Been Baking and Frosting The Whole Day

Today is my daughter's office Christmas party, she asked me 2 weeks ago to bake a dozen each of both the vanilla and red velvet cupcakes. Baking 2 half batches of different flavors is time consuming, I kid you not. It took me the whole day including frosting them and putting them on the carrying trays (and I don't get paid for my efforts). Hmm, I should be selling these cupcakes next time. I was worrying that they would get squished or damaged during transport, but then I saw this 3 piece gadget: baking pan, tray, and a cover that has a handle to carry both pan and tray and they all lock in place, very nifty idea. You can easily bring 2 dozens iced cupcakes with ease, without them touching and moving around. I love the person who invented this.

Orange Cauliflower

I see a lot of different colored cauliflowers, purple, lime green and orange in many groceries lately. The label on this orange one says it has added nutrients and because I buy produce that looks pretty for posing, this one is a winner. I looked online for a good recipe and found this. I used the juice of one key lime in place of lemon. This dish is delicious! I really really like it. I never imagined combining anchovies with the bland and awful smelling cauliflower but the different flavors blend well perfectly.

homemade Spanish chorizo, orange cauliflower with anchovies, and ube pandesal for dinner

Fuyu Persimmons, Kumquats & Key Limes

note the 8 point star, similar to caimito, although the consistency is not as snotty

I just discovered these wonderful fruits Fuyu persimmons that I have been reading about and ignoring. I saw them in Bangkok 20 years ago and was told by the hawker not to bother with them, that they are very expensive and don't taste great. He said only the Japanese tourists love them, and I believed him. How can a fruit that looks like a very pale tomato taste good. That's my reason for not trying them for that long. Over a week ago I bought 3 pieces to photograph. One Korean lady told me to leave them on the counter for 5 days to ripen and to eat them when they are very soft but not mushy. Well, the Thai guy was wrong, they are very good when fully ripe and I love them, they're very sweet and the middle section near the seeds (2 or none at all) has the consistency similar to the Philippine caimito or star apple. The fruit is not bland at all, it has a unique taste I guess. I bought a box of 10 pieces today and will wait at least 3 days to enjoy them. I also bought fresh key limes, which is dayap in the Philippines, and kumquats.

I also have been ignoring kumquats because I don't know how to use them in cooking. But they look so pretty, I bought a small quantity to take photographs for my flickr site. The salesperson told me to roll them in my hands until they are soft and they somehow become sweeter and she is absolutely right. You eat the whole fruit skin and all, except the seeds, it's sweet and tart, I also love them and they are so photogenic, too. They can also be candied whole or sliced. I prefer to eat them fresh.

key limes

Magnolia Bakery's Red Velvet Cupcakes

The recipes in this cookbook are not so extraordinary. I think many of the recipes can be found in other American cakes and cookie cookbooks like Better Homes & Garden recipe collections. But I am very satisfied with the red velvet 3 layer cake recipe which I halved and made into cupcakes for my daughter to try if they are good enough to take to her office Christmas party. The recipe is not as simple as the vanilla cupcake recipe and requires a lot of cleaning up afterwards. But then you are rewarded with these very very red, soft and moist delicious cakes. I didn't make the Creamy Vanilla Frosting that's supposed to ice these cakes because I wanted to try this real buttercream icing with powdered egg whites, butter and sugar. This is the best buttercream icing ever, not so sweet, it is very creamy and just perfect.

I ate 2 of these sweeties after posing them, I can't help it, they're so yummy.

Red Velvet Cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting
From MORE FROM MAGNOLIA cookbook, pages 86 & 87

cake
3 1/3 cups cake flour
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla exract
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½cups butttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In a small bowl whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
• In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
• When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then ice the top and side of the cake with Creamy Vanilla Frosting.

Creamy Vanilla Frosting
from MORE FROM MAGNOLIA cookbook, page 126

This silky smooth frosting is made by beating together softened butter and sugar with a thick saucelike base. Be sure to follow the recipe directions exactly.

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• In a medium saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the mixture becomes very thick and begins to bubble, 10 - 15 minutes. Cover with waxed paper placed directly on the surface and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• In a large bowl, on medium high speed of an electric mixer, beat the butter for 3 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating continuously for 3 minutes until fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat well.
• Add the cooled milk mixture, and continue to beat on medium high speed for 5 minutes, until very smooth and noticeably whiter in color. Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes (no less and no longer - set a timer!). Use immediately.