Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes Recipe

photo by James Wojcik

yield
Makes 12

These gorgeous cupcakes have a sweet surprise inside: They're filled with a dollop of raspberry jam. Half of the cupcakes have a pale yellow lemon glaze; the rest are topped with a pink raspberry-lemon glaze.

ingredients

• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar, divided
• 4 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
• 12 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam
• Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, then beat until fluffy and pale yellow. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Beat in half of flour. Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; beat to blend. Beat in remaining flour.

Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful batter into each muffin liner. Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over. Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.

Bake cupcakes until tester inserted halfway into centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan on rack. Meanwhile, whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl. Spoon half of icing over 6 cupcakes. Whisk 1 tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing. Spoon over remaining cupcakes. Let stand until icing sets, about 30 minutes. Garnish with raspberries.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Raspberry-Cupcakes-241872#ixzz2u45lIeCe

Chocolate Swiss Roll Recipe

I know. Ganache? Where? Because all you can see is a chocolate blanket, or mudslide, or A MESS.

The reason why I still wanted to post it was this was incredibly delicious! Silky cream filling wrapped inside that intense yet pillowy chocolate sheet cake. Plus, doesn’t it look like a piece of art?

Ingredients (12-inch long cake roll):

Cake Roll

1/4 cup sifted unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled completely

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream

Ganache

227 grams bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a 12 x 17 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease it and dust it with cocoa powder lightly.

In a bowl, whisk cocoa powder, cake flour and salt.

Put eggs, egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a mixing bowl over a pot of  simmering water. Use an electric hand mixer to beat constantly  until the sugar has completely dissolved and mixture is warm to touch. Remove from heat.

With whisk attachment, continue whipping the mixture in a standing mixer on high until pale and thick, about 4 minutes.

Sift cocoa mixture over egg mixture, fold in gently. When almost incorporated, pour melted butter down side of bowl, gently fold to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the batter evenly. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until springy to touch.

While the cake is baking. Place a clean dish towel on your working surface. Dust with cocoa powder.

Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven, invert it onto the towel you have prepared. Remove the top parchment paper carefully. Then roll the cake while it’s still hot. Let it cool (wrapped) completely.

Beat the cream until soft peaks form, then add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and continue beating until firm.

When the cake is completely cool, unroll the cake, and top it with cream.

Re-roll the cake without the towel. Wrap the towel around the rolled cake and tighten lightly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

To prepare the ganache, place the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until just boiling. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir gently with a spoon until smooth.

Before serving, pour the ganache into the centre of the cake roll. Working quickly, spread the ganache with a large metal spatula or knife, using big strokes to push the ganache over the sides of the cake.

Chocolate Donuts

I love donuts.  I definitely enjoy the yeast donuts that are fried, however sometimes you just don’t have all day to make donuts. Sometimes you want a chocolate donut, within the hour.

Well, you’ve come to the right place. Because I feel the same way. So I made donuts, and within the hour they were ready to eat (okay, some were eaten). I hope you enjoy them as much as my kids did (yes, me too).

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Chocolate Donuts (Baked!)

Rating: 5

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 10 donuts

Ingredients

FOR THE DONUTS:
• 2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
FOR THE FROSTING:
• 1 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp corn syrup
• 1 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 1 oz semi sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

1. For the donuts, mix dry ingredients in bowl. Beat in the eggs, milk, vanilla and butter. Beat until well blended.
2. Spray donut pan with cooking spray. Fill each donut cup about 3/4 full (I use a ziploc with the corner snipped to do this neatly). Fills about 8-10 donuts.
3. Bake donuts in 325 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, remove from pan.
4. While cooling, make chocolate glaze. In small saucepan on medium low heat, mix together the cream, milk, butter, vanilla and corn syrup. When butter is completely melted, turn heat to low and add in the chocolate. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar.
5. Dip each donut into the glaze, allow to cool. (optional- sprinkle with toppings). Allow chocolate to set (about 15 minutes). Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Cheesecake Cake

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I used a plain cheesecake layer in the middle (not wishing to overwhelm the cake with excess lemon flavor), and topped it all off with a Fresh Lemon Frosting (also from the Piece of Cakebook).  Chocolate Malted Eggs top the Easter version, and fresh, edible orchids top the “pretty” version.  I shared slices of this cake with three families in my neighborhood yesterday.  They enjoyed it… it’s rich… you only need a small slice, so this one can feed a lot of people.  Happy Easter baking… or Mother’s Day baking… or decadent dessert- splurge baking!  Just bake!

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meyer lemon cheesecake cake

Yield: One 9-inch cake

Prep Time: 1 hour + cooling and chill times

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 min

Use Meyer lemons for this recipe if you can find them. Regular lemons may be substituted too.

Ingredients:

CHEESECAKE LAYER:
Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CAKE:
2 cups All Purpose Gold Medal® Flour
2 cups granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup lemon-lime soda (Sprite or 7-Up)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FRESH LEMON FROSTING:
6 ounces block cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup + freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

1. Prepare the cheesecake layer: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place a 13x9 pan on the lower third rack of the oven and fill it halfway with water. Place another rack on a level above the pan. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.

2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the sugar and salt and blend for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure all is mixed in. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending after each addition. Finally, mix in the sour cream, whipping cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan on the rack above the roasting pan. Bake the cheesecake for 40 to 45 minutes. It should be set to the touch and not jiggly. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour. When it has cooled, place the pan into the freezer and let the cheesecake freeze completely (4 to 5 hours or overnight).

3. Prepare the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and spray two 9-inch pans with nonstick spray with flour (Baking Spray). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, butter, shortening, zest, and juice to the bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed to combine (1 minute). Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat on high speed 2 minutes. Add the soda and vanilla and beat on low speed for 30 seconds until incorporated. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the pans cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pans and turn the cake layers onto rack to cool completely.

4. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until blended. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the lemon zest and 1/4 cup lemon juice; beat on high speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until fluffy. If the frosting appears to be too thick, add an additional tablespoon or two until you get a nice consistency. Cover and refrigerate the frosting until you are ready to assemble the cake (it will firm up a bit upon chilling).

5. Assemble the cake: Place one cake layer into the center of a cake plate or platter. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of frosting on top. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, take off the sides of the pan, and slide a knife under the the cheesecake to release it from the pan. Trim the cheesecake, as needed to match the size of your cake layers (see *Tips). Place the cheesecake layer on top of the first cake layer and spread a couple more teaspoons of frosting on top of the cheesecake. Place the second cake layer on top of the cheesecake. Pile the frosting on top of the 2nd cake layer, spread it to the edges and down the sides of the cake. Decorate as you wish! Keep this cake refrigerated until serving. It's okay to make it 24 hours in advance and keep it in the refrigerator.

Tips:

*Measure your cheesecake layer against the cake layers. If the cheesecake layer turns out to be slightly larger size round than your cake layers, move it to a cutting board and use a knife to gently shave off some of the exterior of the cheesecake.
*The pan of water in the oven will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking while baking.

Source:  RecipeGirl.com (Cake and frosting recipes from this cookbook:  Piece of Cake)