Chai Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Honey Frosting

OMG! These are the best cupcakes ever! (Sorry, I had to write that for BH.) Seriously, though. I loved these cupcakes and I don't always love things that I make. I'm a huge fan of warm flavors like pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, so it's not really surprising that I liked these. Most people would categorize chai and cinnamon as autumn/winter flavors, but I like eating them all year round! If you do to, definitely put these cupcakes on your baking list!

For recipe,

Chai Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Honey Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Yields: an 8-inch triple-layer cake (serves 12 - 16) OR use cupcake pans instead

Original recipe from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes via Une-Deux-Senses


For the cupcakes:

1 1/3 cup milk
6 chai tea bags (I used Good Earth Tea, Sweet & Spicy - Erin)
4 whole eggs
2 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup cake flour
2 cup sugar
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature



For the frosting:

2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter (12 tbsn.), room temperature
6 tbsn. honey
1/4 tsp. cinnamon


1. Preheat to 350 F. Line with cupcake liners, set aside.

2. In saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tea bags. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Remove the bags and squeeze out the remaining milk. Let the milk cool completely.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, yolks, vanilla and 1/3 cup of the chai milk.

4. In the bowl of a mixer sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Beat on low for about 30 seconds, then add the butter and remaining chai milk.

5. Mix on medium low speed until light and fluffy.

6. Next, add the egg mixture in three additions, making sure to scrape the bowl well after each.

7. Divide the batter among the cupcake tins, about 2/3 full, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.

8. For the frosting, add the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Place over a pot of simmering water and whisk until egg whites are warm and sugar is melted.

9. Place the bowl back into the machine and beat until soft peaks form.

10. Add the butter, one tablespoon at a time until well incorporated. Let mix on medium-high for another 6 - 8 minutes until smooth and creamy.

11. Add the honey and cinnamon until well combined. Frost and enjoy!

The Umbrellas of Santa barbara

I know what you're probably thinking, Erin, what the heck do umbrellas have to do with desserts?? I was thinking the same thing myself, wondering if there was anyway I could fit these awesome patio umbrellas by Santa Barbara Designs into the whole dessert theme. And then it hit me: I already feature various kitchenware, which is used in dessert making, and a patio is similar to a kitchen because you eat out there and there's a good chance you'd be eating ice cream or birthday cake or some other dessert and . . . and . . . well, that's the end of the argument, but I've completely convinced myself that it works with a dessert-themed Web site! Yeah, totally. Anyway, these umbrellas also sort of remind me of desserts. They're all frilly and girly and brightly-colored, just like cake! They would be perfect outside a bakery or a candy store . . . or in my backyard! Patio furniture is usually so dull and ugly, I was excited to see that there are some fun options out there that kick it up a notch! Click here to see the entire collection.

Animal Cutters

I was really disappointed that I didn't know about Williams Sonoma's Circus Cookie Cutters until after the set was discontinued, so I was really happy to see that they've introduced these Garden Creatures Pancake Molds! So fun! Pancakes are definitely my favorite syrup friendly breakfast treat, winning easily over waffles and French toast, so these are right up my alley! You can find a Williams Sonoma near you or order online by clicking here.

Also, on the cute cookie cutter front, Ikea has introduced these adorable pastry cutters. For $4, you get six cutters, including one of a hedgehog! Order online here or find a store near you by clicking here.

Cakes I Want to Date: Ktinka's Chocolate Cake

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel like you're never going to get over a person and you just know that when your seventy you'll still be adoring/missing them just as much as you do right now and you're so sad and frustrated that you can't help wishing that the memory erasing machine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind really existed because the whole situation is just sooooo ridiculous??? Well, then this is the cake for you!

I have a thing for nearly anything animal related (yes, it's a sickness), so it's not surprising that I instantly fell head or heels in love with this cake!!! I love the look of stencils on baked goods and this is one of the best yet! So easy and yet so cute! Oh, yeah, and the cake's creator, Katinka, says that the cake is so yummy that it's almost as good as sex, so bonus! Yummy and darling and a sex substitute all at the same time. No wonder I'm in love. If only men could be more like cake. The world would be a much sunnier place!

Click here for the complete recipe and here to view Ktinka's Web site.

The Dessert Truck

I wrote this post ages ago and kept forgetting to post it. Then, last week, I saw this article on the Wall Street Journal online, and decided that I better post this before the truck trend completely fizzles out. So, without further ado, here is the post. Better late then never.

Yes, it's true. I'm obsessed with the Dessert Truck. I know several other versions of these sugar carrying vehicles have popped up in NYC and other large cities lately, but I think the appropriately named Dessert Truck is my favorite. Maybe it's because one of the people behind the Dessert Truck is a former pastry sous chef at Le Cirque, and that sounds fancy or maybe it's because the desserts they offer aren't typical truck fare (i.e. slow-baked apples and cinnamon [see pic above] and goat cheese cake). But, really, when you get right down to it, I think it has a lot to do with my childhood love of ice cream trucks. How could I resist?

If you too would like to relive your latent childhood fantasies involving magic trucks jam packed with yumminess, click here to find out where and when the Dessert Truck will make it's next stop. Or, if simpler snacks are more your thing, check out the Treats Truck, right here. (Food pics by Eugenio Garcia-Palacios)

Sweet Dreams are Made of Cupcakes

Sweet Dreams by Kirsten Lepore. This stop-motion story about a cupcake construction worker made me smile. How can you not smile at a film where the trees are made out of ice cream cones! I'm not sure how I feel about the ending, though, or the love scene, but, as the Eurythmics say, who am I to disagree?

BabyCakes: Vegan, Gluten Free, and Yummy!

I'm a big defender of vegan baking. Even though I'm not actually vegan, I've eaten my fair share of vegan baked goods during my lifetime, and I think they get a bad rap!! People hear vegan and dessert in the same sentence and instantly think yuck! That's why I'm super excited that that successful vegan bakery BabyCakes has a new cookbook out! Not only have they managed to convince dairy lovers to eat vegan cupcakes, but they managed to do it while keeping their bakery wheat free, casein free, refined-sugar free, gluten free, soy free, organic, AND kosher!! These baked goods are virtually guilt free! But, because of all the substitutions necessary to make these particular desserts, you may be a little perplexed once you read the ingredient lists. Garbanzo bean flour, coconut flour, and xanthan gum, among other things, pop up frequently in this cookbook, but fear not, most ingredients are available at your local health food store or at Whole Foods.

So, I know what you're thinking, with all those weird ingredients, how do these desserts taste?? Well, my sister recently made the chocolate chip cookie sandwiches (see pic above), and, let me tell you, they were really good! They definitely had a unique flavor. Not bad, just unique, and the coconut flour did give them a very slight coconut taste, so if you hate coconut, be forewarned. All in all, I'm anxious to try something else from the cookbook. It's like every recipe is a little baking adventure!

A video on how to make the sandwiches, along with the recipe, can be found at Martha Stewart's Web site, right here.

If you live in New York and want to try some vegan yumminess (you know who you are!) head on over to BabyCakes in NYC. A Los Angeles location will be opening soon. If you'd like to order online, click here.

Sweet Testing: Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

I'm not a fan of pecan pie. It's not really pecan pie's fault, though. I used to enjoy it, but once, when I was fourteen, I ate some pecan pie and then promptly came down with the flu. I have hence forth hated it. It's pretty much a guilty by association thing. The mere thought of it makes me nauseous! Don't you hate when that happens?? Anyway, enough about my stomach ailments. The point is, I don't like pecan pie or bourbon, for that matter, but my sister insisted that this pie is awesome, so I made it, and let me tell you . . . it is AWESOME!! It doesn't really taste like pecan pie. It's more like a fat, warm, chocolate chip cookie. Yum! I wish I had taken a picture after it was cut because that's where all the yumminess resides, but I was so distracted by eating it, that I forgot! Oh, well, next time!

As far as the baking process is concerned, this is one of the easier recipes from the Baked cookbook. The pie crust came out perfectly, but if you want to opt for a store-bought crust, you could make this really quickly. Oh, and you can't taste the bourbon, which I liked, but if like your desserts a little more boozy, you can always add more.

More From Baked: Whoopie Pies, Sugar Cookies, Sweet and Salty Cake, Lemon Drop Cake, Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

You can find the complete recipe after the jump.

Suck on This, Daniel Craig

I thought of so many naughty titles for this post: A Mouthful of Daniel Craig, Sucking on Daniel Craig. The possibilities are endless. Anyway, yes, Daniel Craig fans, your dreams have come true. Now you can actually get Mr. Craig . . . in popsicle form. Some of you may have seen this already on foodgawker, but I just had to post a pic. It's hilarious and erotic, and possibly delicious, all at the same time. How many desserts can be described that way?? And don't say a boob cake because those are neither funny nor erotic, unless you're twelve. :-) The 007 Del Monte Superfruit Smoothies come in blueberry, pomegranate and cranberry flavors and will only be available in the UK during National Ice Cream Week, which started June 1st and ends on Sunday. Yes, that's right, you can only get your D. Craig lollies, as the Brits call them, this week and only in the UK. I wish I was there right now, so I could taste one and also so I could say the word "lolly." Such a fun word. Click here for more info via the Telegraph.

Flavored Salt

I love when people take something traditional and turn it on it's head (well, except for my dislike of altering classic candy that I talked about in an earlier post), so I'm loving all these flavored salts from Barhyte. What a tasty way to jazz up, well, just about anything! I love the logo and colors, not to mention the yummy flavors. The chocolate variety is like the perfect sweet and salty paradise combined into one! Click here to check out the flavors and here to shop online.

You can also get some bacon-flavored salt courtesy J&D's. This particular bacon salt is not only kosher, but also vegetarian, so it would the perfect way for vegetarians to incorporate the bacon trend into their desserts! (I still haven't tried the whole bacon dessert thing, but it intrigues me, even though I'm a vegetarian.)

Btw, they also have bacon-flavored lip gloss for those of you out there who are really really into bacon. Click here to find store locations or to order online.

Getting Drunk on Ice Cream

I don't drink wine, but I do come from a wine family (meaning that they drink a lot of wine, not that they stomp grapes in barrels or anything), so I was super excited to come across this wine-flavored ice cream! It would be the perfect gift for my father, who has a makeshift wine cellar in his basement. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to get your hands on this stuff, except if you live in New York, where you can buy Mercer's Wine Ice Cream at your local Whole Foods. Make sure that you have proper ID before making the trip, though! The ice cream does contain five percent alcohol, so you have to be of legal age to buy it! Finally, a chance to get drunk and have a sugar high at the same time! Click here for store locations and additional info.

Victorian House Cake

I finally figured out why I'm fascinated with edible houses! It may have something to do with the fact that I love architecture (duh!), the architecture of houses to be more specific. Some people are fascinated with building architecture and visiting various famous skyscrapers around the country, but I much prefer looking at houses. Don't get me wrong, I love old buildings, like San Vitale or new ones like the Helix Hotel (which hasn't even been built yet), but there's something much more familiar and accessible about houses. Besides, you don't need to travel far to see examples of beautiful home architecture. All you have to do is check out your local neighborhood streets. Last year, I discovered that there is a Frank Lloyd Wright house practically in my backyard! (Okay, so it's not quite that close.) It had been sitting in near ruin, abandoned for years until the current owners bought and restored it to its former glory.

Anyway, this tangent has taken me far far away from anything resembling desserts, so I'll attempt to get back on track. The cake above was created by Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes fame, and although I'd much rather live in that house, than consume it, at the end of the day a cake is made to be eaten, so I wouldn't put up much of a fight.

To read about the creation of the Victorian House cake, click here. To see what happens to beautiful houses when they are left to fend for themselves, click here.

Sweet Testing: Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

Back in April, after much debate, I decided to make these beautiful coconut cupcakes for Easter dessert. Unfortunately, I was not thrilled with how they turned out. Oh, no! My first Baked disappointment! But don't fear Baked lovers, the story has a happy ending. So, where was I? Oh, yes, initially, things did not look good. I thought, oh, well, it had to happen eventually. I can't possibly LOVE every recipe in this cookbook. They weren't horrible cupcakes. I didn't spit them out or anything, but they just weren't that exciting. Usually anything from Baked excites me! Despite my displeasure, I packed up a few leftovers for home, anyway, and gave some away. The next day, after a long day at the office, I cut off a small bite from one of the cupcakes and, low and behold, ended up eating the whole thing! These cupcakes definitely improved with age or maybe I was just too full from Easter dinner to properly enjoy them the first time around. Also, someone told me that it was the best cupcake they ever had, which is the traditional Baked compliment, so they didn't let me down on that front!

To order the Baked cookbook, click here.

More From Baked: Whoopie Pies, Sugar Cookies, Sweet and Salty Cake, Lemon Drop Cake

I'm still working on my photography skills, so I saved my pic for after the jump! You can find the complete recipe there as well.

Tree Pedestal Cake Stand (DIY)

For those of you looking for a more environmentally friendly choice in your cake stand options, the Tree Pedestal Cake Stand from Laurie at Once Wed is the stand for you! It's a really creative way to take found material and turn it into something useful and lovely. I was wondering, though, can you just use any old piece of tree that you find in the woods? How do you know when the wood it too rotted to use? Okay, maybe those are naive questions, but, really, I don't know the answers! Anyway, I was really impressed with how well these turned out, given that not much has changed from the original pieces. I even love the cake topper! Click here for full instructions on how to make the stand at Once Wed and here to visit Laurie's personal site for more crafty ideas!

The Prettiest Cakes in Town

I'm a sucker for pink, frilly, girly things. For example, I was a HUGE fan of Sara Jessica Parker's princess-like Oscar dress, even though some said she looked like Glenda, The Good Witch of the North. I would have totally worn it, if, you know, I had been invited to the Oscars. That said, you can imagine that it took me all of two seconds to fall in love with these ultrafeminine cakes. They are all so pretty and would definitely get lots of "oohs" and "aahs" from your party guests!

Happy Spring and Happy Mother's Day!

Martha Stewart's Ruffle Tower Cake


Dorie Greenspan’s Perfect Party Cake by Ezra Pound Cake


Lemon cake with Pink Hearts by Moa Maria


Topiary Mini Cake ($85) by Cupcake Envy

Yeast Extract Dessert: Dreams Do Come True

Sunday afternoon, I was sitting around, enjoying my favorite snack, Marmite on crackers, and listening to Chick Habit, when I started wondering, has anyone ever made a dessert with Marmite or Vegemite?? Mmmm . . . yeast extract and sugar. A quick internet search for Marmite/Vegemite desserts didn't turn up much, except for a few cute ads for Marmite rice cakes (see below).


On the recipe front, I was only able to uncover a couple of urban legend type mentions of Marmite/Vegemite desserts, but nothing substantial. Hmmm . . . there must be someone, somewhere (probably with a British or Australian accent) that has used Marmite in a dessert!

By Monday afternoon, I had pretty much given up my search, and with my Marmite fantasies long gone, what did I happen upon, quite accidentally?? Not one, but two different recipes for Vegemite cheesecake! It was fate! It was kismet! It looked seriously delicious!! If I hadn't been at work desk, I would have been jumping around with excitement.


(Oh, for those of you who don't know Marmite is similar, in taste and texture, to vegetable bouillon.)

Click here to get the recipes for Billy's two Vegemite cheesecakes at A Table for Two and here to view a Marmite commercial. It says it all.

Julie & Julia Trailer

Julie Powell, author of the blog/book Julie & Julia and hero to food bloggers everywhere, hits the big screen in August, in the film adaptation of her book. Well, more accurately, the adorable Amy Adams hits the big screen, playing Powell, while the planet's greatest living actress, Meryl Streep, tackles the part of Julia Child. Oh, and then there's Stanley Tucci and that strangely attractive guy who played Claire's boyfriend/husband on Six Feet Under as their spouses. I never read Powell's book and, yes, this is a Nora Ephron movie, so there is a definite possibility that it will break records in cheesiness, no pun intended, but I'm still excited to see it. I mean, it's an entire movie about food!! How bad could it be?? Okay, so it could be terrible, but what can I say, I'm trying to stay positive, at least for the time being. In the meantime, check out the trailer and the great poster below.


In an unrelated note, I've noticed lately that I've been getting a lot of hits from StumbleUpon, so I thought I'd make it easier for everyone by posting the SU button. Thanks to everyone who has already Stumbled something from my little site!! I'm always thrilled to see that someone liked a post enough to Stumble it. What can I say?? I'm a dork!!

Coconut Kisses

I am not a fan of the current "fixing what ain't broke" trend among candy makers. You know, how they'll take a classic treat that we all love and try to adjust the flavors to make it new and exciting to consumers, like covering Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in white chocolate, instead of the traditional darker variety. Hel-lo, peanut butter and white chocolate?? Puh-lease. The original is a classic for a reason!! Anyway, even though past experience has taught me that messing with classic candy doesn't generally work well (although I do like nontraditional baked goods), I couldn't resist buying these Coconut Crème Kisses. I know a lot of people don't like coconut, something about the texture, blah, blah, blah, but I LOVE the white stuff, so I just had to try these!! I snatched them up as soon as they went on sale and I was not disappointed! They are sooo good! Of course, now I'm itching to try all the flavored kisses. Any recommendations?

For some reason, Hershey's has only a limited selection of Kisses on their Web site. To check out the flavors that they feel are worthy of their Web Site, click here.

Swedish Fish: A Friend You Can Eat

While at work last week, a friend of mine e-mailed me these awesome Swedish Fish ads and they totally made my day! I love them! Of course, at first, I was a little confused. Why is that bunny sitting on a toaster pastry and covered with some sort of syrupy substance??? Why is that poor kitty sandwiched between two pieces of bread?? Why is the tagline A Friend You Can Eat????


I was starting to get creeped out until my friend pointed out that the word nej, which appears below the images on the left, means no. Ahhhh . . . the bunny and cat are examples of friends you can't eat, while the candy fish are safe to devour. I get it!! Okay, the A Friend You Can Eat line is still a little weird, but, you know, in a good way.

Actually, Swedish Fish are more animal friendly than you might think. Animal lovers will be happy to know, Swedish Fish are one of the few gummy candies that are in fact vegan! Well, as far as I can tell, anyway! No gelatin in these babies!

Click here to visit the Sweedish Fish Web site where you can check out some pretty funny commercials as well.

Sweet Testing: Lemon Drop Cake

Everyone who visits this site probably already knows how much I love the Baked cookbook! I've gone on and on and on about it in multiple posts and it's not a secret that I've become pretty much obsessed with it! I love it so much that I've decided that I'm not going to stop until I've made every single recipe! The most recent one on my list was their Lemon Drop Cake. Perfect for spring and completely yummy! Everytime I make a Baked cake, I inevitably get a "this is the best cake I've ever had!" sort of compliment and their Lemon Cake earned equally high praise from eaters!

I was feeling a bit guilty about posting recipes from this cookbook, considering that is, technically, someone else's work, and I have only linked to the recipes in the past, as opposed to posting the text. Given that I'm going to be making many more things from this particular cookbook, I checked with Baked co-owner Matt Lewis, who assured me that Baked loves when people write about their recipes and that I was free to "post away!" Yay! No Catholic guilt today!

Happy Easter/Passover/Random Week in April!

More From Baked: Whoopie Pies, Sugar Cookies, Sweet and Salty Cake
Complete recipe after the jump.

Chocolate Goldfish?

Goldfish always remind me of my sister. When she was little, she was addicted to them, much like a crack addict it addicted to, well, crack. So, I immediately thought of her when I saw that Pepperidge Farm has recently introduced three new Goldfish flavors: chocolate, honey, and cinnamon! As far as I know this is the first time that goldfish have swum into the sweet pond (sorry, I couldn't resist!), but I guess now that they've conquered the savory, they've moved on to the sweet! I'm really interested to see how chocolate translates when moved to the hollow, crackerlike fish. Has anyone tried these?? Click here to see all the Goldfish flavors.

Cadbury Egg Flurries: Thanks Easter Bunny, Baulk, Baulk

I recently spotted this piece about different flurries from around the world on StumbleUpon and it got me super excited! It's always fun to see what people in different countries are eating. Just like in the States, many of these flurries are simply composed of ice cream and candy. But, wait, this isn't your regular run of the mill American candy. This is foreign candy!! Who isn't fascinated with the sugar buying habits of our distant relations?? Who doesn't make a beeline for the candy store the minute they step on foreign soil?? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who does that. Honestly, though, I was most fascinated by two very familiar Easter favorites that have found their way into flurries in the UK and Canada: Cadbury Crème Eggs and Cadbury Mini Eggs.

The mini eggs have always been one of my favorite Easter treats and while I've outgrown my childhood love of the classic cream eggs, I'm still extremely curious as to what fake yolk and vanilla ice cream tastes like! Sounds like a future dessert project to me. Click here to see the complete list of foreign flurries.

p.s. In case anyone was wondering, I don't support McDonald's in any way, but I couldn't let this one go without a post!

photo by Gregory Alvangyh

Tord Boontje Cake

I am so loving this cake by designer Kate Sullivan. When I first saw it I thought, that's what a Tord Boontje cake would look like if, you know, Tord Boontje quite his day job and opened a bakery! I later discovered that this cake is indeed called the Boontje Nature Cake, so the inspiration is fully acknowledged by Ms. Sullivan. I know some people are getting rather tired of the whole animal trend, and I've been desperately trying to wean myself off it, but I just can't seem to stop! I'm a sucker for animal designs and I don't know if I'll ever get over it! Anyway, Kate Sullivan has a lot of other great, nonanimal-related cakes over at her Web site, many of which are inspired by artists like Robert Indiana, Andy Warhol, and filmmaker Preston Sturges (see below). There's also the Guggenheim Museum cake, complete with miniature people waiting outside.

Kate's cakes are especially impressive once you discover that she didn't train at some fancy wancy culinary skill, but learned her trade by studying books and by engaging in the art of good old-fashioned practice. See, there is still hope for the rest of us! Click here for more great photos on Kate's Web site.

Whoopie Pies: Retro Treat of the Moment

If you're a fan of food Web sites, and you know you are, then you've probably seen lots and lots of pictures of yummy whoopie pies popping up on your computer screen over the past year or so. There is definitely a trend going on and The New York Times had a piece about this very topic in Tuesday's issue. There is something fun and playful about these nostalgic treats that makes them pretty hard to resist. The kitschy factor and their ability to evoke memories of childhood are a big part of their appeal. Let's face it, oftentimes, there's nothing better than a simple and homey dessert!

On the nontraditional front, the Times article mentions that some bakeries are experimenting with the classic whoopie flavors. Places like Cranberry Island Kitchen in Maine are spicing up their vanilla fillings with Cointreau, raspberry, and espresso. What do you think? Are you a whoopie purist or do you like the idea of fiddling with tradition?

Click here to read the complete New York Times article, which includes a section about the history of the name!

Update: After writing this post last week, I couldn't stop thinking about the pumpkin whoopie pies in the Baked cookbook. I've always thought that they looked really good, so I broke down and made them on Sunday. Yum, yum, yum, YUM!! Seriously, one of my all-time favorite desserts from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks!! The guys at Baked admit that they tweaked with the traditional whoopie recipe when creating their version (that's their pic above), so I suggest that you follow their recipe for maximum enjoyment! You can find it here, along with a video, on Martha Stewart's Web site. Yum! (p.s. The picture above is from Baked. My pics weren't quite so pretty!)