Devil's Food Cake

/
Devil's Food Cake

Devil's Food Cake

There is something to be said about a simple chocolate cake. No frills, no fuss, no mountains of too sweet buttercream to spoil the treat—just chocolate and cake.

Growing up, I didn't like chocolate. I didn't like the way it looked, the way it smelled, or the way it tasted. I avoided brownies, chocolate ice cream, and chocolate cake like the plague. I'd snub my nose at candy bars. On my birthday, I would insist on eating strawberry shortcake—chocolate wasn't going to grace my special day. I was too cool for it and I wanted everyone to know it. Chocolate was the enemy.

Devil's Food Cake
Devil's Food Cake

On occasion, I would gobble down as many chocolate chip cookies as possible. I loved chocolate chip cookies. I was probably too naive to understand the brown spots were chocolate. Or, better yet, I knew they were chocolate but I had a tough girl I-don't-eat-no-chocolate image to uphold. I don't remember much from this stage in my life (perhaps I am blocking it from memory because I cannot fathom a life without chocolate), but this is what my mother tells me. And we must believe our mothers.

You can see my opinion on chocolate has certainly changed. Over 1/3 of the recipes on this website prominently feature chocolate as one of the main ingredients. I can't help myself. Chocolate is my vice; it corrupts me. I can't handle this level of decadence on my own, so I'm bringing you down with me.

I hope you don't mind.

Devil's Food Cake

This devil's food cake is the quintessential chocolate cake. It is dense and rich with chocolate. It is thick and sticks to the roof of your mouth. It is satisfying in the only way chocolate cake knows how. The frosting is a dark chocolate frosting. Made with brown sugar and unsweetened chocolate, it's dark, rich, and intense. This frosting isn't playing around. Combined with the devil's food cake, this is a lethal (and delicious) combination. You need this chocolate cake.

Read More

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

/
Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

Vanilla Almond Cupcake

This past weekend I took some time off to be with family to go skiing. It's a spring break tradition we started when I was younger and have kept it up since. This year's destination was to Red Lodge, Montana. It's a small tourist town with the quaintest little main street you've ever seen, surrounded by mountains perfect for skiing or snowboarding (and hiking in summer).

The weather was perfect. It was bright and sunny with little wind and I couldn't have asked for anything better. With few clouds, the view from the top of the mountain was unbelievable. The mountains and country seemed to extend on forever. My sister thought she could easily see far enough to reach into the next state. I agreed.

Skiing in Red Lodge

Skiing in Red Lodge

Though the sun was shining, I still bundled up like I was headed into the arctic for the next year. Three layers on the bottom, five on the top, and a neck warmer that covered everything but the tip of my nose (which was the only part of me that sunburned, by the way. Call me Rudolph). Though, it was worth it. There are few things more exhilarating than skiing down a mountain as fast as you can.

Red Lodge Main Street

After a long day on the slopes, nothing seems better than a plate full of food. The main street is full of original shops and restaurants, including Bogart's (our favorite restaurant). Order the giant plate of nachos. And a margarita (or two). It's the best you'll ever have.

Bogart's Restaurant Montana Candy Emporium
Montana Candy Emporium

The town is also home to the Montana Candy Emporium. It is a renovated movie theater turned candy shop. It sells just about every discontinued or old-timey candy you can imagine, holding it all in rows of barrels. With vintage signs and paraphernalia, this place is really a sight.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

We stayed in a small cottage at the base of the mountain. Even though it was without internet (gasp), we found a way to entertain each other. Sometimes it just feels good to get a break from technology and reality, for just a little while.

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes

These cupcakes are light and subtly sweet. The vanilla almond cupcake has vanilla tones with sliced almonds right in the mix. The cake is barely sweet to allow the almond to shine. The frosting is a basic vanilla frosting with a hint of almond extract to cut the sweetness. The flavors in this cupcake really shine—neither the vanilla or almond outshine each other. These cupcakes are perfect for afternoon tea.

Read More

Coconut Cream Cupcakes

/
Coconut Cream Cupcakes

coconut cream cupcakes

Lately, I've been having a streak of recipe failures. Normally, I'm okay with a failed recipe or two (and even then once every blue moon). After I stop whining and complaining (kicking, screaming, crying), I find there's usually something to learn. Maybe I didn't have the right ratio of flour to fats. Maybe I substituted an ingredient I really shouldn't have. There are dozens of things that could have gone wrong and it's my job as the baker/detective to sort it out. I'm okay with solving baking crimes (well, it is a crime to see good food go to waste!). What I'm not okay with is a failed recipe where there was nothing to learn and I have no idea what went wrong.

That just makes me mad.

coconut cream cupcakes

In the past week, I've had four recipes go sour. Four. I didn't share my lemon mousse with the texture verging on cottage cheese. I chose not to show you my coffee poached pears with the nightmare coffee caramel sauce. I even tried steaming some vegetables with a little vinegar and only ended up with a home that reeked of Little House on the Prairie. It's been a bad week for my kitchen. It's been a blow to my culinary confidence. I'm almost nervous to try something new for fear it will end up in the trash (again).

But these coconut cream cupcakes? These broke that awful streak (thank goodness). I honestly can't think of a change I'd do to make these better. These are just perfect.

coconut cream cupcakes

These coconut cream cupcakes are reminiscent of a coconut cream pie. The cupcake is a traditional vanilla cupcake absolutely infused with coconut, including coconut milk and flaked coconut mixed throughout. If that isn't good enough, these cupcakes are then filled with a toasted coconut cream. Toasted coconut. They are finally topped with a vanilla whipped cream and a sprinkling of toasted coconut. These are addictive and so delicious. If you love coconut, you need to make these.

I should have called them Coconut Dream Cupcakes.

Read More