Lulu's Cupcakes - The Hostess Look-a-like

Remember eating the hostess cupcakes as a kid? The smell of the chocolate hitting your nose as you open the package and the anticipation of that first bite of heaven. The sweet marshmallow creme with the light fluffy cake. Did you ever peel off the top ganache and save that for last? Well this is over the top, and no preservatives! I have made these for several occasions and they are always a hit, it's been a while and I had a huge craving....so my excuse?  Graduation party for my nephews!

I think it was the very first issue of the Food Network Magazine that came out years ago with an article on Lulu's Bake Shoppe in Boston who made the most adorable cupcakes including the look-a-like Hostess Cupcakes. I think she was at the forefront of the cupcake craze. How can you look at the pictures in that article and not give it a go? I used my own devil's food cupcake recipe, as there is no other in my opinion, but otherwise followed explicit instructions.  The biggest kick I got out of the whole process was learning that they actually made a piping tip to get that stuff in the middle! How fun is that?

Lulu's Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes: (*Note, I did not use the cupcake recipe, I used my go to found here)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

For the Filling:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup marshmallow creme

For the Ganache and Icing:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Place paper liners in two 12-cup muffin pans.

Prepare the cupcakes:

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Bring the sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Pour into a large bowl; add the chocolate and butter and let sit, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture has cooled slightly. Stir in the vanilla. Using a mixer, beat in the eggs, then mix in the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (about 1/4 cup batter per cupcake) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pans for about 25 minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling:

Using a mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon heavy cream; beat until smooth. Beat in the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in batches, alternating after each addition. Beat in the marshmallow creme; set aside.

Prepare the ganache:

Place the chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl. Heat the cream and 1 tablespoon butter until just boiling, then pour over the chocolate; let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla; let stand until cool but still glossy and liquid.

Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a medium tip. Insert the tip into the center of each cupcake top; fill until the cupcake is heavier (do not overfill). Dip the cupcake tops in the ganache. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing: Using a mixer, beat the remaining 1 stick butter, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, the milk and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spoon into a pastry bag with a small tip; pipe onto the cupcakes to decorate.

Recipe from Lulu's Bake Shoppe courtesy of FoodNetwork Magazine

Mom's Birthday!

Don't you just love birthdays? My sisters and I, together with my mom, started a tradition about a year and a half ago we now refer to as "Girl's Day". We all get together once a month just to be. Sometimes we have lunch and go to the movies, or sometimes we just grab sandwiches and walk around downtown, find a place to sit and gab. We always end up with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or coffee. It's a wonderful time to sit around and catch up. Everybody leads such busy lives but this is one day where we all just stop. It became such a desirable event that my father was allowed on "Girl's Day" last month and was able to enjoy the company of all his daughters together too.

This month just happened to be on my mom's birthday weekend, but instead of some big birthday shindig, she just wanted to have "Girl's Day". We took her out to lunch on a beautiful sunny day and sat outside in the sun. We walked thru some antique stores, consignment shops, and book stores. Who can't get lost in a book store? After generous helpings of frozen yogurt we waddled our way home and had birthday cupcakes and coffee...how fun is that!

Carrot Cake Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcake Recipe

Cake from Essential Baker

1 pound coarsely grated carrots (I actually made mine finely grated)
4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmegs
1 1/4 cups toasted walnuts (I used shredded coconut instead, which was one of the options Bloom suggested as well)
1 cup raisins (I substituted chopped dried cherries)

Cream cheese frosting from Essential Baker

 (I doubled this recipe to make sure I would have enough. Now I spread the leftovers on EVERYTHING!)

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Mix all ingredients together
Prepare muffin tins with papers (about 60 mini or 48 regular cupcakes) or two 9″ cake pans with parchment and oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
I coarsely grated the carrots in a food processor using the grater attachment.
I then chopped them into finer pieces with the medal blade attachment in the food processor so that the texture of the cake would be a little bit finer.
Mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, brown sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Add the finely chopped carrots, coconut, and dried cherries.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans or scoop into cupcake papers (fill 3/4 full).
Bake cupcakes for about 18-25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
Bake 9″ cakes for about 35-40 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
To assemble the cake. Remove from pan and peel off the parchment paper from the bottom, place on a cardboard round. Put the cake on a cake turn table.
With a Wüsthof Superslicer or other thin serrated knife slice off the very top of the cake. Do this by using a sawing motion.Then cut the cake in 2 or 3 equal layers. Slide the layers onto a cardboard round or any other flat surface. The false bottom of a tart pan works perfectly.Put about 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese icing.Using an offset spatula spread the frosting evenly over the surface of the first layer. Repeat for the rest of the layers.Place about 2 cups of the icing on the top of the cake and spread evenly.Spread the icing onto the sides of the cake.Lift the cake off the turn table and place on the serving platter.Using the spatula spread the frosting and create swirls on the cake. This cream cheese frosting is very soft so you won’t want to try for anything too exacting.I pressed coconut onto the sides and sprinkled the top.

Recipe adapted by Zoe Francois from Carole Bloom's book The Essential Baker