Anniversary Special: Coconut Choco-Chip Cupcakes

It was our anniversary yesterday and because I did not have time to buy him anything I decided to do what I do best, bake/cook something for him.  Unfortunately, I had some left overs that I had to finish so we had all that for lunch and were planning to go out for dinner…so baking was my only option. He brought me a bunch of gorgeous flowers when he came for lunch and I made him these dainty cupcakes...there ended our gift exchange for the day :-)

I had imagined this cupcake in my mind (inspired by the Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies) and decided to go for it because he had liked the flavor combination in the cookie form.

The result: absolutely delicious little cupcakes.

Ingredients

For cupcakes

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Salt – a pinch

Brown/white – 3/4 cup

Milk – ¾ cup

Oil - 3 tbsps (I used canola)

Nutmeg – a pinch

Toasted coconut – ½ cup

Chocolate chips – ¼ cup

For frosting

Cream cheese – ¼ cup (approx.)

Confectioner’s sugar – to taste

Coconut flakes for garnish

Method

For cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

In a pan set to low-medium heat, toast grated coconut until it turns medium brown. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. *You can use store bought dried coconut. I used frozen grated coconut.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside. Mix wet ingredients in a bigger bowl. Slowly add the dry to the wet and mix well.

Pour into cupcake liners and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick poked in comes out clean. *You could of course bake a bigger cake with the batter; I chose mini cupcakes because they look really cute.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before applying the frosting.

For Frosting

For best results, use cream cheese at room temperature. In a bowl, whip together the cream cheese and sugar until you have a smooth mixture. Slather the cupcakes with the frosting. Sprinkle some toasted coconut flakes and devour. 

Carrot Cake and a Birthday

Is there a better aroma than that of something baking in the oven...especially when the fragrance of spices wafts throughout the kitchen? I guess not!

It was my husband's birthday a few days ago and I baked him a cake. I have been wanting to bake a carrot cake for quite some time now and this seemed like the perfect occasion. This super moist cake is mildly flavored with cloves and cinnamon and is complemented by the sweet cream cheese frosting, with specks of lemon zest, slathered all over. So, am I guilt laden for eating such an indulgent cake?? No, of course not…I used fat free cream cheese and slightly less sugar and butter than the original recipe…so all is well in the guilt department. :-)

Ingredients

Cake

½ cup walnuts/pecans

1 ¼ cups grated carrot

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¾ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp powdered cloves

2 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting

⅛ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature (I used fat free cream cheese)

1 cup powdered or icing sugar

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

Method
Cake
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Depending on the number of layers you want, butter the cake pans and keep ready. Heat a small pan on medium heat and toast the nuts for a few minutes (until they turn slightly darker and fragrant). Once cooled, chop coarsely and keep aside.

Finely grate the carrots and keep ready.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and powdered cloves, and ground cinnamon.

In another bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. I recommend using an electric beater, as it makes the work a lot easier. Add the sugar gradually and beat until the mixture thickens. Pour in the oil and the vanilla extract. Add the dry ingredients and beat until just mixed. Fold in the grated carrots and half of the chopped nuts. If making multiple layers, divide the batter between the pans and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick pierced in the middle comes out clean).

Remove from oven and let them cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter, with an electric beater, on low speed. Once the mixture is smooth, slowly add the sugar and vanilla and continue beating until completely incorporated. Fold in the  lemon zest.

Assembly

If you are making a single layer cake, just spread the frosting smoothly, all over the cake, and garnish chopped nuts.

For multiple layers, place one layer on a cake pedestal/serving plate, spread the frosting on top, place the next layer and continue the process. You could make more frosting to cover the cake completely and add add the chopped nuts either on the sides or on top. 

 

Note:

The same batter can also be used to make cupcakes.

Leftovers should be refrigerated.







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