Thursday, October 22, 2009

Birthday Baking


One of the all time best compliments I can get is when someone asks me to bake or cook for them. I know this is really more of a tribute to the person who created the recipe than me for just being able to follow instructions, but it's still exciting that they like what I do so much that they want me to do it again (and are even willing to pay for it, if I allow them to), instead of just asking for the recipe and doing it themselves. So we're continuing Sweets Week with cupcakes that were requested for a coworker's birthday. She asked if I could bring in chocolate mint cupcakes, using the same recipe I used for my birthday cake back in May (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World), so I did.




Normally, when I make cupcakes, I love breaking out the pastry bags, attempting to get all fancy with the decorating and actually making them look wholly unattractive. This time, I was lazy and just used a spatula and spoon. Oddly enough, I think they look better now than they usually do (though I should have put aside a bit of frosting to put a dollop in the center of the ganache. It just needs a little something in there). I guess less really is more (when you can't decorate to save your life).

When making recipes from VCTOTW, I sometimes wonder if Isa and Terry expect us to have frosting fights or something. The recipes make so much that I always halve them unless I'm making a big cake. This time, even with only making half the recommended amount of frosting, I was able to go over each cupcake twice, giving it (sometimes more than) double what I would be comfortable eating. Does anyone else experience this? Am I the only frosting minimalist in these parts?

Frosting amounts aside, I love these cupcakes. I got to spend a whole hour asleep on the train with them on my lap. It may have been my best smelling nap ever.

6 comments:

Leslie Richman said...

Those look so good! I have that cookbook but haven't made this recipe yet.

Seitan Said Dance said...

There aren't any other vegans in my office, they just like vegan baked goods (which is a different kind of awesome)!

LJ said...

Frosting Fights! Yes! On the Fluffy Buttercream Frosting, it does say that you can halve it if you're going to spread instead of pipe, but a Frosting Fight sounds really fun...messy, but definitely fun!!!

Seitan Said Dance said...

I halve it even when I pipe and I still have leftovers all the time. I tell myself I'll make sandwich cookies with it, or something, but it always ends up in the trash.

Neta said...

Frosting fights-lets do it!

Rosemary said...

Very thoughtfuul blog