My Cupcake Notebook: 2015

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Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Healthy Banana Bread with Chocolate Chunks

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is great for breakfast. Apart from being really good -chocolate-melting-in-your-mouth good- is very energetic and healthy! What else could you ask for?

This recipe is an adaptation from The Hummingbird Bakery's Banana Bread. I have made some changes -mild olive oil instead of butter, delicious dark chocolate chunks- and I am very happy with the results.

It is spongy and soft; trust me, you won't be able to eat only one slice! It also keeps really well, it can last a week or so, if you have enough willpower to resist it!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Nectarine and Raspberry Tart

Hello everyone!

If last recipe was induced by the amazing raspberries I collected in an orchad, this one comes from the fact that I got a crate full of nectarines. Perfectly juicy and big, and lots and lots of them.

In fact, they are so big that I only used two of them to make this tart!

The sweetness of the fruit is obvious in the tart and, in each bite, you will taste the intense nectarine flavour.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Mini White Chocolate Tartlets with Raspberries

Hello everyone!

I don't know if I had already told you, but for the next 2 months I will be living in the Catalan Pyrenees instead of Barcelona. Being here implies having a little less time for posting but, on the other hand, I have access to a fantastic orchard that has some amazing raspberries.

So, yesterday, I braved the unforgiving sun and I convinced my sister to go gather some raspberries. The berries were warmed by the sun and they practically fell into your fingers, staining them with their juice.

These tartlets are soft and light, fresh and perfect for the summer. Pair them with a cold glass of cava and enjoy them in the afternoon breeze.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake

Hello everyone!

I must confess that, hadn't it been for the surprise party of two of my friends (to which I was supposed to bring dessert) there would not have been any recipe to publish today. It is sooooo hot in here and, truth is, I had ZERO intentions of getting anywhere near an oven.

In this awful heat, a cheesecake seemed to be the wisest option. Nothing too heavy, or with a frosting that could melt easily. However, I had already published a cheesecake recipe so I had to innovate a little bit. Hence the Marbled Chocolate Cheesecake!!!

It was a risk to do it just a day before the party (specially since I had never tried this recipe and I hadn't looked at any other similar recipe) but it turned out pretty great. Also, I'm sorry about the quality of these photographs but they were taken minutes before the cake was devoured!

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Cherry Macarons

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is for the most daring ones! Specially in the heat wave we are suffering here... I can't promise it will be easy, or fast. I can say that the result is refreshing and delicious though!

A few days ago, my friend Judith brought me a tupperware with the prettiest cherries I have ever seen. They were big, almost black and super juicy. I forbid myself to eat them all at once and I thought of doing a curd with them.

If you do not feel like doing macarons in the summer (I totally understand, only a crazy person like me would do it in this heat), the cherry curd can be used in a lot of deserts. You can eat it in your yogurt, or as a topping for a nice vanilla ice-cream, or on your breakfast toast as well.

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Yogurt Mini Bundt Cakes with Raspberry Coulis

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is quite a good one. I feel specially happy about how airy and fluffy this bundt cakes came out. The spongy consistency of the cake is great, and its soft taste goes perfectly well with the tartness of the homemade raspberry coulis.

Do not let the long post title fool you, this recipe is actually very easy. It is not that different from a typical cake recipe, except this one has greek yogurt in it.

And it looks so pretty! The cake's white interior and the strikingly red raspberry coulis are quite a combination.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Apricot Tart

Hello everyone!

It's pie season again! I have to confess that I have been thinking about pies for a while now. And although this recipe is not exactly a pie (in fact, it's a tart) the directions are fairly similar.

You may think it's a little bit complicated just by the looks of it. It's not. Really, once you have made the pie crust, it's a matter of ten minutes to assemble this beauty.

It's slightly juicy but not messy at all, in fact, as you can see in the photo below, you can slice it very neatly!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

How to do Crepes and Rhubarb and Strawberry Jam

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is one of the first things I ever learned to do in a kitchen. I must have been around 11 years old, spending my summer at the Mediterranean coast with my parents, uncles and cousin. It was my cousin Núria, actually, who taught us how to do crepes. I remember being very excited about it, too. I was completely blown away when she just flipped the crepe in the air, with a skilled flick of her wrist. We would melt some chocolate and everyone would fill their own, topping them with some whipped cream or simply with some jam.

Doing crepes at home is easier than you may think. You can even do them without a specific pan, it is enough if it is a nonstick pan. The ingredients are so simple that you probably have them in your kitchen right now.

This crepes are filled with delicious greek yogurt and some homemade rhubarb and strawberry jam. It will be a very fresh and healthy dessert (or breakfast, or mid-afternoon snack!). Both recipes are under the following cut so, keep reading!

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Chocolate Almond Tartlets

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is, maybe, kind of not seasonal. At least, not suitable for a picnic, and I should know... Let me explain myself; this is a recipe that I had been meaning to do for a long time. It has always looked amazing to me, the crispness of the shortcrust pastry combined with the sweetness of the chocolate, to feel the crunch of the almonds in your mouth as you eat... and all of it on a thin layer of salted caramel.

Yes, I was very eager to do this. However, the heat in Barcelona was way ahead of me. I was planning to bring these beauties to a picnic with some of my friends. The size was perfect and they could be eaten without a spoon or fork or anything, really. Right?

Wrong. Heat doesn't go well with chocolate. Also, doing them the same morning I was supposed to bring them to a picnic wasn't my brightest moment either. I had to speed up the cooling process and even then, by the time we had finished lunch and it was time for dessert, the chocolate was quite a mess.

We ate them, of course. And they were delicious, a gooey, sweet mess. We ended up licking fingers and cleaning our chins full of chocolate as if we were children again. And I would have love to take a photo but, I'm not going to lie, my hands were full of chocolate as well!

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Spiced Strawberry Crumble

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is part of my "In Season Inspiration" series. For those who do not remember, this comes from a story that I love; a story that takes place in a farmers market and how the tentative steps between a baker and a farmer evolve into a beautiful love story. The first post of the series was devoted to rhubarb and I made a Rhubarb and Cream Cheese Danish. In May, though, it's time for strawberries.

I know, I know. Me doing yet another strawberry recipe is nothing new. But I promise that you will fall in love with how easy and simple this recipe is.

It's the flavor combination, though, what will convince you that this is a great dessert. You will taste the tartness of the strawberry, which will be immediately contrasted by the sweetness of the crumble. The slight note of ginger in the filling and the aromatic presence of the cinnamon in the topping will give it a spiced taste that, I promise, you will love.

You should wait for it to cool down completely to eat it. Or you can just dive in when it's not hot enough to burn your tongue. Either way, it's a lovely dessert. However, I recommend you to wait. Even better, put it in the fridge for a few hours and eat it completely cold! Now that summer is starting to show its colors here, this refreshing and sweet dessert it's perfect for it!

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Cookies and Cream Cake

Hello everyone!

Do you remember how last year I made some Oreo® Cupcakes for a friend's birthday??? Well, the day has come again, and I decided to make some changes...

I must say that those cupcakes are usually a success when I make them. That's why I hadn't attempted to make too many changes on them. However, I had changed the frosting for a softer (and less-sugary) one and my friends weren't completely convinced.

So, this time, although the concept is basically the same, the recipe has changed. Both cake and frosting are, in my opinion, less heavy. Truth is, the preparation has turned a little bit more complicated, but I think it was worth it. The frosting is a swiss meringue buttercream with cookies and cream flavor!!!

So, if you are willing to brave it, here's the recipe!

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Raspberry and Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is now one of my favorites! I hadn't planned to do it at all like this, I just found some beautiful raspberries at the market and I couldn't resist buying them. I tweaked a little bit one of my favorite cupcake recipes and this came out!

Don't they look amazing? And I can promise you they tasted amazing as well! I brought them as a dessert for lunch with some friends and we simply had to eat two each. Afterwards, when I took the photos of the remaining ones, I had to give them away to my neighbors so I did not have the temptation to scarf them all!

They are dangerous, mind you... The cupcake itself is so fluffy, not heavy at all. The raspberries inside give them a great touch of acidity amongst the sweetness of the cake and the coconut. And the cream cheese frosting is so fresh and light... I could probably sing the greatness of this cupcake all day, really.

Here's the recipe. I should warn you, you will want to eat them as soon you take out of the oven- they smell deliciously. Just wait. The frosting needs for them to be completely cooled down, otherwise it will melt. I promise it will be worth it!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Mascarpone and Strawberry Braid

Hello everyone!

Today's recipe is, once again, made with strawberries. By now you must know how much I love them. Its flavor, the slightly tartness of it, and the fact that you can combine them with pretty much anything make them, in my opinion, a great fruit.

This one is a combination that I had not used before. I only have used Mascarpone Cheese to make tiramisu. But you seriously need to try this. The sweetness of the baked strawberries, the flakiness of the homemade puff pastry and the cheese combine perfectly well.

Can you see the layers of the puff pastry? If you have time, do the puff pastry yourselves, it's worth it!

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Nutella® Croissants

Hello everyone!

I have always loved croissants. Their buttery taste melting in your mouth. I think croissants are one of the best things in the world and, therefore, I always thought that they were incredibly difficult to make.

Well, turns out that they are not as difficult to make as I thought. Of course, they are great if you make your own puff pastry. If you are willing to do that, follow this link to my last post, that shows you step-by-step how to do it.

If you don't feel like doing your own puff pastry (I get it, it takes a lot of time) you could buy the dough instead. It will reduce the time into merely minutes (follow the instructions, of course!).

I made these croissants for a breakfast date with my friends. Each one of us brought something and we enjoyed a beautiful day in a park in the middle of Barcelona. We even had the visit of an excited puppy who would have wreaked havoc if I hadn't caught her on time!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Rhubarb and Cream Cheese Danish + Puff Pastry TUTORIAL

Hello everyone!

Get ready for a pretty image-heavy post! I finally dared to make puff pastry. I'm not gonna lie, it takes a lot of hours and a lot of patience. But it's not too difficult and the results are worth your work. If you follow my step-by-step, you will end up with 1kg of homemade puff pastry that you can use or freeze for future pastries! So let the fun begin!

The first recipe that I wanted to attempt with my homemade puff pastry was this Rhubarb and Cream Cheese Danish. Now, maybe you are unaware of this, but rhubarb is not something that is typically used here where I live. It actually took me quite a lot of time to find, and I had to go to "La Boqueria" which is a market place where you can find nearly anything, or at least, the rare things that you will not find in a supermarket. I actually took you there last summer. Even there, the vendor I asked for help thought I was from Germany, because people do not use rhubarb here.

Then, will you ask, how come you wanted it so desperately? It all started some time ago, I didn't have the blog yet, and I found a story that I fell in love with. Amazingly well written, it described vividly the colors, the smells and flavors of a love story that took place in a farmers market. Each chapter belonged to a month, and each month was matched with the fruit that was in season. The way the author described the simple act of biting into a peach was breathtaking.

Recently I re-read the story and I became obsessed again. I thought it would be fun to try and recreate the recipes, or at least, to make a recipe each month related to the fruit or vegetable that it was about. Therefore, in April: Rhubarb.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Strawberry Cakes

Hello everyone!

Here I come, again, with another strawberry recipe. I know, I know, I just can't help it! I always have strawberries at home now and it's difficult for me to resist them!

This one is very, very easy. I made it into four cakes, so I could give them away, but it can also be made into one.

As you can see, its interior is really moist. Super moist, I would say. I used clementine juice instead of lemon (which is what would normally be used in these cases) and I think it gave it a great touch.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Lemon Mousse and Strawberry Tartlets

Hello everyone!

It's already strawberry season! In case you haven't noticed, I love strawberries. It doesn't matter if they are fresh, in a Strawberry and Cream Cake, in Strawberry Cupcakes, in an amazing summer pie with blueberries or even in Macarons!

In this recipe, I used them fresh. These tartlets are very light, I brought them as a dessert for an amazing "fideuà" that my friend Andrea treated us to. They are perfect after a good meal, and ridiculously easy to prepare.

The lemon mousse can be prepared in about five minutes if you have some lemon curd already made. If not, quick, here's the recipe!

Lemon Mousse and Strawberry Tartlets

Ingredients (yields 12 tartlets 6cm diameter)

1 package of shortcrust pastry
200ml heavy cream
4-5 Tbs lemon curd
6 or 8 strawberries
butter and flour to prepare the tins

Directions

Pre-heat the oven at 180ºC (356ºF).
Grease the tartlet tins with butter and sprinkle with flour.
Cut circles on the shortcrust pastry (about 1cm larger than the diameter of the tartlet tin) and line the tartlet tins with them.
Prick them with a fork repeatedly so they do not rise when baking.

Bake the tartlets for 15 minutes (until they start to turn golden).
Take them off the oven and unmold, leaving them to cool down on a rack.
Whip up the heavy cream until peaks form. Add 4 or 5 tablespoons of lemon curd (depending on your preference) and stir gently, with soft movements.

Put a tablespoon of the mousse inside each tartlet and top it with ¼ tsp of lemon curd (optional).

Slice the strawberries and decorate.

They are done in record time! And they are so fresh and airy!

I hope you enjoy them! Here's the pdf for the recipe: Lemon Mousse and Strawberry Tartlets.

Anna

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