Love,

Love — a magical feeling between a boy and a girl. Roses, chocolates, kisses, and hugs. Is always willing to fall into, be smothered with, and often leads to excessive gazing into each others eyes.

Love — a mother and child. Protection, patience, warmth. Father and daughter and son. Provision, strength, foundation . Easily the most powerful bond between two human beings.



Love – patient and kind. Does not envy, nor does it boast. Never ever self-seeking or easily angered. Keeps no record of wrong. Doesn't delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love – an action, more than words. A choice to make. Both the cause and the effect. And love grows. No matter how small it is, it starts with one, and leads to two, which multiplies to four and who knows where it will go?



What is this girl babbling about? Well, in light of the so called "holiday" that just passed by, I want to share with you my take on love. And hopefully it doesn't sound like boasting on my part, but perhaps it inspires you and urges you to join me in multiplying "love".

SO, last year, I had a special Valentine's Day Cupcake sale to make some extra cash. It went quite well, with more than 10 individual orders, and up to $200 in profit. So this year, I thought I could do the same. I thought, "Hey, more people know about my cupcakes, so maybe it will be an even better turn out." But as it turns out, whether it's the economy to blame, or my lack of advertising, I was wrong. I barely got 5 orders, but nonetheless, I was still really happy to be doing it.



As I was collecting my final orders, I read an article about how there's this guy in the States who wants to somehow ban Valentine's Day (and is trying to take it to court) since it's just another evil money-making day for businesses. Apparently, all it does is make men feel pressured and under-appreciated because of the unreal expectations of women. It's simply about how much dough a man can dish out for his woman. But the article goes on to saying that instead of the cynical view, why not just celebrate this day of Love? Why not have a chance to stop and really appreciate love? And I thought to myself, well, what is love then? Sure, it's emotional feelings towards your mate, but I believe love is more than that. It can make an even greater impact and produce greater fruits than that. So what better way to celebrate love than to show it to those who need it most?



And who needs it more than anyone at this time? Of course, the people of Haiti. I don't really think I need to talk much about the heart-breaking disaster, as I'm sure everyone is aware. With that said, I was moved to give what I have and share my part of love. So, last minute, I decided to donate all the money from the cupcakes, which turned out to be enough to provide TWO families with emergency kits. (Through World Vision). I know it's but a small initiative on my part, however I know every bit counts. It's my first step, and I don't want to stop here.



Andrew and I also started supporting a child through World Vision. His name is Mame, from Senegal. His family barely meets their needs, so I'm really hoping with the monthly donations that we make, it will make a difference in his family's lives. Imagine we could truly change someone's life? Imagine we can help pave a way of hope?



The power of one. Hundreds and millions of people start with one. That's from a song I've recently heard. And I really believe in it. I'm starting with one, but I'm confident it can keep spreading. Just like love spreads. ♥

Late Night Gratification

Friday nights are my late nights. They are the nights where while all my loved ones are fast asleep, I am up in my cozy room with a cozy light, determined to stay awake. They are really the only nights that I can stay up late since I get to sleep in late tomorrow. No matter how long my day, how much my bed calls for me, I am committed to this special night that only comes once every week. From pointless perusing on the world wide web, to finally uploading the pics from my camera; from catching up on fashion news to checking out my friends' status' on Facebook, Friday nights are precious "ME" time that I so dearly hold on to — no matter how heavy my eyelids are (which are closing as we speak right now).



So what do I have to offer tonight? Why, of course, a cupcake! ...who is just as indulgent as my late night enterprises! A rich chocolate cake crowned with a creamy deep peanut butter frosting, showered with some dark chocolate shavin' lovin', this cupcake is anything but a sleeper. Peanutbutter-love is an acquired taste to some, but I'm sure any one will love to take a bite out of these after smelling the rich peanut-y goodness. Well, whatever your "Friday Late Night" or "Peanut Butter Cupcake" is, do one good thing for yourself every now and then. Everyone is entitled to it!! Happy baking, everyone! :)

"Peanut Butter Cup"-Cake

recipe from Hershey's Kitchens and Food Network
makes 2 1/2 dozen cupcakes

ingredients

chocolate cake
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to milk to equal 1 cup)
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

frosting
2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cup creamy peanut butter (I used organic)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup heavy cream

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pans with cupcake paper.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
4. Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth. Frost as desired.

An occasion for celebration

Did you miss me? Please tell me that you did, 'cause I missed you hecka lot. Wow, not blogging felt like a part of me was not being filled, like a void in my life. I'd have pangs of guilt whenever I think about it, as a parent would after neglecting her child. But the matter of fact is, I've been filling that void with something else. Occupying my mind and time and physical energy. What is it, you ask? WORK, of course!



I don't know if you've been following my blog, but that is a BIG BIG deal! I graduated this past May in the heights (or depths, I should say) of an economic crisis and I was a big fretball, worrying about not being able to start my career like I should. After 5 years of preparing myself as a "designer" the few months idling was very stressful indeed. But guess what? I did it!!! With the support of family, friends, and even you, my dear blog world peers, I survived the icky period of uncertainty, and finally am voyaging through the working world.



So, I am now officially a permanent junior designer at a very well established and exceptional design agency. I say this not to boast about my position, but because I'm so proud of the firm I am working at. They're all such hard workers and innovative thinkers and my only aspiration is to grow more like them. I was an intern at the agency for over two months, and then fortunately was asked to come on board as a permanent employee! The past few months has been an exciting and scary journey altogether -- trying to not fall short of their expectations, and what's more, my own.



Confidence seems to be such a key factor in learning and progressing forward and that's something I really want to work on. Of course, I'm not talking about Pride that shadows the potential of genuine relationships and creative flow, but the kind of confidence that revels in challenge and prevails through pressure. A lot of times I think "Oh boy. Am I up for this? Do I really think I can do this?", even for the little things. But each time, I tell myself that I can do it if I really believe in myself and put in all I can. Plus, my creative directors and fellow designers are so awesome that they're always leading, guiding and supporting the team.



Anyways, so here it is! An occasion for celebration! A "Cheers!" for attaining dreams and a "Thanks!" to all those who helped me get there! And it's just the beginning! :D



By the way, these sparkly cupcakes were made for a special birthday party order and I especially love them because they are mini. Anything mini is just that much more lovable, don't you think? The vanilla recipe is here and the red velvet recipe is from Joy the Baker, which she got from Hummingbird Bakery. Enjoy!!

OH! And one more reason for celebration: I have finally perfected the Cream Cheese frosting. After much struggle to keep it from being runny, and after my generous readers who left me with their fail-proof recipes, I found out why I have been failing! From some point, I started overbeating my frostings. I think I heard in a cooking show that they beat their buttercream for tens of minutes, and I somehow thought that would be the secret to my cream cheese frosting: WRONG. Totally, utterly wrong. Overbeating results in breaking down the "waters and such" in the mix and results in an unforgiving mess of a frosting. This time, I made sure I beat it just enough to blend everything and stopped there. And the result was a perfect billowy, sturdy frosting that's easy to pipe. Here, I'll post the recipe for you!

Perfect Cream Cheese Frosting

for 2 dozen cupcakes
adapted from Hummingbird Bakery Recipe, as well as from lucyinaz

ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
5 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz Philly's Cream Cheese, cold

directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, confectioner's sugar, salt and vanilla until combined. At this point, the mix is going to look really dry and crumbly, but be patient and it will come together, about 4 minutes.
2. Add cream cheese and mix until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. DON'T OVERBEAT. Frost as desired!

Easy Hard Work

Hard: Making 155 cupcakes.
Easy: Using a new super duper kitchenaid mixer.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes.
Easy: Using simple decorations like silver dragees and simple recipes.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes and assembling all the boxes for them to go into.
Easy: Using your wonderful and hard-working boyfriend.

Hard: Making 155 tasty and beautiful cupcakes and assembling all the boxes for them to go into and delivering it at 6am for a wedding located "up north".
Easy: Using a GPS and your wonderful and hard-working boyfriend.



Yes everyone. I have done it. I have completed my first wedding order! And let me tell you.. it was a lot of hard work. But easy hard work. Because of wonderful people around me who's helped me! After all that box assembling (over 15 hours!) and ribbon cutting (and tying) and not having enough buttercream and so making it again (twice!) I have learned lots so all in all it was a good experience. But for sure, nothing beats finishing it all and delivering in the morning and seeing very excited faces and hearing "Oh, the brides is very pleased."



Ah anyways. I couldn't do all this without my sweet mommy and grandma who helped me out and of course, my wonder man. Hahaha! Cmon I know it's cheesy but I need to give him his due credit. He worked his back off for me! :D Plus, it was the birthday gift that he gave me that allowed me to do this all so easily in the first place, aka New Professional 600 6-Qt Kitchenaid Mixer. Do I hear screaming? YES!!! Does he spoil me to my bones? YES!!! But in all honesty, I told him that it was way too much of a gift and that he was indeed spoiling me sick. But what can I say, it is simply gorgeousness. ;)



Right. So these cupcakes. They were fabulous. I took leftovers to work and they loved it as well! The recipe was great because they were both so simple and tasty. That's all ya need. I used new recipes for the butter creams and they were both keepers for sure!! Not too sweet but great hold for those beautiful swirls. Enjoy everyone, happy baking. :)

VaVaVanilla! Cupcakes

adapted from a few different places
makes 30 cupcakes

CUPCAKES

ingredients

1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FROSTING

ingredients

1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)

directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add half the confectioners’ sugar salt, and meringue powder; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened, about 45 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and beat at medium speed until mixture is fully combined, about 15 seconds. Add the rest of the sugar and mix again. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and heavy cream, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.

Easy Chocolate Buttercream

adapted from G-ma's Bakery

makes 24 cupcakes

ingredients

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar, and salt; beat at medium-low speed until most of the sugar is moistened. Scrape bowl, add vanilla and milk, and beat at medium speed until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down bowl once or twice.
I sorta did this by my own instinct (as it says in the original recipe). This is the kind of recipe where I didn't really follow exactly the numbers, and I would add accordingly. If it's not chocolatey enough, I added more cocoa powder. If it was too dry and heavy, I added more sugar or milk. You should experiment too! But make sure you don't do TOO much at a time or you'll end up with 5 batches of frosting... not to say that's such a horrible thing...

What can I say, I'm a lucky gal!!

California Dreamin'

Actually, this post has nothing to do with the sunny state of California at all - only the fact that I seem to be living in "Cali time" nowadays. What I mean is that my "internal clock" or "Circadian rhythm" is set to three hours later than it should be. When it is midnight here, I feel like it's only 9 pm (which would be the present time for western states/provinces). And so even if midnight is usually my sleep time, I am awake and struggling to fall asleep. By the time it is 3 am, I am finally getting some shuteye. But it's not like I'm not getting any sleep either! I'm waking up at noon (haha!) just as if it is only 9 am! Plus I squeeze in some naps here and there. I've been doing this every day for a week now.



My sleeping pattern has definitely changed as all those late work nights have built up over the month. And now all the fatigue from the stress and restlessness is hitting me. I've never been an easy sleeper, but this is getting a bit ridiculous. It doesn't help that I'm done school now and I have no set schedule and so I've been sleeping and waking up whenever I want to. My family has been quite generous and letting me relax a bit after finishing all my school stuff, but it's starting to get a bit embarrassing. My mom once sweetly said, "You know the saying, the early bird gets the worm? Just thought you'd like to know.." Haha.



I think it's about time I get back to Toronto time and get it altogether again! Sometimes, self-motivation seems to be the hardest thing, especially after a long journey already. I'm still terribly worried about my new career situation but I feel tired and unmotivated. :( BUT, life is not just about "feelings". It's about doing the right thing even if it's hard, sowing the seeds, and passing through the tunnel! I really should get out there and look hard! There's bound to be a window open somewhere! I'm sure there is a good place waiting for me... I just need to find it.



Anyways, how self-indulgent of me. I've just been ranting on and on about myself without even telling you about the delicious baked goods you've been eyeing on this page so far. Am I right? Well you're in for a treat! Three treats, to be exact. These three goodies were for a very special picnic for a very special girl: Cheryl! It was my favorite Cheryl's 22nd birthday picnic, ever so sweetly organized by her boyfriend. It was a fantastic picnic with gourmet sandwiches, delicious antipasti, champagne and - you bet - cupcakes. I always like to bring baked goodies as gifts for my friends' birthdays, so this time it was no different. Just times three.



Her boyfriend requested some goodies along with birthday cupcakes for a group of ten or so. I decided that super sweet and sour lemon squares, and a fun and colourful m&m cookie would be perfect for a summery picnic! I also considered blueberry crumb bars as well, but it was just too much to make. Anyways, I'm so excited to introduce you to my new favorite recipe for lemon squares, which were much much much better than my last try. I really loved them because they were super lemony - but beware, the sugar level is crazy in this one. Only people with a true sweet tooth will appreciate this square. It was received very well among many, but my daddy did not approve. Next was my m&m cookie which just needed a terrific cookie dough recipe. I used allrecipe's Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie. It wasn't exactly the chewiest, but it was still great with the crunchy candied chocolates. By the way, I looove how it looks on the back of the cookie. The candies look like they were drawn on by colourful chalk! It's so cute!



Lastly, my white chocolate cream cheese frosting on raspberry dark chocolate cupcakes. Well, see, I once tried this most fantastic cake which consisted of a moist deep chocolate cake, raspberry jam, a terrific white chocolate buttercream, and lots of white chocolate shavings on top. This was one memorable cake. I've always dreamed of recreating that with my cupcakes and this was my chance. I really had to investigate different ways I could make this cupcake because there are so many possibilities! I considered putting the raspberry jam right into the buttercream, or making a raspberry mousse to swirl with the buttercream, or to fill the cupcakes with raspberry jam... and it goes on. In the end, I sorta just settled on a easier and simpler method. I simply spread the rapsberry jam (which was DELICIOUS, and should be, because I spent lots of money on it) on top of the cupcake, and then I iced the buttercream on top. It turned out great... until I had to leave it in the hot car for a few hours. O DEAR O DEAR. Bad idea. It was a smoltering day and I should've known!! But baking till 1am did not do me too good so the next day I was a bit slow in realizing I should've kept it cold. The cupcakes were pretty gross looking by the time it was picnic time... but my friends didn't care. So sweet of them, they still ate it with much glee and praise. Thanks guys!!

Yummy M&M Cookies

adapted from allrecipes

makes 3 dozen

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups mini or regular m&ms

directions

1.Preheat the oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Lemon Squares

makes 30 squares

ingredients

CRUST
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
6 oz. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

FILLING
6 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

GARNISH
about 3 tbsp of confectioner's sugar

directions

Crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour and confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat on low speed until mixed. Add butter and continue to mix until the butter is the size of small peas, about 30 seconds. The mixture will be very dry. Gently press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and then flour. Pour the filling on top of the crust.

Bake until the lemon filling is set, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator for an hour or keep at room temperature for three hours before cutting. Cut into squares, about 2 1/4 inches. Dust tops with confectioner's sugar.

Note: The squares can be made a day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving. Dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

How Precious

There are some really talented people in this world. Let's take Sally Han for example. She is a Toronto-based jewelery designer and owner of Psalms 91:1 Accessories. I'm very proud to call her a friend of mine, because she's a small lady with big dreams! She's got awesome talent for beautiful accessories, with a sweet and grounded philosophy behind it. Her stuff is super modern, but vintage, and never ever tacky. We all know she's going to make it big -- she already is! Runway-ing it at the Toronto Fashion Week, having TV appearances, lots of celebrity love, and praise from magazines. Pretty cool huh?



So last weekend Psalms 91:1 had a special private event, and she actually ordered some cupcakes from me! It was a super cool kind of event, where she rented out a photo studio in the fashion district, displayed her beautiful accessories, had a photo shoot going on, and people sipped on wine. And my cupcakes were going to fit right in! Heehee.



The theme was "How Precious" with purple hearts. She ordered two flavors: Van ♥ Choc (Vanilla cake with Chocolate ganache frosting) and Choc ♥ Van (chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting). And I made pretty little purple hearts with royal sugar icing.



I decided to take a chance and try two new recipes for the order. Sorta risky but I thought it was a good time to go for it. First one was a new vanilla cake recipe. I've been using Billy's Vanilla Vanilla for the longest time, and it was a trusty one I guess. It was an error-proof, easy, and pretty yummy recipe. But never really amazing. And I wanted something amazing. Something really moist and flavorful and fluffy. So as I was researching some recipes, and I encountered the Amy Sedaris one. I've seen her cookbook I Like You before, and I came across her recipe a few times on the net. There was a divided opinion on her recipe, so I thought I'd be in on this and try it myself. I thought to myself, what if... what if this one was the the end all and be all of vanilla cakes? What if the search was over?? Ahaha.... not so much.



Unfortunately, this recipe was a big big let down. But honestly, it could have been my fault, so please don't write off her recipe. You should give it a try to, and maybe you'll do a better job at it! In my case, the cake was dense, dry, and needed a big gulp of milk every time I bit into it in order to wash it down my dry throat. The flavor was great, however. There was real vanilla-y buttery goodness, without being overbearingly sweet. I really liked that. I just wish it had that soft fluffiness that we all cake lovers yearn for. I regretted using this recipe for the event, and pictured people being disappointed in the cake. I usedthis recipe for the the frosting, and it did not disappoint at all.



Okay. Let's talk about the good stuff now. The difference of the two recipes were truly black & white because the new chocolate cake was just awesomeness. Soooo moist, so soft, and soooooo chocolatey. It's Hershey's Black Magic Cake, and it really was both black and magical. I found this recipe on someone's blog a while back, and she was rambling on how this was the one recipe that made her turn into a chocolate lover and how great it was. I bookmarked it and couldn't wait till I got a chance to use it! Everything about the cake was the perfect chocolate cake. Plus it was a great partnership with the creamy and tangy vanilla cream cheese frosting.



I wish vanilla cakes could have the same texture as chocolate cakes. Maybe it's the buttermilk? Herm. Does anyone know a fabulous vanilla cake recipe? But like I said before, don't always take my word for the recipes I try. I don't mean to bad-mouth other people's recipes, you know? It's just my opinion so please try it for yourself and it might work out perfectly for you! Ah, I guess it just means that the search for the perfect vanilla cake is still on for me.. :D

Black Magic Cake

recipe from Hershey's Kitchens
makes 2 dozen cupcakes

ingredients

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pans with cupcake paper.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.
* To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup

Oh, and Sally's BEAUTIFUL necklace that my boyfriend bought for me at the event! And the pair of earrings she gave me as a gift. :) I love them both!!

Bah! Humbug!

I shake my fists at the snow outside my window. It is the second week of April now and parts of Toronto is still covered with snow, aka my backyard. Well, it's a bit warmer today, but even a few days ago we had 5-10 cm of snow in some areas of the GTA. 5-10 cm of snow!! Is that ridiculousness or what? Canada is of course known for its snowy nature, but this is just plain embarrassing. The weather has been so wonky lately it's hard to keep track: warm one day then snow the other. Lots and lots of people are getting sick because of the strange weather, so my fellow Torontonians, please take care and dress warm!! :D



Okay so that's my grumpy introduction to my Malt Ball cupcakes. Malt balls. Did that just catch your attention or what? I'm surprised at how many people are excited about malt balls, because I for one am tremendously excited about them. I think my favorite candy/chocolate from a variety store would be Maltesers (or Whoppers, for Americans). They've got such a uniquely delightful texture and flavor, none like any other chocolate on the stand. So when I realized that I should make a cupcake with Maltesers, I gave myself a huge pat on the back. Of course, it's been done before and I found several recipes online, but I was really excited about the chocolatey malty cupcake I would be creating.



I decided to use the recipe from the Food and Wine website where they got the recipe from a bakery in Brooklyn called Baked. I've seen their cookbook (very well designed) and also on DesignSponge. Their baked goodies look so terrific and they've gotten great reviews too. Their malt ball cake is quite famous too so I thought it was a very safe bet to try out their recipe.



I also researched a lot about the Malted Milk Powder. There seems to be this huge discussion online about the RIGHT malted milk powder. People are pretty passionate about this! There are different brands available in Toronto (T&T the chinese supermarket has lots) so I was confused as to which one I should get. I think I read somewhere that this recipe said I should use Ovaltine, so I did. But I found that whether because the Ovaltine Brand sucked or there wasn't enough malted milk powder in the recipe, there was noo hint of Malty taste in the cupcakes. I want malty! I want malty!



This is the deal. I think I must've done something terribly wrong, because these cupcakes SUCKED. The cake was not at all like how everyone described it. It's supposed to be soft and fluffy and falling off the liner, but mine? It was rubbery, soggy and tough. I had to throw half of them away because even if I kept it a lot longer in the oven, the batter was not cooking and it was doughy inside. It was so under baked that I was so worried about feeding them to my friends. Yuck!!! And again, where's the malted milk powder taste? Hmm? Where did it go so wrong? Luckily the second half was a bit better and I was able to still get them to a birthday celebration.



Oh, but have we talked about the frosting? The frosting is, pause, EXCELLENT. It's smooth and shiny and chocolately and not-too-sweet. Folks are always complaining on the sweetness of a cupcake (which, I know, sucks but, is part of the cupcake experience, no?) It was my first time trying a ganache base frosting, and it was very very very great. I've found a perfect recipe for chocolate non-buttercream frosting so I am very very happy. I would just eat all the frosting off the failed cupcakes, but that's not good for my body fat percentage. Haha.



So. Bah! at failed cupcakes, and Humbug! at wasted food... but Yay! for a great ganache frosting and Woohoo! at cupcakes anyway. I hope someone tries it and lets me know how it turns out for them. But I'm not giving up on Malteser Cupcakes, don't you worry. I will get it right, if it's the last thing I do!!! (Oh the drama queen side of mine...)

Malt Ball Cupcakes

about 3 dozen

ingredients

CAKE
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup malted-milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I omitted this from the advice of other bakers)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups ice water
4 large egg whites, at room temperature

FROSTING AND GARNISH
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
10 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks, softened
Malted milk balls, for garnish

directions

1. MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans. In a large bowl, whisk the flours with the malt powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
2. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter with the shortening until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches at low speed, alternating with the ice water, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter. Scoop the batter into pans 2/3 full, and bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (I couldn't get the bake time right, though. Even when I inserted a cake tester, it came out clean and the tops were golden, yet it was soggy and doughy in the center).
4. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FROSTING: Place the chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil, then remove from heat. Add the corn syrup; immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chocolate has melted, then whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whisk. Gradually beat in the butter at medium speed, a few chunks at a time, and beat until thoroughly incorporated between additions. The frosting should be smooth and silky. Refrigerate the frosting just until it is thick enough to hold its shape, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. For a softer and lighter frosting, I whipped the cold frosting once more with the paddle attachment before putting it into a frosting bag.