coconut | The Cupcake Addict's Cupcake Collection

Tag: coconut
- Goooooooo Seahawks!
  
  Posted at 2:34 pm by MLea
  
  Feb 3rd
  
  Mr Shuck and I were invited to a Superbowl party and the host suggested that I bring “baked goods”. I tried to go with a football theme…
  
  I started with a Chocolate Stout Cake recipe that just happened to be in the February issue of PCC Natural Markets’ Taste magazine. I had to make a couple of substitutions. Instead of 1 cup butter, I used 1 stick of butter and 1/2 cup coconut oil (because I forgot to get butter when I went to the grocery store.) I also didn’t have any instant coffee, so I used 2 Starbucks Via packets. Also, lately I’ve been adding some cornstarch to my Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry flour to make it a little lighter. I found the ratio at Joy the Baker. Instead of 2 cups of all purpose flour, I used 1 & 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted together. This has got to be the best chocolate cake recipe I’ve used. It’s light but has a very rich chocolate flavor. You can’t taste the beer at all. I made one rectangular cake (to turn into “footballs”) which baked for around 35 minutes, some regular sized cupcakes that baked for 20 minutes, and some mini’s, which baked for 13 minutes.
  
  For the icing, I used Aida Mollenkamp’s Whipped Cream Cheese frosting that I found at Chow.com. I used 1/2 cream cheese and 1/2 mascarpone cheese to lighten the flavor up a bit. I like this recipe because it does not have very much sugar in it. I don’t normally use artificial coloring, but I needed some AstroTurf for my football, so I added a little green.
  
  I use Cacao Barry’s Extra Brute cocoa powder and it makes the cake very dark.
  
  For the grass effect, I colored some flaked coconut green…
  
  And dipped the cakes into it…
  
  I accidentally “fixed” the above photo and didn’t save the original. It looks like it would glow with the lights out.
  
  To make the footballs, I made some ganache using 8 ounces of Callebaut 60/40 and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. While this cooled, I crumbled up the previously cooked rectangular cake. I added enough of the ganache to make the cake hold together and made football shaped cake balls. To make them uniformly sized, I scooped the “dough” with a one ounce scoop. They went into the freezer for a few hours to solidify.
  
  Once firm, I dipped them into melted chocolate flavored Candiquik
  
  and used Wilton Candy Melts to make the stitches
  
  Hopefully dipping the chocolate will get more attractive with practice. I really like making the cake truffles. They are delicious and very easy. Although I made this all in a few hours, it would be easy to do each part on a different day when I have 20-30 minutes at a time.
  
  The end result:
  
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  Posted in Mrs Shuck's Creations | Tagged chocolate, coconut, cream cheese, football, ganache
- Um = Umbrella Drink
  
  Posted at 9:23 pm by MLea
  
  Sep 26th
  
  The next letter in Dr Seuss’ book, On Beyond Zebra is “UM”.
  
  The first flavor that came to my mind, was umeboshi plum, which I just used in “WUM”. I decided on “Umbrella Drink” and my favorite umbrella drink…Pina Colada.
  
  The above photo is how I’ve always seen a Pina Colada presented, so I thought the 3 garnishes (paper umbrella, pineapple and maraschino cherry) were important details. There are only 3 ingredients, so it seemed a simple flavor to replicate.
  
  For my first attempt at this letter, I thought I’d try making this recipe PALEO. The main reason is that my friend, Mrs Chen, is currently eating PALEO and her birthday was last week, so I thought I’d kill two birds and make a cake that she could eat. While she did like the cake, Mr Shuck spit it out. It tasted a lot like pineapple quiche: not a great taste. It contained: pineapple, almond flour, coconut milk, eggs and baking soda. It needed sugar. Lots of sugar. And less eggs. I didn’t attempt an icing since it was so horrible.
  
  It took a week for me to get another chance to try again. My first stop was to the party store to pick up the umbrellas…$5 for 175! If anyone who knows me needs paper umbrellas…
  
  I followed a recipe for pineapple cake that I found at Tidymom.net. I substituted a splash of rum instead of vanilla extract and ended up adding more pineapple because the batter didn’t have a lot of flavor. I ended up with 48 mini cupcakes, (which I baked for about 14 minutes) and 6 regular size (which I baked for 22 minutes). The cakes browned nicely, but rose a little “lumpily”…
  
  I guess the lumps add character.
  
  For the icing…I used whipped coconut cream. I originally found the idea for this when I was searching for a PALEO friendly icing. I used a conglomeration of suggestions from a couple of websites. I started with 2 cans of coconut cream from Trader Joe’s.
  
  I put the coconut cream in the refrigerator overnight so the fats would solidify. I turned the cans upside down before opening them and drained off the coconut water that was on top of the cream (really on the bottom of the cans). I wanted to make sure that the icing stayed stable all day, so I added some WhipIt, which is essentially just corn starch and dextrose.
  
  I also added about 4 tablespoonfuls of evaporated cane juice (sugar) and 1-2 tablespoonfuls of vanilla bean paste (I didn’t measure, I just dumped some in.) Then, I whipped the heck out of it until it was nice and fluffy. It turned out to be thick enough to pipe. I did end up with a couple of solid lumps of coconut, which clogged up the icing tip, but were easily picked out with a toothpick.
  
  I was a little hesitant to use maraschino cherries since they are usually artificially colored, but fortunately, I came across some at the grocery store that didn’t contain dye.
  
  For the pineapple slices, I used dried pineapple rings from Trader Joes that I cut into sections with pointed ends and shoved into the cake.
  
  The end result…
  
  Now…what to do for “HUMPF”?!?!?!
  
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  Posted in Mrs Shuck's Creations | Tagged coconut, pina colada, pineapple
- PinkaBella
  
  Posted at 9:27 am by MLea
  
  May 29th
  
  So, we were in Redmond to take the pups to Marymoor and thought we’d stop by the cupcake place at Redmond Town Center…
  
  There were quite a few flavors available:
  
  Banana Split from PinkaBella: click to enlarge
  
  Grandma's Cookie Jar @ PinkaBella: click to enlarge
  
  Vanilla with Chocolate or Strawberry icing: click to enlarge
  
  Chocolate with Chocolate or Vanilla icing: click to enlarge
  
  Lemon with Lemon or Lavender Icing: click to enlarge
  
  Chocolate Peanut Butter: click to enlarge
  
  Pineapple Coconut: click to enlarge
  
  Mr Shuck chose the Pineapple Coconut. The citrus rum cake was very flavorful and fairly moist. It was topped with a creamy, slightly sweet icing studded with chunks of pineapple and coconut flakes. I thought it was extremely cute and very much like a pina colada. Rating: ♥♥♥. I’d definitely go back to PinkaBella if I were in at Redmond Town Center and I’d get this cupcake again.
  
  French Toast from PinkaBella: click to enlarge.
  
  I chose the French Toast cupcake. The vanilla cake was okay. It seemed to have a cinnamon egg wash brushed on top. This was the only part that reminded me of French Toast. The cinnamon icing perched on top was also very creamy and not overly sweet. Rating: ♥♥. I liked this cupcake, but I’d probably try something else next time.
  
  Posted in Miscellaneous Bakeries | Tagged coconut, French toast, pineapple, PinkaBella
- Cupcakes Squared, San Diego
  
  Posted at 8:44 pm by MLea
  
  May 12th
  
  So, day three in San Diego took us to Cupcakes Squared. This shop is located in a strip mall on Voltaire Street. The shop was pretty small and nothing special. No cute decor. There was a cafe table in front of the store for those who wanted to “eat in”. There was baking equipment visible, so I assume the cupcakes were made on the premises.   While the store itself wasn’t very unique, the cupcakes were, at least in one respect: They were square!   I’m not sure if they are somehow made in the folded square liners or if they are cut from sheet cakes.
  
  We chose 3 mini cupcakes for tasting: Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut, Carrot, and Chocolate squared.
  
  Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut from Cupcakes Squared: Click to enlarge
  
  The Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut cupcake was based on a rich and moist chocolate cake studded with macadamia nuts and coconut. The crunch of the nuts added nice texture. The icing was creamy and fluffy and a little salty from the nuts and coconut. This cake was wonderful, so wonderful that I dug right into the Carrot Cupcake without remembering to take a photo. Oops!
  
  I only had a bite of the Carrot cake. The cake was very moist, but appeared to contain raisins, which I abhor, so I just tasted a little. The cream cheese icing was creamy and not too sweet. This cake was garnished with a little grated carrot and crushed walnuts. Robin from Cupcakes Squared later confirmed that the cake contained currants, not raisins. I should be more adventurous.
  
  Chocolate Squared from Cupcakes Squared
  
  The Chocolate Cake on this cupcake was just as moist and flavorful as the chocolate macadamia nut cake. Chocolate chips added some texture. The icing was light and creamy but still rich and fudgy.   I was curious about the kind of frosting used since it was lighter than standard butter cream. Robin confirmed that they use a butter cream made from butter, sugar, cream and flavoring.
  
  My overall rating for the store: ♥♥♥♥.   If in San Diego again, I would go out of my way to go back here, especially if it was a day that the Chocolate Coconut Macadamia Nut as available.
  
  Posted in Miscellaneous Bakeries | Tagged Carrot, chocolate, coconut, macadamia nut
- Saint Cupcake Deluxe in Portland
  
  Posted at 9:26 pm by MLea
  
  May 4th
  
  Saint Cupcake Deluxe was giving away free mini cupcakes so we decided to go there instead of plain old Saint Cupcake. Also, why go for plain, when you can have deluxe?
  
  St Cupcake Deluxe
  
  Through the window at St Cupcake Deluxe
  
  The shop was very cute, but tiny. It is tucked into the alcove of a trendy home decor shop called Noun. Apparently the cupcakes had just been cleaned out by a frantic mother whose own baking had not turned out as expected. The “Dots” were larger than my minis, but smaller than a regular size cupcake. The cupcakes are not made on site, but are brought in from the original Saint Cupcake. We sampled Coconut, Carrot, and Chocolate with Vanilla icing.
  
  Coconut Dot from St Cupcake Deluxe: click to enlarge
  
  The coconut was very nice with a cream cheese icing dipped in toasted coconut to balance out the sweetness.
  
  Carrot Dot from St Cupcake Deluxe: click to enlarge
  
  The carrot cake was moist and delicately spiced, but the icing was a little too sweet (and lacking coconut to help).
  
  Chocolate with Vanilla Icing from St Cupcake Deluxe
  
  The chocolate cupcake must have been okay as I didn’t make any notes about it. I do recall the sugar crystals on top being a bit distracting.
  
  Overall, I think the cupcakes were okay. If I was in the neighborhood, I’d probably stop by, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to pick one of these little cakes up.
  
  Posted in Miscellaneous Bakeries | Tagged Carrot, chocolate, coconut
- Bakery Nouveau’s Mini Snowball cake
  
  Posted at 6:40 pm by MLea
  
  Dec 27th
  
  So this isn’t REALLY a cupcake, but what is a cupcake, really? Isn’t it just a little cake.
  
  I absolutely LOVE Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle. Mr Shuck, his parents and I stopped by for a little treat after shopping at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market. The in-laws got scones and Danish (boring). I got this amazing little Snowball cake, described on their website as follows: “Our rich vanilla cake, layered with coconut cream and milk chocolate crémeux.”
  
  Mini Snowball Cake from Bakery Nouveau: Click to enlarge
  
  This is an amazing cake: extremely moist and soft cake layers (probably explains why it’s a little wonkey), sweet and rich chocolate filling in the middle, nice coconut flavor. Mr Shuck and I both loved it. Rating: ♥♥♥♥
  
  Posted in Miscellaneous Bakeries | Tagged Bakery Nouveau, coconut, Snowball
- Look Cupcake at the Chocolate Box for “Sweetest Day”
  
  Posted at 4:51 pm by MLea
  
  Oct 17th
  
  Today is definitely a cupcake sort of day: rainy and cold. We were in need of a little cupcake smile. In search of something new, we ventured to the Chocolate Box to check out Look Cupcake.   I had been to the Chocolate Box before to buy truffles or gelato, but I had never tried the mini cupcakes. I found out today that they are supplied by Look Cupcake who are special order only and don’t have their own storefront. These are mini cupcakes and cost $1.50 each at the Chocolate Box.
  
  Our sampling today:
  
  Look’s Chai- Click to enlarge
  
  Look’s Coconut Praline- Click to enlarge.
  
  Look’s La Nina de Chocolate Diablo- Click to enlarge
  
  Look’s Lemon Rosemary- Click to enlarge.
  
  La Nina de Chocolate Diablo: Mexican spiced chocolate cake with Kahlua buttercream frosting filled with a peppery chocolate ganache. I only had a little bite of this as I don’t really like spicy. This was a beautiful cupcake. The cake was very moist. The icing was smooth and buttery like Italian or Swiss Meringue.   It did have a kick to it and I felt it in the back of my throat afterward. Mr Shuck said he “wants a big one of these.” He would put it on his favorites’ list if it were larger. The chocolate pink ribbon garnish was also spicy. His rating: ♥♥♥♥
  
  Coconut Praline: Vanilla cake with meringue buttercream dipped in toasted coconut and pralines (candied pecans). It seemed like the pralines might have been salted. I love the mix of salty and sweet. The cake was very moist and had a tiny dab of chocolate ganache in the middle.   My rating: ♥♥♥
  
  Chai: All I can say is that it tasted like chai. The cake was a little dry and the appearance overall was very plain. Rating: ♥♥
  
  Lemon Rosemary: This flavor was intriguing to me before I tried it. I thought it was light and refreshing. Mr Shuck thought it was horrible and was tasting it for about 30 minutes after he ate his bite. (Maybe he got a rosemary leaf stuck in his teeth.) My rating: ♥♥. His rating: zero hearts. (He’s shaking his head in disgust as I type this.)
  
  Overall: We’d make a special trip to the Chocolate Box to see what cupcakes Look has provided.
  
  Posted in Look Cupcake | Tagged Chai, coconut, Lemon, Mexican Chocolate, Praline, Rosemary
- Twice in a week?
  
  Posted at 3:30 am by MLea
  
  Aug 27th
  
  So, I was at Yellow Leaf AGAIN today. Wednesday will probably be my usual day for cupcakes since Mr Shuck is downtown. The earlier visit was due to guests in town. That’s how I am justifying this anyway. That’s part of the whole addiction, right? I’m not denying that I have a problem….
  
  Tiramisu: Yellow cake with some liquor flavor that neither Mr Shuck nor I could identify. Marsala wine is apparently traditional for tiramisu, but I don’t think I could recognize it anyway. There was a tiny bit of espresso flavored filling. The cupcake was topped with (I assume) a marscapone icing dusted with espresso/cocoa powder. It was a good one!
  
  Vanilla Toffee: As always, Mr Shuck and I loved the vanilla cake. The scoop of icing is simple and rests on a nice crunchy layer on top of the cake, I assume from toffee chips sprinkled on before baking. There is a great contrast in textures between the firm cake, the crunchy and almost sticky toffee chips and the silky icing.
  
  Strawberry Macaroon: Coconut flavored cake with lightly flavored strawberry Italian butter-cream sprinkled with coconut flakes. There was a bit of a strawberry cake layer, but I’m not sure if it was intentional or if the icing soaked in a little…
  
  Chocolate Cookies and Cream: Devils food cake with cookie bits dipped in chocolate topped with a scoop of icing and half a chocolate filled Oreo®. Also a textural party going on between the crisp cookie bits and creamy icing. Yellow Leaf’s chocolate icing reminds me of chocolate ice cream.
  
  As always, if you click on the picture, you can see a larger version.
  
  Tiramisu
  
  Strawberry Macaroon
  
  Chocolate Cookies and Cream
  
  Vanilla Toffee
  
  Posted in The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company | Tagged chocolate, coconut, cookies, macaroon, oreo, strawberry, tiramisu, toffee, Yellow Leaf
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