Recipe- Donuts

Hey guys,
Who loves Donuts?? Me, meeeee 🙌. I often have "Donut Days" which is always a hit. Let me share my recipe with you. These are fried donuts and not baked. Now I know some people may enjoy the healthy option of baked donuts but I say if you are going to indulge, do it the right way!

So my donuts are fried and then dunked into either chocolate, vanilla, coconut or caramel topping and then sprinkled with anything like coconut flakes, sprinkles, nuts :)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3/8 cup milk
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 quart oil for deep frying

Directions

1. Stir the vinegar into the milk, and let stand for a few minutes until thick.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture alternating with the vinegar and milk. Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/3 inch thickness. Cut into doughnuts using a donut cutter. Let stand for about 10 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Fry doughnuts in the hot oil until golden, turning over once. Drain on paper towels. 
4. Dip donuts in Chocolate or Vanilla Topping or Dust with confectioners' sugar while they are still warm, and serve immediately.

You can follow my Facebook page Little Miss Cupcake Bakery or on Instagram little_misscupcakebakery to order your Donuts for any event.

I hope you enjoyed this post and try out the recipe!

Until Next time

Your Trini Baker

Recipe-Ganache

Hey Guys,
So someone asked me to post my recipe for Ganache. So what is Ganache? To me Ganache is liquid gold (hehehe)! Seriously though, ganache is a glaze, icing, sauce, or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream. It is made by heating cream, then pouring it over chopped chocolate of any kind.

At Little Miss Cupcake Bakery, I use ganache for several applications- on drip cakes, cupcakes, donuts, just everything that needs a little love! So how do you get your ganache to the right consistency? I am sharing my recipe with you and I hope you try it and tell me what you think!

Ingredients
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chocolate chips, and whisk until smooth. 
2. Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

 Look at that ganache just dripping of that cake. As I mentioned before, it's liquid gold :)

I hope this recipe helps!

Until next time.....

Your Trini Baker

Recipe- Lemon Meringue Pie

Hey Guys,
Who doesn't love a good Lemon Meringue Pie. Growing up in the Trinidad, I enjoyed many citrus fruits like oranges, portugal, grapefruits, tangerines, lemon etc. We make alot of desserts and treats made from these fruits. I remember my grandmother making Lemon Meringue Pies which were both sweet and tangy at the same time. Yummmm!

I would share her recipe with you but Shhhh......it's just between us! :). I get several requests for these pies from my customers and it is a top seller. Like my page on Facebook guys- Little Miss Cupcake Bakery if you would like to order one of these tasty pies!

Ingredients
CRUST
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
3 tablespoons cold water
FILLING:
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice
MERINGUE:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water
4 egg whites
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add 3 tablespoons cold water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball.
2. Roll out pastry to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate. Trim to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. For filling, in a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
4. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and lemon peel. Gradually stir in lemon juice just until combined. Pour into the crust.
5. For meringue, in a saucepan, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in cold water. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is clear. Transfer to a bowl; cool.
6. In a large bowl, beat egg whites and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Beat in cornstarch mixture on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Spread evenly over hot filling, sealing edges to crust.
7. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Happy Baking guys!

Until the next time....

Your Trini Baker

Recipe- Macarons

Hey guys,
So there's this new craze for Macarons but what are they really?? Macarons are  a sweet meringue-based confection made with egg white, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food colouring. Simple right? I find them to be dainty wafer like cookies great for a baby shower, wedding, tea party or really any event where they can be appreciated for their beauty.

So here's a recipe that I use for my Macaron orders.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup almond flour
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 to 3 drops gel food coloring (see below)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, almond or mint extract

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F using the convection setting. Line 3 baking sheets with silicone mats. Measure the confectioners' sugar and almond flour by spooning them into measuring cups and leveling with a knife. Transfer to a bowl; whisk to combine.

Sift the sugar-almond flour mixture, a little at a time, through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to pass through as much as possible. It will take a while, and up to 2 tablespoons of coarse almond flour may be left; just toss it.

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add the superfine sugar and beat until stiff and shiny, about 5 more minutes.

Transfer the beaten egg whites to the bowl with the almond flour mixture. Draw a rubber spatula halfway through the mixture and fold until incorporated, giving the bowl a quarter turn with each fold.

Add the food coloring and extract (see below). Continue folding and turning, scraping down the bowl, until the batter is smooth and falls off the spatula in a thin flat ribbon, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip. Holding the bag vertically and close to the baking sheet, pipe 1 1/4-inch circles (24 per sheet). Firmly tap the baking sheets twice against the counter to release any air bubbles.

Let the cookies sit at room temperature until the tops are no longer sticky to the touch, 15 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the humidity. Slip another baking sheet under the first batch (a double baking sheet protects the cookies from the heat).

Bake the first batch until the cookies are shiny and rise 1/8 inch to form a "foot," about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat, using a double sheet for each batch. Peel the cookies off the mats and sandwich with a thin layer of filling (see below).

Almond-Raspberry:

Tint the batter with 2 drops neon pink gel food coloring; flavor with almond extract. Fill with seedless raspberry jam (you'll need about 3/4 cup).

Mint-White Chocolate:

Tint the batter with 2 drops mint green gel food coloring; flavor with mint extract. For the filling, microwave 3 ounces chopped white chocolate, 2 tablespoons heavy cream and 1 tablespoon butter in 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon mint extract and 1 drop mint green gel food coloring.

Blueberry Cheesecake:

Tint the batter with 3 drops royal blue gel food coloring; flavor with vanilla extract. For the filling, mix 4 ounces softened cream cheese and 3 tablespoons blueberry jam.

Lavendar-Honey:

Tint the batter with 2 drops violet gel food coloring; flavor with almond or vanilla extract. For the filling, mix 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon ground dried lavender.

Here are my finished macarons! Just perfect!

Hope this recipe helps anyone who wants to try their hands at Macaron making. :)

Until next time

Your Trini Baker

Recipe- Decadent Chocolate Cake

Hey guys,
Who doesn't loveee a good slice of moist chocolate cake with a good frosting and a ganache just drizzling down the sides. Yummm!!

So today I am going to share a recipe with you all. I use this for all my chocolate cake orders and well as any occasion at home.

Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
5 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
• Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, use the second set of ingredients. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.
• Split the layers of cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake.

I added ganache and strawberries to mine just to make it more decadent!

Hope this recipe helps all the at home bakers. If you want to order a cake like the picture above, feel free to like my page- Little Miss Cupcake Bakery on facebook and send me a message. I would love to bake for you!

Until my next post, Happy baking!

**Your Trini Baker **

Recipe Cupcakes

Hey Guys,
Let's talk about cupcakes. As I said earlier in a previous post, I think cupcakes are just the perfect amount of cake and frosting. They are just bite size pieces of heaven :)

Plus it's the latest trend. And I mean for all occasions- Birthdays, Weddings, Product Launches, Office Parties.....I mean everything. So making a good cupcake is vital for any aspiring baker and ultimately bakery.

At Little Miss Cupcake Bakery ( again, go like the page on Facebook!), we offer a range of flavours for every palette.
We offer:
Chocolate Overload ( Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Frosting and Chocolate Ganache)
* Chocolate Cupcake and Raspberry Frosting
* Chocolate Cupcake with Pistachio Frosting
* Chocolate Cupcake with Mint Frosting and Ganache
* Snickers Cupcakes ( chocolate Cupcake with Peanut butter frosting and caramel)
* Carrot/ Sweet potato cupcake with Cream cheese frosting
* Carrot cupcake with Cream Cheese frosting
* Pineapple Cupcake with Strawberry Frosting
* Virgin Pina Colada
* Red Velvet cupcakes with Marshmallow frosting.
* Red Velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting
* Almond Cherry Cupcakes with Almond frosting
* Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry or Strawberry Frosting
*Tiramisu
* Cookies and Cream Cupcakes
* Cinnamon Roll 
* Salted Caramel Cupcakes
* Rum Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
* Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes
* Champagne Cupcakes
* Chocolate Stoute Cupcakes with Kahlua Frosting

They all sound yummy right?? 

I will share with you my recipe for a good Vanilla Cupcake. The recipe for the Buttercream frosting is in the previous post.

Recipe: Vanilla Cupcakes   Yield 24 Cupcakes
2 cups flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
3⁄4 cup sugar 
2 eggs
1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

Directions
Preheat oven to 375f or 190c; line muffin cups with papers.
Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. beat in eggs one at a time.
Add flour (mixed with baking powder and salt) alternating with milk beat well; stir in vanilla.

Divide evenly among pans and bake for 18 minutes. Let cool in pans.

Look at some of my cupcakes below 

Your Trini Baker :)

Recipe- Frosting

Hey Guys,
So I just wanted to share some recipes with you. Some of you may be an aspiring baker like myself and a good recipe is always a treat to find.

Today I'm going to share my recipe for Buttercream frosting. Buttercream frosting is the one constant in baking and frosting cakes. It's important to have a good tasting as well as a resilient buttercream that can withstand both cold and hot temperatures.

Buttercream Recipe
1 cup Unsalted Butter
1/3 cup Cookeen
4 cups Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Essence
3-4 tbsp Whipping Cream

Method
Mix Butter, Cookeen and Extract in a mixing bowl.
Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time
Add milk 1tbsp at a time and mix until you have reached the consistency you desire.

Yield: frosting for 24 cupcakes. Any variation in colour or flavour, just add food colouring or essence!

Any left over frosting can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge.

Happy Baking!

Your Trini Baker :)

Menu Selection

Hey Guys,
So I finally did it. I resigned and effective today 6th March 2017, I am now fully focused on turning my dream of owning a café into a reality (yayy me!)

Let's talk menu. My vision for the Café is of course bakery items- both sweet and savoury like cupcakes, mini tartlets, macaroons, éclairs, cakes slices , full cakes, Panna cotta, Crème Brule, Crème Caramel, Donuts etc. as well as Puffs, Beef Pies, Sandwiches, Pizza Slices. I am also looking at fun exciting food and juice items.

With regards to the food items and juices, I would be offering light menu items. See below:

Salads and Appetizers

• Caesar Salad- With and Without Chicken
• 7 Bean Salad
• Quinoa Salad
• Fried Wings ( BBQ, Honey Jack Daniels, Pineapple, Sweet & Sour)
• Fried Calamari

Sandwiches, Wraps and Pasta

• Alfredo Pasta (Chicken or Shrimp)
• Spaghetti with Tomato cream sauce
• Spaghetti and Meat balls
• Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wrap
• Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad wrap
• Vegetarian wrap
• Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Swiss Melt Sandwich
• Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich
• Turkey Bacon Grilled cheese sandwich

So these are some of the items that I have in mind for the café. I am going to try out some recipes, add some pictures and share with you.

Leave a note, tell me what you think of it? Should I add more or delete some?

Until the next blog- your Trini Baker :)