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Taste Test: Sprinkles Frozen Frosting Shots

partysugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:25 -0700

Love frosting? Well, I have news for you! For the Summer, everyone's favorite bakery, Sprinkles, has launched a new product: frozen frosting shots. Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. For $.75, at all Sprinkles locations, you can actually purchase a shot of frosting that's frozen. Earlier this week, we were lucky enough to receive a large sample of the sugary treats from Sprinkles. To find out how they taste, read more.

The shots come in mini paper cups with rounded pointy tips. They come in five flavors: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and cream cheese. There is nothing special about the frosting, it's the exact same frosting that they use on the cupcakes. When paired with the moist cake, the frosting is creamy and delicious. On its own, however, it's hard to stomach all 2-3 ounces of it. It's very sweet, thick, and extremely buttery.

Although freezing it does provide a nice cooling texture that's similar to ice cream, I could not get through an entire shot. Frosting lovers might go nuts over these, but I was left longing for cake.

Have you ever had a shot of frosting? Is this something you would love to try?

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Want Fries With That Hot Dog Cake?

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:01:38 -0700

When I found out that today is Hot Dog Day, I knew I had to share this fun creation. It really takes "semi-homemade" and pushes it to the next level, everything can be bought, but the end result is completely unique. The Hot Dog and Fries Cake is a completely edible, ridiculously sweet cake shaped to look like a hot dog in a bun and french fries. All you need is a loaf cake, a few Twinkies, red frosting, yellow icing, red icing and some green fruit. If you'd rather not use Twinkies, substitute with different kind of cake in the center. Either way, your little ones - and big ones too - are going to love this treat.

To see how to assemble one for yourself, read more

Hot Dog and Fries Cake
From Family Fun

1 baked loaf cake
2 Twinkies
1 cup hot-dog red frosting (red and brown mixed)
Yellow icing in a tube
Red icing in a tube
Green fruit slices or gumdrops, diced (optional)

To make the hot dog bun, cut the lengthwise sides of the loaf off (as shown), saving the extra cake for the French fries. Remove the cake center and place the two Twinkies in the "bun."
Frost them hot-dog red. Add a squirt of mustard (yellow icing) ketchup (red icing), or relish (diced gumdrops or fruit slices).

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National Marzipan Day

YumSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 01:14:09 -0800

One of my good friend's is absolutely crazy for marzipan. In fact, he believes that a cake is not worth eating unless it's completely smothered in the stuff. So when I found out that today is National Marzipan Day, I immediately thought of him.

Marzipan, for those of you that don't know, is a sweet creation primarily consisting of sugar and ground almonds. Predominantly used by pasty chefs as coating on cakes, it is also widely available as small edible sweets.

To celebrate National Marzipan Day, make your own batch and go wild sculpting. You can even eat it plain, dipped in chocolate or covered in nuts. read more

Basic Marzipan
From Your Guide to Candy

2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
4 cups ground almonds (or almond meal)
2 egg whites
Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Prepare a workspace by sprinkling powdered sugar over a marble slab, wooden cutting board, or large baking sheet. Fill your sink or a large bowl with cold water.

2. Place the sugar and 2/3 cup water in a large heavy saucepan and heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Add the cream of tartar and turn up the heat. Bring to a boil and cover, boiling, for 3 minutes.

4. Uncover and boil until the temperature reaches soft-ball stage, 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

5. Place the bottom of the saucepan in the cold water you’ve prepared, stirring the sugar mixture constantly until it becomes thick and creamy.

6. Stir in the ground almonds and the egg whites, the place back over low heat and stir for 2 minutes more until the mixture is thick.

7. Spoon the marzipan onto your prepared work surface, and turn it with a metal spatula until it cools down enough to touch.

8. Coat your hands in powdered sugar and begin to knead the marzipan, working it until it is smooth and pliant.

9. Your marzipan can now be used immediately or stored by wrapping it in plastic wrap and keeping it in an airtight container.

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What's Your Favorite Kind of Frosting?

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 10:33:11 -0800

Definition: Frosting vs. Icing

YumSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:03:11 -0800

Frosting: A sweet glaze often made with sugar, butter, water and egg whites or milk, often flavored and cooked (although it can be uncooked). It's used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or cookies and can range from thick to thin.

Icing: see Frosting. Yep that's right, the words are interchangeable. Often frosting is actually a type of icing, but it depends on where you're from.

Frosting and icing seem to be words that vary by region. So how about you, what do you call it?

Come Party With Me: Pumpkin Carving - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:15:04 -0700

Along with a hearty Fall meal, at my annual pumpkin carving party, I like to serve a pumpkin themed dessert.

In the past I've done ice cream sandwiches and pumpkin bars, but this year I've been all about cakes, so I'll be whipping up a relatively easy pumpkin cake.

The batter is seasoned with orange zest and the frosting is a decadent blend of caramel and cream cheese.

The resulting cake is festive and seasonal and can be made several days before the party. To take a look at the recipe I plan on using, keep reading.

Have Your Cake and Beet It Too

YumSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:00:06 -0700

While looking through Gorgeous Cakes over the weekend, I found the perfect Fall cake recipe that included one of my favorite root vegetables, beets. I love roasted beets in a salads, so why not experiment with them in baking?The uncooked batter has a stunning magenta color that's unfortunately lost once baked. However, it turns to a lovely, golden-colored cake with delicious red speckles throughout.

The combination of beets and roasted hazelnuts results in a hearty cake with a delightfully light and airy texture. For extra zip, I added ruby red grapefruit zest to the luscious cream cheese frosting. To see the spectacular color of the batter and start baking your own cupcakes with this vegetable, read more.

Beet Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Gorgeous Cakes by Annie Bell

Ingredients

For the Cake
5 ounces raw beet, peeled and shredded (wear gloves and apron while shredding)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 medium eggs, separated
3 tablespoons 1 percent milk
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Frosting
2 teaspoon beets, shredded
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups lowfat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ruby red grapefruit zest

Directions

Preheat the oven 350°F. Place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to check the hazelnuts frequently to ensure they do not burn. Once roasted place nuts on a kitchen towel. Cover the nuts with half of the kitchen towel and gently roll back and forth to remove the skins. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Beat oil and sugar in large bowl, then beat in egg yolks and milk.
Fold in beets and hazelnuts. Sift flour and baking powder together and stir into the batter. Add spices.
Using a clean bowl and beater beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into the batter in three stages.
Fill cupcake liners and bake for 18-22 minutes or until an inserted knife or skewer comes out clean.
For the frosting, cream butter, and powdered sugar using a hand mixer. Blend in the cream cheese, vanilla, and grapefruit zest until smooth.
Place the 2 teaspoons of shredded beets in a cup with 2 teaspoons of boiling water. Let sit for a couple of minutes. The red liquid can be added to the frosting to make pink frosting without the aid of food coloring.
Frost the cupcakes once cooled completely and enjoy.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

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Yummy Links: From Zucchini to Buttercream Frosting

partysugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 06:45:05 -0700

A surprising tip for making delicious zucchini. - Gourmet
These cactus napkins are ideal for a hoedown! - CasaSugar
Fabulous recipes that use Fall produce. - Chow
Submit your best tailgating recipes to win a trip to the Super Bowl. - Epi-Log
Would you eat this hamburger fatty melt? - Serious Eats
Everything you need to plan a spooky chic dinner party. - Hostess with the Mostess
Get to know some of your favorite food bloggers better. - Cookthink Questionnaire
Make the perfect buttercream frosting. - The Kitchn

Source

You Must Make These Brown-Sugar-Caramel Frosted Cupcakes!

partysugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:31 -0800

Love pecan pie, but tired of making the same old Thanksgiving dessert? Then bake these brown-sugar-pecan cupcakes with caramel frosting instead! Seriously, these cupcakes are the best dessert I've tasted in weeks.

The fluffy batter is rich, but light with a distinct browned-butter flavor. Although it requires a little time to make, the caramel frosting is absolutely to die for. It's smooth and creamy with a sweet taste similar to caramel candies. The pecans tie the elements together and provide a breakfast-like texture to the cakes.

When I served these at a recent dinner party, I was shocked at how good they tasted. Everyone was simultaneously saying, "mmmm" and "these are amazing." You simply must make these delicious cupcakes. Get the recipe after the break.

Come Party With Me: All Hallow's Eve - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:15:05 -0700

So you've just decided to host a Halloween party and you've got no time to plan. No matter. On Saturday afternoon, before you put on your costume, you can throw together some festive yet uncomplicated snacks and make these cupcakes. Shhh, don't tell anyone: the recipe uses a boxed yellow cake mix, meaning these mini cakes will be ready to bake in minutes. The addition of pumpkin pie spice and canned pumpkin puree, in combination with the smooth cream cheese frosting, will fool your guests into thinking you slaved for hours on these cupcakes. Garnish with a single piece of candy corn and get ready to celebrate! To check out the easy recipe, read more.

Pumpkin Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting
From Real Simple

Ingredients

1 18.5-ounce box yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for in the package directions)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
24 pieces candy corn

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
Prepare the cake mix as directed but with the following change: Add the pumpkin pie spice and substitute the can of pumpkin puree for the water called for in the package directions.
Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Spread on the cupcakes and top each with a piece of candy corn.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

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