Posts Tagged ‘Cream Cheese Frosting’

  1. Helloooo Autumn!

    September 21, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    Tomorrow marks the arrival of Autumn which is my absolute favorite time of the year!  Needless to say, there will be a liberal use of exclamation marks in this post.  Autumn means warm and spicy liquids, toppling over with mounds of whipped cream, flushed cheeks, fuzzy mittens, and a dazzling array of bold foliage on display.  One of my favorite Autumn-y beverages is a steaming swirl of spicy Chai in frothy milk so I figured why not make it into a cupcake to celebrate the arrival of Autumn?–yaaaaay!!!

    How to Bake Chai Cupcakes

    Chai Cupcakes
     
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    Ingredients
    • ½ c unbleached Cake Flour
    • ½ ts Baking Soda
    • ½ ts Baking Powder
    • ¼ ts fine Salt
    • ½ ts ground Cinnamon
    • ¼ ts ground Cardamom
    • ¼ ts ground Ginger
    • ¼ ts ground Nutmeg
    • ¼ ts ground Cloves
    • 1 grind of Black Pepper
    • ¼ c granulated Sugar
    • ¼ c Brown Sugar
    • 2 tb softened Butter
    • 2 tb Apple Sauce*
    • 1 room temperature Egg
    • ¼ c warm Buttermilk
    • 3 Chai Tea Bags
    • ½ ts Apple Cider Vinegar

    Instructions
    1. Sift all of your dry ingredients into your first bowl (excluding your spices).
    2. In a separate cup, steep your tea bags for at least 5 minutes. Scoot in all of your spices and let it sit.
    3. In your third bowl, cream together your Sugars and Butter. Slowly stream in your Egg.
    4. Still working with your third bowl, spoon in your Apple Sauce (if you’re using it) and also slip in your spiced tea mixture. Next, dribble in your Apple Cider Vinegar.
    5. Lastly, you want to marry your first bowl with your third bowl–sprinkle in your dry mixture in about 3 separate additions, taking care not to over mix.
    6. Bake at 350 for 17-22 minutes for standard size Cupcakes.
    7. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

    Notes
    *you can omit the Apple Sauce and use ¼ c soft Butter instead. Also, it’s best to grind your own, whole spices in a spice grinder (it makes for a beautifully spiced cake).

    You can top with Buttercream, or my favorite thing to top everything with!  Cream Cheese Frosting.

    Dust with Pumpkin Spice or Cinnamon, take a HUGE bite!! (or 3, 6, 12…) and you’re ringing in Autumn the right way, I assure you ;)

    Love & Warm & Spicy Kisses,

    Your Squishy Monster ^.~


  2. Red Velvet for Valentines Day

    February 8, 2012 by The Squishy Monster

    For your red-red, bleeding heart!

    JK!!

    I mention in my video that I made so many of these babies, I wanted them to go somewhere else and leave me alone.  They stain your hands if you’re not careful and leave just a remnant of what looks as if you’ve been involved in a murder scene.  After like the 200th Cupcake, you will manage to streak yourself with tint.  It’ll happen and if not the 200th one, the 300th or 400th one, lol.  However, Red Velvet is a classic that shall never die.  I went through a phase where I ate nothing but Cheesecake for every dessert for a month.  Half dare/half obsession, I undertook this obviously futile feat.  I happen to adore Cheesecake but this was definitely not the case even half way through the month.  My point is, too much of anything is never good.  I stick to that.

    VALENTINE’S Red Velvet by The Squishy Monster

    Red Velvet Cupcakes
     
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    Serves: 2 Dozen Standard Size

    Ingredients
    • 2 c Flour
    • 1 ts Baking Soda
    • ½ ts Baking Powder
    • 1 ts Salt (omit if you’re using Salted Butter)
    • 2 tb unsweetened Cocoa
    • 1 c Veggie/Canola Oil
    • 1 stick melted Butter
    • 1½ c Sugar
    • 1¼ c full fat Buttermilk
    • 3 Eggs
    • 2 tb Red Tint
    • Cream Cheese Frosting:
    • 2 8 oz blocks, softened Cream Cheese
    • ½ stick softened Butter
    • Powdered Sugar (use as much or as little as you’d like–Cream Cheese isn’t that snooty, it will yield to you completely).

    Instructions
    1. In one bowl, sift together your dry ingredients: your Flour, Soda, Salt, Cocoa
    2. In a second bowl, beat together your Oil, Butter, and Sugar.
    3. Slowly drizzle in your Buttermilk
    4. Crack in one egg at a time
    5. Tip in your Tint
    6. Scoop level amounts into a lined Cupcake Tin (using an ice cream scoops helps)
    7. Bake @ 350 for 17-22 minutes (everyone’s oven is a bit different)
    8. For the Frosting:
    9. Break up your Cream Cheese and Butter
    10. Add your SIFTED Powdered Sugar a bit at a time until fully incorporated.
    11. Add in some Vanilla if you feel like it

    Notes
    Make sure all of your “cold” ingredients are at Room Temp. If you’re turned off by the Butter and Oil, sub with Apple Sauce instead (but I really wouldn’t) Similarly, if you don’t like the idea of all that tint, you could always tint with Beet Juice or crushed, dried Berries–however, to obtain that deep red, I actually do think it would change the flavor. If you don’t have Buttermilk, you could always combine 1 c full fat Milk + 1 tb Vinegar but I find that nothing beats the true thick tang of real Buttermilk You cannot use Baking Soda and Powder interchangeably It is super important to sift your dry ingredients together before adding them to your “wet” bowl Allow them to cool before frosting Just make sure you cream the Cheese and Butter first then sprinkle in your Sugar (gotta be Powdered) and sifting (and the Butter and Cheese being soft) will ensure you don’t have a lumpy Frosting.

    I guess the point of Valentines is…
    you can be fat AND Happy,
    have your cake AND eat it too?

    Whether you’re with someone or not, rejoice in all the meaningful relationships that you’ve established.

    Wishing you a Happy day of Cake Eating!!

    Love always,
    Your Squishy Monster =D


  3. Haterade on Raisins

    November 11, 2011 by The Squishy Monster

    Now, you may loooove Raisins.  I don’t get them.  They’re wrinkly, often times hard, dark, and sooo teeny.  I feel like I’m eating a sweetened shriveled up booger.  (I apologize for this bad image).  I just really hate on raisins.

    With that said, I want to introduce my friend here: the humble, simplified version of the great Carrot Cake.

    Carrot Cupcakes

    Carrot Cake
     
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    Ingredients
    • 4 Eggs
    • 1 cup of grated Carrots + 2 cups Sugar
    • 1 cup Canola Oil
    • 2 cups Flour
    • 2 ts Baking Soda
    • 2 ts Cinnamon
    • 1 ts Nutmeg
    • 1½ ts Salt

    Instructions
    1. In your first bowl, sift together all of your dry ingredients: Flour, Soda, Spices, Salt.
    2. In your second bowl, blend together your Eggs and Canola Oil.
    3. Toss in your Carrots (sitting in Sugar).
    4. In thirds, slowly incorporate your dry ingredients to your Wet.
    5. Fill your lined tin and bake at 350 for 17-20 minutes.

    Notes
    Add in Walnuts and Raisins if you have/like them.


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    Welcome to The Squishy Monster!

    Here, I'll share the stories of my on going love affair with food as well as step-by-step tutorials/cooking videos featuring original recipes. I'm a firm believer that despite our differences, our one commonality as humans? Food.
    I'm 100% Southern & 100% Korean. My name is Angela and my friends call me The Squishy Monster.

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