Dear Sugar Source: Second Life For Cake?

Dear Sugar Source,

I made chocolate cupcakes for a birthday party and though many were consumed, I still have 8-10 left! Is there anything I can make with the leftover treats? It seems like they are drying out by the day.

Sincerely,
Fellow dessert lover

Great question, Fellow Dessert Lover!

There is one very easy solution to dealing with leftover cake – cake balls! These little bite-sized treats remain a crowd pleaser time and time again. Steps below!

Step One: Unwrap the leftover cupcakes and crumble. If the cupcakes were previously frosted, you will want to make sure you break up those clumps for an even consistency. In this example, I had made my favorite chocolate cake recipe a few days prior.

Step Two: Mix in frosting. Depending on the number of treats remaining, you will need to eyeball the amount. If you bake a traditional sheet cake, it will take an entire can of frosting. Here, I had about 9 leftover cupcakes and delivered several hefty dollops of frosting (store-bought, I have to admit). This is really what you are using to bind the crumbled cake together. You will want the final product to be malleable, not crumbly, but not too wet either or it won’t set!

Step Three: Freeze (24 hours should do the trick).

Step Four: Dip! You can choose to dip in candy coating, chocolate, whatever your preference. While still drying, you can top (sprinkles or sugar are my go-tos). Here I used the chocolate ganache featured in my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Step Five: Freeze again! You want to ensure the coating solidifies, or you will have very melty treats on your hands (literally).

Step Six: Serve and enjoy! One word of warning: the hotter the temperature, the messier these tiny treats will become.

Until next time and Happy Father’s Day,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: Sweets of the South

In addition to a trip to San Francisco, I have been lucky enough to sample sweets in several other cities this summer. Oddly enough I didn’t manage to capture the sweet experiences on camera, but hopefully my descriptions will do them justice!

Louisville, KY

– Graeters: I have heard about the renowned Graeter’s for quite some time, and finally had the opportunity to try this famous Cincinnati offering. Established in 1870, this company has been churning out ice cream treats for almost 150 years, and from the few flavors I was able to sample, it’s no small wonder why they are legendary. The mint chocolate chip was pure mint flavor – no green dye used here as a part of the process – and the dark chocolate pieces seemed to be whisked into every bite. Later I learned that they add warm chocolate into the ice cream while it is mixing to create chocolate ribbons, distributing delicious chocolately particles throughout the entire batch. The lemon and raspberry sorbets were refreshing, but the clear star was the ice cream. I will be back to try another – rumor has it the peach is amazing.

– Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen: This is the first time I have ever seen or experienced an upside-down cupcake. This local establishment flips over the conventional cupcake and coats it in a glaze-like icing (slightly reminiscent of what is used on doughnuts). It proved to be a bit too sugary for my taste, but I had the opportunity to sample multiple flavors in one sitting – the Oreo, strawberry, chocolate caramel, and vanilla. The cakes were quite large, dense and moist. The Oreo was a little dry – I’ve found this to be the case with a few cookies-and-cream flavored baked goods – and the strawberry tasted artificially flavored (the brilliant pink hue did not help assuage this feeling). The chocolate caramel did not have a particularly strong caramel taste – it was as if they didn’t fully allow the flavor to develop before glopping on the frosting. Though appropriate for the birthday celebration, I do not feel compelled to try them again.

Atlanta, GA

– Piece of Cake: Only in town for a short period of time, I quickly Yelped the nearest bakery to my location, and Piece of Cake appeared. Off we sped, and we sampled a variety from the glass case – caramel, white chocolate, orange, and cookies and cream cupcakes. The cookies and cream, like others before it, was quite dry and only vaguely reminiscent of the chocolate sandwich cookies from which it was presumably derived. The orange reminded us faintly of an orange-cream popsicle (but came nowhere near the dreamsicle version discovered in Denver), and the caramel was about average. Though the white chocolate did not possess a strong flavor profile, it was still pretty good as a stand-alone treat. If or when I return to ATL, I will be checking out the other cupcakeries in the area for comparison.

Charleston, SC

– Kaminsky’s: The attraction of the beautiful frosted cakes proved to be too strong to resist, and I finally entered the shop after passing several times. Close to conventional dinner time, the establishment was pretty full and I made the decision to forego a traditional dinner, replacing it instead with a monstrous slice of German chocolate cake. The lush, coconut glaze led to layers of moist chocolate cake that were rich enough to have a flavorful chocolate experience without overwhelming the walnut- and coconut-packed fillings in-between. Though I ended up in a bit of a sugar coma, easily remedied by a long evening stroll, I would do it all over again, trying a new kind of cake the second time around to sample more of the wonderful offerings of this local favorite.

With a few more travel plans left, I’m ready to buckle up and try more of what America has to offer…

Until next time,
SugarSource

 

Travel Spotlight: Boston + Philly Sweets

Boston and Philadelphia both offer rich history – Boston Commons, the Liberty Bell, the streets where the Founding Fathers wandered to ponder the fate of this nascent nation. They also provide great opportunities for tasting delicious desserts.

Beantown (Boston)

Lulu’s

– JP Licks: The chocolate chocolate cupcake was not anything to write home about, and was amongst a small selection of cupcakes at the store known for it’s ice cream treats. I would recommend sticking with the store’s original offering instead of trying a baked good.

– Sweet Cupcakes: This cupcakery offered some off-beat varieties including caramel macchiato, maple cranberry and caramel apple. The macchiato did not have a strong coffee flavor – I would have assumed this was more of the vanilla variety if it hadn’t been for the label. The caramel apple was quite sticky, which wasn’t necessarily a bad attribute but it didn’t have the full flavor execution of other cupcakes with this same profile. It was difficult to locate the maple in the maple cranberry, and it was quite sweet – added sugar did not make up for lack of flavor.

– Lulu’s Sweet Shoppe: I committed a Boston sin and had cupcakes (gingerbread and chocolate salted caramel) in the North End instead of the traditional cannoli. The woman working the shop actually kept it open (I had called earlier regarding their hours), and opened the door just for me, which was a wonderful gesture! The gingerbread was decent, though a little dry – I missed the solid punch of ginger that I was hoping for, though molasses and cinnamon were both present. The chocolate salted caramel was about average for this type.

Philadelphia
In the city of Brotherly Love, there are some lovely confections for the trying.

Fruit Loop Macaron,
Sugar Truck Philly

– Reading Terminal: The lemon cake at Termini Bros is heavenly. After a quick day trip to the city for work, I managed to grab one of these delightful mini cakes on my way to the train station. What a great way to unwind from a long day of meetings – the cake was light, moist, and perfectly portioned for one (in my opinion). I’ve since tried some of the other offerings, such as the pecan bar and brownie, but the favorite remains the lemon cake.

– Morimoto: The yuzu meringue tart is delicious. A heavy dollop of whipped egg whites sites atop the yuzu tart – tart, citrusy filling and a buttery crust. I would recommend sharing – while it is scrumptious, it proved to be too sugary for one person to handle.

– Sugar Truck Philly: The fruit loop macaron was a tightly packed sugar punch! The flavor of Fruit Loops was absolutely present – it was as if they managed to condense the cereal into the soft, chewy outer shell of the macaron. It was almost too sweet for my liking, leaving my teeth slightly achy as an after-effect.

While only a small sampling, it did give me a sense of the variety available on the Eastern seaboard, and I’m anxious to return.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: Mile High Delights

While Denver offers a myriad of choose-your-own-adventure options, from hiking to exploring the beautiful parks to adjusting to the elevation, I prefer to focus on the sweets. This Mile High city did not disappoint (though, disclaimer: my pictures are underwhelming compared with the sweets themselves)!

– Lovely Confections: I tried the Bees Knees at this small bakery. The lavender cake was slightly reminiscent of soap – it almost always seems to be, as it is a delicate flavor that can oftentimes be overpowering – and the honey lemon buttercream did not add much flavor to the combination.
– Gigi’s Cupcakes: The Italian cream cupcake was not particularly memorable. The decor reminded me of watermelon – green and pink – and the establishment has expanded since my initial visit – I was able to try another of Gigi’s offerings while in Wisconsin.
– The Shoppe: I did not visit this particular store, which is now unfortunately closed, but a client did bring them in once learning of my love of bite-sized cakes. The pumpkin chocolate chip cupcake was decent – the pumpkin flavor was there, though I would have expected a stronger combination of cinnamon and nutmeg. The death by chocolate was as expected – very chocolately and quite rich – but it was the tres leches that stole my heart. The cupcake was very moist, condensed milk almost dripping off of the saturated cake. It somehow managed to be light, packed with delicious milky flavor and topped with a not-to-sweet cream on top. I would have happily eaten another. Thankfully rumor has it the baker behind The Shoppe is considering a cookbook, which would be fantastic.

Big Fat Cupcakes!

– Big Fat Cupcake: Once my client learned of my love of cupcakes, she continued to seek out additional outlets, and surprised our team with a selection of six. As indicated by the name, these are not ordinary-sized cupcakes but giant versions – about 2-3 cupcakes (at least) would fit into each of these behemoths. She selected a variety to try (these are certainly meant to be shared, based on size alone!) – bread pudding, nutty nana (banana cake with peanut butter frosting and nutella filling), monkey love (banana cake, cream cheese frosting), orange dreamsicle, snowball (chocolate cake with coconut frosting), and salted caramel. The dreamsicle was as imagined – reminiscent of the orange popsicle savored during the heat of the summer – and the bread pudding was the hit amongst the group – not too sweet, with ribbons of cinnamon woven into the pockets of the cupcake.  Thankfully she was not offended that we sampled them, but did not consume them all in their entirety – that would have been the equivalent of eating contest volume with the bonus of an extreme sugar high.

I was somewhat surprised that I didn’t run into a Denver specialty flavor. I’m sure there is some sort of Rocky Mountain treat that I missed, and I will certainly seek it out (or whatever the local dessert is) on my next trip.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Recipe: Carrot Cupcakes

In honor of the Easter holiday, it only seemed appropriate to make a carrot cake (or something in the family). Martha Stewart’s classic Carrot Cupcake recipe, with a few of my own tweaks, is my go-to around this time of year. The result is moist, cinnamon-and-clove infused little cakes that are an instant hit – and (in my humble opinion), do not even require icing! Frankly I think it would weigh these light and bright treats down (and, disclaimer, I am not a big fan of cream cheese frosting). The most labor-intensive aspect is grating the carrots – I have a suffered a few minor scrapes while making it through the pound of carrots proscribed by Ms. Martha – but it is worth it, I swear.

Ingredients
– carrots (grated) – eggs  – buttermilk  – white sugar  – vegetable oil  – vanilla bean/vanilla extract  – flour  – baking soda  – baking powder  – salt  – cinnamon  – cloves (ground)  – ginger (ground)  – walnuts (chopped, optional)

Directions
Grate 1 pound of carrots – careful of your fingers! Once complete, preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and layer two muffin tins with paper cups (or grease the pans, if you prefer). Mix together the 1 pound grated carrots, 3 eggs (Martha always recommends using room-temperature eggs when baking, and I tend to follow her lead on this one!), 1/3 cup buttermilk, 2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Once mixed, add 3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cloves (her original recipe suggests 1/8 tsp, but I like the spiciness and body this adds to the batter), 1 tsp ginger and 1/2 cup walnuts. I decided to swap the golden raisins from the original recipe as well because it adds a little crunch and additional texture.

Fill the tins, ensuring each muffin cup is 3/4 full. Bake for 24-30 minutes (depending on your oven), rotating the pans halfway through. You will know they are done when the tops are springy and a toothpick, inserted into the middle, comes out clean. Let them cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then remove them and let them cool completely.

Because these are sans-frosting, they may be considered muffins (and that is fine by me!). These would be a great addition to any holiday brunch, particularly around Easter time. It couldn’t come as a surprise if guests swing by for seconds.

Until next time,
SugarSource

Recipe: Irish Barm Brack Muffins

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In honor of the holiday, I gave a barm brack recipe a whirl. A ring and a quarter are usually hidden in these traditional Irish cakes: the lucky person to find the quarter is destined to become wealthy, and the finder of the ring will be married in the near future. Since the recipe does not call for frosting, I’m going to refer to these as muffins (cupcakes, in my book, always have some sort of icing).

A quick caveat: allspice isn’t for everyone, so this may not be the crowd-pleaser that the chocolate cake was from a previous post. However, why not get into the spirit of the day (especially when this doesn’t require any green dye)?

Ingredients
– raisins  – golden raisins  – currants  – black tea {brewed}  – flour  – allspice  – brown sugar  – baking powder  – salt  – egg  – butter – milk

Directions
Soak 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup golden raisins and 1/2 cup currants in 1 cup brewed black tea overnight (or for at least 6 hours).

The following day, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a muffin pan.

In a large bowl, mix 4 cups flour, 1 tsp allspice, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 egg and 1/2 cup melted butter. Strain the soaked dried fruit, and add to the wet mixture. Fold into the dry ingredients, slowly stirring until fully combined, alternating with 1 cup milk (I used 2%).

Measure the batter into the pan, distributing equally between the 12 cups. This is when, if you so desire, you should place a ring and a quarter (heavily cleaned/soaked with dish soap) into two separate muffin molds. Bake for 30 minutes (depending on your oven and altitude) until the tops are golden brown. Remove and cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm, traditionally with butter.

These are a great breakfast treat any morning, but especially when the day’s plans may include imbibing, another of today’s traditions. Sláinte!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: Treats of the Nation’s Capital

In honor of Presidents’ Day, it seemed best to review cupcakeries in the Washington D.C. area. The nation’s capital is full of sugary selections, and the below represents only a small portion of the sweets available for the tasting.

– Red Velvet Cupcakery: Because I am not the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting, I opted not to try the namesake type. Instead I tried the cookies and cream cupcake – it was like an Oreo was synthesized into cupcake format. The frosting was light but packed with chocolate wafer-essence, and the chocolate cake was dense and rich without being overpowering. This establishment is certainly on my list for my next visit!

– Hello Cupcake: I ventured to the Dupont Circle location, and was not disappointed by the chocolate peanut butter. The simple, familiar flavor profile was well-done: the peanut butter icing was a great balance of sweet and nutty, and the cake was light and fluffy. A satisfying mid-day treat, and worth giving another a whirl.

– Georgetown Cupcake: Again as a disclaimer, I am not the biggest cream cheese frosting fan and this bakery is known for using this type of icing for a lot of cupcakes, so I may be rating this a little lower than others would. I tried the chocolate hazelnut – it was decent, though the hazelnut flavor was primarily concentrated in the chopped nuts along the rim of the cupcake top. The cake was moist, though the experience overall was not particularly memorable.

– Cake Love: The salted caramel proved to be an instance of looking much tastier than it proved to be. The icing was quite heavy, with the flavor and texture of butter. Though I had allowed the cupcake to warm up to room temperature (a recommendation from the woman behind the counter), it was not enough to improve the taste of the frosting. Unfortunately I will not be swinging by again.

I look forward to my next opportunity to give more of the city’s sweet offerings a try. Happy Presidents’ Day!

Until next time,
SugarSource

Travel Spotlight: Chicago

Mille Feuille, Au Cheval

The Windy City is known for extraordinary dining experiences (look no further than Alinea), and it comes as no surprise that they have some of the top sweets destinations as well.

– Cupcakes: Molly’s Cupcakes. The swings at the cupcake counter, the sprinkle station, and the fantastic flavors have made this cupcakery one of my favorites. From the Cookie Monster (filled with “cookie dough.” this cupcake leaves you happily satisfied without the salmonella concern from eating real cookie dough) to the Ron Bennington (fudgy chocolate and peanut butter wonder that should always be accompanied by a glass of water or milk) to the Peach Cobbler (absolutely stunning…and one of the reasons why this bakery won Cupcake Wars!). I have not had a cupcake here I haven’t liked. With a wide range of options, from the classic to the seasonal to the slightly out there, Molly’s has something to satisfy any sweet tooth.

– Cupcakes For Grown-Ups: More Cupcakes. These cupcakes are beautifully decorated (the chocolate curls alone are a delicate, elegant and tasty touch), and the store carries many alcohol-inspired and -infused varieties. They used to have a happy hour every so often where you could try miniature versions of the cocktail cakes. More is the place to get exceptional cupcakes for an adult’s birthday party or office event, with a professional look and mature flavor profile. Another bonus? They will deliver cupcakes outside of Illinois, packed in dry ice (I may have been lucky enough to receive a dozen in Manhattan)!

Carrot Cake Club, Angel Food Bakery

– The Mille Feuille: Au Cheval. The waitress made her way to the table with the dessert, and our eyes widened. Layer upon layer of flaky pastry separate vanilla pastry cream. With a decisive thwap, she split the massive dessert in half, explaining that it helps guests tackle the piles of deliciousness. We were only able to consume about half of the sugary wonder, and I would absolutely order it again.

– Retro Treats: Angel Food Bakery. This hidden gem houses a wonderful collection of vintage Easy Bake ovens (and similar toys), and is a throwback bakery of sorts turning out homemade versions of Hostess products like Twinkies. We decided to go for the Carrot Cake Club, as was recommended by the woman behind the counter. At first glance, it could pass as an enormous finger sandwich topped with a pimento olive. However, one forkful and you will recognize that this is not your average lunch item. Two thick slices of moist, cinnamon-infused carrot cake sandwich the velvety cream cheese frosting. I would recommend splitting with another person, although I’m sure you could manage to tackle the entire thing given the time (or the level of empty stomach!).

– Frosting Shots: Sugar Bliss Cake Boutique. If you ever really need a sudden jolt of sugar, look no further than the frosting shots at Sugar Bliss, located off of Millennium Park. However, be warned: you are almost guaranteed a sugar-high.

Once again, just a slice of the many sweet experiences to be had, but a good place to start to sample some of Chicago’s best!

Until next time,
SugarSource