Jun 21
It just turned winter here in Sydney. Fellow Sydney residents will think I’m crazy for posting about popsicles when it’s so chilly outside, but my friends in the US have just seen the first of summer and will, I’m sure, welcome some recipes for popsicles! Read more
Sep 28
If I had it my way, I’d drink multiple cups of coffee a day. I know it’s not a great idea to do this, so I limit myself to two cups a day (maybe three if I feel like I deserve it). Hot coffees are great in winter for warming up, but now that the days are getting hotter here in Sydney the last thing I want is a hot beverage. An iced drink will hit the spot much better than a hot one. Enter the iced coffee.
Apr 16
I take my 4-year-old daughter to ballet classes on Tuesdays. She really enjoys it and has made a new friend in her class. It’s neat to see her perform some of the poses at home – one day she did a plie. Ballet term 2 is now starting after a 2-week long Easter holiday, and my daughter says she wants to continue with ballet.
Ballet class lasts only 30 minutes. Luckily, if I practically run, I can make it over to the nearby Westfield shopping center for a special treat for myself. I visit T2 Tea and sample all four of the teas they have on display that day and have a chat with the friendly ladies who work there. And then I do a fast-walk to get back to ballet to pick up my daughter.
As it turns out, my daughter also likes to sample the teas at T2 Tea, so before the holidays I started going to T2 before ballet class so she could try the teas too, and I sat in the lobby area of the ballet studio and read magazines while she was in her class. They only have a handful of magazines and always the same ones, but I did find an Australian Women’s Weekly magazine (from March 2009!) that I hadn’t seen before and flipped through the recipe section. I found some beautiful mocha cupcakes and read the recipe for them. I was immediately intrigued by it because it used real melted chocolate, almond meal and buttermilk.
Apr 6
I have always been intrigued, fascinated and mystified when it comes to French macarons. I believe I first saw them on Flickr, in an array of colors and flavors. I looked up how to make them myself and was quickly discouraged because they looked so tricky and I was sure I would fail with my own attempt and waste precious ingredients. So instead of making them, I made a Tumblr blog to keep track of my favorite macarons, which is sort of a sister-blog to my Tumblr cupcake blog.
Making my own macarons have always been on my to-do list anyhow, because I had never even eaten a macaron. I guess that’s what I get for living in Indiana. Soon after I moved back to Sydney with my family I visited a cupcake shop in Chatswood, Cupcakes On Pitt, and tried two of their macarons, a blueberry one and a chocolate one (my pictures here and here). They were chewier than I had imagined they would be, but they didn’t taste like anything special. I was quite disappointed. Later, however, a friend told me that Cupcakes On Pitt’s macarons were a very poor example as to how macarons should taste.
And still I hadn’t made my own macarons. I was just dying to, but was still too frightened. A couple of weeks ago, Samantha of Sweet Remedy mentioned on Twitter that she was scared of making macarons as well. I had earlier befriended Samantha when we were in a throwdown for October 2009′s Cupcake Hero competition. So I casually mentioned to her that I was scared as well, and from this we decided to have our own macaron challenge; we would make them “together”. Well, as “together” as we could anyway, with Samantha being on the other side of the world from me!
Nov 24
Our 3 years back in the US have been great, but it’s time to settle down and raise our kids in one spot. As hard as it is to leave your family behind, it’s something that happens every day; kids grow up and leave their families behind to start their own life.
I’m leaving my family behind here in Indiana and moving to Sydney, Australia this weekend. I have lived in Sydney before, from 2001-2006 and it was fabulous. It’s definitely a place I feel happy spending my life in. I know my kids will love it as well.
This will be my last post from the US; expect all future posts to be from Australia and upside down! 
Anyway, a friend of mine requested one last batch of cupcakes from me before we left. She wanted cookie dough cupcakes and chocolate/white chocolate cupcakes. Of course I’ve done cookie dough cupcakes before, so I won’t post about them again, but I made the chocolate/white chocolate cupcakes into white chocolate mocha cupcakes. I was inspired to do this because my friend is a big fan of Starbucks’ white chocolate mochas. These were the last cupcakes I made in the US.
I know, the photos aren’t that great because it was late afternoon and there wasn’t enough natural light from the sun so I didn’t even bother with my usual set up.
These are chocolate cupcakes, filled with chocolate coffee ganache and frosted with white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC). I’m really proud of these because while most mocha cupcakes have coffee in the cake where it cannot be tasted, I put my coffee into the ganache and the coffee flavor is quite prominent. This isn’t just any chocolate coffee ganache, by the way. It was made using the brand new Starbucks VIA Italian Roast instant coffee.
The white chocolate really came through in the SMBC, as well. SMBC is always an extra effort to make, but the results are so rewarding. The texture was silky smooth and full of white chocolate flavor.
My main point of this post is to share the coffee ganache tip with you. If you want coffee flavor in your cupcakes, don’t put the coffee in the cake (or well, you can, just be aware that the taste isn’t going to be very noticeable) – fill the cupcakes with coffee-flavored ganache!
If you’d like to try the ultimate white chocolate cupcake, the recipes are below. Just choose your own favorite chocolate cupcake recipe (mine is Hershey’s or Martha’s Devil’s food cupcakes) and follow these recipes.
Chocolate Coffee Ganache Filling
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes enough to fill 12 cupcakes (with a little leftover)Ingredients
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 packet Starbucks VIA Italian Roast
1 tablespoon butter, room temperatureMethod
Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering then empty the packet of Starbucks VIA into the cream and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and pour the cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and stir until combined.
White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Whisk Kid
Makes enough to frost about 18 cupcakesIngredients
1 cup sugar
5 egg whites
18 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened slightly and sliced
1/4 cup white chocolate, melted and cooledMethod
Cook the egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved (test by rubbing some between your fingers. If it’s completely smooth, it’s done).Pour into another bowl (a stand mixer is preferable) and whip on high speed until room temp.
Then, on a medium-slow speed, add the butter, waiting until each piece is completely incorporated before adding the next. The buttercream may turn into a soupy curdled mess, but I assure you it will be ok; just beat it for a few minutes longer. It’ll come together!
When the buttercream has reached the ideal consistency, add the melted and cooled white chocolate carefully. Try not to get any on the walls of the bowl as it will cool and harden there. Whip to incorporate.
Jul 10
We’ve been having a lot of fun with our popsicle mold these past few weeks. The weather has been very warm and it’s nice to come inside and cool off with a popsicle. This post is a collection of the popsicle recipes we’ve used lately. Click on the photos if you’d like to see a larger view of the popsicles.
Strawberry Watermelon Popsicles
Adapted from myself
Makes enough for 4-6 popsiclesIngredients
About 1 cup chopped seedless watermelon
A handful of fresh hulled strawberries
A splash of lemon or lime juice
About 3-5 tablespoons powdered sugar, to tasteMethod
Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 5 hours.
Mocha Popsicles
Adapted from Eating Out Loud
Makes enough for about 8 popsiclesThese were really yummy! I never had thought about freezing coffee for popsicles, but I’m glad I came across this recipe. The white tip is a mix of sweetened condensed milk, whole milk and vanilla extract, while the coffee part is strong brewed coffee, sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder. Everything was perfect with these, except I added about 1/2-1 teaspoon more cocoa powder.
Creamy Jello Popsicles
Adapted from SparkRecipes
Makes enough for 4 popsiclesNow these were really interesting. I wasn’t sure what sort of texture these were going to have, knowing that Jello is supposed to be wobbly. These popsicles are a mix of Jello (the small box), water and vanilla yogurt. The texture was only barely wobbly and the popsicles do not freeze solid – you can bite straight into one. I would recommend that you freeze these overnight and be careful when unmolding them, as the sticks can easily pop out of the popsicle itself, leaving the popsicle inside the mold (I know from experience!)!
The red popsicle picture above is raspberry, but we’ve also made an alien-green lime one!
Jello Pudding Pops
Adapted from Recipezaar
Makes enough for about 5 popsiclesThese popsicles are very similar in texture to the regular Jello popsicles above, but much creamier. You’ll need to be extra careful with unmolding these, and also I’d recommend freezing these overnight as well. I’d love to try these with banana pudding, or with a vanilla-chocolate swirl!
Jun 23
I love making coffees at home. I’d love to have a nice coffee maker or an espresso machine, but I don’t; I have my good old 1-cup coffee press that I use religiously. Awaiting my return in Sydney, Australia, is a Senseo coffee maker, that I look forward to using again, but the drawback is that it requires special pre-packaged coffee pods.
Anyway, this post isn’t about coffee makers, it’s about a recipe for a cinnamon mocha that I adapted from my big Taste of Home cookbook. The original recipe yields 6 cups, but I scaled it down to 1 cup.
The amounts of the ingredients can be changed according to your tastes, so feel free to experiment.
Cinnamon Spiced Mocha
Adapted from Taste of Home
Serves 1Ingredients
3 tablespoons ground coffee
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
About 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon light brown sugar, unpacked
1 tablespoon chocolate syrupMix nutmeg and cinnamon into coffee grounds and brew as usual. In my coffee press, I brew this for 3 minutes.
While coffee is brewing, fill your coffee mug with the 1/2 cup milk, or about halfway. Stir in brown sugar and chocolate syrup and warm in microwave for about 30-40 seconds. Stir again.
When coffee is finished brewing, pour it into the milk in the mug and give it another stir. Top with whipped cream and cocoa powder if desired.
May 23
I’ve been wanting to make ice cream cupcakes for a while now. There are so many different combinations of ice cream, cake and frosting that one could use that is was difficult to make up my mind! I’ve decided to go with coffee ice cream, chocolate cake and marshmallow whipped cream frosting. I may try a mint chocolate one next time!
My ice cream cupcake tastes sort of like a mocha covered with marshmallows and hot fudge. It’s really tasty.
The idea for the frosting came from the latest issue of Taste of Home magazine (June/July 2009); it was the frosting for a coffee and chocolate pie. I lessened the amount from the recipe a bit, since I wouldn’t be needing as much as the recipe made. It is very light and would be a good frosting for regular cupcakes as well if you’re after something light and marshmallowy.
The cake recipe I used is the same from my s’mores cupcakes. It is a recipe from Martha Stewart and Trophy Cupcakes in Seattle. I chose this cake recipe because it was very soft and moist in the s’mores cupcakes. For my ice cream cupcakes, I divided the cake recipe in half.
Keep in mind that you can use any cupcake flavor you wish to make ice cream cupcakes, as well as any ice cream flavor. I won’t post the recipe for the cake, as you can find a link to that on my s’mores cupcakes post, but I will post the instructions for assembling the ice cream cupcakes, as well as instructions for making the frosting.
Marshmallow Whipped Cream Frosting
Adapted from the June/July 2009 issue of Taste of Home magazine
Makes enough to frost 10-12 cupcakesIngredients
1 cup whipped topping
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
Warmed hot fudge sauce
Mini chocolate chipsMethod
Just before frosting cupcakes, gently stir together whipped topping and marshmallow creme until combined. Spread onto cupcakes. Drizzle warmed hot fudge sauce on top of cupcakes and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.To Assemble Cupcakes
Bake cupcakes as directed in recipe. Cool completely. Freeze cupcakes in freezer for 15-30 minutes, as this will help keep the cupcakes firm and manageable while slicing and spreading with ice cream.Unwrap cupcakes from liners (do not discard the used liners) and slice each one horizontally. Spread 1-2 tablespoons softened ice cream on the bottom half of each cupcake, then top each bottom half with a top half. Place the cupcakes back into the used liners, and put each one back into the cupcake pan and return to freezer for at least one hour. Putting them back into the liners and the cupcake pan will help keep everything in place.
When ready to frost, follow directions above for marshmallow whipped cream frosting.
After storing these cupcakes in the freezer, I would suggest letting them sit out at room temperature about 15 or 20 minutes before enjoying them. This will let the cake soften back up again. :)
Thank you to Cupcakes Take The Cake for posting my ice cream cupcakes on your blog!
Feb 19
This month’s Iron Cupcake: Earth challenge has been pretty hard for me. See, I love coffee and normally have two cups a day. The problem is though, that since becoming pregnant I don’t like coffee anymore! It’s really crazy. Through all my three pregnancies I have had at least one strong food aversion with each one – 1) eggs; 2) pepperoni; 3) coffee. But since I didn’t enter last month’s Iron Cupcake: Earth challenge, I tried to overcome my coffee aversion to make a hazelnut mocha cupcake.
The cupcake is a mocha cupcake, made with strong coffee and a scattering of ground coffee. It is filled with straight Nutella. The frosting is my Nutella coffee frosting that has been featured at Cupcakes Take The Cake. The cupcake is finished off with a hazelnut, dipped in chocolate by my own self.
Do these taste like a hazelnut mocha? They do. A very rich hazelnut mocha! The Nutella filling may have been a bit much. The coffee taste isn’t very strong in the cupcake, and you cannot feel the crunchiness of the ground coffee. The strongest coffee taste comes from the frosting, which smells absolutely gorgeous. The cupcake itself is just a teensy bit dry, but very chocolatey.
Our February ETSY PRIZE-PACK is from artists:
As an added bonus for February, SWEET CUPPIN CAKES BAKERY AND CUPCAKERY SUPPLY will be tossing in a variety of cupcaking supplies, http://www.acupcakery.com/index.html.
Last and certainly not least, don’t forget our corporate prize providers: HEAD CHEFS by FIESTA PRODUCTS,http://www.fiestaproducts.com, HELLO CUPCAKE by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson, http://blog.hellocupcakebook.com, JESSIE STEELE APRONS http://www.jessiesteele.com; TASTE OF HOME books, http://www.tasteofhome.com; a t-shirt from UPWITHCUPCAKES.COM http://www.upwithcupcakes.com/. Iron Cupcake:Earth is sponsored in part by 1-800-Flowers,http://www.1800flowers.com.
Now, on to the recipes.
View printable PDF recipes
Mocha Cupcakes
makes 12Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold brewed coffee
1/2 cup canola oil
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coffeeMethod:
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, coffee, oil, vinegar and vanilla until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into coffee mixture until blended.Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool.
Nutella Coffee Frosting
makes enough to frost 12 cupcakesIngredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons Nutella
3 cups powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanillaMethod:
In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon milk with 1 teaspoon instant coffee and stir until coffee is dissolved. It may help to dissolve the coffee if you warm the milk in the microwave, just be sure to cool it off afterwards in the fridge before adding to the frosting.In a separate bowl, combine butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, vanilla, and the 2 tablespoons coffee-milk mixture. Mix well with electric mixer, adding more milk as needed to make a fluffy spreadable/pipeable frosting.
Updated the next day: I just had one of these cupcakes without the Nutella filling and I enjoyed it much more. The Nutella filling was just a bit too much for me. I’d recommend that if you make these to not fill them with Nutella, but ultimately that choice is up to you! :)
Dec 6
I spent some time searching for an easy coffee buttercream recipe, but the only ones I could find involved either raw egg whites, or was a Swiss meringue buttercream. I just wanted a regular coffee buttercream to frost the next batch of chocolate cupcakes that I would remove from the freezer.
However, I could not find a regular buttercream that was coffee-flavored. It would be easy to create one myself (I presume I would just dissolve instant coffee in milk and add that to the frosting), but I did find one in one of my cookbooks, Chocolate, Coffee, Caramel: A Cook’s Book of Decadence.
I’m posting it here in case someone else is in need of a simple coffee buttercream.
Coffee Buttercream
adapted from Chocolate, Coffee, Caramel: A Cook’s Book of Decadence
Makes enough to frost 12-18 cupcakesIngredients
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 tablespoon hot water
6.5 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces sifted confectioners’ sugarMethod
Dissolve the coffee in the hot water, then set aside and let come to room temperature before using. Using an electric mixer, mix the butter, coffee mixture and vanilla in a bowl until well combined. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating until smooth.
Not the best photo, but just wanted to give you an idea of what it looks like. The frosting is pipeable, but I just used a knife to spread it on. Thank my daughter for the chocolate jimmies!
Sep 8
If you’re a follower of The Sweetest Kitchen you’ll know that I have a slight obsession with Nutella. My latest Nutella creation is Nutella-coffee frosting. I was hoping this would turn out as nice as it sounded and I am pleased to say that it did!
I originally added two teaspoons of instant coffee, but after tasting the final result I would recommend that that amount be cut down to just one teaspoon. The coffee taste was stronger than the Nutella taste and I wanted to taste both flavors.
I put this frosting onto a simple butter cupcake recipe, but it would also taste nice with chocolate or mocha cupcakes, I think.
Nutella Coffee Frosting
Print this recipe via Tasty KitchenIngredients
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons Nutella
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1/2 teaspoon vanillaMethod
In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon milk with 1 teaspoon instant coffee and stir until coffee is dissolved.In a separate bowl, combine butter, Nutella, sugar, salt, vanilla, and the 1 tablespoon coffee-milk mixture. Mix well with electric mixer, adding more milk as needed to make a fluffy spreadable frosting.
Makes enough to frost 10-12 cupcakes if just spreading it on with a knife.
A layered cupcake, Nutella sandwiched in between, Nutella/coffee frosting on top, sprinkled with mini chocolate chips.
Thank you Cupcakes Take The Cake, for posting my Nutella sandwich cupcake on your blog!
Jamieanne has a passion for food and baking that dates back to her early childhood. She is the author of The Sweetest Kitchen blog, which features her favorite recipes from magazines, cookbooks and other food blogs. Keep up to date with Jamieanne and her blog by following on:
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