Both recipes are in “The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies & More to Make & Decorate” by Rosie Alyea, a professionally trained baker. If you want to learn how to decorate cakes and other desserts, this book is a good place to start. If you’re intimidated by pastry bags, wooden dowel rods and fondant smoothers, there are still plenty of simple recipes that don’t require any fancy tools.
PATRIOTIC CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
(adapted from the recipe for Sky-High Chocolate-Covered Cupcakes P. 25)
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch-process dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups superfine sugar
¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature
¾ cup hot coffee or espresso
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners.
2. Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the sugar and whisk to combine.
3. In a large measuring cup with a spout, whisk together the buttermilk, coffee, oil, egg and vanilla. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the milk mixture and beat until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners.
4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, 18 to 20 minutes. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan immediately, put them on a wire rack and let cool completely.
Our assessment: This recipe goes into my collection of favorites. The buttermilk adds richness and the coffee, another dimension of flavor. For a patriotic theme, top the cupcakes with a marshmallow icing, then store-bought sprinkles, edible metallic stars, a red candy and an American flag on a toothpick. Vanilla icing would also look pretty.
BEST-EVER BUTTERMILK CAKE (P. 151)
3 cups cake flour, sifted
2 cups superfine sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract, or seeds from ½ vanilla bean
5 large eggs, room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottoms of three 8 x 2-inch round cake pans and line with parchment.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, add the cold butter one piece at a time. Beat until all of the butter is incorporated, about 3 minutes. The mixture should have a fine crumbly, cornmeal-like texture.
3. In a medium measuring cup with a spout, combine half of the buttermilk and the vanilla bean paste. In a separate measuring cup, gently whisk the eggs and remaining buttermilk.
4. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low. Gradually add the vanilla mixture and beat for 5 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the egg mixture in three additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat until well combined, 2 minutes. Fold the batter once or twice to ensure everything has been incorporated. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
5. Bake the first two layers in the center of the oven until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs, 20 to 22 minutes. Repeat with the final layer. Let the cake layers cool in their pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the sides of the cakes and carefully turn them out onto wire racks. Peel off the paper liners and let cool completely.
6. The cake layers will keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Our assessment: I'm always skeptical when something is hyped as "Best-Ever," but this recipe is also going in my personal collection of favorites. It does take extra time to cut the butter into the flour, but that's where the magic happens. When the cake bakes, those little bits of butter melt and release steam, which helps the batter rise. The cake comes out moist and would go nicely with any frosting. This time I made it in a rectangular Pyrex dish and was content to decorate it with confectioner's sugar and fanned strawberries for a splash of color. Next time I may go fancy-schmancy.
From the book: "The Sweetapolita Bakebook: 75 Fanciful Cakes, Cookies & More to Make & Decorate" by Rosie Alyea; 208 pages, $22.99. Published by Clarkson Potter, 2015.
What you get: If you've never thought you were artistic enough to decorate desserts, this book may give you the courage to give it a try. I'm excited to try Blue Moon Dream Cake (P. 85), Sprinkle-Dipped Meringues (P. 26) and Coney Island Cheesecake (P. 32).
In her own words: "(W)hether you bake for whim or for work, I sincerely hope that this book inspires you to bake yourself happy, let your imagination run the show, and delight all of those lucky people around you." — Rosie Alyea
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