Because I love my Husband

My husband claims that his favorite cake is German chocolate cake....

He also claims his favorite cake is Duncan Hines strawberry with rainbow chip icing (don't judge, that stuff is amazing! You should go take a lick right now of some rainbow chip icing)

And he LOVES lemon curd cupcakes.

So, it's not hard to please him. But German chocolate cake is not my favorite. So when he'd been asking for it, and I told him I was going to make it a little different, he seemed very skeptical. He kept asking "you're not going to mess with the frosting right?"

But I quickly won him over! German Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes with Mascarpone Coconut Frosting! Yeah, he loved me after that. He didn't even mind that I "messed with the frosting".

P.S. We're moving this week! My husband and I have been apartment living for 2 years now, and we finally found a little house to rent that's very cute. It has a yard for the dog and a 2 car garage for "Sally" :). We're excited, we'll post pictures soon!

P.P.S. My camera battery died halfway through, so I only have the cake pictures, but I will do my best for directions on the frosting. It's not too bad, and it's SUPER yummy!

German Chocolate Kahlua Cupcakes (Adapted from: The Cake Mix Doctor and Sugar Plum)

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 package plain devil's food cake mix

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup Kahlua

3/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

Frosting:

2 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened, flaked coconut, toasted

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted

DIRECTIONS:

For Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place paper cups in 2 muffin tins.

2. Place the cake mix, cocoa, oil, eggs, Kahlua, and buttermilk in a bowl fitted with a mixer (or hand held mixer is fine), and mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down side of bowl, and continue mixing for 2 minutes, stopping and scraping sides of bowl if needed. Batter should look well combined.

2. Pour batter evenly among 24 cupcake liners and place in oven for ~ 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (mine took 20 minutes, but check often since this was originally a cake recipe, so no set time) Allow to cool completely.

For Frosting:

1. On a small tray, place coconut and pecans, and toast in oven at 325 degrees for ~ 5 minutes....

But check VERY VERY FREQUENTLY... or else it will turn out like this....

hahaha

2. Whisk egg yolks together in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Whisk together cream, granulated sugar, and salt in a small saucepan on medium heat and bring to a boil; boil for ten minutes, whisking frequently, until mixture is thickened and light golden in color.

3. Gradually whisk half of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks until well combined. Then pour egg and cream mixture back into the other half of the cream mixture in the saucepan until thoroughly combined (I know this sounds tedious, but you do it this way so you don't scramble the egg yolks). Set aside, and let mixture cool for 15 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat together mascarpone and vanilla on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in cooled egg mixture until well combined. Stir in toasted and cooled pecans and coconut until well combined. Place in refrigerator or freezer to chill until reaches desired consistency (you want it a little thick, but not so thick it will break your cupcakes when spreading). I placed mine in freezer for ~ 15 min before it was ready to use.

5. Frost your cupcakes! They are so YUMMY!

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Summer Is Here

Now that I live in California, I love the summer!

Couldn't say the same for South Carolina. It was SOO hot, I would count down the days to fall - because you can still go to the beach in the fall, and you can actually keep the windows open.

In California, you can keep the windows open year round, the flowers are gorgeous, you can actually enjoy outdoor activities in the summer, and you don't get eaten alive by mosquitos - in fact I've seen one mosquito in the entire year and a half I've lived here. Quite the difference from Charleston. I got these peonies (my absolute favorite flower) from Trader Joe's, and they seriously make me happy! Aren't these gorgeous... I didn't edit this photo at all!

One of the things I do love about summer, regardless of where I am is ice cream!! I got this love from my dad. He's the start of a what will be a very long generation of sweet tooth's. He used to (and probably still does) get up to enjoy a midnight snack of ice cream. So, I have a sweet spot for some ice cream.

This is a sorbet recipe, so not exactly ice cream, and it's a recipe from Family Circle, so they found ways to take down the calories, but imagine that... healthy ice cream!! This keeps getting better and better! Did I mention it has coffee... and chocolate.... and it's ICE CREAM!! I'll put the nutrition facts at the bottom.

Well, it is actually a sorbet, so it's a bit icy, but the flavor is fantastic, and it's a great way to treat your sweet tooth without feeling bad about yourself. I definitely recommend using good quality chocolate for this one.

Mocha Sorbet (by: The Family Circle: Eat What You Want and Lose)

Ingredients (makes 12 servings): - I halved this written recipe

4 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine water, sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and chocolate in medium-sized saucepan. Simmer until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

2. Pour into 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Place in freezer for 2 1/2 hours or until partially frozen.

3. Working in batches, spoon chocolate mixture into food processor or blender. Process 1 minute or until smooth. Do not overprocess. Pour back into baking pan. Freeze 1 hour.

4. Repeat Step 3. Freeze for 1 1/2 hours or until firm.

Nutrient Value Per Serving: 140 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1 g protein, 3 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol.

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Gooey Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Truffle Filling

You all must think I'm a serious fatty!

Please don't think I eat ALL the stuff I make (i.e. an entire chocolate avocado cake!) . I might try it, or have one of something, but I always pass it along, make it for something we are going to, take it to work, or make my husband take it to his office. I always at least taste it to at least make sure it's something I would recommend.

Another blogger I like to read; Cake, Batter, and Bowl, once said that she makes her husband try all her creations and rate it, if it isn't at least an 8 out of 10, she won't put it on her blog. I thought that was a really good rule of thumb, so I at least have some line of judgement to base on. Lucky for me, so far he hasn't told me that anything is less than an 8. I think my Vegan Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce was the closest any recipe got to a 7! :) His favorite statement is, "I would pay money for this!"

I know I just posted a recipe last night, and this is like record timing for a new one, but my mom is coming in ONE WEEK!! and I'm not sure how much I'll be blogging while she's here. On top of that, this weekend is one of the busiest weekends for us in the Jackson household - Easter weekend, The Hunt (a giant Easter egg hunt our church hosts for the city where over 2,000 people attend to participate in the egg hunt), and church services at Southbay Church.

Let's talk chocolate.... and coffee.... and cupcakes....

What more could you ask for! These cupcakes are ooey gooey! Yummy! Have an amazing little ganache truffle filling, and have the slightest hint of coffee taste. And we all know how I feel about coffee! Covered in a simple creamy chocolate swiss meringue buttercream frosting that's a little lighter than a traditional buttercream. You could also make it vanilla swiss buttercream (increase sugar in frosting recipe to 1/2 cup and omit chocolate), or Dulce De Leche Buttercream (with chocolate cupcakes - oh me, oh my!!! I've made this frosting before, and let's just say you can't stop licking the spoon!)

** Note: you will need a candy or instant read thermometer for the frosting recipe

***Extra Note: There are a LOT of pictures for this recipe, don't worry, it's okay to drool!

Gooey Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Truffle Filling (Recipe from: Cooks Illustrated) Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Ganache Truffle Filling:

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 Tbs. confectioner's sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot coffee

3/4 cup bread flour (yes, this totally makes a difference in how moist - hence the gooey part of the title)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

6 Tbs. vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Creamy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup sugar

2 large egg whites

pinch salt

12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-tablespoon pieces

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled (between 85 and 100 degrees)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

For Ganache Filling:

1. Place chocolate, cream and confectioner's sugar in medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on high until mixture is warm to touch, 20-30 seconds. Whisk until smooth; transfer bowl to refrigerator and let stand until just chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.

For Cupcakes:

1. Place rack in middle of oven and heat to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in a standard size muffin pan or generously butter bottom and sides of each opening.

2. Place chocolate and cocoa in medium bowl. Pour hot coffee over mixture and whisk until smooth. Set in freezer to cool while making next part.

3. Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Whisk oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla in a small bowl, then mix into cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Place one teaspoon ganache filling on top of each cupcake.

6. Bake until cupcakes are set and just firm to touch 17-19 minutes. Cool cupcakes in pan for 10 minutes.

7. Carefully lift each cupcake from pan and sent on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before frosting, about 1 hour.

For Frosting:

1. Combine sugar, egg whites, and salt in bowl of stand mixer; place bowl over pan of simmering water. Whisking gently but constantly, heat mixture until slightly thickened, foamy, and registers 150 degrees on candy or instant read thermometer.

2. Place bowl in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or use hand mixer). Beat mixture on medium speed until consistency of shaving cream and slightly cooled, 1-2 minutes.

3. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy (It will look curdled when all butter is added, but keep beating, and it will eventually become smooth and creamy, don't freak out like I did! :) )

4. Once all butter is added, add cooled melted chocolate and vanilla, mix until combined.

5. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, and thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds, scraping beater and sides of bowl with spatula if necessary.

To Frost:

Mound 2-3 tablespoons frosting on center of each cupcake. using small spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center.

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