Cakes, Cupcakes, and Tortes

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Apple Season and Apple Spice Cupcakes

One of my favorite things about Autumn is going to apple orchards and picking our own apples. We always come home with more apples than we had expected…
Fortunately, apples can last a long time when they are stored in a cool place.
I recommend using apples fairly soon after they have been picked for recipes where [...]

22Oct2009 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Chocolate Mousse Dream Cake

Chocolate Mousse Dream Cake (adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)
Cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
12 ounces premium-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark rum, such as Myer’s, or the liqueur of your choice, such as Kahlua or Grand Marnier (optional)

Milk Chocolate Mousse

1/4 cup unsalted [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Chocolate Yule Log

Chocolate Yule Log Cake (Eat Feed Autumn Winter by Anne Bramley)
For photos and comments check out the link above.
Meringue Mushrooms:

1 large egg white, room temperature
Pinch of cream of tartar
1/4 cup sugar

Cake:

1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
6 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Christmas Red Velvet Cupcakes with Mascarpone Cream Cheese Frosting

Christmas Red Velvet Cupcakes (The Pastry Queen Christmas by Rebecca Rather)

1/4 cup (2 ounces) red food coloring
3 1/2 tablespoons high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Marble Bundt Cake

Marble Bundt Cake (Baked by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)
For the Chocolate Swirl:

6 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon unsweetened dark cocoa powder

For the Sour Cream Cake:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Frosting

Peach Queen Cake with Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting (from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)
Dulce de Leche:

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Cake:

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup pecan halves
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)
Ginger Crust:

2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 40 cookies)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pumpkin Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce) can pure pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued
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Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers

Tiramisu with Homemade Ladyfingers (The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather)
Ladyfingers (You can always use store-bought if you prefer):

1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting the ladyfingers, plus extra for dusting the baking sheets
7 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

Soaking Syrup:

1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons instant [...]

19Jan2008 | Megan | 0 comments | Continued