Strawberry Cream Cupcakes

*my camera was dead so I didn't get to take pics of the process :(

There are a few things you can be certain about in February around here. We've started gaining daylight, the weather is all over the place, and there's a limited selection of fresh, inexpensive fruit at the supermarket. The solution? Use frozen! Equally as nutritious as fresh, you can get up to twice as much for the same price per pound. Only issue I've found is that baking with frozen fruit will almost always pose a problem due to its high moisture content once thawed. It is perfect though for fillings, and the syrups work well to add flavor to frosting.

A perfect pairing with a vanilla (or chocolate) cupcake, fruit fillings and creams are super versatile and great any time of the year. And don't be afraid to experiment with different flavors. Sometimes an odd combination will turn out to be the most delicious!

Enjoy!


Lola




STRAWBERRY CREAM CUPCAKES WITH BALSAMIC FROSTING

(Strawberry Cream)
2 cups Frozen Strawberries (thawed, with syrup)
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 Tblsp Cornstarch
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Take thawed strawberries and put them in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add cornstarch to heavy cream, mix well, then add to the pot with strawberries. Stir or wisk constantly until thickened, about 10 minutes. Break up any large chunks of strawberries as you stir. Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Set aside to fully cool.

*chilling is recommended, so if you can make this ahead of time, please do. If not, just make sure it is room temperature at the most.

(Cupcakes)
2 cups All Purpose Flour
½ cup Cake Flour
½ tsp Salt
1 Tblsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
½ cup Milk (whole or 2%)
½ cup Oil (canola or vegetable)
½ cup Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs (large)

Preheat oven to 350°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a smaller bowl, wisk the vanilla, milk, and oil. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, adding the eggs in one at a time. Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the large bowl, starting and ending with the dry. I do it in 5 increments (D/W/D/W/D) Doesn't need to be perfect, just a little at a time.

Pour batter into cupcake liners and fill about ⅔ full. Bake 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

(Balsamic Frosting)
½ cup Unsalted Butter (room temp)
8 oz. Cream Cheese (room temp)
1 cup Powdered Sugar (sifted)
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
½ cup Strawberry Jam
2 Tblsp Balsamic Vinegar
In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix on medium until fully incorporated. Add jam and balsamic vinegar and mix well.

(Assembly)
Take fully cooled cupcakes and cut a little cone shaped piece out of the top, set aside. Take about a tablespoon of the strawberry cream and pour into cupcake. Cut the bottom of the piece you set aside off and replace the top. Then frost the tops however you like and you're done!

Clementine Spice Cake (First feature post!)

The holidays basically mean one thing in my house. DESSERT! With that said, being so close to the new year always makes me feel full of hope and excitement, ready for what could be next. Strange thing though is at the same time I want to run and scream. This is where my debut recipe for Interiors by Mae comes in.

I was on the hunt for something new to make that could end up a holiday staple with my family. Adapted from a Nigella Lawson post I came across recently, I was very intimidated by this recipe. Intrigued by the ingredients, but scared to death of the process, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off. Once I got passed my initial fear and embraced the somewhat unique approach to this cake, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick and easy it all was (that is, after boiling the clementines of course). I have become very adamant about mixing all of the ingredients by hand with this recipe. Hand mixers I've found will froth the egg too much and you will end up with a lot of air bubbles and a bumpy, uneven cake. Not to mention that if you choose to use a glaze, it won't spread properly over the entire surface.

Kind of sweet, kind of spicy, with mild citrus undertones, the glaze really pulls it all together. Warmth, surprise, and accomplishment. All in all this cake sums up the holiday season. Enjoy!

Happy Holidays!

Lola

CLEMENTINE SPICE CAKE

5-6 clementines, about 1 lb. total

6 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups ground almonds (I buy raw and grind them myself)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a large pot of cold water, add the whole clementines and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 2 hours. Drain, and when cooled, cut each one in half and remove any seeds. Finely chop the whole batch (rind and all!) in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 375° F

Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

Wisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, baking powder, and spices. Mix together well, then stir in the ground almonds. Once fully incorporated, fold in the chopped clementines.

Pour cake mixture into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Make sure to cover with foil after the first 20-30 minutes so the sides and top of your cake don't brown too much. You will know it is done when you insert a skewer into the middle and it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Make sure it is fully cooled before you try to remove the cake from the pan.

GLAZE (optional)

2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted

1/3 cup citrus juice or water (I use the extra juice from the clementines)

1 Tblsp cocoa powder, unsweetened (optional)*

Wisk confectioners sugar, citrus juice, and cocoa powder (optional) together until fully mixed. The consistency of the glaze is very important, so don't be afraid add more liquid (teaspoon at a time) in case it is too thick (or more sugar if it is too thin).

Pour the glaze over the cake, starting from the middle. Should cover the entire top and drizzle down the sides. Let set 1-2 hours.


*I decided to omit the cocoa powder in the glaze this time around, but it is definitely still delicious either way!