Breaking news!

Hey everyone!

Good news...I now have my own website! It routes to a new and improved blog, where you can get new posts and great new baking tips/recipes. All new posts will be at the new site. Sadly, this blogspot blog won't be updated anymore.

Check it out!

www.littlebitsweet.co


Hope you like it! And be sure to contact/comment there with any baking questions you have.

Substitute baking

We've all been there.  You pull out a recipe, start to mix the ingredients together, and find you're out of something.  Great.  Now you have to put everything on hold and run to the store.

I can't take credit for this pic, but I LOVE the saying!

Don't have time to do that? Then forget it, you'll just buy something and put it in a different container so no one knows it's store-bought.   (I have totally done this!!)

First off, you may want to make a list the next time you go to make a recipe.  This way, you won't forget something at the store.  There are great apps for this purpose if you have a smart phone.

Now, if you've made a list and still run out of something, don't panic.  I have a list of substitutions to use in case of emergencies!  This list is NOT all inclusive, but covers the most common ingredients.

      Instead of:                                                                 Use:
1 cup brown sugar                           1 cup white sugar with 1/4 cup molasses, and
                                                          decrease the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup
1 cup buttermilk                              1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with enough
                                                                             milk to make 1 cup
1 cup corn syrup                              1 1/4 cups white sugar plus 1/3 cup water
1 cup half-and-half                          7/8 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon butter
1 cup cake flour                               1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons
1 cup molasses                                 1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup self-rising flour                      7/8 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking
                                                                     powder + 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil                           1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vinegar                           1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup yogurt                                     1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk


A little talk about fats in recipes (namely, butter and margarine):
*You CAN replace shortening in a recipe with butter.  However, the texture will be a little different.  Shortening produces more of a flaky consistency than butter.  Also, butter melts at a different temp so cookies may spread a bit more with butter than with shortening.
*Butter needs to be unsalted in recipes.  Otherwise, the recipe may turn out a little too salty.  If you use salted butter, decrease the salt from the recipe by about 1/4 teaspoon for every 1/2 cup butter you use.

I hope these work for you!  And remember, always try to plan ahead and make a grocery list....or have a backup plan in case something goes terribly wrong. If you DO pass off store-bought as homemade don't worry, I won't tell ;)

Have any baking questions you want answered?  Check out the "contact" tab!!

1 Minute, 1 Serving Cake

First post of the new year! Can you believe it's already 2012??


So maybe your new year's resolution was to cut down on eating dessert.
Well, 1. What are you doing on a sweets blog?? That's like self-induced torture
and 2.  I have good news!!! Now you can have your cake AND eat it too (excuse the cheesy line)

If you're like me, you can't be trusted with lots of sweets in your house.  Believe me, even a future dietitian can have one of those "screw baking it, I'll just eat the cookie dough" nights. (Yes, I can be impatient)
Everything in moderation!!

Which brings me to this post:  how to make a single serving of cake in the microwave.  Small, guilt-free, and you won't end up eating 6 servings of dessert.

Yes, you can buy Warm Delight Minis, but this is a better (and cheaper!) option.

You'll need:

• 1 box cake mix, any flavor
• Water
• Small ramekin
• A little frosting or topping of your choosing
• Spoon!

1. Place about 3 tablespoons of cake mix into your ramekin.

I used vanilla this time... 

     2.   Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons cool water into the ramekin.

     3.   Mix well. (it's ok if there are still a few lumps)

 

It won't look like much, but don't worry, it puffs up! 

     4.   Microwave on high about 45-60 seconds, or until the top of the cake looks slightly dry.

 Ta-da!!

     5.   Top with a little jam, icing, whipped cream, or sugar-free chocolate sauce.  Dig in!!

So there ya have it, a little dessert that's super simple and that won't throw you off your healthy eating course.  Enjoy!!

New traditions

Most weddings are filled with tradition.  White dress, vows, toasts, etc.  My favorite? Cakes!  (did you really expect any other answer?)  But no one says we can't make the cake tradition modern and fun.  This time, modern meant a cake ball wedding cake. 

About 350 carrot cake balls, all set and ready for a beautiful reception.  No need to cut the cake, just pull off each ball! You don't even need plates. 

Unfortunately, the lighting in the room made all close-up shots turn out very yellow-orange, but here is a slightly closer look anyway:

Want your very own cake ball cake?  Check out the "contact" tab!

Whoopie!

Ok it's time for me to confess...I am not a huge cupcake fan. I know, i know, you're shocked. Making them is fun, but I'd prefer other desserts. So what other individual cake serving can you have that is not a cupcake?  Whoopie pies!!

Despite their rather unfortunate name, these little guys are delicious.  The "pies" are typically chocolate or red velvet, but the recipe in this post is for vanilla.  Don't know what they are?  Click here for Wikipedia's definition.  They're basically a mix between a creme-filled cookie and a plain layer cake.

Oh and by the way, the pies that you see in pictures are vegan as well.  Wondering how to make them vegan?  See my note after the recipe below :)

Double Vanilla Whoopie Pies

•  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbs milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 vanilla bean's seeds (I didn't put this in my batch, but it is in the original recipe and makes it "double" vanilla)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for one minute.  Then, add sugars and beat until creamy.
4. Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture, incorporating after each addition.
5. With mixer on slow, add buttermilk. 
6. In a measuring cup, add baking soda then vinegar to the milk.
7. Mix in 1/2 of the flour recipe, then the milk mixture, then the remaining flour.  Mix in the vanilla and vanilla bean seeds.
8. Drop batter onto baking sheets in one tablespoon portions, spacing them out about 2 inches (they spread quite a bit!)

     9.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until the small cakes are slightly brown.
 

      10.   After allowing to cool completely on a cooling rack, pipe ~2 tablespoons of your favorite buttercream frosting onto one "cake" and sandwich with another cake of the same size.
   Whoopie!! You're done and have yummy treats that are soft and delicious.

What's that? You're wondering how these could possibly be vegan as well? No worries, it's really simple!  Just replace the milk with soymilk (I use 8th Continent original...it tastes the best to me), the eggs with Ener-G Egg Replacer, and butter with vegan buttery sticks (Earth Balance makes them). *Note*: To make the "buttermilk," I mixed 1/2 Tbs white vinegar with enough soymilk to make 1/2 cup.  Yes, it WILL look curdled and gross.  Fear not, mine did and it turned out fine.

Once you get the recipe down, play with the flavors! How about a chocolate with coconut frosting?  Carrot cake with cream cheese filling?  Strawberry with fudge filling? Oh the possibilities!!

Somewhere over the....

Have you ever wondered what's really at the end of a rainbow? Or if it's even possible to FIND the end? My inner child still hopes that one day I'll find it with a pot of gold...and maybe a leprechaun. Or perhaps all of that in a field full of four-leaf clovers. Hey, a girl can dream.

In the meantime, lets capture the magic of a rainbow and put it in a cupcake. These cupcakes also happen to be gluten-free and vegan with vegan buttercream icing. So really, magical. Here's the end result:

The cupcakes you see here were for a taste testing. They are various icing designs so the recipient could choose their favorite.  Yellow sunshine on rainbow cupcakes if you would :)

Rather than just posting pics of this design, I'll share how you can make your own.  It's a little time-consuming, but the end result is pretty nifty. So let's go!

1. Prepare your cake batter per recipe directions.  You'll want to use a vanilla or lightly colored cake batter so the rainbow colors aren't altered in any way.
2. Evenly divide your batter between 5 bowls. You can do more if you truly want ALL of the colors of a rainbow, but I didn't think it was necessary.
3. Place a few drops of gel coloring into each bowl and mix until desired color is attained. It should look like this:

 

Now it's time to start layering each color.  

        4.   Line each baking cup with paper liners and lightly spray with cooking spray 

              so they release easily after they're baked.  Then, start the layers by placing about 

              one tablespoon of red batter into each baking cup.  Carefully spread the batter 

              around the bottom of the baking cup to ensure an even layer.  

        5.   Repeat this process with all other colors, working with one color at a time.  The order of 

              a rainbow's colors:  Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Indigo-Violet.  (Roy G. Biv) 

              Well, we're not using all of the colors, so really ours is Roy G B....but that doesn't 

              have the same ring to it.

As you're layering, this is what you will see:

**Note:  Be VERY careful when you're spreading each layer.  You don't want the colors to mix together.

Ok so I fibbed.  I used a total of 6 colors.  The little blob you see on top is purple.  However, I think it would look just as good without the violet/purple on top.

Careful not to over-fill the liners.  They should still be 3/4 full for regular cupcakes (these were gluten-free and don't rise as much, so they're a little more full.

End result:

Ta-daa!!  So there you have it.  Rainbow cupcakes.  Sorry I don't have a picture of the inside of the cupcake.  Trust me, they looked really cool!

Have fun creating your own! And be sure to look for the pot of gold that's supposed to travel with the rainbow.  That thing's gotta be around here somewhere....

Turkey Time

The weather is FINALLY getting a little cooler, so why not post a cake that reflects fall and the holiday season?  Hey, if craft stores and supermarkets can already advertise Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, what's stopping me?

Last year, I had the pleasure of making a cake for a school Thanksgiving celebration.  To accommodate all of my classmates, it was gluten-free and vegan.  Oh, and also happened to be a playful design for the holiday.

Flavor:  Chocolate/Vanilla Marbled
Icing:  "Buttercream" (you know, sans butter or cream. Really, it was magical)

Our rotund little friend has a special message, "Turkeyz R Friendz, NOT food"
Yes, we ate him anyway.  Luckily, this little guy was all cake. No turkeys were actually harmed :)

I'm really looking forward to this holiday season and creating more playful designs for each occasion.