YumSugar

Sisters of DC Cupcakes Share Valentine's Day Baking Tips and Chocolate Ganache Recipe

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:16:28 PST

What's sugar and spice and everything nice? Cupcakes! And no one knows more about our obsession with the lil confections than Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake and stars of TLC's DC Cupcakes. The sisters, who learned their kitchen skills from their grandmother ("We followed her around the kitchen and always begged to help"), have been known to bake up to 10,000 lil cakes a day, much to the delight of the patrons who line the block of their Washington DC store. The duo - who just opened their first outpost in New York City - gave me a few minutes of their time to discuss their tasty desserts.

LilSugar: Cupcakes have moved from kiddie birthday party staple to a favorite of adults and kids alike. But kids aren't always willing to try new flavors. Which are most popular with kids?
Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis: Our Vanilla Birthday (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), Chocolate Birthday (chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow bobbles), and Milk Chocolate Birthday (vanilla cupcake with milk chocolate buttercream and rainbow bobbles) are the most popular with kids. We think it's the color rainbow bobbles!

LS: Moms are busy; what shortcuts can you recommend to making delicious, beautiful cupcakes without spending the whole day baking and decorating them?
SL and KK: Try to keep a stash of baking staples - butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, milk, all purpose flour, baking soda/powder, salt, and cocoa powder/chocolate on hand in your kitchen at all times and you can make almost any flavor! Our recipes are very simple - we don’t use cake flour or pastry flour - just all purpose - we find that works best. Also, we're big fans of chocolate ganache icing. It's so easy - just two ingredients - chocolate chips and heavy cream. You just melt them down (two cups of chips to one cup of cream), and dip your cupcakes in and you've got a super fast and unbelievably delicious frosting.

LS: Do you ever make "healthy" cupcakes for those who want to skip some of the sugar? If so, what goes into it?
SL and KK: We have a carrot cake cupcake, which has fresh carrots and fresh apples grated in it. We skip the walnuts, to save on calories, and it's a light and delicious cupcake!

The new season of DC Cupcakes begins on Feb. 25, but if you're looking to create their Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes for Valentine's Day,

Georgetown Cupcake's Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes
From Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, co-owners of Georgetown Cupcake

Ingredients

For the cupcakes 1 1/4 cups flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) European-style unsalted butter, such as Plugra brand, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar bourbon 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature 1/2 cup Valrhona cocoa powder, sifted (or another good-quality cocoa powder) For the ganache frosting 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 cup Callebaut semisweet chocolate chips (6.4 ounces; or other good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)

Directions
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 baking cups, and a second pan with 6 baking cups. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Stop to add the sugar; beat on medium speed until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. Combine the vanilla extract and milk in a large liquid measuring cup. Reduce the speed to low. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then gradually add one-third of the milk mixture, beating until well incorporated. Add another one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk mixture. Stop to scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk mixture, and beat just until combined. Add the cocoa powder, beating (on low speed) just until incorporated. Use a standard-size ice cream scoop to fill each cupcake paper with batter, so that the wells are two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes (start checking at 15 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. For the ganache frosting: Lay a large piece of wax paper on the work surface. Combine the heavy cream and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and place over medium-low heat. Place the bowl over the saucepan and let the mixture melt, stirring until it is shiny and smooth. Remove the bowl of chocolate ganache from the saucepan; let it cool slightly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Working with 1 cupcake at a time, carefully dip each cupcake top in the warm ganache, twisting your wrist as needed to make sure the cupcake top gets completely coated. To prevent drips, quickly turn the cupcake right side up and place on the wax paper. Allow the ganache to set for 5 minutes before serving. (If the cupcakes are dipped once, you'll have about 1/2 cup of ganache left over.)

Print recipe with images | without images

Shadow or Not, These Sweet Treats Will Help Tots Celebrate Groundhog Day

LilSugar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:07:46 PST

While it may not be the most widely-celebrated holiday of the calendar year, Groundhog Day (Feb. 2) is a tradition that dates back to 1887, and acknowledges that it is a fun way to add some excitement to your lil one's week. Check out these five sweet treats to celebrate the coming Spring (or extension of Winter).

Fun fact . . . Did you know that Punxsutawney Phil has moved into the 21st century? If you text "Groundhog" to 247365 tomorrow, he'll text you back with his weather prediction!

10 Supersweet Valentine's Day Treats For Kids - and Mama, Too!

Nicole Abbott — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:04:30 PST

Well, hello there, Cupid! Valentine's Day takes on a whole new meaning once a woman becomes a mom. Sure, it's still fun to plan a little romantic something for the hubs - but a man can't really appreciate the beauty of heart-shaped or Valentine-inspired desserts like a kid can.

Click through to check out these 10 sweet Valentine's Day treats for mama to share with her special little someone this Valentine's Day.

5 Desserts Inspired by Conversation Hearts

Leta Shy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:41:44 PST

One of my favorite parts of Valentine's Day is how everything becomes heart-shaped for a month, and that includes the candy! Conversation hearts are a seasonal staple, but while they're cute to give and get, the chalky taste can leave your sweet tooth unsatisfied. Instead of doling out the pastel treats, check out these five easy ways to make delicious heart-inspired desserts!

Source: Flickr User ellie

The Perfect New Year's Sweet Treat: Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes

YumSugar — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:05:59 PST

New Year's is my favorite time of year, and Champagne is my favorite drink. So it's no surprise that when I came across a recipe for Champagne cupcakes last week, I nearly jumped out of my seat with excitement. These cupcakes have Champagne in the batter, in the pastry cream filling, and in the buttercream frosting. How much more exciting can this dessert get?

There are quite a few steps involved in this recipe, but I was able to whip up a batch in just a couple of hours. These would make an impressive addition to any New Year's party, or if you're planning a sweet night in to ring in 2012, cut the recipe in half and enjoy them yourself!

For more on these fabulously festive cupcakes, and for the recipe, keep on going.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes With Cinnamon Glaze

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:22:20 PDT

If you have a child who suffers from wheat, dairy, and egg allergies, Halloween can be an especially tough time. Here's a delicious, special Halloween treat that you can whip up for your child sans wheat, butter, and milk. Pumpkin, chocolate chips, and cinnamon glaze come together for the perfect Halloween combination that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Use fun, Halloween-colored cupcake liners to make the treat extra festive. If your kid doesn't like chocolate or cinnamon, no problem. This recipe is equally delicious as a pumpkin cupcake with vanilla glaze!

See recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes.

11 Decorative Homemade Halloween Cake Ideas

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:19:14 PDT

Show off your cake decorating skills by making a cute, homemade Halloween cake or cupcakes. Spiders, Frankenstein, and creepy ghosts are just a few Halloween themes you can easily translate to your baked goods. Cakes and cupcakes make a fun and exciting centerpiece to any party, so get your mixer and piping bag out and ready. We've broken it down by hardest to easiest, so you can work with your skill and comfort level.

5 Geeky Halloween Treats

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:13:43 PDT

Make your Halloween party stand out this year by baking a nod to your geeky lifestyle. Whether comic book superheroes are a favorite, video game wonderlands, or a bit of traditional scariness, test out these kitchen creations come Halloween night.

Savory Sight: Natty Boh Beer Cupcakes

Yum Community — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:35:50 PDT

Beer isn't just for drinking. It's also good for making cupcakes, like these cute mustachioed cupcakes that Eatswimshop posted in our Kitchen Goddess group.

It's Baltimore Beer Week, and while I don't really like beer, I do like cupcakes. I decided to celebrate by making cupcakes with the beer most associated with Baltimore: National Bohemian (or Natty Boh).

Natty Boh tastes similar to Corona to me, so I added some lime along with the beer in the cake batter and frosting. I topped them with Mr. Boh's mustache (made with Baltimorean Duff's black fondant). The cupcakes turned out really well - very light and fluffy, with a faint taste (and smell) of beer. See the recipe and more photos at Eat. Swim. Shop.

Share your own sweet treats and food photos in our Kitchen Goddess and Savory Sights groups.

5 Quick, Beautiful Ways to Ice Cupcakes

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:21:18 PDT

You can always shellac frosting over your cupcakes, but learning a few simple but sophisticated techniques can give your pretty pastries a professional touch, not to mention impress your friends and family. Here are five simple but dazzling ways to decorate your cupcakes.