Accidents Happen for a Reason

Hi readers,

In the past week I've heard from a few people that they're missing my blog. It pulled at my heart strings and made me realize that people are actually reading this thing. During the first incidence I literally ran into my friend Shaya, with whom I went to high school (saying that makes me sound 38 years old). I was out for an evening jog and I was looking in Victoire for her lovely window displays, and then I spotted her at the cash and I became that crazy girl who knocks on the store window when it's clearly closed. There was the typical hugging and jumping around that happens when you see a friend you haven't seen in a while, and then we talked and talked. Somewhere along the way, my blog came up and she remarked that I hadn't posted in a while. I just love spontaneous moments like that, because we're all so busy and sometimes we need a little serendipity in our lives.

That, along with other comments from other friends and family, have pushed me to write more. I have been making fab recipes but I just haven't written about any of them. I have the pictures but no words to accompany them.

With that being said, today is a great day because I am going to write a post about cupcakes!!! Cupcakes are staple because there's no need to slice a cake if you're bringing it somewhere and they are easier to frost than a whole cake. They're also great to make because you can split the batch up and give them to different people and everybody thinks you made them a whole batch of cupcakes and they feel special. It feels nice to make people feel special :) (cheesy moment of the day). I made some vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing and some chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing, but for now I'm just posting about the former.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Malt Icing

Btw, I'm so proud of this picture... It's the background on my phone #fatchild

Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients:
I made these about a month ago and forgot where I found the recipe, so it took some serious web surfing to retrieve it. They're totally worth it and from Cookies and Cups.

• - 1 3/4 cup cake flour (YES, go to the store and get cake flour)
• - 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• - 1 3/4 cup sugar
• - 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• - 1 tsp kosher salt
• - 1 cup butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• - 4 eggs
• - 1 cup milk
• - 2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

✿ Preheat oven to 350° and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

✿ In a large bowl add the first 5 ingredients and stir together using an electric mixer for about a minute. Enough to get them nice and combined.

✿ With mixer on low, drop in butter, a few cubes at a time continuing until all butter is in and mixer resembles coarse sand.

✿ Add eggs one at a time on low speed.

✿ With mixer still on low slowly pour in milk and vanilla. Turn mixer to medium and beat for 2 minutes until batter is smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed.

✿ Fill liners 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter) and bake for 15-20 minutes until centers are set and toothpick comes out clean.

✿ Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Malt Icing

This is funny how this chocolate icing became chocolate malt icing. Well I guess it's not that funny but I didn't have enough cocoa powder so I used Ovaltine instead. Which you usually mix with milk to make a "healthier" alternative to hot chocolate. I was a little skeptical but Maggie is always pushing me to try new things in the kitchen, so I took a leap, crossed my fingers, and added the malt mixture. The result: THE BEST ICING. Plus, it's a lighter colour than with only cocoa, which is kind of nice/unique.

This recipe was adapted from Savory Sweet Life. A few highlights of this recipe are that it's the greatest icing for piping cupcakes and it uses milk. Oh, and it also takes about five minutes to make and produces enough for two dozen cupcakes (if you don't put too much on each).

Ingredients:

• - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (but not melted!)
• - 3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
• - ¼ cup cocoa powder
• - ¼ cup Ovaltine (or just use the full ½ cup cocoa, and scrap the Ovaltine)
• - ½ teaspoon salt
• - 2 teaspoons vanilla
• - 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

✿ Cream butter for a few minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed.

✿ Sift 3 cups powdered sugar, the cocoa, and Ovaltine into the mixing bowl.

✿ Turn your mixer on the lowest speed (so the dry ingredients do not blow everywhere) until the sugar and cocoa are absorbed by the butter.

✿ Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and milk and beat for 3 minutes.

✿ If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add additional milk 1 tablespoon at a time.

**NOTE: Make sure your cupcakes are cooled before you frost them or else the icing will melt and it will be awful. 

I used a frosting bag and tip to pipe them because it looks so professional but hey, if you want to just spread the icing on, there's no problem there. These littles cakes are delicious and a crowd pleaser so do make them. With a few sprinkles and a steady hand people will be calling you Martha Stewart before you turn around to lick the spatula.

Have a wonderful evening and stay tuned for the chocolate cupcakes with vanilla icing. 

xox, Gaby