Lesson #1

Something I always forget, but am reminded of as soon as I realize it happened:
DO NOT OVER BEAT.

Cupprimo

Kudos to Cupprimo Cupcakery and Coffee for creating their culinary cake concoctions. How cheesy of me.



So to kick start the rebirth of my cupcake reviews, Hoan and I drove twenty minutes across town to try Cupprimo. I was a bit surprised at its location in a small, less-than-inviting concrete shopping center near a major highway and right next to a Valero. I guess I've just been so used to quaint little cafes and bakeries. But! Don't let that fool you. And if you still don't believe me, their cupcakes should change your mind.

The one I got (pictured above) was their Black & White, a slightly rich chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream and an additional dollop of chocolate buttercream on top for good measure. Although I do prefer light, airy cakes in order to offset the rich frosting (because 'light frosting' is an oxymoron), their version wasn't unbearably sweet at all. To be honest, I had been craving cake for a REALLY long time prior to this visit, and the Black & White really hit the spot.

Hoan got three mini cupcakes--Longhorn Brownie, Primo Vanilla, and Snickerdoodle. None of them are really worth mentioning except the Snickerdoodle, which is the one he's getting ready to eat in the photo. It tastes JUST LIKE THE COOKIE OMG. No lie.

They don't have a very extensive menu worthy of say, Sugar Mama's, and yeah, Cupprimo's location isn't exactly CupPRIME (heh heh), but they are most definitely worth driving twenty minutes for.

Then you can dinner eat at Asia Cafe (yes, AFTER dessert), which is located in the same shopping center. Hoan will vouch for them. Because I'm not qualified to write that review.

Minty weather

One of the only things I really enjoy about winter (other than layering) is the abundance of mint. It reminds me of the good times as a kid when I'd stuff a handful of peppermints in my mouth and, after eating them all, drink a tall glass of cold water because I liked the numbing, minty sensations in my mouth.

Then I discovered mint chocolate chip ice cream after reading that it was one of the Olsen twins' favorite flavors. And they were my idols, after all. So the first chance I got, I bought myself a cone of light-green, chocolate-speckled goodness and found that it was actually really tasty.

Fast forward to today. I don't indulge in mint-eating/water-drinking anymore. But I still like mint chocolate... anything. So I decided, in the spirit of the holidays, I'd make these mint chocolate cupcakes.



I realized I never post the recipes I use, mostly because I'm lazy. Also, I end up tweaking them a bit anyways, so I didn't think there was a point. But I'll start doing this. For the sake of archiving. And for the sake of being a better baking blogger. Or whatever.

Mint Chocolate cupcakes (adapted from Love and Olive Oil, & makes ~14)

Here are all the ingredients. Except I didn't use the nestle chocolate chunks.


1 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup canola oil
1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 1/2 cup sugar
1 & 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup dark cocoa powder
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Box of Andes candies
Peppermint extract (Creme de menthe or peppermint extract is preferred. The one I got, just plain ol' MINT, was reminiscent of toothpaste. It was all I could find, so I get went with it.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line yo' pan.

In one bowl, whisk the coconut milk, sugar, oil and vanilla until it gets "foamy." That's what the original recipe says. But I stopped once I began to notice a "foamy" consistency. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, beating until no (or very few) lumps remain.

Pour into liners, filling each with 1/3 cup of batter. Bake 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool.



Since this is my first eggless recipe (!!!) and my first time backing with coconut milk (???), I was nervous about how they'd turn out. They did deflate a bit, but since I was frosting them, that didn't bother me too much. Speaking of frosting, making it was a such a complete disaster. As I am not a fan of overly sweet, thick frosting, I tried to make a whipped-cream-esque frosting using only heavy cream, powdered sugar, and mint extract. After about three FAILED batches of those (I think I was overbeating), I looked online and found a recipe that the Pioneer Woman claimed to be the absolute "best" frosting ever. And fyi, PW is legit. So I tried it.

Not disappointed. However, mine was less thick because I used more milk and added mint extract and a few drops of green food coloring.

After piping them, I placed a halved Andes chocolate on top. Ta-da.



I'm glad to say they were a big hit at work! My co-worker, David, who isn't exactly the sweetest gentleman I've ever met, said they may be the best cupcakes he's ever had. And then asked if it was okay if he could get seconds. Psh, duh.

Reflections: The coconut milk isn't very noticeable at all in the final product. In fact, I think it enriches the chocolate flavor. And! Never using a mint extract ever again. I also want to try using a mint chocolate ganache if I don't find the mint flavor in the frosting to be strong enough. What can I say? I like mint. But I already said that.

That's hawt

So, I actually took a photograph of something I baked! It's been so long. And I'm actually really happy with how these spiced chocolate cupcakes turned out.



Hoan, my foodie boyfriend, tried them and said they were really good. So I will take his word for it. Because his word agrees with mine. And I like when that happens.



They're topped with a vanilla buttercream, with some almond for good measure.

Also, I think I've discovered a baking preference of mine: minimal ingredients. There was a recipe for these same cupcakes that involved corn meal, flaxseeds, etc. and I thought it was a bit unnecessary. I feel that with so many ingredients, the whole thing becomes sort of artificial--like trying to replicate a flavor, or add characteristics to it that eventually turns it into something completely different, an impostor. Does that make sense?

Or maybe, this is just a rant of a poor college student. Baking is expensive! So cayenne and chocolate it is.

So.

So I used a photo I had of Sugar Mama's Fluffernutter for my banner. I am crediting it right now. So this can't be illegal. It's just that I realized I had no straight-on photo of any of my cupcakes. Tsk. This needs to change. I've baked a few things, but I've either forgotten to take pictures, or I didn't think they were worth taking a picture of. I am so bad at this.

What a hoot

I am going to try to keep up with baking, and also, with this blog. I feel that my interests are so many and my attention so limited, that I tend to spread myself too thin. I'll try to fix this! Summer goals. Another one includes sprucing up this layout. It's quite plain.

So since my boyfriend bought me Hello Cupcake! almost a year ago, I've only used three of the decoration ideas. Pathetic! So for my sister's graduation party, I made her these:



Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, Oreos and Junior Mints for the eyes and ears, yellow Reese's Pieces for the nose. I don't have photos of the actual procedure itself, but let me warn you, the unfinished product looks incredibly creepy. Pupil-less creatures.. like from a misunderstood Tim Burton film.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day! Except I am three hours late. But don't worry, I did remember to greet my mom. The kids got her a necklace we knew she wanted and a gift card to her favorite restaurant. My dad bought her a bouquet, which I thought was really sweet, because my dad is not very good with holidays AT ALL. But overall, today wasn't too big a deal, because it's the birthdays that get the most attention around here. And hers is in August, so she doesn't have to wait too much longer.

I made her Boston Cream Pie cupcakes.



These were made without liners so that I could cut them in half and sandwich the custard between layers.

I piped the custard inside of these and just topped them off with a smooth ganache. Gosh, so shiny.

I haven't baked in so long prior to this. Well, since March. But two months is a long time! I have been really wanting to make this one pound cake in particular and I recently came across a recipe for profiteroles that looked extremely doable, even for me, a novice baker. Alas, I've no time nor have I energy. But I should get more time to make pastries once finals end. I'll be done by Thursday, so wish me luck!

By the way, I have never had a Boston Cream Pie before. BUT I have had Boston Cream donuts and eclairs.. so I figure they can't be too different, right? I mean, it's mainly just chocolate and custard.. Please tell me if I am terribly mistaken.

Classic Neopolitan

I made these for my friend, Ian, whom I hadn't seen him in months and months. He was my first college friend, isn't that cute?! Yeah, anyway.

Strawberry cake, chocolate ganache, vanilla frosting. He even said it tasted like the ice cream does.. just not cold. So that's good!

But let me just say this about our friendship. I think he's a really great guy, and even though I don't get to see him much, when we do hang out, it's always as if we're back in freshman year--kind of awkward, but we are able to morph that into something we can both laugh at. When I think of The Format and The O.C., I'm reminded of him. I hope we stay friends after I graduate.

Valentime

A while back, I saw pictures of a Valentine's themed cake that I thought looked so cool and creative. And recently, the same person made this post equipped with tutorial and all. So of course, I had to give it a try.



It was kind of hard. And it was really messy. And I was too lazy to make a cake from scratch. So I used Betty Crocker. And it did not come out as I had hoped. But I have never hollowed out a cake before. And I don't really make cakes in general. But regardless of presentation, it tasted good. And I got to use my cake leveler. Four times.

I love leveling cakes.

Faja

My dad's birthday is today! I won't disclose how old he's turning just in case he'd like to keep that under wraps. But nevertheless, Happy Birthday, Dad!

The family is going out to dinner tonight, probably to some Chinese buffet or seafood place (My dad loves buffets and seafood), but as a precursor to the evening, I made some banana cupcakes with Nutella frosting.





I used sliced almonds as decoration and that's all. I believe this only exemplifies my minimalist persona. Nut cups would have made these absolutely perfect, but alas, I've yet to acquire some. Where can I get my hands on those suckers?!

Anyway, these cupcakes were pretty good. I deem them a success.

2010

Oh geez, this decade went by so quickly..

Delishous

I have definitely been slacking on these cupcake reviews. To be honest, I have no excuse. Better late than never is what I always say. Kind of.



So last month, Hoan and I went to Delish, a bakery on 3rd Street. The area itself is a bit, oh how should I put this, haughty? No, that's not it. Just a bit more polished and sophisticated than I'm used to. But what can I say, I'm less of a city girl and more of a suburbanite. Not by choice, however.

Back to the cupcakes: Hoan got the Black & White, a chocolate cupcake with a Mexican vanilla buttercream, while I tried out their Red Velvet. Not too bad. The cakes themselves were very moist and we ate that up. But once I was finished, I realized I had about half of the frosting leftover. Now maybe this is just a personal issue, but I have yet to find a cupcake with the perfect frosting-to-cake ratio. I can't eat frosting on its own, and even having paid 2.75 for a cupcake can't justify me putting all of that excess sugar in my mouth.

Aside from the cupcakes, the bakery itself was very aesthetically pleasing--tall windows, dark color scheme, clean lines. However, the seating wasn't very efficient, with few places to sit down and enjoy my dessert, save for a red lounge chair and a few feet of counterspace.

Delish definitely blends in with its downtown surroundings. If you're looking for a cupcake to quickly grab-and-go, then I'd definitely recommend them. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone hanging out and having a conversation with friends here. That is, unless they don't mind standing.

au revoir (kinda)

I've decided to refrain from using this blog. Tumblr has been more comforting and besides, these posts have absolutely no (or just a meager 2 inches of) depth to them. I'm not meant to blog publicly. So I'll blog privately. Or somewhere you can't find me.

From now on, I will only talk about cupcakes. And baking-related things, I guess.

Not Kerbey Lane

I forgot how much I used to love my 50mm lens. Maybe I'll use it exclusively from now on. Or until I find I am much too close to the objects/people I want to photograph. But hey, I respect personal boundaries.

MyFace

This was a bad week. It can only get better, right? Yes!
Today, my mood was improved by good friends, good marks, good lunch.

Hey Panda

I thought a panda would look more appropriate amongst fruits, bright colors, and things of that nature because I don't have any bamboo in the house and this is the best I could do. But you know how hard it is to find good bamboo these days.




He was conceived from this chocolate mess. But isn't that how a great many things come to be? The beautiful product of some timely and fortuitous chaos. Chocolate optional.




This happened at around four in the morning. Ideal time for this sort of thing, isn't it? The place was a mess afterwards. And I was really tired. From cupcake-ing.

Blip

I was Luigi for Halloween.



The best part of the night was running down the 1st Street bridge. And also, NOT getting towed.

Thoughts on The Fountainhead so far:
-Ellsworth Toohey is upsetting.
-I would like to see the Dominique Francon that Rand pictured. She sounds beautiful and vastly misunderstood.
-Peter Keating is a jellyfish, why would he do that to poor Catherine? That poor, poor girl.. She's much too good-natured for him.
-I want to study Architecture.
-I would be terrified of a Howard Roark.

Happy flip (gah, so many puns)

I finally got around to eating at Flip Happy Crepes, something I had planned on doing for a really long time, ever since I saw them throw it down with Bobby Flay. He lost. But I don't know what that means, seeing as how I'm not an avid watcher of the show.

Okay, so back to Flip Happy. I got Nutella with strawberries.. Not very exciting and I guess you could say I wasn't feeling very adventurous, but to be honest, it really hit the spot. Nutella + strawberries is an undeniably perfect combination.


Hoan got roasted chicken with.. pesto.. and other things I can vaguely recall. It looked and tasted pretty good, but it was a bit too heavy for my liking. Only because I wasn't very hungry. Otherwise, I woulda been all over dat.


Yeah so.. I haven't gone to a cupcakery in quite a while. I'm not sure why.. just lazy and busy, I guess. Am I allowed to be both? I know, I know, no excuses! But by the end of October, I'll do another! Pinky swear!

"Sprinkle," I don't like that word

Jessica, Ara, and I had been planning on throwing a "couples dinner party" for over a month or so before it actually happened. A lot of effort went into it, seeing as how we had to finalize the meal, look up/alter recipes, buy ingredients, bake a lasagna and cupcakes using one oven in the span of four hours, go back to the grocery store because HEB forgot to bag the ricotta cheese, get Ara to drive to her house because we ran out of aluminum foil, not to mention the fact that we all had to get gussied up in a hurry before the boys arrived.

It was kind of stressful. And nerve-wracking.

But fun. And all that stereotypical banter that involves undergoing tremendous amounts of stress before having a great, amazing time that made all your efforts well worth it.

No, but really.

I made vanilla cupcakes with Nutella frosting:


Jessica and Ara made the vegetable lasagna, which I couldn't find a good enough picture of.




I've really enjoyed the triple date nights we've been having. I've never had this before where I was able to find compatible couples to hang out with (and I've got two!), and I know this can't last forever, so I'm going to enjoy and milk it for as long as I can.

Mt. Bonnell

Hoan and I went to Mt. Bonnell today in the late afternoon. I was extremely disappointed by the view at first, but that's before we found the "spot." It really was beautiful up there. And I honestly don't throw that word around very often.


He's like a Toms model.



This was when he was writing our initials on one of the rocks because I told him that's what all the OTHER couples did when they visited Mt. Bonnell.


Ha, you can't even see it. And it'll probably fade away by tomorrow. How sad.



Hmm. I really like this one.



And of course, the obligatory couple picture..


..which we're so obviously not good at.