Pink velvet cake balls

I haven't been that excited lately to try a new recipe, but making these cake balls really made me  happy :D
The result I think is amazing and perfect for special occasions  like weddings , engagements or baby showers.

They are really easy to make, patience is the key, cause it will take you some time shaping the balls.
I like that you can make them any color, give them any taste, cover in chocolate and decorate with flowers, butterflies, hearts or whatever you think of.

You normally "dress" them in chocolate or candy melts, but because they had a great color I preferred to leave them like that. You can put them on a stick and transform into cake pops :)

The cake that I made is vanilla ( find the recipe  here), I just added at the end a few drops of pink dye.
I made a delicious  mascarpone frosting. You'll find the recipe below.

Following these recipes you'll make around 22-25 cake balls, but it depends on how big or small you want them. Using an ice-cream scoop or a  spoon, try to take every time the same amount of dough, so your balls will be equal.

INGREDIENTS:

For cake recipe go here

For mascarpone frosting

• 1 (8-oz.) container mascarpone cheese (room temperature)
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter (room temperature)

DIRECTIONS:

For frosting:
Whisk together butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl just until blended.

Gently fold  in mascarpone cheese and make sure everything is well mixed. 

For cake balls:

After baking your cake, let it cool completely. 

This is how my batter looked before baking.

In a large bowl crumble your cake.

Add mascarpone frosting and use your fingers to mix it.

Roll dough into cake balls and place them on a cookie sheet. 

Place cake balls into small chocolate paper and decorate with fondant flowers and butterflies.

Keep them in the refrigerator before serving.

 Photos by Emi Trasnitu

Black Chocolate, White Chocolate & Caramel Tart

Last week was National Chocolate Week in UK (I found that out from Jamie Oliver on Facebook) so what a better way to celebrate it then  bake a delicious and very sweet tart! A tart with black and white chocolate and a caramel filling. I feel the sweetness in my mouth just thinking about it.

I found this nice recipe on saveur.com, but I made a few changes. I replaced the black chocolate on top with white one, cause is my favorite. And instead of decorating it with gray sea salt, I shredded some milk chocolate. Hope you also like my version ;)

This tart is perfect for chocolate and caramel lovers, but caution! It's dangerously sweet!!! (For my taste) Even if I cut down a little bit on sugar on the crust, I couldn't reduce any for the caramel sauce or the chocolate ganache.

If you decide to make this tart for a party, you have to make it the day before. It's not a lot of work to do, but it has to stay a lot in the refrigerator, around 4-5 hours after adding  the caramel and then another 4-5  hours  for the ganache to set and chill.

Here is the recipe, with the changes that I made. Happy Baking!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CRUST:

• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¼ cup plus 1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
• 2 egg yolks,  room temperature
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CARAMEL:

• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 tbsp. light corn syrup
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. crème fraiche

FOR THE GANACHE:

• ½ cup heavy cream
• 4 oz. white chocolate, chopped
• milk chocolate for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the crust:

Heat oven to 350˚. 

Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. 

Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. 

Mix in dry ingredients. 

Transfer dough to a 9" fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and press dough evenly into bottom and sides of pan.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Prick the tart shell all over with a fork and bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool.

2. Make the caramel:

In a 1-qt. saucepan, whisk together sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 6 tbsp. water and bring to a boil.

Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer inserted into the syrup reads 340°.

Remove pan from heat and whisk in butter, cream, and crème fraîche (the mixture will bubble up) until smooth. 

Pour caramel into cooled tart shell and let cool slightly; refrigerate until firm, 4–5 hours.

3. Make the ganache:

Bring cream to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium heat. 

Put chocolate into a medium bowl and pour in hot cream; let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly with a rubber spatula until smooth.

Pour ganache evenly over tart and refrigerate until set, 4–5 hours. 

Decorate tart with shredded chocolate  and serve chilled.

 Photos by Emi Trasnitu

Frappuccino Cupcakes

Now this is exciting! I normally don't drink coffee ( just a few a week with my dear neighbor :D), but I love frappuccino. And this recipe for frappuccino cupcakes is divine! I ate like 6 the day I made them.

 I like the batter, it's so creamy and it smells incredible! I love the cupcakes, they just melt in your mouth. And with the touch of cream on top , these babies score 10 points from me ;)

The recipe was made with home made caramel, but I wasn't in the mood, especially with the baby around is dangerous with the hot, hot sugar. and water. So this time I used a bought one. But next time I'll make this recipe, I' ll prepare the caramel also. I think you can't compare them. I'll post the recipe here with the home made one.

Don't think using any frosting. The whipped cream is the best and totally completes the frappuccino taste.

Here is the recipe that I found. It's a really great one ;)

INGREDIENTS

For the cupcakes: 

•  1 ¾ cups sugar, divided 
•  1/3 cup very hot water 
•  3 cups cake flour 
•  1 tbsp baking powder 
•  ½ tsp coarse salt 
•  1 tbsp espresso / cappuccino powder
•  ¾ cup (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
•  3 large eggs, at room temperature 
•  1 tsp vanilla extract 
•  2/3 cup strongly brewed coffee, warm or at room temperature 

For topping:

• whipped cream
•  ¼ cup caramel· 

INSTRUCTIONS

For caramel sauce:

Spread ½ cup of the sugar out in an even layer in the bottom of a small saucepan. 

Heat the pan to medium and when the sides of the sugar begin to liquefy  start slowly stirring the sugar together until all of the sugar has melted and only liquid remains. (Lower the heat to low if the sugar or liquid sugar begins to brown too quickly. If the sugar clumps, turn the heat to low and let it melt – try not to stir it so it has a chance to heat up slowly.) 

Once the liquid reaches a deep amber color (you can check this by dropping a little onto a white plate), remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the hot water while whisking quickly to incorporate the water into the sugar. 

Once the caramel mixture is completely smooth, set it aside to cool. 

For cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350° F and line two muffin pans with cupcake liners; set aside. (Recipe for 24 cupcakes)
In a medium mixing bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together until well-combined; set aside. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and the remaining 1 ¼ cups sugar together at medium-high until they are light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. 

Beat in the eggs, one at a time until they incorporate fully before adding the next, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

Mix in the vanilla extract and the caramel. 

With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with two equal additions of the coffee, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean. 

Let the pans cool on wire racks for 5 minutes then remove the cupcakes and let them completely cool on the racks before decorating.

Pipe the whipped cream  onto the cupcakes just before serving and drizzle with caramel sauce.

 

Photos by Emi Trasnitu