Merci Danke Arigato

Hello wonderful friends! Hmm today is one of those days where I just can't think of something to write about. Other than the fact that I made some deliciously summery cupcakes for a friend's birthday party, I'm drawing a blank here. But there is one thing I wanted to say... THANK YOU!! I know all those celebrity food bloggers get 19280 comments every post, but I'm squealing with joy whenever I get one comment -- it means you guys like me and that's like a super duper feeling.



I know I've been sorta neglecting my blog lately just being busy n all, but I'm so excited to see that people are still wooed by my baked goodies. And I don't deserve it! :P So I just wanted to give y'all a BIG WARM THANKS and I'm going to try my best to make this an even better blog. Merci danke arigato!



By the way, I made these new key lime cupcakes and they were really really good. My friend only asked for two things: a summery pair of flavors and green + blue for decoration. She trusted me with the rest of the decision making. And that's all I really needed cuz I got so inspired with that request!! Hahah. As silly as it sounds, the first thing that popped up in my head was the brilliantly coloured sprinkles they sell at bulk barn and from that I decided to go with dark chocolate cake and white billowy frosting, along with a fresh lime cupcake.



Of course I used my black magic cake for the chocolate cake. And I used an impromptu cream cheese frosting (I originally was going to make simple vanilla buttercream) that I got to halve from the lime cream cheese frosting. The key lime cupcakes weren't actually key lime since I couldn't get my hands on some real Florida key limes but the Mexican limes did the job. I found the recipe from bon appetite. It's a delightful recipe for a delightful cupcake. The limes are definitely a different taste from lemons but equally lovely. Are you a lime-lover? You should give it a try!!

Key Lime Cupcakes

recipe from bon appetite
makes 12 cupcakes

ingredients

CUPCAKES

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/4 teaspoon neon-green food coloring (optional)
3/4 cup buttermilk

FROSTING

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lime peel
1/8 teaspoon neon-green food coloring (optional)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Whisk both flours in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar; beat to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then next 3 ingredients (batter may look curdled). Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions. Fill pan cups 2/3.
2. Bake cupcakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool.
3. For frosting: Beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth. Spread over cupcakes.

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!!

A conversation

If I could have a face-to-face conversation with my readers, I think it would go something like this:

Reader: Hey sarah the baker yoon.
Sarah the baker yoon: Hey! Actually, you can just call me Sarah.
R: Oh okay, Sarah. Hey so, how come you haven't been posting much lately?
SBY: Ah, well, you see. I've been very busy.
R: Yeah, but you were busy before too, yet you still squeezed in some time for baking. How come not any more?
SBY: Well before, my busy-ness was more of a stress thing... I still had time after class and in between my assignments. Plus I really needed to bake in order to get away from it sometimes.
R: And now..?
SBY: Oh, haven't I told you?
R: What?
SBY: I'm working now!
R: WHAT? REALLY?
SBY: Well, interning. It's a 9 to 5 job at a fantastic design studio downtown Toronto.
R: Oh wow. That's awesome. You were really looking forward to jump starting your graphic design career after you graduated!
SBY:: Yes, I did, didn't I? Well...
R: Well, what?
SBY: Well it's been awesome and I really enjoy going to work and meeting cool people and doing cool stuff, but...
R: But what?
SBY: I miss being a kid.
R: ...
SBY: I mean, growing up is awesome. And I really want to. But what about the wonderful days of childhood and not having to worry about making money and impressing your boss and trying to get rid of bags under your eyes?
R: It's just the way of life, my friend.
SBY: Yeah... and I know it's not all bad. It's great to get somewhere and meet people and really hone my talents and skills. Becoming someone and the journey of it. C'est merveilleux, non?
R: Say what?
SBY: "It's wonderful, no?"
R: Right.
SBY: Anyways. Yeah. That's what I've been up to! And so after a long commute, I'm basically pooped for the day. So I've sorta ditched my kitchenaid for a while.
R: That sucks.. so no baking for a while, I suppose?
SBY: Well, actually I have a huge order coming soon! It's for a wedding, and I'm baking the cupcake favors. I'm really excited about that, actually!!
R: Oh! Good luck, Sarah!
SBY: Thanks!
R: =)
SBY: Okay well.. I think we should end our conversation now. I bet the other readers are getting bored.
R: Right.
SBY: Right. Oh, but I won't leave them high and dry with no photos! I know we all love photos. These are from a few weeks back when I was a bum, and got to meet my family friends, including my most favorite kids ever. I got lucky enough to take some photos of them playing. And these kids honestly make my heart sing. They really are the most precious little kids in the WORLD WIDE WORLD!!!!!!
R: ...
SBY: Yeah. I like them a lot. Anyways, thanks for coming by! I'm always here for some conversation. :)









Do you have any questions for me? I'd love to talk to you! :D

Less-words Tuesdays: Kimbap

AHa! Get it? Since I really suck at "Wordless Tuesdays", I am instead creating a "Less-Words Tuesday". Muhaahah. I can still leak a few words here and there without being a loser! ..Or did I just validate that by creating a nonsensical phrase? Oh well! You still love me, right? Anyways, here's a post on one of my favorite lunches in the whole world, the kimbap.


sauteed fish cakes, aka o-deng or uh-mook in Korean


different ingredients, or "stuffings"





my mom's beautiful kimbap rolling

Kimbap is almost like the Japanese maki, except it's Korean and you don't put raw seafood into it. Well there's slightly more to that, too. The flavor is quite different, generally uses more ingredients and the shape is often fatter and shorter than its' Japanese cousin. You can always make a fusion Kimbap or Roll too! Koreans are so creative with their ingredients and there are some really wild and non-traditional ones out there! My favorite ones are cheese, tuna salad, pork cutlets, kimchi, and corn, although never all together. :P




I love kimbap because it's tasty, bite-sized, and healthy, but mainly because it brings me good memories of childhood. In Korea, Kimbap is the staple food that kids take to school field days or trips. I remember those exciting but smoldering summer days where hundreds of kids would sit on the floor with their frozen bottled water and little plastic lunch boxes. We would all open our korean-style tupperware with our perfect rolls that our mothers have lovingly packed. I loved those days. So I eat my kimbap with much nostalgia and sentiment.

Short Order

Not exactly short order, these cupcakes were done on short notice! For a special birthday party of a one month old baby. How cute is that. These cupcakes turned out more grown-up looking than a baby party, but I figured it'd be mostly adults attending the party, no? Ah.. Maybe not. The decoration was up to me, so I just stuck with what I thought was pretty. I am a gourmet cupcake maker, after all. Ya right!



The first cupcake you see here is the Chocoholic. It's a dark chocolate cake (my indispensable black magic cake) and dark chocolate frosting (martha stewart's recipe) with milk chocolate shavings. It's very very chocolatey. The second cupcake you see below is the van ♥ choc. A soft vanilla cake (Magnolia's) embracing a huge hunk of milk chocolate ganache frosting.




By the way, I made labels for my cupcake boxes!! I was thinking of doing this a whilllle back, but never got around to it. And as I was scrounging around my room for some sticky paper, I found translucent printable label stickers. How Perfect. They looks so groovy with the brown boxes. The photo doesn't do justice, though, you gotta see em in person how pretty they look. I'm so cool. Cmon now, give it to me! Heehee just playing around with you! :P




Alrighty. This was a short one. Hope you enjoyed it! All the necessary recipes are linked up there, so please follow accordingly! :) Have a fantastic day, everyone! (Okay, I was going to end it here, but I took so many photos of my cupcakes, and I want to show them all! Hope you don't mind!)