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Earl Grey Cake with Honey Buttercream and Blackberry Caramel

September 11, 2020 By Ashley 2 Comments

There’s a little tea shop towards downtown St. Louis that has the best Earl Grey tea. Even better, the tea and the scones there remind me of my travels in England. I’m more into coffee than tea, but I do enjoy chai regularly and in the colder months Earl Grey is one of my favorites. My Earl Grey cake with honey buttercream and blackberry caramel is perfect for tea lovers (and even non tea lovers!) in your life. Flavored with orange zest and Earl Grey tea, this cake is tender and moist. It’s filled and topped with light and silky honey Swiss meringue buttercream, and topped with blackberry caramel sauce, fresh figs, blackberries and sugar blossoms.

What is Earl Grey tea?

Earl Grey is most commonly a black tea flavored with bergamot, orange and other citrus depending on the blend. Sometimes there’s also lavender, rose petals or cornflowers found in some blends. But the bergamot is what makes Earl Grey distinctively Earl Grey. Earl Grey is used in baking often for it’s unique, delicious flavor and as it pairs well many different flavors.

Blackberry Caramel

Recently, I discovered the amazingness of fruit caramel. Essentially it is fruit purée mixed into caramel. Nearly any fruit can be used (blackberry, orange, strawberry are my personal favorites) and like traditional caramel sauce, it’s made fairly quickly and can be stored in the fridge to use on ice cream, pancakes, cocktails and more. It’s an absolutely fabulous way to add color and flavor to a drip cake, or filling, and really amp up a caramel sauce.

You don’t have to remove the seeds or pulp from the blackberries, but strained blackberry purée will give you a smooth caramel that is easiest and prettiest to use on a drip cake. Purée the blackberries in a blender. You can add a tablespoon or two of water if the berries are having a tough time fully blending. Strain the blackberries through a fine mesh sieve, getting out as much purée as possible. There should be about one-ish tablespoon of seeds and pulp left after straining. Combine the sugar and caramel in a saucepan on the stove and let it cook until amber in color. Remove the caramel from the heat and whisk in the strained purée. If the caramel clumps up a bit, place the saucepan back on the stove on low heat and whisk until smooth and melted. Cool the caramel at room temperature.

How to make Earl Grey cake

This cake. It was so good, that after doing the first recipe test for the cake, my whole family ate it warm out of the oven. Even my littles, who don’t like tea at all. It’s soft and delicate with a tender, tight crumb and fragrant of Earl Grey and orange.

To get ample Earl Grey flavor, the tea is steeped in milk. This is way to get concentrated Earl Grey flavor without having to load the cake with tea leaves. Finely ground tea is also added to the batter as well as orange zest for ample flavor.

Butter is mixed into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mixing the butter into the dry ingredients coats the flour, preventing too much gluten formation. Then, a small amount of the milk mixture is added, just until the dry ingredients are *just* moistened and the mixture is beaten on medium-high for two full minutes until lightened in color, and thick like soft-serve ice cream. This mixing is crucial as it helps to form the structure of your cake. The remaining wet ingredients are added in three parts. The cake batter will be a bit on the thicker side.

You will also notice, a scale is also required for this recipe. Scratch cakes can be tricky to make sometimes, and the baking science is very important in the making and baking of scratch cake. We need cakes to be consistent in taste and texture, and bake up with no problems – no sinking, no overflowing, no rubbery layers, etc. A scale is key in getting consistent results. I use this one from Amazon. This recipe will not work if you convert it to volume (cups) measurements.

I also do not recommend using this recipe for cupcakes. This recipe is designed to bake up somewhat flat, and is also more compact, particularly for layer cakes. This recipe makes 3-8″ layers or 2-8″ taller layers that can be torted.

Honey Swiss meringue buttercream

Egg whites, honey, and granulated sugar are heated in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. This process is to cook the egg whites and melt the sugar all while whisking continuously to avoid any scrambling. Once the egg white mixture reaches 160F, it is strained through a sieve into a stand mixer mixing bowl and using the whisk attachment, beaten until stiff peaks form and the bowl is room temperature to touch. At this point, softened butter is popped in piece by piece and then, and you leave it to mix on low for a bit. It’s important to mix on low as to not incorporate air. Incorporating air into your buttercream can cause and contribute to cake disasters, such as blow-outs, air bubbles and sinking.

It’s quite possible your buttercream will look curdled, or super deflated. Keep mixing and it will come together into creamy, silky and smooth Swiss meringue buttercream. Mixing the buttercream on low for a while allows it to fully incorporate, and eliminates air pockets – which is super important if you’re making a fondant covered cake. It also helps creates that super silky, creamy texture. Add in the salt and vanilla and it’s ready to be used.

Reverse creaming cakes can be delicate, so they are easiest to layer, carve, stack, etc. when they are chilled. I always chill my cakes before layering and filling. Less likely chance they’ll split or fall apart, and they’re easier to handle. Refrigerating well-wrapped cakes WILL NOT dry them out. More on that in a future post.

Once you have filled and frosted your cake, pipe on the blackberry caramel around the edges of the cake. The caramel will also act as a glue for the berries and figs that will go on top. I used fresh figs and blackberries for this cake as they go well with Earl Grey, but you can totally use any combination of fruit you would like. I also added some sugar blossoms to fill in some areas and make it a bit more tea time ready.

I hope that you enjoy this cake as much as I do! If you make it, let me know and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram.

Enjoy!

Ash xx

For more layer cake recipes, check out these posts:

Strawberry Rose Buttermilk Cake

Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream

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0 from 0 votes

Earl Grey Cake with Honey Buttercream and Blackberry Caramel

Orange flecked Earl Grey cake filled and frosted with honey Swiss meringue buttercream with a blackberry caramel drip. Topped with fresh fruit and sugar blossoms.

Course: Dessert

Servings: - 8" cakes

Ingredients

Earl Grey Cake

16 oz (490ml) whole milk
6 tea bags Earl Grey tea or 4 tablespoons of looseleaf tea
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 oz (57g) canola oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
14 oz (397g) cake flour
14 oz (397g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons Earl Grey tea, finely ground
Zest of one large orange
8 ounces (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature

Blackberry Caramel

1 cup (170g) fresh blackberries
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water

Honey Swiss Meringue Buttercream

9-10 (300 grams) egg whites
1 ¼ cups (250g) honey
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
3 ½ cups (793g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Fresh blackberries and figs
Candied oranges, optional

Instructions

Make the Earl Grey Cake

Heat the oven to 350F. Prepare your cake pans. Brush the bottoms and sides of your cake pans with melted butter. Line the bottoms and sides with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, bring the milk to simmer until bubbles just start to form around the outside. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Place the 6 tea bags into the hot milk and push them down with a spatula to submerge them.
Let the tea bags steep in the milk for 30 minutes.
Remove the tea bags, wrapping each around the end of a wooden spoon to get as much milk out as possible.
Measure out 12 oz/355ml of the tea milk into a measuring cup. If you don't have exactly 12oz, use regular milk to top it off.
To the tea milk mixture, add the eggs, oil and vanilla and whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, tea and orange zest. On low speed, mix for 1 minute.
With the mixer still running, add in the softened butter pieces, a few pieces at a time. Mix until the mixture resembles cornmeal. You should be able to gather a bit in your hand, squeeze and you have a solid piece. This means the butter is evenly distributed.
With the mixer still on low, slowly pour some of the milk/egg mixture into the bowl JUST to moisten the ingredients, about 4 oz or 1/2 cup of liquid.
Turn the mixer speed to medium (4 or 6) and whip for *two full* minutes. The mixture should be whipped up, thick, and lighter in color. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
With the mixer speed on low, add the remaining wet ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
Once all the wet ingredients have been added, give the bowl a final scrape and mix with a spatula. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans.
Bake the layers for 35-45 minutes. Check the cake at 30-35 minutes to test for doneness. If a toothpick comes out clean, and the top of the cake feels springy and set when touched, take the cakes out.
Tap the cake once, firmly against the counter to remove excess steam. If your cakes dome at all, use a clean kitchen towel to gently push the domes down. Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the pans.
Run a palette or butter knife around the cakes in their pans before turning them out to cool completely on cooling racks.
Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator a couple hours to firm up.

Make the blackberry caramel

Place blackberries in the bowl of a food processor and process until pureed. Strain through a fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl, getting as much from the pulp as you can. Discard the solids.
In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Stir just until combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a rich amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
Whisk in the blackberry purée. If the caramel seizes, put in back on the stove on low heat, and whisk until smooth.
Let the caramel cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar to cool completely.

Make the honey Swiss meringue buttercream

Weigh out egg whites and granulated sugar together in a non-reactive bowl, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the bowl and place over a pot of simmering (not boiling) water, whisking constantly and gently until temperature reaches 160F.
Using a sieve, strain the egg white sugar mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the mixture is glossy, reaches stiff peaks and the outside of the bowl is no longer warm. You cannot add butter to the bowl if it is warm or the butter will just melt when added.
Once the mixture reaches stiff peaks, switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment and begin mixing on low speed.
Add the softened butter cubes, a couple at a time, until incorporated. Now, just let it mix. It might curdle or look lumpy but that’s ok. Keep mixing. This could take some time.
The buttercream is ready when it is smooth, satiny and creamy. Keep mixing on low and add the salt and flavorings. Mix until everything is fully incorporated.

Strawberry Rose Buttermilk Cake

June 10, 2020 By Ashley 1 Comment

Whenever I ask you guys what kind of recipes you want to see on the blog, more often than not, the request is for my cake recipes. As many of you know, I ran a wedding cake business up until the end of 2019. It was a lot of fun (and a lot of hard work) and I built a super successful business, but decided it was time to take a break to be able to spend more time with my family as well as blog and teach cake decorating full-time. The cake recipes I share here are mostly ones that I used for my business, tried and true client favorites that I have made for years. This strawberry rose buttermilk cake is a recipe I have made many, many, many times and is always a favorite.

My strawberry rose buttermilk cake is one of those cakes that combines flavors in such a way that they’re balanced, and light but straightforward in flavor. This cake is super fruity from the strawberries, and slightly floral from the rosewater, with a deep flavor and a bit of a tang from the super moist, and tender vanilla buttermilk cake.

About the mixing method

Let me tell you – this buttermilk cake is a KEEPER. It’s the perfect foundation for most fillings and frostings, and it makes for beautiful layer cakes. This buttermilk cake is mixed using the reverse creaming, or two stage method. Reverse creaming cakes have a tighter, more delicate and soft crumb. They tend to be more compact, with less of a rise compared to creamed cakes, and have a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Reverse creaming cakes can be delicate, so they are easiest to layer, carve, stack, etc. when they are chilled. The reverse creaming method gives me exactly what I’m looking for in a white/yellow cake base. This method of creaming and my recipe is partly adapted by Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Cake Bible. In recent years, I’ve used a recipe I adapted from my dear friend, Liz over at Sugar Geek Show, from her book Artisan Cake Company’s Visual Guide to Cake Decorating, which is also an adapted recipe from The Cake Bible.

Check out Sugar Geek Show’s Cake Decorating Basics tutorials for beginners.

How to make the buttermilk cake

If you haven’t made a cake using this method, don’t be afraid of it. It’s super easy if you follow the notes on the stages of batter texture along the way in the recipe. And, while we’ve been conditioned to “mix until just combined” or “don’t over mix” so that we don’t over develop the gluten which would result in a tough cake, those rules don’t apply the same in this cake. In the instructions, butter is mixed into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Mixing the butter into the dry ingredients coats the flour, preventing too much gluten formation.

Then, a small amount of liquid is added, just until the dry ingredients are *just* moistened and the mixture is beaten on medium-high for two full minutes until lightened in color, and thick like soft-serve ice cream. This mixing is crucial as it helps to form the structure of your cake. The remaining wet ingredients are added in three parts. The cake batter will be a bit on the thicker side.

You will also notice that this recipe doesn’t have baking soda, but uses all baking powder instead. A bit unusual considering there is an acidic ingredient – buttermilk. Baking soda neutralizes the acid in the buttermilk, and also contributes to the rise of the cake. Too much acid can prevent the cake from developing the proper structure, but also can prevent it from browning. So, why did I skip on the baking soda then? Neutralizing the buttermilk also tames the flavor. I wanted full buttermilk flavor. This cake is not too acidic without the baking soda so it browns well and rises properly.

For this recipe, a scale is also required. Scratch cakes can be tricky to make sometimes, and the baking science is very important in the making and baking of scratch cake. We need cakes to be consistent in taste and texture, and bake up with no problems – no sinking, no overflowing, no rubbery layers, etc. A scale is key in getting consistent results. I use this one from Amazon. This recipe will not work if you convert it to volume (cups) measurements.

I also do not recommend using this recipe for cupcakes. This recipe is designed to bake up somewhat flat, and is also more compact. I use a different, slightly less delicate recipe for cupcakes (it’s ah-mazing) that can accompany all sorts of fillings and frostings that I’ll share soon.

About the Italian meringue buttercream

For this cake, I opted to use velvety smooth Italian meringue buttercream. My how-to post for Italian meringue buttercream can be found here. The strawberry buttercream is super fruity, silky and smooth, with just a hint of rose water. To really get a super concentrated strawberry flavor, I recommend using a jam (homemade or store bought) over a puree. Purees aren’t as concentrated in flavor and can be a bit watery. I’ve provided my strawberry reduction jam in the recipe. Really, strawberries and rose go together like peanut butter and jelly. They compliment each other really well and are amazing when paired with the buttermilk cake. However, you can omit the rosewater if you wish- this cake will still be amazing.

I decorated my strawberry rose buttermilk cake with fresh strawberries and edible dried rose petals. I love the delicate, romantic look of it.

In the pictures of the cake in this post, the cake was sliced while it was slightly chilled. Cutting a chilled cake allows for the cake to not fall apart when cutting it, but also it makes for neat and tidy slices. Serve the cake at room temperature.

For more cake and cupcake recipes, check out these recipes:

Black Forest Cupcakes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Stout Cake

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5 from 1 vote

Strawberry Rose Buttermilk Cake

This strawberry rose buttermilk is super fruity from the strawberries, and slightly floral from the rosewater, with a deep flavor and a bit of a tang from the super moist, and tender vanilla buttermilk cake.

This recipe yields 2-8" cakes, both just under 2" tall. For a loftier 3-layer cake, make a batch and a half.

Prep Time1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Stacking and Decorating30 mins

Total Time2 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 1x2x5 slices

Equipment

Kitchen Scale
Stand Mixer
Bake Even Strips (optional)

Ingredients

Quick Strawberry Jam

3 cups (680g) fresh or frozen strawberries
1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Buttermilk Cake

14 oz (397g) unbleached cake flour
14 oz (397g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
8 oz (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
2 oz (57g) canola oil
10 oz (284g) buttermilk, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream

12 oz (339g) strawberry jam
1 batch of Italian meringue buttercream

Instructions

Make the quick strawberry jam:

Combine the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepan.
Place the pan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the strawberries are softened.
Using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, smash the strawberries to release their juices and break them up.
Simmer the mixture for 30- 45 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced and has thickened.
Push the hot strawberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Discard the leftover pulp.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

Mix the cooled strawberry jam into the prepared Italian meringue buttercream. Add 1/2 cup/4oz at a time, to ensure the jam gets thoroughly mixed into the buttercream.

Make the buttermilk cake:

Heat the oven to 350F. Prepare your cake pans. Brush the bottoms and sides of your cake pans with melted butter. Line the bottoms and sides with parchment paper.
Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla in medium bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Pour 40z/113g of the wet ingredients into a separate mixing cup.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. On low speed, mix for 1 minute.
With the mixer still running, add in the softened butter chunks, one or two pieces at a time. Mix until the mixture resembles cornmeal. You should be able to gather a bit in your hand, squeeze and you have a solid piece. This means the butter is evenly distributed.
With the mixer still on low, pour in the 4oz of liquid and mix until the flour mixture is moistened.
Turn the mixer speed to medium (4 or 6) and whip for *two full* minutes. The mixture should be whipped up, thick, and lighter in color.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
With the mixer speed on low, add the remaining wet ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl after each addition has been mixed in.
Once all the wet ingredients have been added, give the bowl a final scrape and mix with a spatula. Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans.
Bake the layers for 35-45 minutes. Check the cake at 30-35 minutes to test for doneness. If a toothpick comes out clean, and the top of the cake feels springy and set when touched, take the cakes out.
Tap the cake once, firmly against the counter to remove excess steam. If your cakes dome at all, use a clean kitchen towel to gently push the domes down. Cool the cakes for 15 minutes in the pans.
Run a palette or butter knife around the cakes in their pans before turning them out to cool completely on cooling racks.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator a couple hours.
Torte the cake for 4 layers. Fill and frost the cake. Finish with fresh cut strawberries and edible/food safe rose bud petals.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

June 8, 2020 By Ashley Leave a Comment

Italian meringue buttercream is the lighter, fluffier, more stable cousin to the ever popular Swiss meringue buttercream. Both Italian and Swiss buttercreams are similar as they are light, silky smooth, and melt in your mouth. They both create a smooth cake surface and chill firmly for sturdy stacking and transportation. The main difference between Swiss and Italian is in the preparation of the meringue.

The Italian method of boiling sugar and water to a high temperature to create a sugar syrup and then adding it to soft peak egg whites, allows for a more stable meringue, or a meringue that will not deflate or breakdown easily over time. This is especially beneficial when using this buttercream for a cake for an outdoor event or on a warm day. With caution of course. If you frost a cake with any butter based buttercream and leave it outside in the sun in mid-July in the Midwest, it’s destined to be a buttery messy puddle quickly. But, for moderately warmer temps, it is the best butter based buttercream to use.

Egg whites and cream of tartar whipped to soft peaks.

Both Swiss and Italian meringue buttercream contain mostly the same ingredients – egg whites, sugar, butter, salt and flavoring. The exception is that Italian meringue buttercream usually uses some sort of stabilizer (cream of tartar, salt) which stabilizes the egg whites during beating, before the sugar syrup is added.

How to make Italian meringue buttercream

Italian meringue buttercream is made by combining sugar and water into a saucepan and boiling until softball stage, or about 240-245F. As with caramel, mix together the sugar and water. Then stop stirring. You don’t want to create sugar crystals – which would give you crunchy bits in your otherwise silky smooth buttercream. While the sugar is boiling, whip up the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. When the sugar mixture reaches temperature, remove from the heat and turn your mixer up to medium-high speed. Drizzle the *very* hot sugar mixture into the bowl, between the side of the bowl and the whisk attachment.

Sugar syrup has been added, and the meringue has been cooled and beaten to stiff peaks.

Continue to mix on medium-high until the outside of the bowl is just lukewarm to the touch, or the mixture is at 80F. Really though, don’t stress about having exactly 80F meringue here -I’m really just giving you a temperature as a guide. Just feeling that the bowl is lukewarm means it’s ready for the butter. You can wrap the bowl with ice packs or cold towels to help cool the meringue down faster if you wish.

Right after all the butter was added. A bit deflated, lumpy and thin. Keep mixing!

Same as with Swiss buttercream, softened butter is added to the bowl piece by piece until all the butter is added. The buttercream will deflate a bit, and it is quite possible the buttercream will curdle or look thin, like cake batter, but keep going. Oftentimes, meringue buttercreams go through an ugly, sloppy mess before coming together and looking more like buttercream. Once the buttercream has come back together, let it mix on low speed for a while – 5-10 minutes or so, to get rid any air bubbles. Air bubbles in buttercream under a fondant cake can result in blow-outs and bubbling fondant. The end result will be perfectly smooth, beautiful, fluffy, light and silky buttercream.

The buttercream is fluffy, light and smooth. Those little holes and divots are air bubbles. Mix on low for 10 more minutes to smooth them out.

Troubleshooting Italian meringue buttercream

*The buttercream can be refrigerated and also freezes well. Bring to room temperature before rewhipping, otherwise the buttercream will separate. If this happens, heat the metal mixing bowl with a kitchen torch while continuing to whip. Stop applying heat when the buttercream comes together.

*Color meringue buttercream with gel color, or ideally chocolate colors (which are oil based). Do not use liquid color as it can dilute the buttercream.

*If at the end of mixing, your buttercream is a liquidy, soupy mess, pop in the refrigerator for 15-25 minutes to cool it down. Look for the edges of the buttercream to start to harden, then it should be ready to whip again. Repeat this process again if necessary.

*Keep going! If you have whipped up your egg whites and heated your syrup to the correct temperature, the rest of the process is pretty foolproof. If it is curdled, separated, lumpy, the butter was too cold, etc. Keep mixing. It might take a bit longer but keep mixing and it will come together.

*Italian meringue buttercream can hold quite a bit of flavorings. When adding liquids, such as fruit purees and other liquids, mix in a little at a time. The liquid needs to be able to emulsify into the buttercream. Another reason you want to add a little bit of liquid at a time, is that adding too much liquid can cause the buttercream to become unstable. I recommend reducing your fruit purees into concentrates before adding to the buttercream. You can also use pulverized freeze dried berries for fruity variations as well.

The recipe below is for vanilla bean Italian meringue buttercream. But the flavor options are endless. Here are a few popular flavors to experiment with. Adjust the quantities to suit your taste. I like my buttercream flavors as concentrated as possible.

*Chocolate – Add 3 cups (600g) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature, to a batch of buttercream

*Fruit flavors – Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups reduced fruit puree, preserves or curd per batch

*Nut Butters, Cookie Butters, Caramel- Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups per batch

*Boozy – Add 1/4 – 1/3 cup flavored liqueur such as Bailey’s, Champagne, Amaretto, etc. per batch

For more information on meringue based buttercream, check out my post on Swiss meringue buttercream here.

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5 from 1 vote

Italian Meringue Buttercream

A fluffy, silky and smooth not-so-sweet meringue based buttercream, that is more stable than Swiss meringue buttercream but lighter in taste and texture. Perfect for all types of flavors and add ins.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Course: Dessert

Ingredients

9-10 (300g) large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 ½ cups (500g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120g) water
3 ½ cups (793g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Place the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and the water over medium-high heat. Stir to moisten the sugar.
Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan. Boil the sugar and water mixture. Do not stir.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar.
On medium speed, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, about 1-2 minutes.
When the sugar syrup reaches 240F, remove the saucepan from the heat. Turn the speed of the mixer to high, and very carefully and slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin and steady stream into the bowl, pouring between the bowl and the whisk attachment so that the sugar syrup doesn't splatter. Don't rush.
Once the sugar syrup is added, continue to whip until stiff peaks form and the bowl is lukewarm to the touch, about 10-15 minutes. You can wrap the bowl with ice packs to speed up this process, if you wish.
Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the softened butter, a few pieces at a time, mixing until the butter disappears into the meringue.
After all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and whip until thick, and fluffy.
Reduce the speed to low. Add the vanilla and salt, and beat for an additional 5-10 minutes to minimize the air bubbles.

Notes

Buttercream can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for 1 week in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.

Mini Tutorial: White on White Baroque Cake

May 7, 2020 By Ashley 2 Comments

[This post is written in partnership with Iron Orchid Designs. All text and opinions are 100% mine. Please note that I would never endorse a product or company that I don’t actually enjoy using. Thank you for supporting brands that help me and my business grow!]

Hi guys! I’m super excited to share my white on white Baroque cake mini tutorial with you. Since monochrome cakes are one solid color, it can be hard to emphasize detail and textures, since those elements can get lost in the overall look of the cake. So, I’m going to share some ways to make a single color cake really pop. One of the best ways is to add textural elements using moulds, stamps, or other 2D elements.

The moulds I used for this cake are by Iron Orchid Designs. They’re large, durable, made with high quality food-safe silicone and are super easy to use. The fondant doesn’t stick to the moulds, and is easy to remove. The moulds also have a micro rim to help get a super clean edge. The two that I chose to use are baroque style moulds (the Classic Elements and Acanthus moulds) with lots of scrolls and embellishments with some pearl detail.

For the cake, I used a natural white fondant (slightly ivory tinted) and used an Iron Orchid decor stamp, called Craquelure. I love this stamp. It’s perfect for creating a fishnet texture, a lacy texture and great for animal skins, like snakes and reptiles. I imprinted all of my cake tiers with this stamp to add additional texture under the moulded pieces.

The best way to plan out the mould design for your cake is, as you are making pieces, lay them out on a non-stick mat to form the big components of your design before putting them on your cake. To use these moulds, press the fondant firmly into the mould. You can use a solid piece of fondant, or you can place the fondant into the mould in pieces. Note that the finished mould piece will be a bit segmented since the fondant was placed in pieces. I tend to like that look because it reminds me of old stone pieces, so a lot of my moulded pieces have some random segmented lines.

Once the fondant is in the mould, use a modeling tool to scrape off the excess paste. To remove the fondant, place the mould face down. Gently peel back the mould and ease the fondant out. It should come out easily and all in one piece.

I formed the larger pieces of my design to get a basic design and layout, then placed them onto the cake with sugar glue. Then I filled in the design with smaller accent pieces, followed by the pearl details. The pearl detail on the bottom tier is my absolute fave. It’s probably my favorite tier.

I also added a few white dragees to accent the design and fill in some blank spaces. I made some white heirloom roses with lots of petals and added those to the cake for more of a romantic touch. I left the petals all white and dusted the edges with just a little bit of cream colored petal dust.

Moulds and stamps are a great way to add textural elements and additional detail to help this white on white cake really stand out. If you recreate this cake, let me know. Tag me on Instagram so I can see it and share it!

For more mini tutorials, check these out:

Mediterranean Tile and Flowers Cake

Romantic Roses Cake

Mini Tutorial: Romantic Roses Cake

January 29, 2020 By Ashley Leave a Comment

[This post is written in partnership with Satin Ice. All text and opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting brands that help me and my business grow!]

Valentine’s Day is the inspiration behind this “mini” tutorial for my Romantic Roses cake. This cake is sponsored by my sweet friends over at Satin Ice. Their new buttercream icing mix was perfect for palette knife buttercream painting. While this is actually a fondant covered cake, mixed media elements like buttercream and royal icing techniques – such as palette knife painting, detailed piping, buttercream flowers, etc. look amazing together and allows you to incorporate several different techniques.

I’m calling this a “mini” tutorial because I’m sharing how I made this cake, but it’s not a step by step detailed tutorial. The idea is to share how I created this cake, and to share a technique and some information for you to be able to replicate it on your cakes. A reader wrote to me recently asking for me to keep in mind beginner cake tutorials when creating tutorials. I will most definitely be creating tutorials for ALL skill levels and ALL sorts of cakes – birthday cakes, wedding cakes, themed cakes, holiday cakes, etc. Keep in mind that many of the techniques featured in my full or mini tutorials can be applied to any size or style of cake, and many are perfect for all skill levels. Trust me, I’m going to do my best to not let any of you leave a post empty handed.

After determining that palette knife buttercream painting was definitely on the table for this cake, and Valentine’s Day was an underlying theme, my mind went to color next. I wanted to incorporate dark reds, pinks, and blush tones. And what screams Valentine’s Day more than ROSES? To keep with rose theme, I created hybrid tea roses, heirloom roses, David Austin garden roses, and little climbing roses and rose buds. I also added in some rose leaves and some twisty vines.

I used Satin Ice fondant for this cake, which I colored with Crystal Colors petal dust in Champagne and Blush, mostly equal parts. I wanted a blush color for the cake but I wanted it more of a cool, muted, vintage-y tone and not so harshly pink. I’ve been experimenting with using dusts for coloring fondant simply to get more of a targeted color. I find that it’s a bit more difficult to achieve the desired color if I’m using gel colors. Food safe dusts come in such a large variety of colors which allows me to achieve the color I’m aiming for much easier. However, if you don’t have these colors, you can use Americolor electric pink and Wilton brown to achieve a similar color. Avoid Americolor brown – there’s a bit too much orange in it. Incorporate very little color gradually since gels are more concentrated.

I used the same petal dusts to color my buttercream to match the fondant, which was fairly simple to do since the buttercream mix is pure white. Satin Ice buttercream mix comes as a soft dough. To the dough, you add butter or shortening and water to create an American style buttercream. The buttercream mix is very customizable to most projects. It’s stiff enough for piping flowers and ruffles, but you can also make it soft enough to mimic the same consistency as a meringue based buttercream, which happens to be my favorite buttercream to use. To get that consistency, I added water 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it was soft and smooth, like peanut butter.

Because I wanted my palette knife painting to be focused around the sugar flowers, I placed the sugar flowers first. Once the flowers were placed, I created buttercream “petals” around the flowers, by pressing the buttercream coated palette knife up against the cake and gently pulling down and away, to create a slightly grooved petal. Take care not to place your petals too symmetrical. The petals can be different sizes and don’t have to be perfectly neat. Consider creating your petals based on the shape you want your petals to have and direction you want your painting to go. Once I finished the painting, I added some white sugar dragees that I painted gold with a mix of clear alcohol and gold dust.

And really, that’s it. A super simple technique just to get acquainted with palette knife buttercream painting. I’m totally in love with the technique and can’t wait to do some palette knife buttercream flowers. Let me know if you try this out!

Check out these posts for more sugar art tutorials:

Gum Paste Blackberries, Leaves and Blossoms tutorial

Essential Tools for Making Sugar Flowers

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

October 25, 2019 By Ashley 2 Comments

Well hello there. It’s officially apple season and I am loving it. To me, baking with apples is so quintessentially fall. Pairing apples with cinnamon and caramel – now that’s when the magic happens. My caramel apple coffee cake is perfect for those chilly fall mornings with a fresh cup of hot coffee, or for an after dinner treat (also with coffee, because, well, coffee). The cake is rustic and beautiful and while it’s perfect for a snack cake, it also makes for an impressive sweet treat for the holidays. This caramel apple coffee cake consists of a sour cream cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar tossed apples and a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel topping and drizzled with salted caramel. The cake is simple to make and absolutely delicious.

I found this recipe in a stack of old recipes passed down from my great grandmother. It definitely required quite a bit of tweaking but it’s so awesome to be able to rework one of my great grandmother’s recipes. I learned a lot of my baking from her just by watching her as a child, long before I showed any interest in baking at all. It always fascinated me that she would make pies without recipes and measuring and they came out the same, perfect every time. I can only assume that came from years and years of baking practice.

So, on to making this caramel apple coffee cake.

The key to making the cake batter light and tender is room temperature ingredients and also making sure to adequately beat together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. I know we see the “beat until light and fluffy” terminology often, but it really is an important step, and one that is absolutely necessary for helping create the texture of your cake. I used sour cream in this recipe for flavor and for added moisture. Note that the batter will be quite thick. Spoon it into a 9″ springform pan and use an offset spatula to make sure it’s evenly distributed in the pan.

About the apples

My preferred baking apple is Granny Smith, particularly when I’m using streusels, frostings, etc. that will be adding extra sweetness. For this recipe, I like the contrast of the tart apples to the sweet streusel and caramel toppings. But you can definitely use your favorite baking apple. Honeycrisp and Braeburns are also awesome to bake with. The apples are peeled and sliced, and tossed with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Slice your apples to about 1/4″ thick. You don’t want them too thick otherwise they won’t cook all the way through. The apples are then layered flat on top of the cake batter. I leave a really small space in the center without apples so that I can check if the cake is done without the apples skewing the result.

I use a food processor to make my streusel, as I do my tart and pie doughs, just because I find it to be easier and faster than doing it by hand. Pulse together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add in the butter chunks and pulse until small clumps start to form and the mixture no longer looks powdery. Mix in your pecans last so that they retain their crunchiness and don’t end up pulverized. Scatter the streusel evenly over the apples. The streusel can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator.

The caramel apple coffee cake takes quite a while to bake, about 60 minutes or so. However, it’s important to check on the cake starting at about 40-45 minutes because baking times can vary depending on the juiciness of the apples. The cake is done when a tester comes out with few crumbs.

How to make the salted caramel sauce

While the cake is baking, or even a few days in advance, make the salted caramel sauce. I start this caramel sauce with a wet mix – a mixture of sugar and water. After the the water and sugar is mixed, set down that whisk, and leave it be. Let the mixture boil until it turns a rich amber color. Then immediately remove from the heat to stop the cooking process. Be careful when adding the butter and the cream, as they cause the mixture to sputter and steam. So watch those fingers. Let the cake cool until just warm or room temperature before drizzling with caramel sauce. And because it’s always okay to be extra with caramel, go ahead and drizzle a bit more on each slice before serving.

This caramel apple coffee cake is a total winner and an absolute comforting fall bake. If you try my caramel apple coffee cake, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram so I can see your creation!

For another fall inspired recipe, try these pumpkin cream cheese muffins!

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5 from 1 vote

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

This caramel apple coffee cake consists of a sour cream cake batter topped with cinnamon sugar tossed apples and a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel topping and drizzled with salted caramel.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Ingredients

Apple Coffee Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup sour cream, full fat, room temperature
2 cups apples, peeled and sliced (about 2-3 medium apples)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature,
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the salted caramel.

In a medium sized saucepan, combine the sugar and the water. Whisk just until combined.
Place the saucepan over medium heat. Let the sugar mixture cook, without stirring, until the sugar mixture turns a rich amber color. Take the mixture off the heat to stop the cooking process.
Add the butter to the saucepan and whisk to combine. Be very careful as the mixture is incredibly hot and will bubble up and steam when the butter is added.
Whisk in the heavy cream, followed by the vanilla and the salt until smooth.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a glass jar to cool completely.

Make the streusel.

In the bowl of a food processor, place the flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pulse to mix.
Add the butter cubes and pulse until mixture begins to stick together and form small clumps.
Remove the bowl from the food processor and remove the center blade. Stir in the pecans. If not using right away, store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Make the apple coffee cake.

Heat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
Place the butter and the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed, stopping to scrape the bowl every so often, until the mixture is light, fluffy and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture to the batter in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, and scrape down the the bowl and give it a stir to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth with an offset spatula.
Place the peeled and sliced apples into a medium sized bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and stir to coat the apples.
Layer the apples, slightly overlapping, onto the cake batter.
Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the apples.
Bake the cake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with few moist crumbs.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. When the cake has cooled a bit, but is still warm, drizzle the cake with caramel sauce, cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

Store caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Black Forest Cupcakes

August 30, 2019 By Ashley Leave a Comment

[This post is written in partnership with Bialetti. All text and opinions are 100% mine. Thank you for supporting brands that help me and my business grow!]

Hello, friends! Is it officially considered fall when pumpkin spice starts popping up in coffee shops? As much as I love fall, I’m having a hard time dealing with the fact that summer is nearly over. But I won’t pretend that I’m not excited about hauling out the slow cooker and making ALL the soups. And fall baking, also love it. Pumpkins, apples, warm spices – comfort baking at its best. I’ve got so many fab recipes and tutorials lined up for this fall season and can’t wait to share them all with you.

I couldn’t possibly finish out summer baking on the blog without posting a cherry recipe. My littlest loves cherries so we’ve had a steady supply on hand since they were first available. These black forest cupcakes are the perfect way to use up the last of those cherries. And what better to pair with cherries than chocolate. These chocolate cupcakes are moist and fluffy, filled with homemade cherry filling and topped with a tangy whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting. This is my go-to cream cheese buttercream frosting I use for my wedding cakes.

I’ll admit, these black forest cupcakes aren’t authentically black forest in the traditional sense. Both feature a rich chocolate cake base, but the cherry filling differs a bit. Traditional black forest cake has that unmistakable flavor of Kirsch, or cherry liquor. I chose to leave it out and flavored my cherry filling with vanilla and a hint of almond. I left it out because I don’t keep Kirsch on hand and didn’t feel like it was worth buying a bottle of Kirsch for this one recipe. It would never be used except for this recipe. However, you can add Kirsch to the filling if you have it and wish to use it. I also used sweet cherries for my filling in place of the traditional sour cherries. Traditional black forest cake is filled and covered with a light whipped cream. I opted for a whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting because the tanginess of the cream cheese is fabulous with the cherries and the chocolate.

This chocolate cupcake recipe is one I’ve been using for years and it’s pretty much the *perfect* chocolate cupcake. It’s fantastically chocolate-y with a tight but fluffy crumb. Be sure to use a good quality dutch processed cocoa here. Not only will the flavor be highlighted, but also good quality cocoa powder has a higher fat content (ie: adds moistness to the cupcake).

The only liquid in this chocolate cupcake recipe is coffee. I used Bialetti’s Moka Express to brew the coffee for my cupcakes. I don’t own an espresso machine, so the Moka Express is a fast and easy way for me to make a quality espresso drink without having to hit the local coffee shop drive-through. Bialetti’s Milano coffee blend is my favorite to drink – it’s lighter, more floral and more delicate than the Bialetti Napoli blend that I used for these cupcakes. I opted to use a more robust and dark roast to really enhance the chocolate in the cupcakes and I wanted the natural roasted and cocoa aroma of the coffee to really shine through.

The coffee and cocoa powder are mixed together to “bloom” the cocoa powder. Combining the cocoa powder with a liquid allows the cocoa powder to dissolve and essentially release it’s flavor. Pretty much means you’re unleashing it’s ultimate chocolate-y potential. The cupcakes are made by combining sugar and butter in a saucepan and heating just until melted. The mixture is then poured into the bowl of a stand mixer and beaten until room temperature. Eggs and vanilla are added, followed by the chocolate mixture and finished by alternating between sour cream and the flour mixture. When baked they’ll be perfectly domed, moist and flavorful chocolate cupcakes.

The cherry filling for these black forest cupcakes is super easy and fast to make. Combine all the ingredients into a saucepan. I use a potato masher to break up the cherries a bit more and get them to release some of their juices once they start to cook down a bit. Let the cherry mixture simmer until thickened, add in extracts and let it cool completely before using. Easy peasy. The cherry filling can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to a week.

Whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting is so versatile and great for topping cupcakes, filling cakes and spreading on brownies. It’s also super easy to prepare and definitely a no fuss recipe. Combine softened butter and chilled cream cheese and beat until combined. I use the cream cheese while it’s still cold because it will heat up quite a bit with all the mixing. Using chilled cream cheese helps keep it more stable. Add in the powdered sugar and the vanilla and beat on low until combined. At this point, it’s going to look yellow and pretty lumpy. Turn up the mixer to medium speed and whip until the buttercream has lightened in color and texture, about 3-5 minutes.

If you really wanted to get extra, after filling the cupcakes, puree the remaining cherry filling and drizzle it over the top of the cupcakes. So. Much. Yum. These black forest cupcakes are a must try.

If you try my black forest cupcakes, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For more chocolate desserts, check out these recipes:

Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream and Irish Whiskey Ganache

Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

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0 from 0 votes

Black Forest Cupcakes

Moist chocolate cupcakes filled with homemade cherry filling and topped with a tangy whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Black Forest Cupcakes

Servings: cupcakes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons espresso or coffee
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120ml) sour cream, full fat

Cherry Filling:

1 cup (1/2lb) sweet cherries, cut in half, stems and pits removed
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Pinch of fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

Whipped Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 block (250g) cream cheese
4 cups (500g) confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the chocolate cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, combine the cocoa powder and espresso and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Place the sugar and the butter into a saucepan over low heat. When the butter is almost melted, transfer the mixture to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
On medium low speed, beat the butter mixture until it is room temperature.
Adjust the speed to low. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla.
Add the chocolate coffee mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the sour cream, mixing only until just combined after each addition.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and scrape down the sides and the bottom to make sure that all the ingredients are fully mixed.
Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake the cupcakes for 16-19 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few stray crumbs.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the cherry filling.

Combine the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.
Use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to crush the cherries just a bit to release the juices and break them up a bit.
Let the mixture simmer until thickened and glossy, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the mixture from the heat and cool completely before using.

Make the whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with a paddle attachment, on medium speed, combine the butter and the cream cheese and beat until combined, about a minute.
Adjust the speed to low and add the confectioners sugar a cup at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition.
Once all the sugar has been added, scrape down the bowl. Add the vanilla and the salt.
Turn the mixer speed to medium and beat the buttercream until lightened and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip

Compile the black forest cupcakes.

Use a small knife to cut a cone shape out of the cupcake center.
Fill the cupcake with two teaspoons of the cherry filling.
Pipe the cupcakes with the whipped cream cheese buttercream frosting and top with a cherry. Enjoy!

Notes

The cupcakes, without frosting can be stored for up to three days at room temperature in a air tight container.

The cupcakes with frosting must be refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

April 17, 2019 By Ashley 2 Comments

I’m super excited to share these adorable Easter themed carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting with you! Carrot cake is a must-have for us around this time of year. It’s like THE intro to Spring sweet treat for us. Carrot cake is my husband’s favorite cake. In fact, he has requested my carrot cake so often that my littlest once requested carrot cake for her birthday, without even having tried it. Now, she LOVES carrot cake. With Easter right around the corner, these cupcakes make the perfect dessert to serve at your Easter gatherings.

These carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting are the absolute best. They’re moist, loaded with freshly grated carrots and full of balanced warm spices. They’re super easy to make and will keep for a couple days so they can be made in advance. They remain moist and flavorful even after a couple days, which is a rarity with scratch made cupcakes. And the brown butter cream cheese frosting? Out. of. this. world. Nutty, tangy, creamy deliciousness. I actually had a little bit of frosting left over so I dipped some fresh strawberries in the frosting for an afternoon snack. So good!

The recipe instructions state to make these using a stand mixer, but you can also use a hand mixer or a whisk if you wish. This is a two bowl method cake, much like a standard muffin batter. In one bowl you will combine your dry ingredients and in a larger bowl, you’ll combine the wet. You want to make sure your wet ingredients – brown sugar, carrots, eggs, vanilla, and oil are thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients – flour, spices, salt and baking soda to the wet and mix just until combined. Easy peasy and fast.

About the ingredients

I used a flavorless oil here instead of butter which I would usually use in a vanilla or delicately flavored cake or cupcake. Butter flavor is a key component in lighter flavored cakes but isn’t necessary here. I have made these with all butter, and half butter, but I found them to be too spongy and they were a bit drier and dried out much faster. Oil keeps these cupcakes moist and texturally awesome. I also used all brown sugar for one reason alone – flavor. The caramel-ly, molasses flavor of brown sugar is perfect in these carrot cake cupcakes and adds that flavor that granulated sugar can’t deliver.

It’s important to use freshly grated carrots for these cupcakes. The pre-grated variety is too hard, too dry and too large for this cake. Using freshly grated carrots will provide more flavor but also more moisture for the cupcakes. For the spices, I used cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a small pinch of cloves. I think that these cupcakes are perfectly spiced and perfectly balanced, but as you make these cupcakes over time, feel free to tweak the spices to suit your flavor preference.

I’m usually a no fuss, no frills, no add-in’s sort of lady when it comes to carrot cake. However feel free to add your favorite carrot cake mix-in’s as you wish. When I bake this recipe up as cakes for my clients, I’ve added coconut, toasted nuts, raisins, golden raisins and dried cranberries without any issue. Dried cranberries and toasted pecans is a winner in this recipe. Super yummy.

About the brown butter cream cheese frosting

The brown butter cream cheese frosting is equally easy to make, though it does need a little bit more time. Browning the butter will need to be done in advance and refrigerated until cooled and solid again. I make my brown butter a day to a couple days in advance and store in the refrigerator until I need to use it. Bring out both your cream cheese and butter to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes or so, just to take the chill off. If your brown butter is super hard, microwave in 5 second increments, for about 15 seconds or so, just to soften it slightly for easier mixing.

Beat both the brown butter and the cream cheese together until creamy. This could take a few minutes since both the butter and the cream cheese are still cool. Add the confectioners sugar a bit at a time, add the vanilla and mix until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium and beat the frosting. This will lighten the frosting and thicken it up a bit. Beating the frosting introduces air, contributing to the lightness of it, but it also smooths the frosting, getting rid of that grainy texture that can sometimes accompany cream cheese frostings. This is a looser style cream cheese frosting that’s perfect for icing cupcakes or used as a cake filling.

To decorate the cupcakes, I toasted some sweetened coconut in a skillet over low heat and once cooled, I sprinkled a little bit on the cupcakes to give the appearance of a bird’s nest. I placed Cadbury chocolate mini eggs in the center to complete the nest. I think they’re super cute and both kids and adults will love them!

These carrot cake cupcakes can be made as a layer cake. Bake one and a half recipes or a double batch (thicker layers) of the recipe for 2 or 3 – 8″ pans. One thing to note about this recipe, particularly when converting it to cakes, is that this recipe is formulated to get domed cupcakes, so cake layers will also dome. Use bake even strips and bake at a slightly lower temperature for baking this recipe into cakes.

If you try these carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

For another delicious cake, check out my chocolate stout layer cake with Irish cream butter cream and Irish whiskey ganache.

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0 from 0 votes

Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, and flavorful carrot cake cupcakes topped with nutty, creamy brown butter cream cheese frosting

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Carrot cake cupcakes with brown butter cream cheese frosting

Servings: cupcakes

Ingredients

Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

1 cup canola oil
4 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract, I use Rodelle
3 cups peeled, finely grated fresh carrots
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 3/4 tsp baking soda

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter
2 blocks Philadelphia cream cheese
8 cups confectioner's sugar
3 tsp pure vanilla extract, I use Rodelle

Instructions

Make the carrot cupcakes.

Preheat the oven to 350F with the rack placed in the center of the oven. Line two cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and baking soda. Whisk the flour mixture to thoroughly combine and break up lumps. Set aside.
Combine the oil, freshly grated carrots, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla into the bowl of stand mixer and mix on low speed until fully combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the carrot mixture. Mix until just combined.
Use an ice cream scoop to distribute batter evenly into the cupcake tins. They should be about 3/4 full.
Place the cupcakes in the oven and bake for 14-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out with minimal crumbs and no wet batter.
Leave the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Remove the cupcakes from the pans and place on cooling racks to cool completely before frosting.

Make the brown butter cream cheese frosting.

Place the butter into a skillet set over medium-low heat. Cook the butter until it gives a nutty aroma, is no longer making popping noises and has turned an amber color.
Remove the butter from the heat and let it cool in the pan until lukewarm. Poor the butter into a container and pop in the fridge to cool completely and re-solidify.
Once the butter is set, remove the butter and the cream cheese from the fridge to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
Place the butter and the cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer. If the butter is still very firm, microwave it in 5 second increments, up to 15 or 20 seconds until softened slightly.
Beat the butter and the cream cheese until completely combined and lightened in texture and color, about 3 minutes.
Add the confectioner's sugar in gradually, mixing on low to combine the sugar into the mixture before adding more. Add the vanilla extract.
Turn the mixture speed up to medium and beat until lightened in color and texture, about 5 minutes. Place the frosting into a piping bag fitted with your preferred piping tip and top the cupcakes.

Notes

The cupcakes, without frosting can be stored for up to three days at room temperature in a air tight container.

The cupcakes with frosting must be refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream

March 12, 2019 By Ashley Leave a Comment

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner! What better dessert to follow your corned beef and cabbage than this chocolate stout layer cake with coffee Irish cream buttercream and Irish whiskey ganache? This cake highlights some of Ireland’s best alcohols – Guinness Stout, Jameson Whiskey and Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur. The chocolate stout cake is out of this world delicious on its own, or with a multitude of fillings and butter creams. But, layering and topping the cake with Jameson Whiskey infused chocolate ganache and a coffee and Bailey’s Irish Cream infused Swiss meringue buttercream takes this chocolate stout layer cake to a whole other level of amazing.

I actually have this stout cake on my wedding cake menu. It is one of my most popular flavors for groom’s cakes and is a huge hit with both beer lovers and non-beer fans alike. It’s a rich and chocolaty cake with deep coffee notes and a roasted flavor from the stout beer.

When I chose recipes for my business, I chose cakes with a tight, fine grain crumb, moist on it’s own without the need of moistening syrups, and incredibly flavorful, as well as being functional and a good foundation for stacked and tiered cakes. This chocolate stout cake is not only amazing because it tastes phenomenal, but also because it’s crazy functional. Especially, for making into a towering layer cake beauty. It can easily be scaled to make larger and smaller cakes, and it can also be carved for sculpted cakes.

The chocolate stout layer cake can be made with any stout beer you like. I used Guinness Stout because it’s easy to find and I enjoy the flavor of it. A chocolate milk stout would be fabulous here. I also baked my cakes in two pans, then sliced (or torted) those cakes into two. You can also divide the batter into three tins and bake as three separate layers if you wish.

You can use bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache. The ganache is a standard 2:1 recipe, with two parts of chocolate to one part cream. This will allow you to use it as a drip consistency and as a spreadable frosting-like consistency between the layers. I like to add a little bit of corn syrup and butter to my ganache to allow it to have a bit more softer consistency when chilled. The butter and corn syrup allow it to be a bit creamier and gives it a bit more shine on the drip.

Avoid chocolate bark, low quality chocolate chips and candy melts for ganache. Use a higher quality chocolate here. The better quality the chocolate, the better the texture and the taste. I also add a little bit of Irish whiskey – I used Jameson – to my ganache for additional flavor. Allow the ganache to cool until it’s smooth and spreadable, like peanut butter.

I use Swiss meringue buttercream for this recipe as I love how well it holds the flavor of the coffee and the Irish Cream. Check out my post on Swiss meringue buttercream for the recipe and tutorial on how to make this silky and delicious buttercream. I flavored the Swiss meringue buttercream with cooled, prepared espresso (you can also use strong coffee) and Bailey’s Irish Cream. The coffee flavor complements the chocolate and the stout flavors from the cake. The Irish cream is the final touch, complementing the chocolate and the coffee so well. They are flavors that are meant to be. It’s so good! Definitely don’t leave out the Irish cream here.

I chose to keep the decoration on this cake pretty minimal. I was planning on doing a semi-naked drip but I actually loved how the Swiss meringue buttercream sort of had that two toned messy suede look, so I kept it. To get this look, I iced the cake completely and popped it in the fridge to chill. Once it chilled for 30 minutes or so, I pulled it out of the fridge, and filled in any holes or messy areas with buttercream. I used my cake scraper (or bench scraper) and smoothed the buttercream out completely, which blended both the chilled and room temperature buttercream and created that two tone look and some additional texture.

For the drip, I heated the remaining ganache just until it was the same consistency of what it was when I first made it. Then I poured it into a squeeze bottle to add the drips to the cake. You can also use a spoon to apply the drips instead, if you wish. I added the drips first then I filled in the top with the remaining ganache. Work quickly because the ganache wants to set up quickly on the chilled cake.

There you have it, chocolate stout layer cake with coffee Irish Cream buttercream and Irish whiskey ganache. After I was done shooting the photos for this cake, part of it went to weekend cake tastings and consultations, but the remainder of it was sent off with my husband to a business meeting where it was promptly polished off. They even sent me a video raving about the cake. It’s THAT good.

If you try this chocolate stout layer cake with coffee Irish cream buttercream and Irish whiskey ganache, let me know! Leave a comment in the comment area below and be sure to snap a photo and tag it #littlevintagebaking on Instagram. I love seeing your Little Vintage Baking creations!

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Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream

A moist and chocolaty stout cake filled and dripped with dark chocolate Irish whiskey ganache and filled with coffee Irish Cream Swiss meringue buttercream

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 1" x 2" x 5" servings

Ingredients

Chocolate Stout Layer Cake:

1 cup (226g) unsalted stick butter, softened
2 1/4 cups (504g) light brown sugar, packed
2 1/3 cup (315g) all purpose flour
1 cup (120g) high quality cocoa powder, Dutch processed, sifted to remove lumps
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp fine sea salt
4 large eggs room temperature
1 bottle (12oz, 350ml) Guinness stout beer, or your favorite stout, room temperature
1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) mayo, room temp
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Irish Whiskey Ganache:

8 oz (227g) chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup (116ml) heavy cream
1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp Irish whiskey, I used Jameson
Pinch fine sea salt

Coffee Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

1 batch prepared Swiss meringue buttercream, omitting the vanilla
1/3 cup (80ml) brewed Espresso, room temperature
2-3 tbsp Irish Cream, I used Bailey's
1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the chocolate stout layer cake:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottoms and sides of 2 - 8" x 2" round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment. Create a parchment collar to go around the sides of the pans.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine well.
In a measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and stout. Whisk to combine.
Place the softened butter and the brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the brown sugar on medium speed until it is very light in color and super fluffy, about 6-8 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl with spatula after each addition.
Add one third of the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low until just combined. Pour half of the beer mixture into the bowl and mix on low until just combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Scrape the bowl to make sure the ingredients are incorporated. The mixture might look curdled at this point, but it will come back together.
Add an additional one third of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the remaining beer mixture and mix just until combined.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the ingredients are incorporated.
Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are not any pockets of butter or flour remaining.
Place the bowl back on the stand mixer. With the mixer speed on low add the mayo. Mix for 10 seconds.
Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the cake batter and mix on low for an additional 10 seconds.
Remove the bowl from the mixer. Portion the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
Bake the cakes on the center rack of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs. You will want to start watching for the cakes to be done, when the tops dome and start to crack a bit.
Remove the baked cakes from the oven. If they have domed at all, use a tea towel to gently press down the domes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
Run a butter knife around the edge of the pans, remove the parchment collar and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.
Wrap the cakes tightly with a couple layers of plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill completely before assembling.
The cakes will keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a zip top bag in the refrigerator for up to three days. The cake layers can also be frozen, wrapped well in plastic wrap and placed in a zip top bag. I personally don't like to freeze longer than a week, but you can freeze these layers for up to three weeks. Defrost the layers in the refrigerator before using.

Make the Irish Whiskey Ganache:

Place the chopped chocolate and butter into a medium size bowl. Set aside.
Heat the heavy cream, salt and corn syrup in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat on the stove until the mixture begins to simmer.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Gently whisk the chocolate and cream until smooth.
Add the Irish whiskey and whisk to combine.
Place the ganache into the refrigerator until it is a thicker, spreadable consistency, like peanut butter, about 30 minutes or so.

Make the Coffee Irish Cream Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

Add the salt, espresso and Irish cream to the prepared buttercream. Mix on low until incorporated completely and the buttercream is silky and smooth

Assemble the Layer Cake:

Work with chilled cake layers. Using a long serrated knife torte the layers, cutting them evenly in half. You will have four cake layers total. The tops of the cakes will be the center two layers of your cake.
Put one of the cake layers, cut side up onto an 8" cake board or directly onto a cake stand.
Spread a thin, even layer of the ganache on the cake layer with an offset spatula.
Spread about one cup of the buttercream on top of the ganache using an offset spatula to evenly distribute the buttercream. You're looking for the buttercream to be about 1/4 inch thick.
Place another cake layer on top, top up, and press down gently so that the layer is adhered to the buttercream. Repeat the previous two steps, applying the ganache and buttercream.
Place the third layer cake layer, top up, and press down gently so that the layer is adhered to the buttercream.
Add the final ganache layer. Add the final buttercream layer. Place the final cake layer (the bottom of one of the cakes) bottom side up on the buttercream, pressing gently to adhere.
Frost the cake with the remaining coffee Irish cream buttercream. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Microwave the remaining ganache in 3-5 second intervals, stirring after every interval until the ganache is loose and pourable but not hot.
Add the drips around the perimeter of the cake. Fill in the top of the cake with the ganache and smooth.
Slice into pieces and serve.
The completed cake will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

To adjust the recipe for different size pans: (Creates 2 - 2" layer cakes to be torted, or you can divide them into three pans)

Halve the recipe for 6" cakes

One and a half recipes for 10" cakes

Two and a half recipes for 12" cakes

Cake layers adapted from The Sweetapolita Bakebook

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Make the Irish Whiskey Ganache:

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