banana bread cupcakes

I was at a friend's apartment when she told me she had recently come down with a case of the too-ripe bananas. She showed me the patient and I confirmed the diagnosis, immediately writing her a prescription for banana bread cupcakes. Needless to say, we filled that prescription right away. (Corny, I know. But I had to.)


I got the recipe from recipe zaar and I've used it multiple times already. It's titled "best ever banana cake ever" and it really is. I also added walnuts to the recipie which it doesn't call for, but I think was a pretty good addition.


You would think that the baking temperature of 275 degrees is abnormally low, but it works. That and putting them in the freezer as soon as they come out of the oven must do something to make these insanely moist and delicious. I'll look into the chemistry of it all later..

The recipie is for a 9 x 13 cake but I kept everything the same just putting them in cupcake pans. I believe the cook time was even the same (a lot slower than normal because of the low temperature). I would still do the toothpick check once in a while to make sure you don't overcook. If you want to do pretty piping with the icing let the cupcakes cool and put the cream cheese frosting in the fridge for a little. Or you can just spread it right on like I did, couldn't really wait. Just as delicious and garnished with a walnut, I think pretty too.


Great taste, great texture, saved some bananas from living their last moments out in a landfill... I'd say overall it was a pretty sucessful day.

Eat two and call me in the morning.
-your pre-med chef

Red White and Blue...Velvet!

While Red Velvet has recently been quite the craze, I was never lured in. I figured it was just chocolate with red food coloring, and to be quite honest, I didn't get it. So until now I've passed. Until now. Then came the Fourth of July, a perfect excuse to not only bake, but to bake something, well...red. Let me say, I'm glad I did. I don't think there is a better way to celebrate the country that gave us corndogs and turducken than making something 233 times more appetizing. I now understand the fuss over this red velvet thing. I don't know how to explain it, or why it tastes different than an ordinary chocolate cupcake, but it's very different, and very mmm...

Red Velvet Cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red gel paste food color
  
• 1 cup buttermilk (or my milk + lemon trick)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar

If you can't find gel paste you can use the normal supermarket liquid variety, but you'll have to use a lot more. I bought a one ounce bottle of red liquid food coloring and used about 3/4, you can use as much as you want to achieve your desired red.


Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 12 oz cream cheese
• 1 lb (4 cups) confectioners sugar
  
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Since I clearly didn't know the first thing about red velvet, I got the recipe from Martha Stewart's new cupcake book which is just glorious, thanks Marthy!

1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Whisk together cake flour, cocoa, and salt
3. In a separate bowl, whisk oil and sugar together until combined
4. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk, whisking after each.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.
6. Mix in food color and vanilla
7. Stir together baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl, it will foam (apparently this does something with the cocoa to bring out the red?)
8. Add mixture to batter and stir for 10 seconds
9. Put in your baking cups and cook for 20 minutes, rotating the trays once half way through.

While those are baking is a good time to make your frosting:

1. Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy
   
2. Add confectioners sugar 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition
   
3. Add vanilla, and whisk some more until smooth and combined.

Once they are cooled you can frost them. I went a little crazy and got some blue cake dust and white sugar pearls to decorate them with. Then they were sent on their way to a 4th of July party (a few staying home with me, naturally). Everybody loved the cupcakes, turning me from a red velvet skeptic into a red velvet enthusiast, who knew? Happy Birthday America!


Eat two and call me in the morning.
-your pre-med chef

carrot cake cuppies with cream cheese frosting

Tomorrow is my boyfriends birthday. So naturally, it's a perfect excuse to bake something up. It was between red velvet and carrot. I didn't feel like getting all involved with red food coloring, so I went the more wholesome, natural, and (in my opinion) even more delicious route.



Let's see.. carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts...what is this, a granola bar?!
Not quite.

I told you I could convince you that breaking out those cupcake trays does the body good. But really, 2 cups of carrots, 2 apples, 1 cup of raisins.. what better way to have your fruits and veggies? So hurry up and get out your mixing bowl, doctors orders.

Carrot Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups finely grated raw carrots
• 1 cup grated apples
• 1/2 cup of nuts (i chose walnuts but pecans could work too)
• 1 cup of raisins
  

Note: You can use applesauce instead of dealing with putting the apples in the food processor. I personally try to use all whole foods, weeding out as many preservatives and chemicals as possible. Hey, if I'm having sugar, I want the real deal.


Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 8 ounces of cream cheese (room temperature as well)
• 2-3 1/2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Note: 2 cups of sugar is enough to get the right taste and consistency of cream cheese frosting, but the more you add, the "thicker" (for lack of a better word) the frosting gets. More sugar makes it prettier for decorating, it seems more smooth and is less likely to start melting and drooping. I used two this time.

Now that you're all prepared.. let's make some cake.

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together.
3. In a larger bowl whisk the sugar, eggs, and oil until thickened.
4. Gradually mix the flour mixture into the sugary mixture until smooth.
5. Fold grated carrots, apples, raisins, and walnuts into the mixture.
6. Put in your cupcake tray and bake for about 20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let stand on cooling rack until completely cooled.

While your pretty (and so nutritious) cuppies are baking, why not make the icing!

1. Whisk together butter and cream cheese until smooth.
2. Add the powdered sugar into the mix gradually, whisking until light and fluffy.
   
3. Add vanilla extract, whisk it all together some more.
   
4. Scoop some out with your finger and taste, delish.

Once your cupcakes are cooled off, you can go ahead and ice them. I like to actually put mine in the refrigerator for a little before icing them so that the frosting doesn't melt. I finished it off by garnishing with some chopped walnuts.

Then you should probably go ahead and eat one. Or two.

These came out great, so moist and cakey, and the sweet yet slightly tart cream cheese frosting complimented it perfectly. A classic.


So Happy Birthday, Nate! Sorry I started to dig into the cupcakes before I gave them to you, I had to taste them to make sure they weren't, you know... poison.

May the beta carotene, calcium, fiber, omega 3's, and vitamins (A. B,C and E) that are packed in these adorable little cups of joy bring you a healthy and happy birthday and many more to come.

Eat two and call me in the morning.
- your pre-med chef