipe if you need one.)
• Melt about 10-12 Kraft caramels with a dash of salt and a splash of half and half
• Add another splash of half and half to cool. Stir until smooth and allow the caramel mixture to cool about 10-15 minutes. 
• Drizzle caramel on top of cupcakes
• Sprinkle with coarse sea salt
• If you'd like, fill the cupcakes with caramel before icing for extra richness. I experimented with a few like this. Yum!

There were a few kids in the class who rejected them, but most happily licked the caramel and icing and proclaimed them to be good. I even made some banana cupcakes for the two vegan children in the class so they wouldn't fell left out. Sam was all smiles. Despite being a frazzled, exhausted mess, I was smiling, too. Isn't this what it's all about? Good food makes people happy. My son was proud of his mama's homemade cupcakes and for that I am proud. That's what I like to write about.

Do Not Fear the Coconut Cake

I love cake. Especially coconut cake. For my father-in-law's birthday, I tried out a coconut cake recipe that I must share with you. It was so good, moist and full of rich coconut flavor. However, it was not a thing of beauty. In fact, it was quite ugly. Let me tell you what not to do when baking a cake. Don't try to use parchment paper instead of greasing and flouring your pans. In a moment of laziness, I had the brilliant idea to pour the batter over parchment paper in the pan and magically peel it away once baked. I had seen it done on cupcakes so I figured it would work. Wrong! Some of the cake ending up sticking to the paper and the shape ended up a little wonky. What I love about cakes, though, is how a little bit of icing can correct most wrongs. Top it with coconut, which hides even more flaws, and you're home free. You don't need a mix or canned icing. There's nothing to fear with coconut cake!

A little slice of heaven - coconut cake.

No, it wasn't the most beautiful cake in the world, but it made a lot of people happy -- and that's what counts. The recipe is very simple and contains a secret ingredient you'll find at the liquor store or the drink mixer section at the grocery store. Pretend you are making a Pina Colada and pick up a can of Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut. Be careful not to get coconut milk which is very different. Made in the Dominican Republic, Coco Lopez is a probably not-so-good-for-you concoction of coconut, sugar and emulsifiers. But, we're making a dessert so we're not so concerned about that, right?

The secret ingredient revealed!

The coconut cream really adds a lot of moisture to the cake and gives the cream cheese icing a boost of coconut flavor. For me, the coconut flavor was rich enough that I don't think you need any artificial coconut flavor. My father-in-law is a huge coconut fan and this cake certainly met his approval. I think I will try it again for Easter and let the boys decorate it with jelly beans and maybe try a bunny shape?! We shall see. But one thing is for sure, I will grease the pan thoroughly!

Celebrating with coconut cake.

Coconut Layer Cake
Recipe adapted from this Cake Central recipe

Printable Version

3 cups cake flour (I used half cake flour/half whole wheat pastry flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk (I was out of buttermilk and used 1 cup milk plus 1 tsp. lemon juice)

1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)

Cream Cheese Icing

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco López)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon zest (optional)

Topping

2 1/2 - 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. (Note: I ended up using 8-inch pans and used leftover batter for cupcakes.) Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and sweetened cream of coconut in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk, until just blended.

Divide cake batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. (Note for smaller pans or cupcakes probably around 30-35 minutes. Check with toothpick.) Cool cakes in pans on rack 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely.

Place bottom cake layer on cake plate. Spread a layer of cream cheese over cake and sprinkle approximately one cup sweetened shredded coconut over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle remaining coconut over cake, gently pressing into sides to adhere. (Coconut Layer Cake can be prepared up to one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature before serving.)

To make the icing ...

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until fluffy. Add butter and beat to blend. Add sugar, sweetened cream of coconut and vanilla extract and beat until well blended. You may need to play with the proportions a bit to get the consistency to your liking. If you feel it is too thick, add a 1 tsp. of milk. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.