Red Velvet Cupcakes

Do you eat sweets at breakfast? Even after five years of baking, I still have not acquired the habit of having sweets in the morning. Sugar only does have an appeal to me later in the day or after dinner. But people are different. Some could have them early just like the guest who requested that  red velvet cupcakes I made for  her birthday be served at  breakfast.

Red Velvet Christmas Cupcakes

These festive red velvet cupcakes  were absolutely beautiful. They brought out the holiday mood with their strikingly bright red color and decorative toppings.  Perfect for the holiday celebration.

A Special Treat For A Very Special Occasion

I've got hooked on ALDUB tandem of Juan For All, All For Juan segment of a popular noontime show in the Philippines called Eat Bulaga even I am a long way away from home. Thanks to the internet, it gives me the updates and all the latest happenings on the much loved couple in Philippine show business. Today I join the celebration as the whole ALDUB nation  marks the third month of the couples first meeting.  And what better way to celebrate the occasion than with these soft, moist and fluffy chocolate cupcakes? Cupcakes pa more!

Vanilla and Chocolate Treat

We served  these light and fluffy vanilla cupcakes at brunch last week. I made some variance using vanilla bean butter cream and chocolate butter cream frosting to suit the taste of our guests. I thought the two were too plain for the event so I decided to frost some cupcakes with a two-toned icing to make them look pretty and impressive. As I expected, the vanilla and chocolate frosting combo was a huge hit. They're popular not just among kids but the grown-ups as well.

Cupcakes for June Wedding

June is slow and quiet. I thought I had all the time in the world to make these cupcakes for a wedding. I was wrong. I spent a great deal of time baking, filling and frosting them. You may wonder why. What happened was the bride wanted five different flavors. Not only that, the frosting came in different flavors and colors as well. Tinting the frosting in dark green, purple and royal blue was a daunting task. It was a bit of a challenge to get the right shade.  I felt somewhat intimidated by the amount of work that has to be done.  Imagine whipping up 24 cupcakes for each flavor all on your own. I was drained at the end of the day but pleased to  know that the bride loved her wedding cake.

My Cupcake Collection

Cupcakes. What makes them irresistible? Is it the  moist and spongy texture?  Or is it the delicious, light and fluffy frosting that sits atop of it. Whatever it is, cupcake is absolutely the perfect treat for any occasion. Whether it is a birthday or a  wedding, cupcake delights everyone.

I don't make cupcakes too often but when I do, I try to vary colors to make them pleasing to everyone's eyes. Even with a few years of baking experience, I still am learning different techniques to improve an overall quality of my cupcake.

Surprise Birthday Cupcakes

These cupcakes made a little girl's birthday so special. She was not aware that we had something prepared for her. Wondering why the colors were  familiar? I had some leftover frosting from the batch I served at brunch. Tossing it would be a shame so I thought why not make a cupcake platter for her. Sunday's always crazy at work. It would set me back had I chosen to baked her a cake,  I went ahead with my plan, I made the girl a simple treat with these vanilla cupcakes.

Colorful Vanilla Cupcakes

These colorful vanilla cupcakes are the newest addition to the resort's Sunday brunch dessert menu. Similar  to what I make for the nightly turn down service except that I opted to stick to the original recipe I found on the web.  As for the frosting, I tinted it into bright colors.   I used three piping nozzles. The open star piping tip for pink cupcakes, the round piping tip for burgundy and the small closed star piping tip for blue. I added a sprinkling of colored sugar to achieve that perfect finishing touch.

Frosting the cupcakes required  a great deal of time but the result was rewarding. They were a huge hit not just to kids but the grown ups as well.

Pink Cupcakes

The birthday girl loves pink. Her mother asked if I could make her daughter cupcake instead of cake. She wanted pink frosting. The thought of it got me excited. I could finally make a different treat this time. It was ages ago when I baked my last.

I've done vanilla cupcakes countless times for our nightly treats (See my vanilla cupcake topped with sliced almonds for the recipe).It is a real crowd-pleaser. I can't go wrong with it. It is something I know so well. So I went for vanilla cupcake and it did not disappoint.

Vanilla Cupcake Topped With Sliced Almonds

To begin  my cupcake adventure I went online to refresh my mind. Loads of flavors were available but I thought I would start with the easiest pantry ingredient I could find. For today's turn down service treat I made vanilla cupcake. This humble treat was quick and easy to make but it's oh so delicious.

There are many versions of vanilla cupcake you could get off the internet. I have tried many in the past. They were good but this one rocks. Based on the recipe of browneyedbaker, the original recipe called for sour cream. It would cost a lot if I stick to the original so I used the resort's homemade yoghurt as a substitute. I used cake flour in place of all-purpose flour to get a softer and lighter crumb. I skipped frosting for a low-calorie treat. I garnished the top with toasted sliced almonds. I made more than a hundred so imagine how much I had saved with this.

Coffee, Cashew Nut and Raisins Cupcake

Making treats for the resort's nightly turn down service became boring and monotonous. I need a fresh start. To get myself inspired, I started veering away from treats which I make so often. No, I'm not saying goodbye to cookies and chocolates, mousses and panna cotta but I am just taking a break. For now. I thought cupcakes could be a good replacement. To start anew, I baked these coffee cashew nut and raisins cupcakes.

The original recipe called for self raising flour. The flour costs a lot as it is produced abroad and imported to Thailand. To minimize my expenses, I used the locally produced cake flour. I sifted it twice with the baking powder and salt to get  a lighter and more fluffy texture. I also replaced half the amount of cashew nuts with dark raisins for a bit of fruity flavor

Chocolate Cupcake

The  weddings past had left me a good amount of fondant trimmings. I might as well use it before it goes past its prime. And that's what I did. I made chocolate cupcake for turn down service the other day.  The cupcake was plain and boring. I had plenty of time to spare so I turned the simple cupcake to a perfect treat.

Philippine Trip - Mommy's Birthday

Birthday cupcakes and cake I made for Mommy

The main reason of my trip to Philippines last Christmas was to attend Mom's birthday celebrations. Her birthday is the day before Christmas and it is an opportune time to share her blessings to others. Every year, she gives away 5 kilograms of rice to widows and widowers in the church and her community.

Originally, we planned to have her gathering at a park on a hill.  We changed it the last minute because most of her guests were older and were too weak to hike. Mom's favorite color is purple so my sister decorated the venue with purple and white balloons. I made cupcakes and cake frosted with purple butter cream.  Here are the highlights of her birthday gathering.

Soft and Moist Banana Muffins

I was surprised when my sister came home from work last week with a bunch of overripe bananas. There's no way I would eat bananas with black spots but I would feel guilty if they go to waste. I wanted to get rid of them before they go bad. My sister suggested  banana bread so she could eat it for breakfast. I searched for a quick and easy banana bread recipe on the web. I found one that required an hour to bake. I wanted to reduce the baking time to save energy so I baked them in muffin tins. My sister and I couldn't resist  when I took them out of the oven so we both ate one piece after dinner. We ate them again the next day and sis brought the rest to her school to share.

Carrot-Wheat Germ Muffins

A great way to start a day is to have a delicious and healthy breakfast. And nothing beats eating freshly baked muffins in the morning. I made these for my sister to take to work and none of her colleagues rejected them. Who would say no to such a delicious treat?

The recipe was adapted from allrecipes.com but I made a slight tweak here and there.

Thank God for another year added to my life

My cousin once asked if I make my own birthday cake. I don't. I bake a lot in my 9-hour, 5-day work week.I don't get a vacation. The only time I can rest is during my two- day off  which is Friday and Saturday and Thai Holidays which is a total of 13 days a year. It just so happens that today, October 23 is also Chulalongkorn Day,  a national holiday in Thailand. Otherwise I would still be working. It is my birthday. I don't want to do anything but pamper myself.

I don't really have much planned for my birthday. I so wanted to get away from the city but I can't . There's a lot to do at work, so many orders to make. I will probably just eat out with my family and friends. For now let me enjoy this blueberry muffin and green tea.

Vegetarian Honey and Nut Cupcake

The Vegetarian Festival is upon us. This means there will be many festivities in the nine-day long celebration all throughout Thailand. As for me, the best part of the festival is having a lot of vegetarian dishes to choose from. I am not vegetarian but my diet consists of protein and vegetables eighty percent of the time.

I know this post is too early for the October Vegetarian Festival. I  got up early a few days ago and I was in the mood for these healthy cupcakes.

Mission Hospital's 76th Anniversary

Mission Hospital celebrated its' 76 years of providing health care to the people of Thailand. On this auspicious occasion, I was commissioned to make one hundred and fifty chocolate cupcakes and a three- pound chocolate celebration cheesecake.

Blueberry Muffins for Breakfast

My job requires me to be out of bed before rooster crows. Half past 3 in the morning to be precised.My body clock has well adjusted to my daily routine. Even on my day off when I should have sneaky lie-ins, I still wake up fast and do a lot of chores to maximize the use of daylight.

I was up early on Saturday morning. The big sis usually gets up before me on Saturday as she prints her worksheets for Sabbath School. When I went to the kitchen she told me there's nothing to cook for breakfast.All that was left in the fridge were 2 eggs, soy milk and the spare blueberry filling from the blueberry cheesecake I made a week early.. This past week had been toxic at work. Big S took her class on a field trip. We were too exhausted by Friday that we didn't bother going out for groceries.  I told her not to worry as I could bake some thing for breakfast. I checked the cabinet for flour and baking powder. I was relieved to find a pack of  flour and just the right amount of  baking powder needed to make muffins.. 

 I asked my cousin who was here for the weekend to help. She prepared the wet ingredients. Sister took photos while I mixed. Thanks guys.

Little Cake Decorators

Since Christmas time the kids in church had been bugging us about decorating/designing cupcakes. The plan had been postponed many times because we just couldn't find a suitable occasion after the holiday season. When the head of the Children's Department in my church learned about my sister's birthday she quickly planned a potluck for the kids. My sister requested everyone to come because this time the plan would push through. The children got all excited.

She ordered cupcakes and vanilla butter cream from me.