Coconut Cream Cupcakes

These are not fancy, elegantly iced cupcakes, nor are they simple one-step muffins. Rather, they're like stuffed snack cakes, full of coconut pudding cream and topped with toasted grated coconut. They've got the flavour profile of a coconut cream pie in handheld form, albeit with no whipped cream... still, they're very good.

While the coconut cream and desiccated coconut provides lots of flavour, a little coconut batter in the rum would not at all be unwelcome. A chunk of pineapple tucked into the middle and you've got a piña colada variant.

Despite my concerns that these cupcakes (made in the need to use up 3 cups of milk quickly) were too plain, too mishapen and too messy, I got some really good reviews on these from everyone who tried them. Thus, I must post them, last-minute photos and all! Enjoy them in all their ugly glory.

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:
From food.com
2 C. Pastry or cake flour
2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 C. (57 g.) Butter, softened
3/4-1 C. Sugar
1/4 C. Vegetable oil (or more butter)
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract (I used mixed essence, coconut extract would work very well!)
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk, whole or 2%
1/2 C. Shredded sweetened coconut, to sprinkle on top

For the Pudding Filling:
2 C. Milk, whole or 2%
1/4 C. Cream of coconut, or just coconut cream
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract or mixed essence
1/4 C. Cornstarch
1/3 C. Sugar
2 Egg yolks
1 C. Shredded sweetened coconut

New York Cheesecake with Cherry Topping

As a kid, my favourite cake was American-style cheesecake. I especially loved it when there was a fruity topping to contrast the tart, creamy cheese and slightly spiced graham cracker crust. I always thought it must be healthy (I was raised in a very pro-cheese household, and cream cheese was still kind of cheese)- at about ten years of age I was scandalized to find that was not the case. It's still delicious, though.

 I've long been cautious about making my own cheesecake, because of the price of the ingredients, but since organic cream cheese went on sale at my grocery store last week I decided it was time to attempt my dearly beloved dessert at home. I decided to use a sour cherry topping, because it's not only delicious but also covers up the brownness (and potentially, cracks) of the cake's top. I used homemade graham crackers to max out the homemadeness of this cake, as well as because I don't trust storebought graham crackers- had I been a bit lazier, I would've used good quality whole grain biscuits like digestive biscuits with cinnamon and sugar to taste.

Though I didn't use a water bath (I didn't have a container larger than my springform) the cake still didn't crack, to my great surprise and glee. It did get a bit too brown on top, but I just skimmed that layer off with a sharp knife and doused the whole thing in cherries anyways.

In any case, the cheesecake was a success. I made it for a get-together and it was wildly popular- later my family had some, and even those who normally only like the lighter European-style cheesecakes thought it was great. I think it comes down to the simplicity of the recipe, tasting fresh and bright, mainly consisting of cream cheese and high fat sour cream with no flour to thicken it. The lemon and vanilla add an extra bit of flavour without too many frills, so that the main centre of attention is still the tangy cheesy goodness.

It wasn't nearly as hard to make a good cheesecake as I previously thought- I hope that organic cream cheese goes on sale more often. One of the best parts of being an adult is having your favourite cake on demand (and one of the greatest tribulations is learning restraint...)

I didn't have time to take a picture of the cake when it was whole, but take that as a testament to its irresistability. Mmmm.


New York Cheesecake with Cherry Topping
Adapted from Moje Wypieki

For the Bottom:
100 g. Butter, melted
200 g. Graham crackers or digestive biscuits

Grind the graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor. Add the butter and blend until the mixture has the consistency of wet sand.

Press the mixture firmly onto the base of a 9" or 10" springform pan. If using a water bath, double-wrap the bottom of the springform securely in two layers of aluminium foil. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

For the Cheesecake:
750 g. Cream cheese, not reduced fat
180 g. Sour cream, 18% (I used 19%. A mixture of 14% sour cream and creme frâiche in a 3:1 ratio might also work well.)
220 g. Extrafine caster sugar
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
60 ml. Lemon juice
3 Eggs

Preheat the oven to 170℃.

Make sure that all the ingredients are about the same temperature to prevent lumpiness.

Blend all with a paddle attachment on medium-low until well-combined. Take care not to incorporate air into the mixture.

Pour onto the chilled base. If using a water bath, place the springform into a larger heatproof vessel and surround it with water. Bake for 75-90 minutes, until firm. Cover with aluminium foil if it is browning too quickly. Let cool gradually inside the oven, with its door wide open.

Refrigerate the cheesecake, without removing the springform or foil, overnight.

For the Topping:
1/2 Jar of sour cherries in light syrup, about 2 cups
2 TBSP Sugar
1 TBSP Cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 Tsp. Almond extract, optional

Mix the cornstarch and sugar. Dissolve in some of the light syrup from the cherries, then mix it back in with the rest. In a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Cook until thickened- the cloudiness of the starch will go away and the mixture will be translucent.

Let cool while stirring off heat. Add the lemon juice and Almond extract. Pour onto the cheesecake while still warm and refrigerate 30 minutes to set.

Coffee Shop Cranberry Lemon Loaf Cake

I'm kind of cheap when it comes to coffee.

If I really have to buy it on the go, because I've got an exam in two hours and I'm drifting slowly away from this mortal realm, I'll go for whatever's the cheapest. And that is definitely not going to be Starbucks.

Even if I do end up buying coffee at a more expensive place (like Starbucks) I can't ever justify to myself any frills. The rack of pastries on the front counter look nice, but paying three dollars or so for a slice of loaf cake just ain't right. Still, on my most recent beverage-related splurge (I really wanted to try a matcha frappucino... I wonder if I can make that at home?) I noticed the sunny, bright yellow, sugar crusted lemon loaf and couldn't stop thinking about it.

Drippy icing looks nice on these sorts of cakes.

It's not my usual baking style, but it's fun to try something all-American every now and then. This cake is pretty damn sweet, but in a good way- the sugariness of it is balanced by the tartness and aromaticity of the lemon pretty well. It's dense, moist, and looks pretty, too. Of course, I added dried cranberries, because I really like lemon and cranberry together... there's a certain bakery near my house that makes the best cranberry-lemon muffins, but that's something I'll need to experiment with further before I can reproduce it.

What makes this cake so different from your average pound cake, though? I'm putting it down to the use of vegetable oil. The oil stays liquid at room temperature and thus keeps the cake moist, and because you can't cream it to capture air bubbles in the batter, it also contributes to the density of the cake. It doesn't taste as good as butter, mind you- but here that's alright, since the focus is on the lemon flavours.

Mmmmmmmoist. And yellow!

You'll need one very big or two regular lemons to make this cake. Keep or omit the cranberries- or try something completely different like blueberries or dried cherries.

Coffee Shop Cranberry Lemon Loaf Cake
Source: food.com, recipe by Air Force Mama

1 1/2 C. All purpose flour
1/2 Tsp. Baking powder
1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
1/2 Tsp. Salt
3 Eggs, room temperature
1 C. Sugar
2 TBSP Softened, unsalted butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 Tsp. Lemon extract
1/3 C. Lemon juice
1/2 C. Neutral (favourless) oil, such as grapeseed or canola
Zest of one lemon
1/2 C. Dried cranberries (optional)

Glaze:
(I made only half this amount since the cake itself was sweet enough.)
1 C. Powdered sugar
2 TBSP Milk
1/2 Tsp. Lemon extract

Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Grease the paper, and if desired, sprinkle with a bit of granulated sugar to give the cake a crunchy crust (you can also use flour).

Mix the flour, baking soda and powder, and salt, and set aside.

Mix the eggs and sugar well. Add the butter, extracts and lemon juice.

Blend the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Once the mixture is smooth, add the oil and lemon zest, and cranberries if using.

Pour into the pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a fork can be poked into the cake and come out clean.

Prepare the glaze just by whisking the lot together until smooth. If your powdered sugar is clumpy, you'll want to sift it first.

Let cool about 15 minutes before removing from pan, and let cool completely before glazing. Just dollop the glaze onto the top of the cake and let it drip onto the sides.