Joy the Baker » birthday

Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting

joythebaker — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:52:01 +0000

Hey Dude (that I’m currently dating),

We need to talk. It’s about your mother.

Mostly… it’s about how I need to meet your mother. We’ve been carrying on for a while now… and I need to meet the lady that birthed you, clothed you, slapped you upside the head, and made you the awesome man you are now. If I don’t meet her soon, she will surely think me some sort of hussy harlot who was born in a barn and doesn’t much care for other people’s mothers. This is not the case. I care about most mothers, often.

It’s a lady thing that perhaps you don’t understand. I need to be nervous. I need to bite off all my nails. I need to agonize over the perfect outfit that will make me look sophisticated, but sweet and approachable, womanly without being more womanly that her. I need the outfit that says I can damn well take care of myself, and keep her dear and darling son in line for the rest of his life. It’s a fine fine fiiiine line.

I need to let your mother look me up and down in examination. I need to stand there and let her envision me as her daughter-in-law. I need to eat her casserole, express my desire for the recipe… then I need to do her dishes.

I need to let her tell me how to do things that I already know how to do, like make a pie, and pluck my eyebrows. We need to watch 60 Minutes together. She in her recliner, me sitting on the floor. I need to offer to bring dessert. She’ll make a face when it’s being served, and enjoy it despite herself. It’s all a dance. Every moment of it. It’s all a test… because mothers do not let their sons go quietly… they let them go passive aggressively.

Lastly, she needs to see that I make you happy. That’s where you come in. Don’t act weird. Well, don’t act weirder than you usually act. Be natural… and put your arm around me once in a while. It’s your job to make sure that no one gets a third glass of wine. That’s when things get weird.

It’s also your job NOT to tell your mother that there are beets in the cake I’m serving for dessert. That will be our little secret. Unless she loves it… then I’m taking all the glory.

Cool.

Love,

Joy

Quite right. This chocolate cake is chocked full of roasted beets.

Beets are trimmed of their greens (which are delicious sauteed) and roasted whole in foil and just a touch of oil. You know… like you’re making a beet salad, but you’re totally making cake.

Besides beets, this cake also has the usual cake- y suspects: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, powder, and salt.

I love preparing cake pans for baking. Something about the ritual just calms me.

Parchment paper rounds (that are cut by hand) totally ensure that the cake will come out of the pan in one piece. It’s an extra bit of work, but I love the insurance.

Roasted beets are cooled and peeled (which is easy… not to worry), and grated on the fine side of a box grater.

If you’re wondering about beet stained hands… yes, I had two. They eventually wash clean.

Beets add moisture and sweetness to the cake. Beets do not make the cake taste like a salad. That’s an important thing to know.

The cake batter will be a purple color, but will bake into a moist chocolate cake with no trace of beets.

Let’s talk about frosting. Butter and cream cheese are left at room temperature until soft. They’re beaten with powdered sugar, vanilla, and a squeeze of lemon.

Beets, too! Beets, shredded and mashed add a slight sweetness and intense color to the frosting. It’s all you need for food coloring. It’s delightful and delicious. And again… it does not taste like salad.

You may have a few beet strands in your frosting as you decorate the cake. Think of it as nature’s sprinkles.

… I can’t believe I just typed that.

I’m sorry.

I want you to fall in love with this cake. I did.

The cake itself is moist and chocolate-y. It’s not too sweet either! Bonus. The frosting is bright pink, speckled with beet bits, and creamy sweet.

No one would ever know this cake is chocked full of vegetables. We can just keep that little bit of information between us. Secret ingredient power!

Pssst… Valentine’s Day Cake! I’m just sayin…

Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes one 8 or 9-inch layer cake

adapted from Fine Cooking November 2001

Print this Recipe!

For the Cake:

2 medium beets, unpeeled but trimmed of their greens

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

For the Frosting:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons finely grated beets, mashed with a fork

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or scrapings of one vanilla bean pod

1-2 teaspoons milk, depending on desired consistency

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

pinch of salt

Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Thoroughly wash beets under running water, and trim their leaves, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem. Place clean beets in a piece of foil. Drizzle with just a bit of vegetable oil. Seal up foil. Place on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.

Remove the beets from the oven. Open the foil and allow beets to cool completely. Beets will be easy to peel (just using a paring knife) once completely cooled.

Using a box grater, grate the peeled beets on the finest grating plane. Measure 3/4 cup of grated beets for the cake and 2 tablespoons for the frosting. Set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Use butter to grease two 8 or 9-inch round baking pans. Trace a piece of parchment paper so it is the same size as the bottom of the cake pan. Cut it out and place inside the cake pan. Butter the parchment paper. Add a dusting of flour to coat the pan. Set pans aside while you prepare the cake.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, for one minute after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once eggs are incorporated, beat in beets and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture. Beating on low speed , slowly add the buttermilk. Once just incorporated, add the other half of the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed until milk and dry ingredients are just incorporated. Try not to overmix the batter. Bowl can be removed from the mixer and mixture folded with a spatula to finish incorporating ingredients. Cake batter will be on the thick side… not pourable.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes (for a 9-inch pan) or 30-32 minutes (for an 8-inch pan). Cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting and assembling the cake.

To make the Frosting:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds, until pliable and smooth. Add the butter and beat for another 30 seconds, until well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl as necessary. Beat in the beets. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, lemon juice, and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth and silky. Refrigerate the frosting for 30 minutes before frosting the cooled cakes.

To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake on a cake stand or cake plate. Top with a generous amount of pink frosting. Spread evenly. Place the other cake on top of the frosting. Top with frosting. Work frosting onto the sides of the cake. You will have extra frosting left over. Refrigerate for an hour before serving (it will make the cake easier to slice). Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes

joythebaker — Thu, 26 May 2011 21:20:44 +0000

I’m totally a good person to surprise.

If you tell me that you’re stuck in Seattle working all weekend, and you can’t come down for my birthday, I’ll believe you. I’ll believe you, because I love you and you’re not a liar.

If you tell me that you’re working away in Phoenix, and you simple can’t get away to celebrate my birthday, I’ll believe you. I’ll believe you, because I love you and you’re not a liar.

You’re going out of town to visit our grandparents? Really? You have to go this weekend when you knew it was my birthday? Um… ok. It must be important. Go on. I believe you. yadda yadda yadda… you’re not a liar.

This birthday. Oh man! I was hit with surprise, after surprise, after surprise.

Surprise! Jill dyed her hair pink and you’re about to eat that mega doughnut… and why the heck is that kid screaming?

Surprise! Your sister flew down from Seattle just to drink margaritas with you for the day! Ps. I love you, but I didn’t get a good picture of you on your visit down. Pps. I’m sorry.

Surprise! Your mom and dad made you a cake!

Surprise! Your family isn’t out of town! They’re taking you to dinner… silly. And there’s ice cream!

Surprise! We’re at Disneyland.

Surprise! Space Mountain is broken. Twice. …Look at you standing in line like a numb-skull.

Surprise! A very special boy flew in from Phoenix to sit on your doorstep with wine and flowers… But… surprise! You didn’t get home until super late… because you’re a work-a-holic… and he was blowing up your phone… but you didn’t know he was on your doorstep or you totally would have gotten home sooner… or you would have at least straightened up your apartment… and done a load of laundry… and washed your hair… and wait, you really hope you flushed the toilet.

Surprise! Dinner with friends tastes AWESOME.

Surprise! Welcome to caketown!

Surprise! Pretzels!! Thank you, Grande.

Surprise! Ethan made you hot dogs out of cake!

Surprise! Drink this beer and shove all of these jelly beans in your mouth. Thank you, Melissa!

Surprise! Cupcakes at midnight.

Like… the best/most ridiculous/ stupidly decadent cupcakes… at midnight.

Allow me to tell you about these cupcakes. You might want to sit down. You’re probably already sitting down… unless you’re one of those people that has a standing up desk situation. You’re the future. Look at you… showing off and being the future.

These cupcakes are ridiculous. I apologize.

Soft chocolate cupcakes baked up and cooled.

A small hole is carved out of the top of the cupcake. A walnut sized ball of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie dough is placed in the center of the cupcake.

Cupcake is topped with glossy meringue frosting. Cupcakes are torched under the broiler… toasting the marshmallow frosting.

What I’m trying to tell you is that I’ve made the best cupcake ever. Cake meets cookie dough meets toasted marshmallows.

These are, most definitely, special occasion cupcakes. Don’t go making these, willy-nilly, letting them sit around the house. You’ll eat them for breakfast. You’ll eat them at midnight. You’ll think about them all day long.

Also… if you want to be the most popular person anywhere… bring these. Take all the credit for the cake/dough/marshmallow combination. That’s why I do this… to make you look great!

Seriously.

Thank you to every one of you who came here to wish me a happy birthday. Really. From the inside of my heart I thank you, I like you, and I appreciate you. I feel like we’re friends… because we are.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

cupcakes from Organic and Chic

meringue from Take a Megabite

Print this Recipe!

For the Cupcakes:

(if you don’t want to use all organic ingredients… this recipe will still turn out wonderfully)

2 1/4 cups organic all-purpose flour

2 cups organic cane sugar

1 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon organic vanilla extract

2/3 cup organic canola oil

2 teaspoons organic white vinegar

2 cups cold water

For the Cookie Dough Balls:

1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (i know we’re not baking them, it’s for flavor)

3/4 teaspoons salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons natural peanut butter (if you have a nut allergy, 2 tablespoons of yogurt will work as a binder as well)

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

For the Meringue:

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

large pinch of salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the dry ingredients together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, water, vanilla extract and vinegar.

Slowly whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being careful not to overmix. The mixture will be quite wet, but that’s ok.

Pour the batter until the cups are two thirds full and place in the oven for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cup comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place on a wire rack until completely cool before topping with cookie dough ball.

For the Cookie Dough Balls:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment (or with a large bowl and a wooden spoon) cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about three minutes in the machine. Beat in peanut butter (or yogurt if using) along with the vanilla extract and stir to combine.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add all at once to the butter and sugar mixture and stir until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon a scant tablespoons size amount of dough in your hand. Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Make 24 little cookie dough balls, and refrigerate until ready to top the cupcakes.

For the Meringue:

In a large pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.

In a large, heat-proof bowl, whisk together egg whites, sugar, corn syrup and salt. The mixture will be grainy, because of the sugar.

Place bowl over simmering water and whisk as it heats. The sugar will dissolve after about 5 minutes. Keep and eye on the mixture, it shouldn’t get warm enough to cook the eggs. Yucky.

Transfer the egg white and sugar mixture to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. With a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites, on high, until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes) The mixture will be fluffy and glossy and look like melted marshmallows. It’ll be sticky too. Beat in the vanilla extract last. Cover, and set aside until ready to frost cupcakes.

To Assemble Cupcakes:

Use a small paring knife to cut a 3/4-inch whole out of the top/center of the cupcakes. Don’t cut the whole center of the cupcake out… just make a little hole for the dough ball to rest without rolling off.

Place dough balls on top of cupcakes.

Place meringue frosting in a pastry bag (or large Ziplock bag) fitted with a medium-large tip. Use your instincts for the size of the tip. Any size (star or round) medium tip will do for frosting these cupcakes. Pipe frosting around the edges of the cupcake and over the dough ball in a circular motion. Frost all cupcakes.

Turn on oven broiler. Yea… it’s about to get real.

Place 12 cupcakes on a baking sheet. Place cupcakes under the broiler for about 1 minute. Don’t even close the broiler door. Keep an eye on them as they toast. You may need to remove the cupcakes and rotate the pan to ensure that they cook evenly. Once toasted, remove cupcakes, and toast the remaining 12 in the same fashion.

Serve cupcakes!

Cupcakes will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. They’re delicious.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

joythebaker — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 07:30:24 +0000

Dating someone new means meeting all sorts of new people.

Listen… I know I’m getting old and this isn’t my first jump into meeting the groups of friends, the work buddies, the casual friends, the bosses, the grandma, or the adopted dog of the strapping your gent that I’m dating. Sadly, all this experience has made me no less awkward and devoid of grace. I have a tendency towards embarrasing sweat, stuttering and knuckle cracking that is less than charming… Or! I just talk about my kitten, or the family dog, or this giant white rabbit that attacked me in 4th grade and no one believed me but it TOTALLY happened… and then I just leave other people feeling weird… and it’s all just awkward.

Anyhow! I’ve devised two personal tactics to detract from such boneheaded behavior: wear a pretty dress and heels and always bring cupcakes (or cookies or brownies or granola… or pie). This way, I feel pretty and I turn into a tall girl… and people instantly love me when I had them a box of chocolate and sugar. It’s a little bit of a dirty trick and it works every time.

Sprinkles? A lifesaver. Who could resist?

These Vanilla Bean Cupcakes are a classic. They’re exactly like every cupcake I ate between the ages of five and nine.

Dense but moist cake with an undeniable vanilla flavor.

They’re sweet. They make me want a balloon animal made for me.

These un-frosted but baked cupcakes also freeze well.

And they taste great right out of the freezer… all hard and cold and gnarly. But that’s not their best use.

They really should be smothered in chocolate buttercream and eaten in mass.

This is absolutely my favorite Chocolate Buttercream recipe. It’s smooth and thoroughly chocolaty, without being stiff and overly sweet like chocolate buttercream can sometimes become. I didn’t invent Chocolate Buttercream. The inspiration comes from a Los Angeles bakery I worked in.

The secret ingredient is Ovaltine powder and heavy cream. If you can’t get your hands on Ovaltine, you might try using hot chocolate mix. Yea. Weird… but totally delicious! Count on it.

Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

makes 24 cupcakes

from Organic and Chic

Print this Recipe!

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This may take 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well incorporated.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. If the batter begins to looks a bit curdled, that’s alright.

with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the vanilla milk mixture in three batches, starting and ending with the flour. When the batter is almost combined, stop the mixer and finish mixing the batter with a spatula, making sure that any flour bits at the bottom of the bowl are well incorporated.

Divide into the lined cupcake pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely before frosting.

The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes or one 8-inch layer cake

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup Ovaltine

Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Butter mixture will be very thick. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add powdered sugar. Turn mixer on low and mix in powdered sugar while adding milk and vanilla extract. As the sugar incorporates, raise the speed of the mixer to beat the frosting. Beat until smooth. In a 1-cup measuring glass, stir together heavy cream and Ovaltine. Turn mixer speed to medium and pour cream mixture into frosting in a slow, steady stream, until you’ve reached your desired consistency. You may not need the full amount of Ovaltine and cream. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes. Yuuuuuuuuum!!

Dear Thirty Nine Year Old Joy,

joythebaker — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:49:05 +0000

Dear Thirty Nine Year Old Joy,

It’s 2010. Today we’re Twenty Nine Year Old Joy. It’s exciting. My Facebook page is exploding with birthday wishes. Cool but mostly gross.

I’m making a birthday cake. That’s what that big mess is all about.

I’m writing you, Future Joy, just to say hello and remind you of a few things. A lot can happen in the ten years between us.

This is your twenty nine year old self, Joy. You dye your hair with henna and wear tie dye tank tops. The exposed bra strap…. well, I hope we’re not still doing that. Not super classy… your mama taught you better than that.

Twenty nine year old Joy daydreams about being either Angelina Jolie or a butt kicking Russian spy. Both would be ideal. I’m going to start wearing a lot of sexy black turtleneck sweaters now… that should get us halfway to making our dream a reality. Ten years from now we’re a Russian spy… aren’t we? Awesome.

This year for my birthday I’d either like a kitten or a bottle of bourbon. I’d settle for a crepe pan. Am I being a brat? Yes.

I have to get back to the cake I’m baking for us, Future Joy. I hope you’re doing rad things on this day in your life. Rad things that may or may not include wrangling small children, feeding kittens and shoe shopping… well, that’s if you haven’t gotten the whole Russian spy thing worked out for us. I’m kinda counting on that, so…. yea.

Love,

Twenty Nine Year Old Joy

Bright Red Velvet Cupcakes

joythebaker — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:07:36 +0000

I’m in the mood to reminisce. This past weekend my Aunt Judy celebrated her 60th birthday. I helped her celebrate her nostalgia-themed party with these Bright Red Velvet Cupcakes. Before we get to the cake, let’s jump back some 20something years and visit Joy and Judy, circa 1985.

My Aunt Judy is gorgeous. Know how I know? Because in this picture she makes the mid 80′s look damn good. And if you can rock the 80′s and still look classic and chic, you’re doing something right.

I’m feigning coy. At 4, I knew darn well how cute I was.

Even from the tender age pictured above I marveled at how my Aunt could have a closet solely dedicated to shoes.

That deck that Judy and I are standing on would eventually collapse as my Dad walked across it one day.

Before that collapse, I would crawl under that deck exactly one time. I thought I heard kittens. Turns out there were kittens under the deck, but there were also spiders. I don’t function rationally around spiders. I do ridiculous things to get away from them. Yea… I only did that once.

The palm tree behind us. I would grow up to think it a good idea to grab onto a large palm frawn and swing several feet off the ground like Tarzan. Turns out that’s not a good idea, because those palm frawns break. And as I lay on the ground after what felt like a tremendous fall, I thought, “Oh! Tarzan swung from vines!”. Good thing I didn’t grow up around any vines. I surely would have broken my body.

Happy Birthday Judy, and many more!

Now let’s talk cupcakes…

From time time I change up my Red Velvet Cupcake recipe. Sometimes I like the red to have a little more pop, other times I like the Red Velvet to have a sexy chocolate character.

The frosting, as is with most of my Red Velvet creations, is Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.

Bright Red Velvet Cupcakes

adapted from Gourmet Cookbook and makes 2 dozen cupcakes

Print this Recipe!

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

scant 1 cup milk

1 Tablespoon red food coloring

Put a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with the milk and red dye in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating until just incorporated.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, or until the cakes a pick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes then remove cupcakes from muffin tin and let cool on a wire rack.

Frost with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting.